This easy-to-read series provides an introduction to some of the most important early years philosophies and shows how they can be incorporated into your setting. Each book provides: an outline of the background to the approach clear explanations of the relevance to contemporary thinking suggestions to help you plan a successful learning environment examples of what the individual approach can look like in practice. These convenient guides are essential to early years practitioners, students and parents who wish to fully understand what each approach means to their setting and children. How has Forest School helped to change attitudes about risk and challenge in the early years? What are the benefits of using this approach for children’s development, health and overall wellbeing? Bringing the Forest School Approach to your Early Years Practice provides an accessible introduction to Forest School practice. It identifies the key issues involved in setting up, running and managing a Forest school environment and offers clear guidance on resources, staffing and space required for successful play and learning outdoors. Including links to the Early Years Foundation Stage and a wide range of case studies, the book covers: The beginnings of Forest School and how practice has developed Child centred play and learning that allows for risk taking and challenge Planning for children’s individual needs, learning styles and schemas The learning environment The role of the adult including health and safety and children’s welfare. Full of practical advice, this convenient guide will help practitioners to deliver new, exciting and inspiring opportunities for the children they care for.

This accessible text encourages readers to understand and confidently engage with distinctive early years pedagogy. It shows how pedagogy not only underpins the early years curriculum but is also inherent in the role of the adult and the experiences that are offered to young children. The book explains what the differing early years pedagogies are, why they are encouraged, and the knowledge, skills, and practice that are required to work with them. Emphasising that what works in one situation may not in another and a wider pedagogical knowledge is essential to ensure quality outcomes for children, it considers key topics such as: the role of the pedagogue and developing your own style promoting a lifelong love of learning in children under your care sensitivity and inclusion for all children’s cultures and communities promoting the rights of every child under your care. Incorporating reflection points and research tasks to support independent learning, this is essential reading for students on Early Childhood Studies courses and Early Years Foundation Degrees as well as early years practitioners.

If you are an Early Years Teacher Trainee, this book is written for you. It will help you to successfully achieve your Early Years Teacher Status and practice with confidence. This book guides you through what you need to know about Early Years Teacher Status step-by-step. It explains how you can work to meet each of the Standards and assessment requirements. The author addresses trainees’ common concerns about early years practice, study skills and meeting EYTS requirements, as well as giving many examples of the strategies that trainees found most helpful. The chapters explore each aspect of every Standard and indicator, with notes on theory, practical tips, case studies, activities and suggestions for further reading. This book helps you to: • understand all aspects of each Standard and indicator; • link your practice to the Standards; • understand the assessment requirements and how to strengthen your evidence; • plan and track your evidence; • complete your written assignments and create your portfolio with confidence; • develop the skills needed to take on a leadership role. This book also provides support for the mentor-mentee relationship and includes guidance for mentors, teaching activities for tutors and support for assessors. This book is a valuable resource for all those involved in EYTS and will be useful for: - EYTS trainees - their mentors - their placement tutors - course lecturers - EYTS assessors

The outdoor environment is now an integral part of many early years settings and schools, but is it being used to its full potential? Providing extensive, challenging and ever-changing outdoor play experiences is an essential and valuable aspect of early years education. This book offers comprehensive guidance on how the outdoor environment can be used to teach and challenge all children across a range of settings drawing on forest school practice. Following a month-by-month format, each chapter provides a selection of theme-related play experiences alongside planning and evaluations of how the ideas described were carried out, and reveals the impact that they had on the children. Including detailed information on the role of the adult, the environment, planning and using children’s interests to guide their learning and development, the book features: over 100 full-colour photographs to illustrate practice diary entries that reflect how the planning was delivered, what changes were made and how aspects of learning were recorded and assessed examples of practice as well as comprehensive resource lists and safety guidelines links to indoor play and opportunities at home. Written by a leading authority on forest school practice and full of practical ideas that can be adapted to suit individual children’s needs, this book aims to inspire practitioners to make the most of the outdoor environment throughout the year.

Engage learners with this new and fully updated edition that covers core topics across all aspects of Early Years. This comprehensive full-colour textbook will build knowledge and understanding, from traditional theory to cutting-edge research, and from updated legislative and regulatory frameworks, to effective practice examples. - Benefit from the expert knowledge of authoritative contributors, skilfully edited by Dr Francisca Veale. - Content carefully matched to core modules offered on higher level early years programmes. - New and relevant material covering literacy, numeracy and digital literacy. Who is this book for? Early Years for Levels 4 & 5 and the Foundation Degree is an authoritative and accessible course textbook for anyone studying at Levels 4 and 5, whether a Foundation Degree, HNC/HND, the first year of an undergraduate programme or other higher vocational qualifications related to early years or early childhood studies. It is also relevant to those working towards Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) or Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS).

This accessible guide will inform, prompt and inspire practitioners as they develop their own creativity and seize the rich opportunities offered by outdoor environments to cultivate and encourage the creative skills of the young children in their care. Including information on Forest School, Developing Creativity and Curiosity Outdoors builds on theories of creative learning and development, and offers a wealth of ideas and activities for application in a range of outdoor settings. From designing and building structures, to making music and exploring colour, shape and pattern, this book illustrates how engagement in and with the natural world might extend children’s creative development, encouraging them to speak, listen, move freely, play and learn. Case studies demonstrate good practice and each chapter concludes with questions, encouraging the reader to reflect on and develop their own practice. Practical ideas can be adapted for use in more urban environments, and further reading, online resources and lists of suppliers make Developing Creativity and Curiosity Outdoors an essential resource for those looking to maximise the natural curiosity of children. This book will give early years practitioners and students the confidence and knowledge they need to embark on an exciting journey of outdoor discovery with young children.

Learning outside the classroom is an essential part of early years education, and this book looks at the opportunities the Forest School experience can offer young children for learning outdoors, and how this fits into the early years curriculum. By offering clear guidance on what the Forest School approach can achieve, the book shows you how to incorporate good practice into all outdoor play activities. Issues examined include: - what is, and what isn't, a Forest School experience - how exercise, fresh air and learning outside help counter obesity - how Forest School can improve behaviour and social skills - accommodating different learning styles - examples of Forest School in practice This is an inspirational read for anyone working in early years education, and for all those who care about the future of our young children and the world in which they are growing up.

This book challenges the idea of a universal (Anglo American and Western European) view of early childhood education and highlights the importance of understanding contextual historical and cultural heritage, alongside the impact of various global challenges and tensions so the reader gains exclusive insights into children’s daily experiences and the reality of early learning in different / other countries. With expert contributors drawn from across the world, this book is essential reading for those interested in global perspectives on children’s early learning.

This forward-thinking text challenges educators to think about and question the purpose of education and explores international understandings of the role played by early years professionals in promoting participatory, ethical and reflexive practice which benefits children as independent decision-makers. By exploring the different perspectives, concepts and practices adopted in early childhood settings in Denmark, Finland, Aotearoa, New Zealand and Sweden, Empowering Early Childhood Educators demonstrates the potential of participatory and democratic approaches in day-to-day practice. Illustrating how pedagogical approaches such as Te Whāriki, Reggio Emilia and the Montessori method may be understood and interpreted to maximise children’s engagement in their socio-cultural context, chapters empower educators to question their professional experience, knowledge and initiative to find a balance between directives and ethical practice. A rich combination of case studies, commentaries, interviews and conversations, the text offers critical insight into the daily practices and challenges of early years educators around the world and inspires critical reflection on practices which empower them. A powerful revaluation of the purposes and value of early childhood education, Empowering Early Childhood Educators will be of interest to early years practitioners, students and researchers.

Observation is an essential skill for all who work as carers and educators of children. It is the key way to assess a child's stage of development, to asses their progress, alert you to their needs, to plan for their teaching and to enjoy each child's unique qualities. Now thoroughly updated to cover new policies, trends and regulations in line with EYFS Statutory Framework (2021), this book offers a focused guide to observational techniques that will enable you to become a skilled practitioner. This new edition includes main development checkpoints in the first six years of life under the headings of the three prime areas and four Specific areas of the EYFS. The second section of this chapter describes theoretical perspectives of children's development and encourages students to research and analyze theories in order to complete a series of challenging activities. Pedagogical features include chapter objectives, key questions, chapter summaries, case studies and a set of activities to assist planning which includes considering sustainability and conservation within the early childhood environment. It offers focused guidance for the early years sector. Written primarily for trainee and practicing teachers, and those studying for foundation and undergraduate degrees in Childhood Studies, this book is key reading for a range of childcare practitioners who work in a variety of settings, including nurseries, hospitals and home.