Offering an approach that is tried, tested and proven to work, this book supports practitioners in planning and resourcing a series of topics based around popular themes and interests in the early years. Each topic is open-ended and introduced in the form of a problem that the children have to solve and can be led by their knowledge, thoughts and ideas. Using Characters and Themes to Inspire Early Learning aims to nurture children’s natural curiosity and imagination, encouraging them to become the facilitators who are empowered to solve problems, explore solutions and take ownership of their learning. There are links throughout to the seven areas of learning in the EYFS and practical guidance on how to document the children’s learning. Features include: An exciting range of characters, themes and objects to inspire children. Photocopiable pages and online resources to use in the classroom. Session breakdowns to set the scene and make planning easy. Creative ideas and activities to prompt children’s thinking and develop discussions. Packed with ideas for extending learning and practical resources that can be printed out for use in the classroom, this book is essential reading for all students and practitioners who want to provide inspiring learning opportunities for the children in their care.

Offering an approach that is tried, tested and proven to work, this book supports practitioners in planning and resourcing a series of topics based around popular themes and interests in the early years. Each topic is open-ended and introduced in the form of a problem that the children have to solve and can be led by their knowledge, thoughts and ideas. Using Characters and Themes to Inspire Early Learning aims to nurture children’s natural curiosity and imagination, encouraging them to become the facilitators who are empowered to solve problems, explore solutions and take ownership of their learning. There are links throughout to the seven areas of learning in the EYFS and practical guidance on how to document the children’s learning. Features include: An exciting range of characters, themes and objects to inspire children. Photocopiable pages and online resources to use in the classroom. Session breakdowns to set the scene and make planning easy. Creative ideas and activities to prompt children’s thinking and develop discussions. Packed with ideas for extending learning and practical resources that can be printed out for use in the classroom, this book is essential reading for all students and practitioners who want to provide inspiring learning opportunities for the children in their care.

This book shows how adults can bring rhymes and stories to life with young children and support children’s early steps in communication and literacy. Focusing on the use of rhythm, rhyme and repetition in nursery rhymes and traditional tales from around the world, it provides a wealth of practical ideas for using rhymes and stories one-on-one, in small groups or with whole classes. Drawing from the culmination of their many years of combined experience, the two authors link the theoretical understanding of language and communication with the practical use of rhymes and oral storytelling in the classroom, nursery and at home. Early chapters (or Part I) provide a rationale for using rhyme, rhythm and repetition to inspire children to play with words and develop a love of language, building a foundation for literacy learning. Part II consists of ten lively chapters featuring original and re-imagined traditional fairy tales, containing: Accompanying rhymes to use with children Key themes including friendship, kindness, compassion and generosity Follow-up activities activities for extending children’s vocabulary, building their confidence and developing critical thinking Suggestions of using voices, facial expressions, gestures, props and puppets to enrich children’s emotional, imaginative and intellectual experience This delightful and practical book will be valuable reading for all adults wanting to support young children’s creative learning through enjoyable and valuable experiences.

How can we build a strong literacy foundation for children? This book appreciates that learning and language development start with the play episodes, oral language practices, wordplay activities, print encounters, reading events, and writing experiences that children engage in during the early years of life. Filled with rich language activities, The Cornerstones to Early Literacy shows teachers how to create active learning experiences that are essential to building early literacy. This comprehensive handbook is organized around the following topics: Play Experiences - Understanding the early stages of learning and all aspects of the play-literacy connection ; Oral Language - Supporting opportunities for child talk with suggested conversation starters and events that involve personal timelines and storytelling ; Language Awareness and Word Play - Creating a balanced approach to language learning using games and activities that involve literature, music, choral speaking, sound games, and more ; Print Encounters - Discovering, reproducing, and creating all forms of environmental print ; Reading Events - Integrating read-aloud and shared book experiences with proven strategies for supporting and observing young readers ; Writing Experiences - Identifying early writing characteristics and techniques for moving children along in their writing.

Alex North (1910-1991) was one of America's most renowned film composers. His musical scores enhanced more than 60 major motion pictures--A Streetcar Named Desire, Cleopatra and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf among them. He had 15 Oscar nominations, and received the Lifetime Achievement Oscar. This book begins with his early life in Pennsylvania, and moves through his studies at Juilliard and in Russia and Mexico, his early experiences in modern dance, documentaries, and theater, and his major work in film. The book also offers analyses of North's musical scores for Streetcar, Spartacus, The Misfits, Under the Volcano, and Prizzi's Honor. Appendices include a bibliography, a filmography, a listing of other North compositions, a discography, and a listing of awards.

Ready-to-use activities integrate into the daily curriculum to help teachers create a safe and caring classroom

Stimulating ideas for teachers of 3 to 5 year olds to promote awareness in the Language and Literacy and Creative Development areas of the Early Years Curriculum, with the emphasis on Rhymes.

Abstract: A comprehensive report summarizes the past 10 years of research activities and findings concerning the effects of television viewing on child behavior and development. Approximately 90% of all research publications on this topic appeared during this period, representing over 2500 titles. The report is presented in 2 volumes, a summary report and technical reviews. The technical reviews comprise overall, comprehensive, and critical syntheses of the scientific literature on specific topic areas, developed by 24 researchers in this area. The topic areas address such issues as cognitive and emotional aspects of television viewing; television's influences on physical and mental health; television as it relates to socialization and viewer's conceptions of social reality; and television as an American institution. The overall orientation of the report is toward research and public health issues.