In Seasons of Play, Rusty Keeler takes readers on a photographic journey though real child care centers that have embraced his philosophy that natural play spaces create new opportunities for children to learn and develop.
STEM Play provides varied activities for the most common centers: Art, blocks, dramatic play, literacy, math, science, music and movement. Full of beautiful, fullcolor photos that show the activities in real early childhood classrooms, teachers can easily use the book’s ideas immediately in their curriculum. STEM Play also includes a “How To” section for teachers who wish to expand on the STEM focus and use themed activities in their learning centers.
Feel confident and competent when it comes to choosing and implementing the most appropriate technology tools for your early childhood classroom! Whether you are a technology enthusiast looking for new ideas and guidance about developmentally appropriate practices, or you are new to the idea of using technology with young children, this book is for you. Digital Decisions provides everything you need to make your own technology plan based on your experiences and beliefs, the needs of the children, the context of your curriculum and the resources available to you. This no-nonsense, jargon-free guide will help you evaluate the tools and opportunities technology has to offer and integrate them into your early childhood classroom so you can offer real-life, hands-on, interactive activities to children. A reference every childhood program will want to have, Digital Decisions is brimming with charts, resources, and an array of activities that maximize technology as an interactive learning tool. Each chapter provides supporting guidance to make technology most effective for those working with children who are dual language learners or may have special needs.
Winner of the National Parenting Press Award, One in Thirteen offers a sobering examination of the teen suicide epidemic in America. This frank portrait of coming-of-age in contemporary American society examines why more children are killing themselves now than in any other time in recorded history.
Written for teachers of hearing children from birth to age six, Simple Signing with Young Children is the perfect introduction to American Sign Language. Organized by age, there are chapters for infants, toddlers, and preschool children, with age-appropriate signs. The chapter written for teachers of infants focuses on using beginning signs as a bridge to language, while the toddler chapter focuses on signs to promote expression, enrich vocabulary, and teach social skills. The preschool chapter places an emphasis on using signs to enhance emergent literacy skills.
For the littlest learners, everything is an activity--feeling a rock, trying to lick a bubble, smelling a flower, or poking sand. In Treasure-Basket Explorations: Heuristic Learning for Infants and Toddlers, teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers will learn how these simple explorations support cognitive and vocabulary development. Grounded in the theory of early education pioneer Elinor Goldschmied, the book explains heuristic learning--discovery by trial and error--and how to encourage this type of learning to boost development. Teachers will learn how to set up treasure baskets that encourage heuristic play: containers filled with easy-to-find items that support explorations in emergent language, math, and science skills. Encourage children to discover the sounds that a metal cup makes when banged on the floor. Invite them to feel the velvety texture of soft fabric or the bumpiness of a loofah sponge. Let them explore what a wooden ring and a cotton handkerchief can do together. Through his explorations, the child is answering some fundamental questions: What is this and what can I do with it? Later, he will add to his knowledge: What else can this do and what can this become? This is cognitive development in action!
In this updated version of the classic original, teachers and caregivers will enjoy the warm and witty pages of wise words passed down from a veteran early childhood educator. The beautiful, full-color interior of Never, Ever Serve Sugary Snacks on Rainy Days is a delight to read and the perfect gift, both for new teachers and for those who have been in education for years
Whether you see a preschooler laughing or crying, hugging or tugging on a playmate, taking risks or seeking comfort from an adult, you know that they are developing their emotional skills and growing up in so many ways every day. And they need your help! Emotional Development of Three- and Four-Year-Olds shares common milestones and typical scenarios to help you recognize various ways that preschoolers express their feelings and interact with others. You will also learn strategies for supporting and nurturing their growth, especially in situations involving the following types of emotional challenges and accomplishments: Expressing kindness and empathy Exerting independence Managing shyness Building confidence Testing limits and taking risks Expressing anger and frustration Dealing with fears and anxieties Sharing a sense of humor Handling conflicts Dealing with separation and loss As you support preschoolers struggling to handle emotional challenges that occur during everyday interactions with adults and other children, you will help them learn the skills to navigate their emotional ups and downs in more positive ways.
Preschoolers tend to be social beings. Whether they are playing with dolls side by side, building block castles together, or rolling down hills with friends, most young children enjoy the company of others. Playing together comes naturally, but you can help them negotiate turn taking, learning how to mend hurt feelings, and practice communicating positively while they play. Social Development for Three- and Four-Year-Olds highlights the milestones children tend to reach during the preschool years as they develop socially. You will see classroom scenarios that can provide insights into some of the ways young children make social connections, express their preferences, and play together. You will also learn strategies for supporting and nurturing their growth, especially in situations involving the following types of social skills: Forming friendships Sharing and cooperating Building a sense of happiness Dealing with teasing Playing in rough-and-tumble ways Exploring diversity Developing gender awareness Listening actively Building verbal communication skills Using the imagination during play As a guide and facilitator, you can share strategies that will help preschoolers learn to be cooperative team members and kind friends while having fun together.
Preschoolers have a sense of wonder about so many aspects of their world. They enjoy demonstrating their knowledge to others, and they are challenged to use their brains in fascinating new ways every day. Whether they are making clay figures, rolling cars down ramps, experimenting with writing, or exploring nature, they are expanding their mental horizons constantly. Cognitive Development of Three- and Four-Year-Olds will help you understand typical milestones children tend to reach during the preschool years as they develop their ability to think, understand, and solve problems. As you examine classroom scenarios, you will gain insight into various ways young children express their developing cognitive skills and some challenges that tend to occur. You will also learn strategies for supporting and nurturing children's cognitive growth, especially in the following areas: Believing in magical thinking Expressing a sense of curiosity Understanding time concepts Developing spatial awareness Practicing problem solving Exploring creativity through art Developing mathematical thinking Investigating science questions Exploring the writing process Developing emergent reading skills By guiding children to think creatively and critically, you will help them gain confidence and competence.
It's a common dilemma in early childhood classrooms: How to provide new, interesting experiences on a shoestring budget. Pulling from their decades of experience in classrooms, authors Shelley Nicholson, PhD, and Jessica Martinez offer low-cost ideas for gathering and creating rich explorations in learning centeres. Thrifty Teacher's Guide to Creative Learning Centers vividly describes the unique ways teachers can use found and recyclable materials to encourage cognitive development and creative exploration in young children. In addition to photographic examples, the book offers tips on how to source, select, and integrate materials into a center; how to get children started on using the materials; and how to scaffold learning with open-ended questions. These ideas are just the beginning. Once children's imaginations take off, they can use the materials in myriad ways.
Math crops up in everyday activities in so many ways. You can help preschoolers see math in the petals of a flower, the shape of a window, the bounce of a ball, the growth of a plant, and the repetition of a song. Instead of teaching math to preschoolers, you can be their guide as they experiment, think about problems, try solutions, gain understanding, and discuss their findings. Creative Investigations in Early Math gives teachers practical ideas for intentionally fostering young children's hands-on explorations in the following areas: Number and number sense Computation Geometry and spatial sense Measurement Data collection and statistics Patterns and relationships With your guidance, preschoolers can figure out how the world of mathematics works and how math works in their world.
