This book summarises the ideas of educational theorists and psychologists of the last 60 years, from Elinor Goldschmied to Tina Bruce. It also looks at the important contemporary issues in early years education, from whether boys and girls learn differently to the role of the community in the early years setting.

From the preface by Deborah Meier: "We have a long way to go to make John Holt's dream available to all children. But his books make it possible and easier for many of us to join him in the journey." In this enduring classic, rich with deep, original insight into the nature of early learning, John Holt was the first to make clear that, for small children, "learning is as natural as breathing." In his delightful book he observes how children actually learn to talk, to read, to count, and to reason, and how, as adults, we can best encourage these natural abilities in our children.

The comprehensive guide to the most influential theorists and their ideas on how children with special educational needs learn and develop.

An ideal introduction to the pioneers of educational theory for anyone studying childcare, child development or education – whether at further or higher education level. The first edition of this book has been a best-seller for almost a decade, identified as one of the top ten books for students of child development or early childhood care and education. In this new edition, there is an increased emphasis on both what practice based on particular theories of learning looks like and on criticisms of each theory. A glossary is included in sections highlighting words and concepts particular to the theorist in question. Full-colour photographs are used to illustrate some aspects of each theory or approach. How Children Learn looks at a wide range of theorists and practitioners who have influenced current understandings of how children learn and what this means for work with young children. The book summarises the findings and ideas of famous giants such as Montessori and Piaget as well as the more recent ideas of writers and thinkers such as Howard Gardner and Margaret Donaldson. It begins by looking at the work and life of Comenius who is widely described as the father of modern education and looks at the theory behind different approaches to early childhood care and education such as Steiner Waldorf education, HighScope and Te Whariki. You will find this book invaluable in giving you a clearer picture of how ideas about children's learning have developed over the past four centuries.

This book helps your child further develop the visual skills necessar y to learn to read and write. In Excel English Early Ski lls: Learning About Sequencing, your child will learn to: f ollow instructions systematically follow a sequence of events recognise and write some basic symbols (eg. tick, cross, circle) identify the place and position of objects (eg. under, above, top, bottom) The activities in each book are divided into double pages. Each double page allows your child to practise one particu lar skill many times so that the skill is reinforced. A clear, easy-to-f ollow page design has been developed, with clear explanations to help bo th parents and children.

In Excel Maths Early Skills: Learning Numbers to 5, your chi ld will explore the numbers 1 to 5 in a range of activities. Your child will learn to: count from 1 to 5 sort thing s into groups draw the numbers 1 to 5 match up numbers write down numbers 1 to 5 The activities in this book are divided into double pages. Each double page allows your child to practise one particular skill many times so that the skill is reinfor ced. A clear, easy-to-follow page design has been developed, with clear explanations to help both parents and children.