This book is about Gabby, an inquisitive girl who leads her own learning very effectively with support from the adults in her life. The author, her grandmother, draws on seven years of data from diaries, photos and Gabby’s own writing to consider her development and learning when cared for by both her parents and grandparents. Gabby builds on her experiences with her Latvian mother, English father and her elder sister as she faces and deals with transitions as she grows up. The chapters are presented in a chronological order as a ‘running record’ going from 0-1 year right through to 6-7 years and can be analysed through a range of theories and frameworks. With chapters considering theory and the data separately the reader can reach their own conclusions on child development before exploring the author’s analyses. Each chapter also considers the relevance of Ofsted’s Intent, Implementation and Impact framework and other theories and schemas. This book about one child's early development and learning is a fascinating insight into how young children learn for those studying or working in the early years field. It includes access to an online learning centre of video clips to bring the descriptions to life and provide further insight into Gabby’s development. "This book is a testament to the power of quiet, attentive observation and its application to a range of disciplines beyond the therapeutic. ‘Observing Gabby’ will be of interest to Early Years practitioners who are keen to provide a setting conducive to holistic education, and those interested in the links between emotional well-being and learning." Sarah Fielding, Infant Observation "This carefully structured text will be helpful for anyone teaching or studying child development particularly with the addition of video materials to view alongside the book." Mary Briggs FRSA, CMathTeach, APECS, SFHEA, FCCT, Principal Lecturer and Programme Lead for Childhood and Education (ECS and Ed Studies), Oxford Brookes University, UK "This rich account of Gabby’s early childhood development takes the reader on an inspiring journey." Shirley Allen, School of Health and Education, Middlesex University "I would heartily recommend this book to any early years practitioner, who wants to better understand child development, improve the quality of their child observations and to develop their skill in linking the two seamlessly." Andrea Layzell, Project Lead and Tutor, Bradford Birth to 19 Teaching School Alliance Dr Cath Arnold has worked in the field of Early Childhood for over 40 years, as a practitioner/teacher, researcher, lecturer and author. Her particular interests include child study; schemas and parental involvement. This is her fifth book focussing on close observation of the spontaneous actions of young children.

Evolved through conversations with key early childhood education experts, Schemas in the Early Years focuses on the value of ‘repeated patterns’ of action or ‘schemas’ in young children’s play. It stimulates readers to ask questions of themselves, to watch children closely, and to create a dialogue with parents and other educators as well. Contributors to this fascinating book discuss their observation of children in naturalistic situations when they are deeply involved in play and identify topics or themes that can be linked to and inspire professional development opportunities. This book provides an antidote to beginning with the curriculum rather than the child and really considers children as learners. Each chapter focuses on young children and schemas, considering a wide age range from babies to children attending statutory schooling. Schemas in the Early Years is an accessible and inspiring text and serves as essential reading for educators wanting to think further and in more depth about schemas. Newcomers to schema theory or anyone currently using schema theory to understand children will also find these enquiries useful. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Shelter – the housing and homelessness charity.

This book takes a radically new approach to the well-worn topic of children's relationship with the media, avoiding the "risks and benefits" paradigm while examining very young children's interactions with film and television. Bazalgette proposes a refocus on the learning processes that children must go through in order to understand what they are watching on televisions, phones, or iPads. To demonstrate this, she offers unique insight from research done with her twin grandchildren starting from just before they were two years old, with analysis drawn from the field of embodied cognition to help identify minute behaviours and expressions as signals of emotions and thought processes. The book makes the case that all inquiry into early childhood movie-viewing should be based on the premise that learning–usually self-driven–is taking place throughout.

This smart, practical guidebook shows preschool, kindergarten, and primary teachers how to refine their literacy evaluation practices through careful kidwatching. By observing and recording children's literacy development, teachers also develop new understandings of the ways children think and learn. Ultimately, through kidwatching, teachers plan curriculum and instruction that are tailored to individual strengths and needs. Gretchen Owocki and Yetta Goodman are the perfect pair to guide teachers through the kidwatching process. Yetta coined the term in her seminal article in 1978 and has spearheaded the use of miscue analysis as a window into the reading process. Gretchen, Yetta's former graduate student, is an outstanding educator and published author on the ways young children develop literacy. Together, they have written a book that will serve as a professional development tool as well as a kidwatching handbook. In each chapter, they provide a clear description of how kidwatching enhances teaching and learning specific guidelines and suggestions for kidwatching practical tools and resources to be used in documentation and analysis empowerment for children--a chance to evaluate and revalue themselves by partnering with teachers to document and reflect on their knowledge. Kidwatching provides a framework for engaging in systematic, yet very personalized, data collection in all areas of literacy. High-quality kidwatching gives teachers the information they need to teach effectively and to share detailed, factual information with families and administrators. Kidwatching can also be used to strengthen school reform, to develop a common set of principles and practices that are in tune with local needs and interests. Learn to watch kids and see how effective you can be on these fronts.

"Ruth Charney gives teachers help on things that really matter. She wants children to learn how to care for themselves, their fellow students, their environment, and their work. Her book is loaded with practical wisdom. Using Charney's positive approach to classroom management will make the whole school day go better." - Nel Noddings, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, and author of Caring This definitive work about classroom management will show teachers how to turn their vision of respectful, friendly, academically rigorous classrooms into reality. The new edition includes: More information on teaching middle-school students Additional strategies for helping children with challenging behavior Updated stories and examples from real classrooms. "Teaching Children to Care offers educators a practical guide to one of the most effective social and emotional learning programs I know of. The Responsive Classroom approach creates an ideal environment for learning—a pioneering program every teacher should know about." - Daniel Goleman, Author of Emotional Intelligence "I spent one whole summer reading Teaching Children to Care. It was like a rebirth for me. This book helped direct my professional development. After reading it, I had a path to follow. I now look forward to rereading this book each August to refresh and reinforce my ability to effectively manage a social curriculum in my classroom." - Gail Zimmerman, second-grade teacher, Jackson Mann Elementary School, Boston, MA

′Chris Athey has made a major contribution to our understanding of how young children think and how educators and parents can best support their learning. This book is, without doubt, a most important text for all who are concerned to maximise the potential of early childhood education to develop effective ways of working with young children. The book explores children′s schematic development and offers ways of teaching which are closely matched to children′s actions, speech and graphic representations. This second edition of Extending Thought builds on the scholarly approach of the first and provides readers with clear explanation of relevant research alongside rich observations of children. It is essential reading for all who seek to provide the very best of learning opportunities for young children by bring parents, professionals and informed pedagogy together in a thoughtful and informed partnership of learning. Extending Thought is a major building block for many of us who study young children′s capacity to think and learn′ - Dr Cathy Nutbrown, Reader in Education, University of Sheffield In this fully revised version of Chris Athey′s classic text, the author builds on her original internationally renowned research with new illustrations of ′continuity′ in children′s thinking from early to primary education. Drawing on her extensive experience and research evidence, she explains how teachers of young children can advance professionally towards a greater knowledge of young children′s thinking and learning. The book covers: o ′forms of thought′ used by young children o assimilation of curriculum content o pedagogy o parental participation o the politics of early education This book is an essential read for students and teachers in early years education. Chris Athey M Ed, was Principal Lecturer in Education at the Roehampton Institute of Higher Education (RIHE). Funded by a Leverhulme Research Fellowship, she directed the Froebel Early Education Project from 1973 to 1978. She has taught all ages of primary-school children in State and private schools. She has considerable experience of initial teacher training and INSET