The Power of Fantasy in Early Learning is a truly unique book, based around the case study of a class of children, their teacher and a stuffed bear suit. Jenny Tyrrell illustrates the possibilities that an inanimate object can offer the teaching and learning situation. Drawing on her extensive experiences, she shows how the bear became an integral part of the school. Theory and practice are combined to explore teaching issues in the early years including the influence of the bear on the whole school, imaginative development, motivation to read and write and the influence of learning goals in a child's school life in the early years. This is a truly original work which will give heart to teachers everywhere and provide plenty of fresh insight into the debate on the nature of learning.

The Power of Fantasy in Early Learning is a truly unique book, based around the case study of a class of children, their teacher and a stuffed bear suit. Jenny Tyrrell illustrates the possibilities that an inanimate object can offer the teaching and learning situation. Drawing on her extensive experiences, she shows how the bear became an integral part of the school. Theory and practice are combined to explore teaching issues in the early years including the influence of the bear on the whole school, imaginative development, motivation to read and write and the influence of learning goals in a child's school life in the early years. This is a truly original work which will give heart to teachers everywhere and provide plenty of fresh insight into the debate on the nature of learning.

The buzz word in education today is accountability. But the federal mandate of "no child left behind" has come to mean curriculums driven by preparation for standardized tests and quantifiable learning results. Even for very young children, unstructured creative time in the classroom is waning as teachers and administrators are under growing pressures to measure school readiness through rote learning and increased homework. In her new book, Vivian Gussin Paley decries this rapid disappearance of creative time and makes the case for the critical role of fantasy play in the psychological, intellectual, and social development of young children. A Child's Work goes inside classrooms around the globe to explore the stunningly original language of children in their role-playing and storytelling. Drawing from their own words, Paley examines how this natural mode of learning allows children to construct meaning in their worlds, meaning that carries through into their adult lives. Proof that play is the work of children, this compelling and enchanting book will inspire and instruct teachers and parents as well as point to a fundamental misdirection in today's educational programs and strategies.

Play is serious business. Whether it's reenacting a favorite book (comprehension and close reading), negotiating the rules for a game (speaking and listening), or collaborating over building blocks (college and career readiness and STEM), Kristi Mraz, Alison Porcelli, and Cheryl Tyler see every day how play helps students reach standards and goals in ways that in-their-seat instruction alone can't do. And not just during playtimes. "We believe there is play in work and work in play," they write. "It helps to have practical ways to carry that mindset into all aspects of the curriculum." In Purposeful Play, they share ways to: optimize and balance different types of play to deepen regular classroom learning teach into play to foster social-emotional skills and a growth mindset bring the impact of play into all your lessons across the day. "We believe that play is one type of environment where children can be rigorous in their learning," Kristi, Alison, and Cheryl write. So they provide a host of lessons, suggestions for classroom setups, helpful tools and charts, curriculum connections, teaching points, and teaching language to help you foster mature play that makes every moment in your classroom instructional. Play doesn't only happen when work is over. Children show us time and time again that play is the way they work. In Purposeful Play, you'll find research-driven methods for making play an engine for rigorous learning in your classroom.

Describes play workshop experiences that give educators a deeper understanding of play-based learning and illustrate the power of play.

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide. Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other—and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve. Ember is full of monsters. Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them—so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her. But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny—and the very fate of her world.