With more kids at home now . . . here is a book for parents, family members and friends who want to maximize this time for a deeper learning experience for their children and themselves. Free Range Learning will encourage and excite those who want their children to reap important benefits from this period of “sheltering in place,” learning at home. This is a book for anyone simply wanting some fresh ideas at this time, or those who wonder if a commitment to ongoing homeschooling might actually result in longer term benefits! The material in this book is backed by scientific and educational studies, along with the testimonies of scores of parents and kids from around the world. The work here is applicable for young people from pre-school through high school. Studies indicate that adults who were homeschooled are: * More likely to vote, volunteer and be involved in their communities than graduates of conventional schools. * Read more books than average. * More likely to have taken college level courses than the population as a whole. * Tend to be independent and self-reliant. Children are naturally “free range” learners. They build knowledge and skills naturally, within the full spectrum of their daily lives, while observing, exploring and pursuing their interests. This book guides any parent or educator in assisting that process.

Learn to raise independent, can-do kids with a new edition of the book that started a movement In the newly revised and expanded Second Edition of Free-Range Kids, New York columnist-turned-movement leader Lenore Skenazy delivers a compelling and entertaining look at how we got so worried about everything our kids do, see, eat, read, wear, watch and lick -- and how to bid a whole lot of that anxiety goodbye. With real-world examples, advice, and a gimlet-eyed look at the way our culture forces fear down our throats, Skenazy describes how parents and educators can step back so kids step up. Positive change is faster, easier and a lot more fun than you’d believe. This is the book that has helped millions of American parents feel brave and optimistic again – and the same goes for their kids. Using research, humor, and feisty common sense, the book shows: How parents can reject the media message, “Your child is in horrible danger!” How schools can give students more independence -- and what happens when they do. (Hint: Teachers love it.) How everyone can relax and successfully navigate a judge-y world filled with way too many warnings, scolds and brand new fears Perfect for parents and guardians of children of all ages, Free-Range Kids will also earn a place in the libraries of K-12 educators who want their students to blossom with newfound confidence and cheer.

This is an essential handbook for families considering or just beginning home schooling. Free Range Education is full of family stories, burning questions, humor, tips, practical steps, practical advice, and resources (mostly UK). You are already your child's main educator, and in this invaluable guidebook other home educators show how it can work for you as well. They provide: -Answer questions concerning how home-schooled children can socialize; money issues; exams; and time off for parents themselves -Inspiring accounts and stories from graduates of home-schooling - their jobs, training, and lives -Resources, contacts, networks, and websites -A friendly overview of the legalities involved in home education (though it deals mostly with UK laws, it will also prove useful to parents in North America and elsewhere).

The Really Useful Physical Education Book offers support, guidance and practical ideas for effective, innovative and imaginative physical education lessons. Underpinned by easy-to-understand theory, this second edition is fully updated in line with the National Curriculum for Physical Education at Key Stages 3 and 4 and provides a wide range of high-quality lessons alongside engaging teaching examples and methodologies. With an emphasis on inclusive physical education, it highlights the ways in which schools can re-design the curriculum to ensure maximum enjoyment for all pupils. Key topics covered include: • Planning, progression and assessment • Health and safety issues • Inclusive track and field athletics • Adapting activities to support SEND • Swimming and water-based activities • Alternative activities including street-surfing and combat sports • Introducing dance into the curriculum • Enjoyable gymnastics for physical literacy • On-site adventurous activities • Values-based teaching • Teaching accredited awards • Using new and emerging technologies The Really Useful Physical Education Book offers essential advice and inspiration for both trainee and practising teachers responsible for the 11–16 age range. It is a must-read for all those who want to make their lesson inclusive and fun whilst promoting a healthy lifestyle and enthusiasm for lifelong activity.

The #1 New York Times bestseller that has all America talking—with a new afterword on expanding your range—as seen on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, Morning Joe, CBS This Morning, and more. “The most important business—and parenting—book of the year.” —Forbes “Urgent and important. . . an essential read for bosses, parents, coaches, and anyone who cares about improving performance.” —Daniel H. Pink Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award Plenty of experts argue that anyone who wants to develop a skill, play an instrument, or lead their field should start early, focus intensely, and rack up as many hours of deliberate practice as possible. If you dabble or delay, you’ll never catch up to the people who got a head start. But a closer look at research on the world’s top performers, from professional athletes to Nobel laureates, shows that early specialization is the exception, not the rule. David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Generalists often find their path late, and they juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They’re also more creative, more agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see. Provocative, rigorous, and engrossing, Range makes a compelling case for actively cultivating inefficiency. Failing a test is the best way to learn. Frequent quitters end up with the most fulfilling careers. The most impactful inventors cross domains rather than deepening their knowledge in a single area. As experts silo themselves further while computers master more of the skills once reserved for highly focused humans, people who think broadly and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives will increasingly thrive.

The perfect baby book for new moms and dads! You’ve just had a baby. Everything is perfect. Then the hospital sends you home—without an instruction manual... Baby expert Gina Ford comes to the rescue with her newly revised hour-by-hour, week-by-week guide. One of Great Britain’s top parenting experts, she draws on more than twenty years of experience researching and studying the natural sleep rhythms and feeding patterns of babies to ease the stresses and worries of new parents. In this new edition, you’ll find everything you need to know to get your newborn to sleep through the night. In addition to advice on sleep training, Ford shares her expertise on feeding schedules, colic, crying, teething, illness, pacifiers, separation anxiety, and setting up the perfect nursery. With this easy-to-follow guide, Ford will have your whole family sleeping through the night—happily and peacefully—in no time.

A leading expert in childhood development makes the case for why self-directed learning -- "unschooling" -- is the best way to get kids to learn. In Free to Learn, developmental psychologist Peter Gray argues that in order to foster children who will thrive in today's constantly changing world, we must entrust them to steer their own learning and development. Drawing on evidence from anthropology, psychology, and history, he demonstrates that free play is the primary means by which children learn to control their lives, solve problems, get along with peers, and become emotionally resilient. A brave, counterintuitive proposal for freeing our children from the shackles of the curiosity-killing institution we call school, Free to Learn suggests that it's time to stop asking what's wrong with our children, and start asking what's wrong with the system. It shows how we can act—both as parents and as members of society—to improve children's lives and to promote their happiness and learning.