The authors of this thought-provoking text explore and document a variety of small-scale practitioner research projects in home and early years settings, show how this level and depth of research has encouraged reflective practice, and provide depth to the arguments for a research-orientated stance towards study in the early years field.

Improving Your Reflective Practice through Stories of Practitioner Research shows how research has informed and created effective and valuable reflective practice in early years education, and offers depth to the arguments for a research-orientated stance to this vital field of study. This thought-provoking text explores and documents a variety of small-scale practitioner research projects from the home and early years settings. The stories are centred around real life for children, families and workers and offer practical ideas and support for early years students around the world. They engage in some of the most current debates in early childhood education today, such as: how to support children as individuals how young children learn and how parents support their learning how to lead and facilitate change in a way that does not take power away from children, parents or workers how to support children in taking risks how to support parents in returning to learning. Throughout this book, the ‘Pen Green’ attitude to practitioner research is actively encouraged. This involves fostering curiosity, being open to the views of others, questioning the ‘taken for granted’, making the implicit explicit and reflecting on one’s daily work. Any practitioner research in early years education and care will draw inspiration from this accessible and supportive text.

What do early childhood practitioners need to know about reflection and reflective practice? Ongoing reforms in early childhood care and education social policy affect all aspects of young children’s and their families’ lives. Decisions are being undertaken at a rapid pace and there is a need for those working in the field of Early Years to consolidate and reflect on their knowledge and practice, building on what they already know. This timely new book aims to support reflective practice for those working with young children in everyday work and in the wider political context, whatever their professional role and whatever level of qualification they hold. It takes a fresh look at a breadth of issues relating to early childhood care and education reflecting on policy, knowledge and practice. Incorporating practical reflection activities, case studies, exemplar scenarios and questions in each chapter the book considers: policy developments and how these have affected young children and their families issues around socio-culturalism, language, ethnicity, disposition, gender, inclusion and socio-economics when working with families learning through play and the notions of quality, observation and assessment and continuity contemporary issues that practitioners and students on placement may encounter in their everyday work deepening reflective thinking and practice through ongoing and continuing professional development. With practical guidance to help the reader reflect on their own practice, this text offers invaluable support to early years practitioners looking to develop their career and achieving higher qualification at both undergraduate and at Master’s level. The book is a must for students on early years courses including early childhood studies, initial teacher training and early years teacher status.

Even if your writing workshop hums with the sound of productive work most days, with time carved out for sharing and reflecting, how do you know whether your students are really learning from their writing experiences, or if they're just going through the motions of writing? What if you could teach your students to reflect-in a powerful, deliberate way-throughout the writing process? Teaching Writers to Reflect shares a three step process-remember, describe, act--to help students develop as writers who know for themselves what they are doing and why. The authors argue that teaching the skill of reflection helps students: - Build identities as writers within a community of writers - Learn what to do when there's a problem in their writing - Make writing skills transferable to more than one writing situation. With specific teaching strategies, examples of student work and stories from their own classrooms, Whitney, McCracken and Washell help you align the work of reflection with your writing workshop structure. After learning to reflect on what they do as writers, students not only can say things about the texts they have written, but also can talk about their own abilities, challenges, and the processes by which they solve writing problems.

′The book is grounded in the latest research about how children become effective learners, particularly in relation to mathematics. Bringing together research and practice in an accessible way, Kate Tucker provides an essential resource for all those who work with young children. I strongly recommend it!′ - Dr Sue Rogers, Head of Department of Early years and Primary Education, Institute of Education Offering practical examples of focused, playful teaching this popular book is back for a third edition, with even more activities to use in your setting with children aged from 3 to 8. Completely updated to include the revised Early Years Foundation Stage, this new edition covers all the hot topics in the field, and now includes: a new section on teaching mathematics in Forest School more coverage of using ICT to teach mathematics more coverage of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) a key vocabulary section at the end of each chapter, and a detailed glossary expanded and updated suggestions for Further Reading even more activities to use in lessons, with some extended to include 7-8 year olds With a user-friendly layout, this new edition is an ideal resource for practitioners wishing to enhance their mathematics teaching, and for students wishing to develop their knowledge and understanding of how to use play to teach mathematics. Kate Tucker is an early years teacher, trainer and writer based in Devon.

This inspiring book shows how Early Years staff can support the best possible practice for children under three and their families whilst making use of the limited funding available. Promoting the idea of infants as powerful learners, the authors focus on 0-3 years as the vital first phase of education and care, which can require a very specific pedagogical approach. They discuss the principles that underpin the practice of working with the youngest children, the critical nature of highly effective pedagogical practice and the important role of family workers in building relationships with parents and the extended family. Working with Children Aged 0–3 and Their Families explores the challenges and responsibilities of working with young children and communicates the ‘Pen Green approach’. Pen Green has become a focal point for Early Years professionals due to its outstanding Early Years provision. The innovative approach chronicled in this book will encourage practitioners to research their own practice and use the outcomes to create a radical, unique and yet highly effective provision for infants, toddlers and their families. The book will be of interest to Early Years professionals, foundation and undergraduate students, and early childhood educators.

Teacher research is recognized, in ELT and education more generally, as a powerful transformative strategy for teacher development and school improvement. This volume provides original insights into this issue by focusing on the processes involved in becoming and being a teacher researcher.