Used as a measure of quality in the ground-breaking Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) project, Sustained Shared Thinking is fundamental to good early years practice. It costs nothing, yet research has shown that it improves outcomes for children by supporting their holistic development. This book clearly explains what Sustained Shared Thinking is and examines the skills and expertise needed to initiate, encourage and facilitate it. The book explores the attitudes, knowledge and understanding that a practitioner must adopt in order to start or develop successful Sustained Shared Thinking. Combining theory with practical guidance, it demonstrates how it can be achieved, covering all aspects of early years practice including the Characteristics of Effective Learning, the Prime and Specific Areas of learning development, the role of the practitioner, the environment and working with parents. Features include: boxed links to key theory and research; practical strategies highlighted in the text; consideration of children at different ages and stages of development; links throughout to the Early Years Foundation Stage. Written by a leading consultant who regularly delivers training on Sustained Shared Thinking, this will be an essential text for students on foundation degree and childhood studies courses as well as early years practitioners.

The sustained shared thinking and emotional well-being (SSTEW) scale is designed to consider some of the intentional and relational pedagogical strategies strongly associated with child outcomes. It considers practice that supports children aged between two and five years of age in developing skills in sustained shared thinking and emotional well-being, as well as developing strong relationships, effective communication and aspects of self-regulation. It is designed to be used for research, self-evaluation and improvement, audit and regulation. Using the SSTEW scale alongside other environment scales (including ECERS-E, ECERS-R or ITERS-R) gives users a more complete picture of what high-quality early childhood education and care can look like. It is aspirational in that it considers high quality pedagogy and practice. It can be used by researchers, heads of centers, managers, teaching staff and practitioners, as well as advisory staff and in professional development.

How does early years policy impact on practitioners, children, settings and families? What are the implications of current policy for the future? How can early years professionals shape and craft practice in ways that genuinely focus on the needs of children and families, rather than the interests of policy makers? This exciting new text explores the changing context and increasing importance of early years policy. It takes a broad look at policy developments and shows how these have affected children, settings, parents and the early years workforce. Divided into two parts, the first examines theoretical perspectives and sets out the early years policy context, looking at issues surrounding accountability, international influences on policy and the Early Years Foundation Stage. The second half of the book directly shows how policy has influenced practice, and considers: the upskilling of the workforce and the impact of this on practitioners; the development of the learning environment including outdoor provision; sustained shared thinking and its link to high quality learning and teaching; the impact of policy on parents. Offering a fresh perspective on early years policy, this timely textbook will be essential reading for students on undergraduate and postgraduate Early Years and Childhood Studies courses and those working towards Early Years Teacher status.

In The Ultimate Guide to Mark Making in the Early Years, internationally renowned teacher trainer Sue Cowley takes practitioners on a journey: the journey young children embark upon when they learn their first words and make their first marks. Filled with practical activities and honest advice, this must-have guide presents a wide range of creative approaches to developing mark making and building language skills in the Early Years. With ideas to build finger strength and eye-to-hand coordination, activities for understanding the concept of symbols and signs and strategies for building confidence in reading and writing including talk and drama, you'll find a variety of techniques to develop children's key skills and motivation. Sue also includes full-colour photographs and examples of early marks to illustrate how young children's communication skills develop. There are tips for getting boys engaged in writing and a companion website with downloadable resources and useful links. The Ultimate Guide to Mark Making in the Early Years is an invaluable source of inspiration for all those working with children aged three to seven.

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.

A step-by-step guide on how to teach young children a variety of ICT in a meaningful and creative way. This title, written by ICT experts in the early years, Prof. John Siraj-Blatchford and Dr. Alex Morgan, is a step-by-step guide on how to teach children under 8 a variety of ICT. This book is designed to be easy to follow by even the most technophobic of readers and contains practical advice on the following: * How to create engaging and creative activities for children in the early years using a range of ICT * A guide to the different types of ICT available, from Bee-Bots to white boards * How to take ICT out of the classroom, with activities to use in outdoor play sessions * How to use ICT in role play to promote children's creativity and imagination * What ICT skills the EYFS and Welsh Foundation Phase require early years practitioners to deliver * Ideas and case studies on best practice in using sustained shared thinking with young children This is a must-buy for anyone wanting meaningful and child-friendly ways of approaching ICT with children under 8.