Working with the Under-threes: Responding to Children's Needs focuses upon ways in which researchers, parents and practitioners seek to meet the diverse needs of young children in specific ways. Important questions are raised with regard to children's rights and entitlement, and ways in which early interactions with people, environment, culture, curriculum and context help to shape the educational lives of children under 3. Working with the under threes places a special responsibility on adults to both recognise and respond appropriately to their rapidly changing needs. A range of contributors share their experience and expertise in chapters which focus on adults working with children in a range of contexts. Early interactions take place in a variety of ways and contributors to the book explore opportunities which allow adults to respond to children's needs, particularly with reference to the development of the child's self concept. Different perspectives on developing children's language and literacy skills are offered, together with a focus on communication through creative and aesthetic experiences. Contributions by parents, practitioners and trainers offer perspectives which will challenge and provoke readers to reflect on their own experiences and practice. The book is intended for all those training or working with the under threes, including parents and other carers. The companion Early Interactions volume, also edited by Lesley Abbott and Helen Moylett, is entitled Working with the Under-3s: Training and Professional Development.

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.

Solve toddler challenges with eight key mindshifts that will help you parent with clarity, calmness, and self-control. In Why is My Child in Charge?, Claire Lerner shows how making critical mindshifts—seeing children’s behaviors through a new lens —empowers parents to solve their most vexing childrearing challenges. Using real life stories, Lerner unpacks the individualized process she guides parents through to settle common challenges, such as throwing tantrums in public, delaying bedtime for hours, refusing to participate in family mealtimes, and resisting potty training. Lerner then provides readers with a roadmap for how to recognize the root cause of their child’s behavior and how to create and implement an action plan tailored to the unique needs of each child and family. Why is My Child in Charge? is like having a child development specialist in your home. It shows how parents can develop proven, practical strategies that translate into adaptable, happy kids and calm, connected, in-control parents.

The concept of "funds of knowledge" is based on a simple premise: people are competent and have knowledge, and their life experiences have given them that knowledge. The claim in this book is that first-hand research experiences with families allow one to document this competence and knowledge, and that such engagement provides many possibilities for positive pedagogical actions. Drawing from both Vygotskian and neo-sociocultural perspectives in designing a methodology that views the everyday practices of language and action as constructing knowledge, the funds of knowledge approach facilitates a systematic and powerful way to represent communities in terms of the resources they possess and how to harness them for classroom teaching. This book accomplishes three objectives: It gives readers the basic methodology and techniques followed in the contributors' funds of knowledge research; it extends the boundaries of what these researchers have done; and it explores the applications to classroom practice that can result from teachers knowing the communities in which they work. In a time when national educational discourses focus on system reform and wholesale replicability across school sites, this book offers a counter-perspective stating that instruction must be linked to students' lives, and that details of effective pedagogy should be linked to local histories and community contexts. This approach should not be confused with parent participation programs, although that is often a fortuitous consequence of the work described. It is also not an attempt to teach parents "how to do school" although that could certainly be an outcome if the parents so desired. Instead, the funds of knowledge approach attempts to accomplish something that may be even more challenging: to alter the perceptions of working-class or poor communities by viewing their households primarily in terms of their strengths and resources, their defining pedagogical characteristics. Funds of Knowledge: Theorizing Practices in Households, Communities, and Classrooms is a critically important volume for all teachers and teachers-to-be, and for researchers and graduate students of language, culture, and education.

In order to do justice to the range of issues surrounding the care and education of the under threes and to meet the many and varied needs of the adults who work with them two books have been written under the title Early Interactions. The books incorporate the views of a wide range of people with a wealth of experience in the early years field as both practitioners and trainers. They are intended as an accessible, informative and challenging resource for all those involved in the care and education of children under three. Multiprofessional and interdisciplinary team work is essential in working with young children and their families and as the Rumbold Report (1990) emphasises - "no one person will possess all the knowledge and skills required for this important responsibility". The books provide a range of perspectives and will appeal equally to professionals, parents and anyone who cares about young children. They are particularly valuable as a resource for use in training at all levels. The training and support needs of Early Years workers is a key issue and provides a focus for debate in the present educational climate. Working with under threes carries a particular responsibility. The contributors to this book represent a wide range of experience and involvement as practitioners and trainers which they share in interesting and accessible chapters. The book is intended for all those responsible for, or training to work with, children under three on a variety of courses. Topics covered include - New approaches to training, continuing professional development, equal opportunities, working with parents and carers, men working with under threes, special educational needs, child protection, and the inspection process. Key issues are identified for consideration by all those working with young children.

The Creative Curriculum comes alive! This videotape-winner of the 1989 Silver Apple Award at the National Educational Film and Video Festival-demonstrates how teachers set the stage for learning by creating a dynamic well-organized environment. It shows children involved in seven of the interest areas in the The Creative Curriculum and explains how they learn in each area. Everyone conducts in-service training workshops for staff and parents or who teaches early childhood education courses will find the video an indispensable tool for explainin appropriate practice.

It is widely known that babies and infants will flourish in an environment that supports and promotes their learning and development. But what constitutes an appropriate environment for children under three? Drawing on recent research, this book explores the concept of an appropriate environment, both within and beyond the early years setting. It sets this within the context of child development and practically demonstrates how a high quality environment can be created for babies and toddlers that supports the areas of learning and development. Features include: case studies and examples focus points for readers and questions for reflective practice suggestions for staff development photos to illustrate good practice. Providing a wealth of practical ideas and activities, this handy text provides detailed guidance on how to develop an appropriate indoor and outdoor environment for babies and toddlers’ to help practitioners ensure effective outcomes for the youngest children in their care.