Loving Learning by
The longtime head of Park Day School, Tom Little embarked on a tour of 43 progressive schools across the country. In this book, his life’s work, he interweaves his teaching experience, the knowledge he gleaned from his trip, and the history of Progressive Education. As Little and Katherine Ellison reveal, these educators and schools invigorate learning and promote inquisitiveness by allowing the curriculum to grow organically out of children's questions—whether they lead to studying the senses, working on a farm, or re-creating a desert ecosystem in the classroom. We see curious students draw on information across disciplines to think in imaginative yet practical ways, like in a "Mini-Maker Faire" or designing and building a chair from scratch. Becoming good citizens was another of Little's goals. He believed in the need for students to learn how to become advocates for themselves, from setting rules on the playground to engaging in issues of social justice in the wider community. Using the philosophy of Progressive Education, schools can prepare students to shape a vibrant future in the arts and sciences for themselves and the nation.
Curriculum in Early Childhood Education by
Curriculum in Early Childhood Education: Reexamined, Rediscovered, Renewed provides a critical examination of the sources, aims, and features of early childhood curricula. Providing a theoretical and philosophical foundation for examining teaching and learning, this book will provoke discussion and analysis among all readers. How has theory been used to understand, develop, and critique curriculum? Whose perspectives are dominant and whose are ignored? How is diversity addressed? What values are explicit and implicit? The book first contextualizes the historical and research base of early childhood curriculum, and then turns to discussions of various schools of theory and philosophy that have served to support curriculum development in early childhood education. An examination of current curriculum frameworks is offered, both from the US and abroad, including discussion of the Project Approach, Creative Curriculum, Te Wh riki, and Reggio Emilia. Finally, the book closes with chapters that enlarge the topic to curriculum-being-enacted through play and that summarize key issues while pointing out future directions for the field. Offering a broad foundation for examining curriculum in early childhood, readers will emerge with a stronger understanding of how theories and philosophies intersect with curriculum development."
The Power of Emergent Curriculum by
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Developing Young Minds by
Ever wonder what is going on in a baby's brain? Or how you can best nurture a child's natural development? Or why exactly Bach is better than Mozart for babies? This book will explain why. No technical knowledge is necessary, as Shore makes recent neurological findings accessible to all those who come into contact with young children. Everything a baby experiences in his or her first five years is building the foundation of life's learning potential. Through increasing the complexity of the early childhood environment in developmentally appropriate ways, we can nurture young children's brains. Developing Young Minds is a must-have for new parents or caregivers of young children.
The Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood by
There's more than one way to be smart This innovative book for three-to six-year-olds offers a complete plan for every learning style. Organized by theme, "The Complete Daily Curriculum for Early Childhood "includes a morning circle and end-of-day reflection, and different activities for each learning center. With more than 1,200 activities and ideas to engage multiple in-telligences, assessment tools, and a comprehensive appendix of songs, stories, games and dances, props, recipes, patterns, chants, rhymes, and arts and crafts, you'll find everything you need to captivate and challenge every child in your classroom.
Challenging Exceptionally Bright Children in Early Childhood Classrooms by
Support exceptionally bright children with strategies that challenge them to think with more complexity, depth, and creativity Nearly every group of children includes at least one exceptionally bright child. From the especially creative child to the child who has already mastered learning outcomes to the "twice exceptional” child, exceptionally bright children have a wide range of talents and behaviors. This book will help you understand what it means to be exceptionally bright in preschool and prekindergarten and help you guide children to reach their full potential. It includes three broad strategies--differentiation, conversation, and connection--for creating rich and satisfying learning experiences that meet the needs of all children. Use these techniques to adapt your practices, challenge children to think more deeply, and create opportunities for children to learn from each other throughout your literacy, math, and science curricula. You will also learn assessment methods that can help you identify exceptionally bright children and techniques to support children’s social-emotional development and strengthen your partnerships with families. When exceptionally bright children are supported and challenged, they will be more confident about their abilities to think and learn. And they will go on to make creative contributions to their future classroom communities. Ann Gadzikowski, a graduate of the Erikson Institute, has more than twenty years of experience as an early childhood teacher and program director. She is the early childhood coordinator for the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University and teaches early childhood education courses at Oakton Community College.
Teaching Stem in the Early Years by
More than 85 activities that support and extend children’s learning in the four STEM disciplines Stimulate and engage children’s thinking as you integrate STEM experiences throughout your classroom. These engaging, developmentally appropriate activities maximize children’s learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each experience combines at least two STEM disciplines and incorporates materials and situations that are interesting and meaningful to children. Use this book to discover the many possibilities for teaching STEM to young children, including ideas for Learning centers Cooking, art, music, block play, and sensory table activities Outdoor time Project-centered curriculum Quick activities that require minimal preparation on your part Field trips With the growing focus on early childhood mathematics and science, this book is a much-needed resource for every early childhood classroom. It will encourage you to think differently about STEM education, and you will see how easy it is to accommodate curriculum goals and learning standards in math and science activities. Sally Moomaw, EdD, is an assistant professor of early childhood education at the University of Cincinnati. She is the author of eight other Redleaf Press books and a frequent presenter at workshops and conferences across the country. Much of Dr. Moomaw’s research and teaching is in the area of STEM education.
Learning from the Bumps in the Road by
The journey to professional and personal growth takes time, and the road isn’t always smooth, but it is a learning-filled adventure Holly Elissa Bruno, Janet Gonzalez-Mena, Luis Antonio Hernandez, and Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan are accomplished professionals and respected leaders in the early childhood field. After a decade of speaking together at national professional development conferences, they now give you twelve of their most important presentation topics as essays. Each chapter presents a dialogue among the authors about a particular topic and the lessons gleaned from facing and overcoming uncertainty and obstacles. Merging each author’s distinct voice, expertise, and life experiences, this collection unveils the authors’ personal and meaningful histories, insecurities, and insights. You will be encouraged and challenged to think more deeply and openly about your own practices and philosophies. You will gain a renewed sense of purpose as you help children reach their full potentials. And you will discover--as the authors did--that every bump in the road is an invitation to grow and opportunity to learn. Holly Elissa Bruno, MA, JD; Janet Gonzalez-Mena, MA; Luis Antonio Hernandez, MA; and Debra Ren-Etta Sullivan, EdD, are acclaimed keynote speakers, authors, and experts on a variety of topics in early childhood.
Accelerating Language Skills and Content Knowledge Through Shared Book Reading by
Students in early childhood settings don't always get the benefits of shared book reading, a strategy proven to boost language skills and content knowledge. Prepare the next generation of teachers to make the most of shared reading with this accessible textbook, a complete guide to bulding vocabulary-rich science and social studies lessons and discussions around storybooks and informational texts. Field-tested with children in high-poverty school settings, this instructional approach is valuable for any young learners at risk for comprehension difficulties. This concise book presents the authors' proven, empirically based "Project WORLD" (Words of Oral Reading and Language Development) framework for integrating shared book reading into the classroom. Offering both big-picture curriculum design principles and specific instructional strategies, this text gives teachers the know-how they need to accelerate language skills, vocabulary development, and high-priority science and social science studies content knowledge for all young children. Ideal for preservice teacher education courses and in-service professional development. Get teachers ready to: use the most effective shared book reading and vocabulary practices; teach new vocabulary while introducing key science and social studies concepts; align vocabulary instruction with content standards and objectives; stimulate and expand children's oral language abilities, design lesson plans that get results; and so much more.