This book is an exploration of story and its importance in early childhood. It provides a thorough theoretical foundation, and considers how to practically implement the use of stories to aid children's wellbeing and holistic development. The chapters cover topics including cognitive and emotional development, creativity, play, mathematics,…

This guide to understanding school readiness in young children is essential reading for early years practitioners. It explores the concept of school readiness by unpicking what the term means for children and how we can define it in the context of the characteristics of effective learning. This includes ideas for promoting playing and exploring,…

When children play, they often create a mess, but what a beautiful mess it is! "Creating a Beautiful Mess" describes the ten most important play experiences all children enjoy and how these experiences support learning, creativity, and social connections. These broad categories of play include building with blocks, pretending and make…

Suggests criteria to be used in selecting problem-solving activities and criteria to be considered in choosing media, exercises, and problems for the development of problem-solving skills. Provides perspectives on developing creativity and includes a chart on how thinking and attitude components relate. Also lists related reference materials. (ML)

Describes a technique of using the collage in teaching single paragraph and experiential writing. The collage is an exciting motivational device that helps students express their thoughts first in pictures and later in words. (CMV)

"Birth to Three Matters" is essential for all those involved in developing policy and providing care and education for children between birth and three. It carefully examines the structure and content of the recently published Birth to Three Matters materials and explores a range of "matters" that impact on the development of quality in early…

Ways by which teachers can enhance creativity skills of children in the classroom are addressed in this monograph. An overview of creativity first sets the stage for discussions on the child, curriculum, teacher, and environment. The goal is to show the many faces of the development of creativity in children and to recognize ways to enhance the…

This manual is the fourth in a set of training manuals for Head Start staff. It contains descriptions of workshop modules on the topics of (1) language development in children, (2) creativity in children, (3) the Individualized Education Program (IEP), (4) building self-esteem in families, (5) family development, (6) effective communication, and…