Early Years and Primary Education

• Roger Beard
• Andrew Burrell

Language Play and Children’s Literacy celebrates the contribution of language play to children’s understanding of how language can be used for play and impact. It reveals how language play is used for many different purposes, and includes an invaluable resource bank of activities for teachers and parents.

An investigation

• Helena McVeigh

Helena McVeigh draws on extensive practice as an inspector and consultant, and on interviews with HMIs and primary teachers, to chart the development of Ofsted and investigate its influence on primary teaching in England.

Improving physical development through movement and physical activity

• Carol Archer
• Iram Siraj

Physical development is a key component of the curriculum but so far there has been no valid means of assessing the pedagogical or environmental quality of the child’s physical experience. The Movement Environment Rating Scale (MOVERS) does so, using the methodology established by the popular ECERS-E and SSTEW rating scales.

Possibility Thinking in the Early Years

• Linda McConnon

This book shows how using Possibility Thinking (PT) is at the heart of young children’s creativity. It traces the verbal and non-verbal communication, collaboration and identity development of a girl and two boys as they use PT in their art and crafts practice during their first three years in school.

Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being (SSTEW) Scale for 2–5-year-olds provision

• Iram Siraj
• Denise Kingston
• Edward Melhuish

Based on high-quality pedagogy and developed for the use of teaching staff and managers, the Sustained Shared Thinking and Emotional Well-being (SSTEW) Scale can be used alongside other environment scales (including ECERS-E, ECERS-R or ITERS-R) to give a more complete picture of what high-quality early childhood education and care can look like.

Research into pedagogy and children’s learning

• Iram Siraj
• Brenda Taggart
• Pam Sammons
• Edward Melhuish
• Kathy Sylva
• Donna-Lynn Shepherd

Key elements of teaching in effective schools are revealed by the qualitative and quantitative research of leading researchers into primary school provision. Pedagogical strategies used in successful schools are brought to life through detailed observations, and the book offers multi-layered evidence for motivating children through better practice.

A professional learning resource

• Elaine Hallet

This book and DVD will support practitioners in reflecting upon leadership of learning in early years and practice, review their own leadership style and consider areas for development. The DVD provides examples of current professional leadership practice in a variety of early years settings.

An international perspective

• David Brody

Few men work in day-care settings or nursery schools, yet they are acclaimed as gifted educators and excellent caregivers. These personal narratives of six unusually talented men from various countries who have worked with young children for years illustrate what attracts men to work with young children and how to retain them in early years’ work.

Laying the Foundations for Racial Equality

• Iram Siraj-Blatchford

Sets out the knowledge and understanding required to provide an education and care service for young children that is free of racial discrimination. The book addresses the central concepts in racial inequality and the ways that these occur in the early years.

A New Era?

• Angela Anning

In the past decade both government and opposition have recognised the crucial national importance of early childhood education. But, the result has been a confusion of promises and plans and a lack of coherent policy. This is a review of the complex history and an outline of a coherent strategy.