Whether used for thematic story times, program and curriculum planning, readers' advisory, or collection development, this updated edition of the well-known companion makes finding the right picture books for your library a breeze. Generations of savvy librarians and educators have relied on this detailed subject guide to children's picture books for all aspects of children's services, and this new edition does not disappoint. Covering more than 18,000 books published through 2017, it empowers users to identify current and classic titles on topics ranging from apples to zebras. Organized simply, with a subject guide that categorizes subjects by theme and topic and subject headings arranged alphabetically, this reference applies more than 1,200 intuitive (as opposed to formal catalog) subject terms to children's picture books, making it both a comprehensive and user-friendly resource that is accessible to parents and teachers as well as librarians. It can be used to identify titles to fill in gaps in library collections, to find books on particular topics for young readers, to help teachers locate titles to support lessons, or to design thematic programs and story times. Title and illustrator indexes, in addition to a bibliographic guide arranged alphabetically by author name, further extend access to titles.

Many practitioners are under pressure to deliver effective outdoor learning experiences for all children. Current resources are aimed at academic studies or families - this book is an inspirational and accessible resource for practitioners. A starting point for outdoor activities that really engage, encourage and develop children.

Fully updated to reflect the current status and understandings regarding outdoor provision within early childhood education frameworks across the UK, this new edition shows early years practitioners how to get the very best from outdoor play and learning for the enjoyment, health and education of young children up to age seven. This invaluable resource gives sound practical guidance for providing: play with water, sand and other natural materials; experiences with plants, growing and living things; movement and physical play; construction, imaginative and creative play; and explorations into the locality and community just beyond your garden. This full-colour third edition has been further developed to act as a comprehensive source book of relevant materials, books and resources supporting the core ingredients of high-quality outdoor provision, while each chapter also includes extensive collections of children’s picture books relating to the themes within each chapter. Playing and Learning Outdoors has become the essential practical guide to excellence in outdoor provision and pedagogy for all early years services. This lively, inspiring and accessible book will help every educator to develop truly successful and satisfying approach to learning through play outdoors for every child.

Music programs have been scaled back or eliminated altogether from the curricula of many schools. Luckily, storytimes offer ideal opportunities for music and songs. In this collection of easy-to-use, easy-to-adapt library programs for children in grades K-3, Brown connects songs and musical activities directly to books kids love to read. Offering several thematic programs, complete with stories, songs, and flannelboard and other activities, her book includes Music activities, lists of music-related books, mix-and-match activities, and additional web resources Terrific tips on how to teach songs to young children Ways to develop original songs and rhythms to enliven children’s books Even if you can’t carry a tune in a bushel basket, this handy resource has everything you need to start the music in your storytimes.

This practical guide is the ideal tool for the busy practitioner or speech and language therapist to provide an effective, meaningful, and contextualised approach to language development using picture books. Drawing from up-to-date, evidence-based research, each chapter shows you how to get the most out of picture books to support language development, with a focus on the range of opportunities that reading aloud can bring. The guide offers a complete package to promote speech, language, and early literacy, and to enrich language comprehension, vocabulary, phonological awareness, and oral language – all by using books to provide a context for meaningful language learning. The resource also includes advice on how to develop intervention goals and outcome measures for reading aloud, with practical suggestions covering topics from creating a reading routine and book nooks, to encouraging reluctant readers and reading aloud challenges. Language skills are essential for academic, social and communication success and this reading aloud resource will be valuable reading for early year educators, primary teachers, and speech and language therapists working with young children aged 0-7.

Following the success of the Little Book of Investigations, this book goes one step further in size, scale and scope. It covers explorations indoors, outside and in the local community, from the water in the tap, the dust on the floor, the mud in the garden, to exploring connections, constructions and other early technological experiments. The natural world, minibeasts, weather, growth, change over time and making changes to materials and the environment are included in this easy to use book. The inventive activities will all also provide opportunities for children to sustain their thinking with other children and adults while using the skills of observation and experiment.

This fully revised fourth edition outlines seven strands of practice for three to six-year old children, designed to develop the skills, concepts and knowledge underpinning literacy in the early years. Accompanying each strand are clear explanations of the research and reasoning on which they are based. Practical advice on helping children transfer their learning into their own child-initiated activities, to build a genuine and solid foundation for literacy, is integral to the book.

Deep in the walls of a witches' cottage lays an ancient magical kitchen. Dangling over that kitchen's cauldron, pinched between the fingers of two witches, is a toad. And the Toad has no idea how she got there, and no memory of even her name. All she knows is she doesn't think she was always a Toad, or that she's ever been here before. Determined to recover her memories she sets out on a journey to the oracle, and along the way picks up a rag-tag team of friends: an iron-handed imp, a carnivorous fairy, and a few friendly locals. But the Kitchen won't make it easy. It is pitch black, infinite, and impossible to navigate, a living maze. Hiding in dark corners are beastly, starving things. Worse yet are the Witches themselves, who have sent a procession of horrific, deadly monsters on her trail. With some courage and wisdom, the Toad just might find herself yet-and with that knowledge, the power to defeat the mighty Witches. Filled with forty stunning pencil illustrations from the author, the Witches' Kitchen is a rich, well-imagined fantasy setting unlike any other.