This creative book uses music, song, poetry and a host of practical activities to engage young children in Circle Time. It contains 26 practical themes based on the letters of the alphabet. Busy teachers will find the ideas and resources invaluable in helping them make their Circle Time sessions innovative and exciting. The benefits to the children participating in these sessions will be the development of: - self-esteem - relationships - communications - spiritual and moral development. There are links to Citizenship objectives and help with planning notes. This is an exciting and comprehensive resource that links Circle Time to the Early Years curriculum.

Includes CD-rom! This creative book uses music, song, poetry and a host of practical ideas to engage children in Circle Time Activities. The publication stems from Yvonne′s own work in schools where 26 alphabetical themes have been centralised around a lovable bear character. There are four strands in the book which are linked to the Social Skills curriculum. - Self esteem - Relationships - Communications - Spiritual and Moral Development These strands are developed through the 26 themes from ′Adorable′ bear to ′Zig Zag′ bear with a weekly introduction of a new rhythm to accompany the poem. For each theme there are comprehensive notes for teachers with lots of ideas on the content of each theme. The DVD- ROM contains all 26 poems and songs, recited or sung by the children. The DVD-Rom also includes printable posters and positive thought sheets. As an experienced teacher Yvonne offers not only a comprehensive practical resource that all teachers will find useful and time saving, but she also provides links to Citizenship, planning sheets for PSHE, lesson objectives and full lesson notes, providing all the support busy teachers need. A very exciting practical resource, easy to use and built on a very solid foundation of many years of expertise and practice.

The acclaimed interactive picture book about the changing seasons. “Like Hervé Tullet’s Press Here, Matheson’s Tap the Magic Tree proves you don’t need apps for interactivity,” praised the New York Times. This board book edition is perfect for little hands. Every book needs you to turn the pages. But not every book needs you to tap it, shake it, jiggle it, or even blow it a kiss. Innovative and timeless, Tap the Magic Tree asks you to help one lonely tree change with the seasons. Now that’s interactive—and magical! It begins with a bare brown tree. But tap that tree, turn the page, and one bright green leaf has sprouted! Tap again—one, two, three, four—and four more leaves have grown on the next page. Pat, clap, wiggle, jiggle, and see blossoms bloom, apples grow, and the leaves swirl away with the autumn breeze. The collage-and-watercolor art evokes the bright simplicity of Lois Ehlert and Eric Carle and the interactive concept will delight fans of Pat the Bunny. Combining a playful spirit and a sense of wonder about nature, Christie Matheson has created a new modern classic that is a winner in every season—and every story time! And don't miss the follow-up, Touch the Brightest Star!

Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.

Contains more than six hundred circle time and group activities designed by teachers to use with children three to six years old, each including a suggested age, a list of materials, and step-by-step directions, and features lists of related books, songs, and poems.

Bright Ideas is crammed with lively easy-to-use ideas to brighten up your day. * Very simple to use - slot into your existing teahing. * Ideal for busy teachers - one page per activity. * Fresh, ready-to-use teaching ideas and resources. * Addresses the rea day-to-day needs of the classroom teacher.

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.

Offers circle-time activities to introduce early reading and writing skills.

This highly practical book will explain how to put the principles for early years education into practice through well-structured and purposeful circle time lesson plans. Jenny Mosley, the UK's leading expert on circle time, provides accessible guidance on: incorporating the curriculum for personal, social and emotional development enabling children to understand universal moral skills developing young children's emotional intelligence helping children to practise problem-solving skills. Each chapter in this book explains circle time in a 'why? what? how?' format, and includes tick-sheets, bullet-pointed pages and examples showing how the theory works in practice. Developed to closely mirror one of the major modules in the GNVQ in Childcare (levels 1 and 2), this is an invaluable and fun tool for developing young children's understanding of their feelings and relationships.

Bring out your child’s creativity and imagination with more than 60 artful activities in this completely revised and updated edition Art making is a wonderful way for young children to tap into their imagination, deepen their creativity, and explore new materials, all while strengthening their fine motor skills and developing self-confidence. The Artful Parent has all the tools and information you need to encourage creative activities for ages one to eight. From setting up a studio space in your home to finding the best art materials for children, this book gives you all the information you need to get started. You’ll learn how to: * Pick the best materials for your child’s age and learn to make your very own * Prepare art activities to ease children through transitions, engage the most energetic of kids, entertain small groups, and more * Encourage artful living through everyday activities * Foster a love of creativity in your family