Product Description

Increasing emphasis is now placed on how and what children learn in the early stages of life. The Government has drawn up Early Learning Goals for 3-5 year olds, setting a Foundation stage to the curriculum. Child Care professionals need to be aware of how to encourage children at this age, when the most important way of learning is through play.

In this book Tina Bruce, an acknowledged expert in the field of play, presents the key ideas and best practice for child care students starting to work in this vital area. (20051009)

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #73341 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-29
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Review
Review by Denni Morrison, lecturer in psychology and child development at Hertford Regional College. This is a book that hardly needs reviewing. It's by Tina Bruce and it's about play. What more do you need to know? This deceptively simple book is in two parts. Part one sets the scen historically, culturally and politically, taking the reader throufht the study and theory of play, while part two gives practical ways in which adults can help children to develop their play. This book will make a useful text ofr most childcare students, and DCE tutors especially will find it an invaluable resource when teaching observation skills, as the author sets out in detail not only how to observe but also why we need to observe and how we relate our findings to theories. The clear, bright photographs illustrate the text beautifully, and because most of them follow a child through a sequence of play, they can be used to highlight exactly what it is we are looking for in observations. Although the book covers the age range nought to six, the author has concentrated mainly on three- to five-year-olds and has linked this book to the QCA document Curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage (2000). Throughout the latter chapters, red boxes link the text to the Early Learning Goals. Each chapter is clearly set out and signposted and the headings are colour-coded so even the most reluctant students should be able to find their way around with ease. Important words in the text are highlighted, making it easy to skim and find what you are looking for, and key features are contained in bright boxes on nearly every page. The summary at the end of each chapter brings together the main points in very clear language that is easy to understand. I will certainly be recommending this book to my new students in September. (Nursery World )

Tina Bruce's understanding of learning and the play experience for babies, toddlers and children in the Foundation Years is developed in this text to enable adults to provide well planned play opportunities for young children. The book is not just a manual for parents, carers and practitioners. It provides a context for developing the play experience that draws upon Bruce's considerable knwoeldge of the worth of play for all children.... ....This excellent discourse on play is linked sympathetically to the Foundation Stage curriculum. Wea cannot ignore the Foundation Stage requirements and this book shows how play experiences can be used to support it to the advantage of the Early Years tradition. (Early Years )

I would recommend this book both to the new childcare students it is aimed at, and to T.A's starting to work in the foundation stage as there are clear ideas for encouraging free-flow play rather than leading or directing it.
The reading lists are very comprehensive and I will use them and the book itself in the future to dip into to refresh my ideas and practices.

(Learning Support Magazine/Nadine Mills Teaching Assistant Northfield Infant School )

Synopsis
Increasing emphasis is now placed on how and what children learn in the early stages of life. The Government has drawn up Early Learning Goals for 3-5 year olds, setting a Foundation stage to the curriculum. Child Care professionals need to be aware of how to encourage children at this age, when the most important way of learning is through play. In this book, Tina Bruce, an acknowledged expert in the field of play, presents the key ideas and best practice for child care students starting to work in this vital area.

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Customer Reviews

Great book all parents and carers must have
I am a parent and I got this book when I found out that learning through play is the best way for your child to develope new skills. This books explains what play is and how it developes your childs intelligence. It explains that your child need to be involved in well planned play that is observed by an adult who can use the observation to provide stepping stone to develope the child further and help them to achieve their early learning goals. Each child will develope in different ways and will reach their learning goals in different ways which is why the observation is so important.

The books give examples of various children playing and breaks down the play into the key elements. The key element are also explained.

At the end of the book it summaries what has already been covered and explains what you can do to develope your child for live long learning and intelligence.

Now that I have read this book I know what I need to do with my toddler to develope him to his maximum. I also know what to look for in nurseries. This book is a must. I used to think that play was important but now I know just how very important it REALLY IS.

The book is easy to read and you can read it in a few days.

Fantastic and a very readable book!!!
If you are doing Teacher training this book is brilliant! Or even if you are a parent this book provides helpful information about teaching your child how to play and the importance of play. Bruce's language is very modern and easily understood. Just looking through the book, it is enjoyable to see such up to date pictures in beautiful bold colours. Bruce's book proves to be an extremely useful and carefully thought out book for parents and teachers of Early Years all over the world!! It sounds cliche but I really do recommend that you buy this work of art!!!!!