Reviews: For your shelf - Well, I wonder: Childhood in the modern world
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Sally Schweizer (Rudolph Steiner Press, 12.95, ISBN 1 85584 124 X, www.rudolphsteinerpress.com). Reviewed by Sandy Green, early years consultant.
This book is uplifting. Sally Schweizer celebrates childhood as it should be and what many of us strive to achieve for our own children and those we care for and work with. It is full of examples of children demonstrating joy, curiosity, innocence, puzzlement and eagerness to find out more, including some wonderful analogies and anecdotes, supporting Sally's beliefs and thinking.
Sally reminds readers how each aspect of a child's environment affects development and behaviour. She gives examples of how adults impact on learning experiences and offers her own thinking on issues relevant to contemporary living and child rearing. There are masses of practical examples of how to work creatively and naturally with children, and the comprehensive list of further reading, resources and contacts enable the reader to take ideas forward immediately and develop their understandings of the author's beliefs.
TOUGH TIMES SERIES (FOUR TITLES)
By Sally Featherstone and Clare Beswick (Featherstone Education, £4.99 each, ISBN1-906029-35-0 / 36-9 / 37-7 / 38-5, www.featherstone.uk.com)
This practical series of four handy books fit neatly into CD covers. They provide early years practitioners with ideas and tips to help babies and young children under five cope with difficult circumstances, such as moving house, feeling angry, a new baby or lack of confidence. The authors aim to build on the principles, themes and good practice described in the EYFS framework.
Early Childhood Education and Care: policy and practice
Edited by Margaret M Clark and Tim Waller (Sage, £19.99, ISBN 1-4129-3572-5, www.sagepublications.com)
The policy and practice in early childhood education and care in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland is brought together in this book. It will help practitioners to make comparisons between the countries and understand the context of provision. Case studies add colour and introduce children's experiences in the four countries.
