Reviews: For your shelf

Reviewed by Sarah Presswood of George Perkins Day Nursery, Birmingham

The aim of this DVD is to encourage people to consider the Early Years Professional Status. It clearly demonstrates the importance of having competent and committed practitioners delivering the care, education and learning opportunities that babies and young children need. It celebrates the fact that good practitioners make a difference to children and their families.

Hearing about the status from practitioners who have either achieved or are working towards becoming EYPs and seeing them at work in various settings makes the message of the DVD real - this wasn't theory; you can see these professionals at work, making a difference to the children and their colleagues.

The message that this is a status to be valued and to aspire to came across in the way the EYPs recounted their experiences of the process and how they felt challenged to broaden it and reflect on their practice to ensure they were able to meet all 39 of the standards required. They all felt it was a valuable thing to do not only for themselves but also for the impact their leadership would have on others.

The requirements for embarking on the process to achieve the status, the fact that there is a variety of routes and financial support both for the individual and their settings was outlined clearly and I think anyone watching the DVD who really wants to make a difference to the lives of young children would feel that Early Years Professional Status is a very worthwhile achievement.

The Teaching Assistant's Handbook - Primary Schools: Supporting teaching and learning in schools

by Louise Burnham (Heinemann, £19.99, ISBN 9780435449384, www.heinemann.co.uk)

This handbook is for practitioners working towards Level 3 S/NVQ in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools. Essential information includes in-depth coverage of mandatory units, practical examples and case studies from primary classrooms and activity suggestions for your portfolio.

The Little Book of Scissor Skills By Sharon Drew (Featherstone, £7.99, ISBN 9781906029333, www.featherstone.uk.com)

Activities with scissors to suit different ages and level of skill are included in this compact book, which suggests ways to extend the activities in your setting.