Download or read book The Importance of Being Little written by Erika Christakis and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-02-09 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Christakis . . . expertly weaves academic research, personal experience and anecdotal evidence into her book . . . a bracing and convincing case that early education has reached a point of crisis . . . her book is a rare thing: a serious work of research that also happens to be well-written and personal . . . engaging and important.” --Washington Post "What kids need from grown-ups (but aren't getting)...an impassioned plea for educators and parents to put down the worksheets and flash cards, ditch the tired craft projects (yes, you, Thanksgiving Handprint Turkey) and exotic vocabulary lessons, and double-down on one, simple word: play." --NPR The New York Times bestseller that provides a bold challenge to the conventional wisdom about early childhood, with a pragmatic program to encourage parents and teachers to rethink how and where young children learn best by taking the child’s eye view of the learning environment To a four-year-old watching bulldozers at a construction site or chasing butterflies in flight, the world is awash with promise. Little children come into the world hardwired to learn in virtually any setting and about any matter. Yet in today’s preschool and kindergarten classrooms, learning has been reduced to scripted lessons and suspect metrics that too often undervalue a child’s intelligence while overtaxing the child’s growing brain. These mismatched expectations wreak havoc on the family: parents fear that if they choose the “wrong” program, their child won’t get into the “right” college. But Yale early childhood expert Erika Christakis says our fears are wildly misplaced. Our anxiety about preparing and safeguarding our children’s future seems to have reached a fever pitch at a time when, ironically, science gives us more certainty than ever before that young children are exceptionally strong thinkers. In her pathbreaking book, Christakis explains what it’s like to be a young child in America today, in a world designed by and for adults, where we have confused schooling with learning. She offers real-life solutions to real-life issues, with nuance and direction that takes us far beyond the usual prescriptions for fewer tests, more play. She looks at children’s use of language, their artistic expressions, the way their imaginations grow, and how they build deep emotional bonds to stretch the boundaries of their small worlds. Rather than clutter their worlds with more and more stuff, sometimes the wisest course for us is to learn how to get out of their way. Christakis’s message is energizing and reassuring: young children are inherently powerful, and they (and their parents) will flourish when we learn new ways of restoring the vital early learning environment to one that is best suited to the littlest learners. This bold and pragmatic challenge to the conventional wisdom peels back the mystery of childhood, revealing a place that’s rich with possibility.
Download or read book Not Just Child s Play written by Felicia R. McMahon and published by Univ. Press of Mississippi. This book was released on 2009-10-20 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2008 Chicago Folklore Prize Felicia R. McMahon breaks new ground in the presentation and analysis of emerging traditions of the “Lost Boys,” a group of parentless youths who fled Sudan under tragic circumstances in the 1990s. With compelling insight, McMahon analyzes the oral traditions of the DiDinga Lost Boys, about whom very little is known. Her vibrant ethnography provides intriguing details about the performances and conversations of the young DiDinga in Syracuse, New York. It also offers important insights to scholars and others who work with refugee groups. The author argues that the playful traditions she describes constitute a strategy by which these young men proudly position themselves as preservers of DiDinga culture and as harbingers of social change rather than as victims of war. Drawing ideas from folklore, linguistics, drama, and play theory, the author documents the danced songs of this unique group. Her inclusion of original song lyrics translated by the singers and descriptions of conversations convey the voices of the young men. Well researched and carefully developed, this book makes an original contribution to our understanding of refugee populations and tells a compelling story at the same time.
Download or read book Not Just Any Earl written by Anna Bradley and published by . This book was released on 2021-12-14 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "It's like Historical Romance has been waiting for Anna Bradley to come along and write it." - 5 stars, Badass Book Reviews A lady hidden in the shadows... It's never been easy to be one of the five Templeton sisters, but for quiet Emmeline, the silver lining surrounding the dark cloud of her family's disgrace is a life of comfortable obscurity. But when her sisters accept an outrageous wager that takes the family to London for a season, an unexpected kiss with a handsome earl thrusts shy Emmeline into the middle of a shocking public scandal. A dazzling earl with the ton at his feet... Jonathan Parrish, the Earl of Melrose never meant to kiss Emmeline Templeton. It was an innocent case of mistaken identity, a stolen embrace meant for one of his vivacious admirers. Emmeline Templeton is perfectly wrong for him, and he's never before spared the shy wallflower a single glance, but after a single kiss the memory of her warm curves are imprinted forever on Jonathan's fingertips, and he can't forget the sweet taste of her lips against his. A dizzying spark of desire... But wherever the Templeton family ventures, gossip and rumor inevitably follow. If the secret wager that brought the sisters to London is revealed, it will shake London to its foundations. Will the blazing passion that brought Emmeline and Jonathan together end in a happily ever after, or will their hearts fall victim to the consuming flames?
Download or read book Growing an In Sync Child written by Carol Stock Kranowitz and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2010-05-04 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A fresh and timely approach to understanding the profound impact of motor development on children of all ages and stages. Based on the authors' more than seventy combined years of professional success working with children of all abilities, Growing an In-Sync Child provides parents, teachers, and other professionals with the tools to give every child a head start and a leg up. Because early motor development is one of the most important factors in a child's physical, emotional, academic, and overall success, the In- Sync Program of sixty adaptable, easy, and fun activities will enhance your child's development, in just minutes a day. Discover how simple movements such as skipping, rolling, balancing, and jumping can make a world of difference for your child—a difference that will last a lifetime.
Download or read book Just Play written by Nick Bottini and published by . This book was released on 2018-10 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A revolutionary new understanding of the mind is transforming the field of performance psychology, making it easier than ever before for musicians to bring out the best in themselves and make music as nature intended. Not only that, but it offers renewed hope for sufferers of anxiety, depression and a whole host of other psychological disorders.
Download or read book Not Just Play written by Meryl Nadel and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-20 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Camps often provide children with a first taste of independence and freedom from the restrictions of home and school while offering a milieu full of opportunities for psychosocial development, creative interaction, and mutual aid. Though summer camps have simultaneously given current and future social workers educational, practice, research, and theory-development opportunities as they direct, staff, attend, and provide supervision, the field has received limited scholarly attention. Not Just Play focuses on the relationship between social work and the summer camp movement and provides a comprehensive treatment of this underappreciated area of practice. Social workers and camp professionals will value the many advantages and connections explored in the volume, which also incorporates case vignettes and core scholarly research. The text offers readers a multifaceted examination of social work and summer camp that broadens their professional and scholarly perspective.
Download or read book A Child s Work written by Vivian Gussin Paley and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-09-15 with total page 111 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The buzz word in education today is accountability. But the federal mandate of "no child left behind" has come to mean curriculums driven by preparation for standardized tests and quantifiable learning results. Even for very young children, unstructured creative time in the classroom is waning as teachers and administrators are under growing pressures to measure school readiness through rote learning and increased homework. In her new book, Vivian Gussin Paley decries this rapid disappearance of creative time and makes the case for the critical role of fantasy play in the psychological, intellectual, and social development of young children. A Child's Work goes inside classrooms around the globe to explore the stunningly original language of children in their role-playing and storytelling. Drawing from their own words, Paley examines how this natural mode of learning allows children to construct meaning in their worlds, meaning that carries through into their adult lives. Proof that play is the work of children, this compelling and enchanting book will inspire and instruct teachers and parents as well as point to a fundamental misdirection in today's educational programs and strategies.
Download or read book Learning to Read and Write written by Susan B. Neuman and published by National Assn for the Education. This book was released on 2000 with total page 131 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Strategies to promote literacy competence
Download or read book The First 20 Hours written by Josh Kaufman and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-06-13 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Download or read book Snappsy the Alligator Did Not Ask to Be in This Book written by Julie Falatko and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-02-02 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Snappsy the alligator is having a normal day when a pesky narrator steps in to spice up the story. Is Snappsy reading a book ... or is he making CRAFTY plans? Is Snappsy on his way to the grocery store ... or is he PROWLING the forest for defenseless birds and fuzzy bunnies? Is Snappsy innocently shopping for a party ... or is he OBSESSED with snack foods that start with the letter P? What's the truth? Snappsy the Alligator (Did Not Ask to Be in This Book) is an irreverent look at storytelling, friendship, and creative differences, perfect for fans of Mo Willems.
Download or read book Reconsidering The Role of Play in Early Childhood written by Julie M. Nicholson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-05-11 with total page 431 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reconsidering the Role of Play in Early Childhood: Towards Social Justice and Equity—a compilation of current play research in early childhood education and care—challenges, disrupts, and reexamines conventional perspectives on play. By highlighting powerful and provocative studies from around the world that attend to the complexities and diverse contexts of children’s play, the issues of social justice and equity related to play are made visible. This body of work is framed by the phenomenological viewpoint that presumes equity is best confronted and improved through developing an expanded understanding of play in its multiple variations and dimensions. The play studies explore the potential and troubles of play in teaching and learning, children’s agency in play, the actual spaces where children play, and different perspectives of play based on identity and culture. The editors invite readers to use the research as an inspiration to reconsider their conceptions of play and to take action to work for a world where all children have access to play. This book was originally published as a special issue of Early Child Development and Care.
Download or read book Just Let the Kids Play written by Bob Bigelow and published by HCI. This book was released on 2001-08-01 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Bob's message is a must for all parents and coaches. He challenges adults to understand their effect on youngsters, and that kids' needs have to be met first." Bob Trupin, Westport, CT This is not just another book touting improved sportsmanship and better coaching to remedy the violence in youth sports today. Just Let the Kids Play is the first book to identify the youth sports systems as the cause of the problem, and offers practical ways to rebuild them so they better serve the physical and emotional needs of children. First-round NBA draft pick, part-time NBA scout and youth coach Bob Bigelow joins journalists Tom Moroney and Linda Hall to put youth sports under harsh review. They explain the controversial belief that elite traveling teams at young ages should be abolished and replaced with equal playing time, team parity and shortened seasons, among others. Focusing on soccer, basketball, baseball and hockey, they highlight ten programs nationwide where these principles are working, and offer ways to integrate them into existing programs without sacrificing a child's chances for success. Soccer moms and hockey dads will discover that it really is possible to sleep in on Saturdays without sacrificing their child's future!
Download or read book Just Playing written by Janet R. Moyles and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just Playing explores why we should encourage, promote, value and initiate play in our classrooms, and why teachers should be part of it. Janet Moyles draws on research findings from several countries which provide further evidence for establishing the value of play. She focuses on children between 4 and 8, examining the principles of play in early childhood education, and indicates how these principles can be put into practice. She provides a full justification for including play in the early years curriculum and encourages teachers, through examples of children at play, to review their own thinking on the issues in the light of core curriculum pressures.This is essential reading for trainee and practising nursery and primary teachers and nursery nurses; and for all those concerned with the education and development of young children.
Download or read book Not Just for Children Interdisciplinary Explorations of Play written by Elena Xeni and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-07-22 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With input from authors with a strong background in the study of play, this volume is a must-read for anyone with an interest in play from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering the areas of sociology, technology, creative arts, history, and philosophy.
Download or read book Lifelong Kindergarten written by Mitchel Resnick and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-08-28 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How lessons from kindergarten can help everyone develop the creative thinking skills needed to thrive in today's society. In kindergartens these days, children spend more time with math worksheets and phonics flashcards than building blocks and finger paint. Kindergarten is becoming more like the rest of school. In Lifelong Kindergarten, learning expert Mitchel Resnick argues for exactly the opposite: the rest of school (even the rest of life) should be more like kindergarten. To thrive in today's fast-changing world, people of all ages must learn to think and act creatively—and the best way to do that is by focusing more on imagining, creating, playing, sharing, and reflecting, just as children do in traditional kindergartens. Drawing on experiences from more than thirty years at MIT's Media Lab, Resnick discusses new technologies and strategies for engaging young people in creative learning experiences. He tells stories of how children are programming their own games, stories, and inventions (for example, a diary security system, created by a twelve-year-old girl), and collaborating through remixing, crowdsourcing, and large-scale group projects (such as a Halloween-themed game called Night at Dreary Castle, produced by more than twenty kids scattered around the world). By providing young people with opportunities to work on projects, based on their passions, in collaboration with peers, in a playful spirit, we can help them prepare for a world where creative thinking is more important than ever before.
Download or read book Just Play Naturally written by Vivien Mackie and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Just Play Naturally" by Vivien Mackie, in conversation with Joe Armstrong, goes very deep into the creative process by recounting the steps by which Pablo Casals taught Mackie, as a young woman, to go beyond all her formal training in order to become a real musician, and it goes on to show how an artist, in this case a performing artist, may continue going deeper all the rest of her life. 'The dialogue between Vivien the cellist and Joe the flautist, both of whom are skilled an devoted teachers of the Alexander Technique, cold profit any practitioner of the arts, but it penetrates beyond art into life itself. 'This book illustrates the evolution of a sense of rhythm, of a connection to the breath, of the ways in which the self combines the resources of the mind and the body, of motion and stillness, of pitch and meter. Even more than the above, this book tells how to change your life, how to get in touch with the reality beneath learned experience.' Peter Davison, Poet, Editor 'I find Just Play Naturally' extraordinary moving - and important account of artistic discipleship, dedication, communion - as well as a deepening revelation of the Alexander Technique.' Rosanna Warren, Poet, Professor of Comparative Literature, Boston University 'I think that this is a most valuable addition to the list of books concerning the F. Matthias Alexander Technique. It describes the experiences encountered by an accomplished musician in making practical application of the Technique, but it also reveals the extent to which one of the greatest musical artists of our time, Pablo Casals, thought and worked in accordance with the similar principles. Readers will learn much from this book about an approachto study and performance from which all students could benefit.' W.H.M. Carringon, Master Teacher of the Alexander Technique, London
Download or read book Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2015-07-23 with total page 706 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years. This provides a critical foundation for lifelong progress, and the adults who provide for the care and the education of young children bear a great responsibility for their health, development, and learning. Despite the fact that they share the same objective - to nurture young children and secure their future success - the various practitioners who contribute to the care and the education of children from birth through age 8 are not acknowledged as a workforce unified by the common knowledge and competencies needed to do their jobs well. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 explores the science of child development, particularly looking at implications for the professionals who work with children. This report examines the current capacities and practices of the workforce, the settings in which they work, the policies and infrastructure that set qualifications and provide professional learning, and the government agencies and other funders who support and oversee these systems. This book then makes recommendations to improve the quality of professional practice and the practice environment for care and education professionals. These detailed recommendations create a blueprint for action that builds on a unifying foundation of child development and early learning, shared knowledge and competencies for care and education professionals, and principles for effective professional learning. Young children thrive and learn best when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and are responsive to their individual progress. Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8 offers guidance on system changes to improve the quality of professional practice, specific actions to improve professional learning systems and workforce development, and research to continue to build the knowledge base in ways that will directly advance and inform future actions. The recommendations of this book provide an opportunity to improve the quality of the care and the education that children receive, and ultimately improve outcomes for children.
