By Stella Louis, Clare Beswick, Liz Magraw and Lisa Hayes (Featherstone, £16.99, ISBN 978-19050-19953)
The aim of this book is to help early years practitioners identify schemas and understand what they are, why children engage in schema play and the vital role they have in a child's development. Readers are given advice on how to plan for and support children's learning through using their knowledge of the schemas children are exploring. The theory behind schemas is carefully detailed and there are many case studies giving examples of children's explorations, what you might observe with that particular schema, and examples of how to further the learning. The book concludes with a chapter on how to share information about children's schemas with colleagues, other settings and parents.
- Classic Playground Games from Hopscotch to Simon Says
By Susan Brewer (Pen and Sword, £16.99, ISBN 97818-4468-0252)
Take a skip down memory lane by picking up this book. It recalls a wealth of childhood songs and rhymes plus a number of clapping, skipping, ball, nonsense and board games. There are suggestions for activities without props or those requiring very minimal equipment, such as marbles or a rope. The collection of classic games, for indoors and outside, will be inspiring for practitioners working with all ages of children, from nursery to out-of-school and older. The author hears different people talk about their childhood memories and looks at the history behind some games and rhymes, making this book an interesting read as well as a great resource.
- Dyspraxia in the Early Years: Identifying and Supporting Children with Movement Difficulties (second edition)
By Christine Macintyre (David Fulton, £19.99, ISBN 978-0-415-47684-3)
Increasingly, more children are being identified as having poor movement skills, which can be linked to problems with learning. This comprehensive book has been updated to include terminology and labelling in light of current inclusion guidelines. It offers a range of age-specific activities, a section on the neurology of dyspraxia, and examples from children on how movement is dependent on planning, sequencing and organising. The author hopes that the book will empower teachers and other professionals to support the children and work with their parents more effectively.
