Environmental education expert David Sobel joins with a variety of colleagues to share their experiences and steps for creating a successful forest kindergarten program. Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens walks you through the European roots of the concept to the recent resurgence of these kinds of programs in North America.Going well beyond a history lesson, these experts provide the framework to understand the concepts and build a learning community that stimulat...

Use loose parts to spark children's creativity and innovationLoose parts are natural or synthetic found, bought, or upcycled materials that children can move, manipulate, control, and change within their play. Alluring and captivating, they capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and motivate learning.The hundreds of inspiring photographs showcase an array of loose parts in real early childhood settings. And the overviews of concepts children can...

Written by a teacher with more than 25 years of experience, this book offers a jargon-free view of Waldorf education and its philosophy of the importance of a three-dimensional education. Whether you're a Waldorf parent or teacher, or you just want to learn more about these innovative educational concepts, this book contains important ideas on learning that you can apply today.

Loose parts capture children's curiosity, give free reign to their imagination, and encourage creativity. This form of play allows infants to be in control and recognize the power of their bodies and actions. A variety of new and innovative loose parts ideas are paired with beautiful photography to inspire safe loose parts play in your infant and toddler environments. Captivating classroom stories and proven science provide the context for how this style of play supports children's develop...

Innately curious, infants and toddlers love to explore, investigate, and discover—making the earliest years a perfect time to begin teaching the foundations of STEM. This book defines what science, technology, engineering, and math education looks like for this age group, and why it is so vital for children to develop STEM knowledge. Expand your understanding of STEM to lay the foundation for children to develop skills in critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity....

What constitutes a high quality teacher education program and what standards teacher candidates should meet before receiving their teaching credential? This volume advances deep understanding of the nature and sources of policy affecting the preparation of teachers in the U.S. and the conflicts or interconnections of these policies with the broader field of education policy.Contributions from actors in the policy world and experts representing the stakeholders are balanced and base...

Emphasizing essential interpersonal skills that should be developed in early childhood, this guide offers a holistic approach to developing classroom communities in which each child feels recognized, appreciated, and able to contribute. Taking into account a teacher’s goals, values, strengths, and weaknesses, guidance is offered for adjusting and planning for developmentally appropriate expectations, classroom organization, and communication with families. Filled with concrete examples and...

How can curriculum integration of school science with the related disciplines of technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) enhance students’ skills and their ability to link what they learn in school with the world outside the classroom?Featuring actual case studies of teachers’ attempts to integrate their curriculum, their reasons for doing so, how they did it, and their reflections on the outcomes, this book encourages science educators to consider the purposes and potential...

Writing Instruction for Generation 2.0 addresses many of the concerns teachers have about the impact of the digital world on student writing and suggests ways for teachers to approach these issues within a 21st century literacies framework. This book is not about teaching the writing process, running a writing workshop, or using specific digital tools to support writing instruction. Forward-thinking teachers who wish to understand the 21st century literacies, understand what youth...

This book is designed for teachers, administrators, and staff development coordinators who are interested in a resource that provides an overview of current issues and the answers to some difficult educational questions. Through the use of case studies, current information, and reader exercises, this collection provides a manageable developmental resource for effective instructional practices and promotes the understanding of special topics and questions faced by the classroom teacher. The...

Contributing to the social justice agenda of redefining what science is and what it means in the everyday lives of people, this bookintroduces science educators to various dimensions of viewing science and scientific literacy from the standpoint of the learner, engaged with real everyday concerns within or outside school;develops a new form of scholarship based on the dialogic nature of science as process and product; andachie...

Learning in Science brings together accounts of the five influential and groundbreaking Learning in Science Projects, undertaken by the author over a period of twenty years. Offering comprehensive coverage of the findings and implications of the projects, the book offers insight and inspiration at all levels of science teaching and learning, from primary and secondary school science, to teacher development, and issues of classroom assessment.The book reviews the findings in...