The new Trackers are now available. They are designed to help you track children’s progress throughout the new Early Years Foundation Stage. This is the solution to observing and recording children’s progress in a consistent way throughout your early years setting. Usable by everyone – staff, and parents – Trackers make the whole process much easier.

So what’s in the new Trackers 0–5?
• Now in a larger A4 format (with 64 pages) – you will only need one book per child (unlike the previous Trackers where you needed 2 books).
• There is now additional space to enable you to include evidence of your observations and planning.
• There are also comments boxes at the bottom of each page.
• There are general observation and planning forms at the end of each Area of Learning to enable you to keep a much more comprehensive record. Read a review by a childminder

Prices (all POST FREE) More info and sample pages
Single copies £5 each

10+ copies (up to 100 copies) £3.50 each

100+ copies only £3 each

A new book of imaginative ideas for dealing with some of the more common difficult behaviours that you might have to deal with from biting to swearing. The book is divided into two sections - a short section offering a set of principles for managing children's behaviour, followed by an A-Z of typical problem behaviours, with real-life examples and suggested solutions ... all for only £4 for childminders. (Read a review by a childminder)

This is the solution to observing and recording children’s progress in a consistent way throughout your early years setting. Usable by everyone – experienced and inexperienced staff, designed so that parents also have an input, these Trackers make the whole process much easier. Probably the most widely used observation and recording system used throughout the UK. (Read reviews by Childminders)

What is ‘typical’ behaviour in young children? How do you set about changing problem behaviour? What do we mean when we talk about behaviour management? How do I draw up a Behaviour Policy for the nursery? What is the best way of observing and assessing behaviour?
What sort of interventions should I try, and what happens when those don’t seem to be working? How should we support parents who have a child with challenging behaviour?

You'll find the answers in this easy-to-read guide. (Read a review by a childminder)

Here is a manual that makes the job of drawing up activity planners a pleasure . . . really! It is 173 pages of practical hints, tips, sample activities and pro-formas so that you can develop a consistent approach. This wonderfully practical, well laid-out manual will also help you: record spontaneous events in a consistent format; evaluate your planning;  make relevant comments each time an activity is carried out to keep other practitioners informed;  further identify gaps to be addressed in your children’s development by transferring observations made to developmental Trackers. (Read a childminder's review)

This book provides a method for assessing and recording what children can do in the Foundation Stage. Aimed especially at teachers who have children with special educational needs in their care, it can be used with all children and fits in well with everyday activities. It adopts a ‘one step at a time’ approach and suggests ideas on how to develop a child’s repertoire of play (special offer to childminders £3). Read review

Do you have a child with a very short fuse . . . or a high level of anxiety? A child that overreacts in most situations? There can be many reasons why children react angrily, and here is a discreet approach to help them to understand and then learn how to control their angry feelings and reactions.

Based loosely on cognitive behaviour therapy and using a ‘talk-through’ approach, you will be able to help the child to think about his/her feelings in a different way and feel more in control of them.

There are twelve, clearly laid out practical sessions that use fireworks as a model for understanding and working on strategies to manage anger – the initial spark that lights the fuse, the speed at which the fuse burns, and the explosive firework.

Hannah Mortimer’s practical and user-friendly approach has been used successfully in both home and educational settings. (Read a childminder's review)

Listening to children involves much more than simply ‘hearing’ what they have to say . . . we know that. But how do we tune in to children? How do we really see things from their point of view? How do we consult them on things that are really important to them?

Here are numerous practical ways to help you do just that. There are techniques for developing good two-way communication; ideas on how to use cameras to involve children; child conferencing; child passports; the Mosaic approach and many, many more practical ideas. There are also sections on how to tune in to babies; working with children with disabilities and some examples of all these activities in practice.

In association with SureStart Stockton-on-Tees, Hannah Mortimer has put together an approach that will enable you to really develop a listening culture in your setting.

Read a childminder's review

A practical framework to help adults provide emotional support to young children aged 4 to 11. It can be used at home or at school.
There are 12 practical sessions with the emphasis on involving the child in each. There are useful activities for working on relaxation techniques, comments from adults who have used the approach and a list of further resources to help.

This month's recommended choice in Nursery World (written by a childminder). Full of ideas about how to put music circle time into practice with links to the Early Years Foundation Stage and with planning sheets, assessment sheets. A great book for anyone working with young children and a useful tool when working with children with SEN (special offer to childminders only £10) Read a review

This version of Trackers is currently being revised.

Although the new EYFS Trackers 0-5 are now available, we will continue to supply this version to those early years settings wishing to use them.

In early years settings there is a requirement that staff observe and record what children do. These observations should then be used to help plan the next steps of children's play, learning and development. With this in mind Trackers 3-5 (and the earlier Trackers 0-3) were developed to provide a simple method of meeting this requirement.

The Trackers link into the Government's Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage (QCA, 2000). This relates to children aged three to five years. The Trackers are divided into various types of play activity and the six areas of learning. Within each area of learning, the Government has identified Early Learning Goals which most children will be expected to have achieved by the end of their Reception year. Each of these goals is divided into smaller sections called Stepping Stones.

Each page of the Trackers carries the title of one type of play activity within a particular Area of Learning, yet weaves in some of the developmental and skills-based stages which users will already be familiar with and also builds in approximations to the Stepping Stones and Early Learning Goals.
 

Clearly laid out and very easy to use, these booklets are now widely used by pre-schools, nurseries and childminders throughout the country.

See sample pages

How would you like to draw up activity planners for each of your age groups in minutes instead of hours?

Now you can.

Here is a manual that offers practical hints, tips and sample activities to help give you a real head start in putting Birth to three matters: a framework to support children in their earliest years (Sure Start, 2003) into practice. This wonderfully practical manual will help you:

• identify and plan for each of your under three age groups according to the Birth to three matters framework;

• draw up specific activity planners to guide and support the practitioners in your team;
  make additional comments each time the activity is carried out to keep other practitioners informed;

• record spontaneous events in a similar format;

• evaluate your planning;

• further identify gaps to be addressed in your children’s development by transferring observations made to developmental Trackers.

Making ‘Birth to three matters’ work for you was developed by Helen Rowlands and staff at Hope Park Community Nursery in Liverpool. The manual was then trialled in many nurseries in different parts of the country.

Raising children has never been more in the public eye than in recent times. It is just about one of the most difficult tasks that we face. Children do need guidance. They also need freedom to develop their personalities and independence and finding the right balance is important.

Parents are increasingly recognised as the key to enabling their children to learn socially acceptable behaviour. Relationships are seen as central to providing children with an understanding of how to behave. Positive Parenting has some simple, practical strategies for parents which will enable them to develop and improve relationships with their children. It will also provide professionals with ideas they can pass on to parents.

Baby music time, sensory games, the use of baby massage and activities to promote looking, listening, laughing, playing and sharing together. The book helps you to plan your sessions, describes the kind of sessions that work best, offers practical suggestions for activities and provides you with a framework for evaluating what you’re doing.

Read a review by a childminder

This book will help you with ideas about what you need in terms of equipment and skills; suggestions for the music session that are accessible at any level of musical ability (you do not need to be musical yourself); supported play activities; evaluate your sessions; a list of resources and contacts.

This book provides some practical examples of how you can assess and observe children learning.

The focus is on using assessment to establish starting points for teaching and learning; identifying and assessing children who might have special educational needs; different observation techniques; assessments carried out by other professionals; and involving children and adults in assessment and planning.

The term 'emotional literacy' encompasses a range of important issues including self-awareness, self-control, dealing with relationships, communicating with others, and self-esteem. It is a term that is increasingly being used to describe the work we do with children to foster their mental health. In this book, Hannah Mortimer looks at children’s early learning and behaviour, what happens when things go wrong and what we need to do to encourage emotional well-being. There are also sections on early intervention projects; working with other professionals; listening to children; and supporting children through major life changes such as family breakdown or bereavement.

This book will be useful to all who work with young children as an aid to observe their strengths and weaknesses and provide appropriate programmes and activities where necessary. This is not intended to be a definitive guide for identifying and labelling early years children as having specific learning difficulties. As is stressed throughout the book, many observable features within children's learning in the early years may be the result of developmental delay or maturation and need not be signs of specific learning difficulties. Many of the activities or programmes suggested can be used with all children and not just for those causing concern.

Dorothy Smith provides a succinct summary covering background information about the nature of specific learning difficulties and then focuses on three key areas: developing and implementing procedures for the regular observation and assessment of children; developing programmes and activities to meet the needs of children with specific learning difficulties; and working with parents.

In a clearly written and readable style, Dorothy Smith provides a well-balanced and constructive aid, full of practical ideas.

The term Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) has become more widely used in the UK in recent years. Nevertheless, it remains a controversial topic for many people particularly, perhaps, because of the medication sometimes prescribed in its treatment.

In this book Hannah Mortimer concentrates on planning and supporting the individual needs of children with attention difficulties rather than being preoccupied with the dilemmas surrounding diagnosis and treatment. There are useful pointers to help in identification; examples of developing, implementing and monitoring programmes and activities; working with other professionals; and working in partnership with parents.

• designing an inclusive SEN policy for your setting;
• the role of the SENCO;
• how to set up SEN procedures and plan differentiated provision;
• designing and implementing IEPs;
• how you can monitor SEN provision;
• working in partnership with parents;
• involving children in the way you plan and meet their needs.

No need to be a music specialist . . . here is a book that will help you to use music to include all children in their learning and development. There are over 40 activities divided up into sections including:
• music for enjoyment;
• songs and action rhymes;
• looking and listening games;
• movement and rhythm games;
• concepts and understanding;
• band time.

Music is such a powerful tool – it captures children’s attention and holds the interest of children who, in other situations, might experience considerable learning or communication difficulties.

Each activity provides information about the skill being learned and how the activities link with the Early Years Foundation Stage framework so that you can show how your music sessions are contributing towards your curriculum or framework. There is clear information about what to do, suggestions for supporting children with additional needs, extension activities and follow-up ideas. There are also record-keeping and planning sheets to help you (and keep Ofsted inspectors happy).

This is a practical resource book for childminders, early years educators running toddlers’ groups and Sure Start sessions, and staff in reception classes.

Read a review 

How often have you wished for an instruction manual when trying to deal with tricky behaviour? Of course every child is unique and there are no ‘recipes’ when it comes to dealing with difficult behaviour. However, here are some imaginative ideas for managing some of the more common tricky behaviours you are likely to have to deal with on a day-to-day basis in a nursery group, crèche, playgroup or childminding setting.

These include biting, bossing, climbing, crying, ditching the dummy, kicking and smacking, lack of confidence, not doing as asked, pulling and tugging, running off, scratching and gouging, soiling, spitting, swearing and temper tantrums.

Each has a brief pen picture of a child displaying that kind of difficulty, how staff worked out what to do, what they did and why it worked.