|
|
|
|
Reviews of books by Childminders (reviewed by NCMA) Trackers 0-5: Tracking Children's Progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage by Colin Gallow Review by Mary Jefferson-Cobb With the onset of the EYFS standards from September 2008, childminders, like myself, are having to re-assess the way in which we record observations and planning for our children. At the present time, I am using my own sheets designed on my computer but this new Tracker 0-5 is a very impressive addition to any childminder’s portfolio of observation, progress and planning sheets. Aimed at anyone involved in early years childcare, it is split up into the six areas of learning and within each area there are specific Early Learning Goals that each child is now expected to achieve before the end of the academic year in which they reach their fifth birthday. Each section comprises ‘Tracker’ observation pages. These each contain between 14 and 30 statements of developmental stages, skills, understanding or competence. The statements have been very carefully worded and as a result the ‘Trackers’ are easily filled in. As you complete the stages Tracker 0-5 helps you follow and identify individual achievements, allowing you to plan ahead towards the child’s developmental needs using the planning form at the end of each section. I find the format easy to work with and cannot envisage anyone having difficulty in filling out the very carefully prepared ‘Tracker’ pages. I am extremely impressed with this publication and think it will be an excellent addition to my observation portfolio. I am intending to purchase a quantity of these and will use them alongside my existing system. I rate this 10 out of 10 Back to EYFS Trackers information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Review by Sarah Jane Harrington The premise of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is a lofty ideal; that every child, without exception, has the right to the best possible support for their learning and development. As no two children are the same, common sense decrees that an effective strategy must involve a degree of observation and assessment in order to provide the correct support. Trackers 0-5 aims to provide a framework for tracking an individual child’s progress through the period from birth to the end of the academic year in which a child reaches their 5th birthday. Aimed at childcare professionals generally, there is an inclusiveness towards childminders which isn’t always evident in childcare books and a nicely-struck balance between providing clear, succinct information about the EYFS and a demonstration of the practical application. The six Areas of Learning are identified, as are the concomitant Early Learning Goals which are used to measure development and other milestones for the childcare provider to look out for. The format is simple and easy to follow, uncomplicated tables to complete which combine the structure of checklists with "Comments" boxes for freeforming; a chance perhaps for more qualitative, reflective information. More of a workbook than a manual, this publication is likely to appeal to childcare providers who are relatively inexperienced in carrying out structured observations or who feel they lack the knowledge or time to record progress as thoroughly as they would like to. Moreover, the way the text is laid out, with the necessity for contemporaneous note-keeping, provides documented evidence that an ongoing personalised and child-specific strategy is in place. While not enough on its own, childcarers aspiring to excellence in their field will find this useful as part of their wider plan for the development of the child and a useful tool for discussions with parents/carers. A strong 9 out of 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An A-Z of Tricky Behaviours in the Early Years by Dr Hannah Mortimer Review by Pat Tomlinson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Behaviour Management in the Early Years by Dr Hannah Mortimer Review by Pat Tomlinson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Listening to Children in their Early Years by Dr Hannah Mortimer with SureStart Stockton-on-TeesReview by Caroline Marshall, Home-Based Childcare Practitioner (Childminder) and Childcare Tutor. The book is written from a Sure Start centre perspective and aimed at all early year’s professionals. It is set out in a format that is clear and welcoming. The book can easily be read quickly and it has a clear aim of helping practitioners to see the world from a child’s view so that they can really develop a listening culture in their own setting. This process involves tuning in to a child and receiving, interpreting and responding to children’s communication. The book is presented in an accessible format with clear illustrations and explains to the novice why we need to listen to children and explains what theory and legislation underpins this understanding. This is logically followed by many strategies, activities and techniques we can use to extend our listening and communication expertise. The book shares lots of ideas for consulting with children and offering them choices, lots of information to reinforce our practice and reminders to help us focus on what we already do. The book gives examples of observations and methods demonstrating how one setting built up their listening culture. The final 2 chapters show us some examples of good practice in this area which can serve as good reference points when assessing our own practice. I think this book can be valuable to a childminder, offering up to date ideas and information to inspire good practice. Much of what is suggested can be applied easily in a very small setting. It may help home-based child carers to see the potential for excellence in a very small setting. 8 out of 10 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trackers 0-3; Trackers 3-5;
Playladders
by Dr Hannah Mortimer ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making ‘Birth to Three Matters’ work for you
by Helen Rowlands
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Managing your 4-8 year old
by Stockton-on-Tees Educational Psychology Service
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Positive Parenting
by Frank Merrett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Making Connections
by Dr Hannah Mortimer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Baby and Me by Dr Hannah Mortimer
Review by Pat Tomlinson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Music Makers – music circle times to include everyone
by Dr Hannah Mortimer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIREWORKS Managing anger in young children by Dr Hannah MortimerThis 44 page work book is recommended for parents, carers, support assistants, childminders and mentors to use to help them provide emotional support to 5 to 11 year-old children whose emotional and social development are getting in the way of their happiness and wellbeing. It is written in a practical and accessible style. Brief explanations of emotions and anger management are followed by a description of the firework model that is used throughout (whereby losing ones temper is likened to the various stages of letting off a firework). The next and major part of the book contains information on how to plan and implement a total of 12 one-to-one adult and child sessions of between 45 minutes to an hour each. These are as follows and, apart from the first three, can be followed in any order:
Activity sheets and questionnaires to be copied or adapted for completion by children are comprised within some sessions. In addition helpful comments are included by adults who have used or adapted parts of the book. The sessions are carried out using a talk through approach ... and for those childminders sufficiently committed and able to work through such a programme as this with their minded (or their own) children who might be experiencing anger management difficulties I believe there are potential benefits and progress to be made. I would therefore recommend this book to them. I would also suggest that the book be purchased by childminding network libraries. In my opinion it contains information that is a step up from that taught in many of the positive behaviour training courses that are available to childminders through their local councils, colleges and networks. Due to its clear presentation and practicality of use, I award this book a score of 10 out of 10.
|