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One of the biggest problems facing early years staff appears to be paperwork relating to the EYFS. Many solutions are put forward, but thousands of early years practitioners find Trackers to be the best. Here is a system that will make your life a lot easier – and remove those paperwork headaches.


There are two different versions of Trackers to choose from – Trackers 0-5 and Trackers Plus. Both cover the EYFS, the difference is only in their format.
Trackers 0-5 is a 64 page book with a simple checklist covering the Areas of Learning. Its simplicity has proved so popular that over 80,000 copies have been sold.
Trackers Plus, developed more recently, is a more detailed observation and recording system. At 120 pages, the Areas of Learning are divided into the ages and stages you see in the EYFS guidance . . . there are lots of examples and prompts to help you, and plenty of space to fill in your progress notes. There are more details below and sample pages to look at.

Trackers Plus Trackers Plus (available now)

£6 (FREE postage)

There are different prices for different quantities (as low as £3.25 per copy)

sample pages

 

This covers birth to five years and is more detailed than the Trackers book below.

The new version of Trackers ... You are expected to keep a record of each child’s progress. But when it comes to looking at the Development Matters statements in the EYFS Guidance they can be so vague!
So in Trackers Plus we display all the Development Matters within each Area of Learning, but alongside each of these we have provided prompts or examples of the skills, understanding or competence to look out for . . . this will help you make sense of the Development Matters statements and makes it a lot easier to record each child’s progress. These prompts will also help you when planning new or extended activities.
You need one book for each child – there is space to write up your progress and planning notes, get parents/carers comments and keep the assessment profile up to date. Have a look at sample pages here.

Trackers 0-5 Trackers 0-5    

£5 (FREE postage)

More info

Sample pages

This is the first version of Trackers that we produced when the EYFS first came out and is still widely used. It is a simple method of helping you track children’s progress throughout the EYFS. Observe and record 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. They are widely used (over 90,000 already sold). 

Making the EYFS Work for You (0-36 mths)

 

Early Years Foundation Stage (0-36 months)

 £12.50 (FREE postage)

Sample pages

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144 pages of practical hints, tips, sample activities and proformas so that you can develop a consistent approach. This practical, well laid-out manual will also help you:

1) record spontaneous events in a consistent format; 

2) evaluate your planning;   

3) identify gaps to be addressed in your children’s development.

Making the EYFS work for you (30-60+ mths)

 

EYFS 30 to 60+ months

£12.50 (FREE postage)

Sample pages

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Draw up activity planners . . . practical hints, tips, sample activities and pro-formas so that you can develop a consistent approach. This 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.

"This pick-up-and-use book could save hours of planning ..." read review

 

The EYFS Handbook

The EYFS Handbook

£5.88 (an online resource and is emailed to you)

Sample pages

Linking all your policies, welfare requirements and how they fit in with the themes within the Framework can be quite daunting. This book shows how one group of nurseries has managed to do this successfully – you will be able to take what has been developed and adapt it to your setting.
There are charts for staff, parents and outside agencies that will help you ensure that all outcomes in Every Child Matters are covered in your setting’s curriculum, policies and procedures.
This is an online resource. See the entire book (all 64 pages) before deciding to buy.

Stories for Talking Stories for Talking

£18.50 (FREE postage)

Sample pages

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The Government's Every Child a Talker initiative focuses on speech, language and communication. Stories for Talking will help you set up a programme to support the early development of language.

An A-Z of Tricky Behaviours in the Early Years

A-Z of Tricky Behaviours

£5 (FREE postage)

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.

Behaviour Management in the Early Years

Behaviour management in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

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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.

Playladders

Playladders

£4 (FREE postage)

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.

Music Makers: Music circle time to include everyone

Music Makers: Music circle time to include everyone

£12 (FREE postage)

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Recommended choice in Nursery World (read the review). 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.

Bullying: Managing fear in young children

Bullying: Managing fear in young children

£6 (FREE postage)

When a child is suffering because of persistent teasing or where a child has been bullied, the adults in their lives are often left feeling ‘if only I could do something to help...’. This book provides one method of giving such help using techniques taken from cognitive behavioural therapy and NLP (Neuro-linguistic Programming).

Suitable for professionals and parents who are concerned that a child is vulnerable to bullying and/or teasing, this book provides a discreet approach for helping the child to cope better. The ‘talk-through’ approach aims to provide a practical framework for you to ‘get started’.

Fireworks:

Managing anger in young children

Fireworks: managing anger in young children

£5 (FREE postage)

Do you have a child with a very short fuse? A child that overreacts in most situations?
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.

Worry Box:

Managing anxiety in young children

Worry Box: managing anxiety in young children

£5 (FREE postage)

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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.

Listening to Children in their Early Years

Listening to Children

£6 (FREE postage)

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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?
Here are practical ways to help you do just that - 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. 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.

Helping Children Hang On To Your Every Word

Helping Children Hang On To Your Every Word

£10 (FREE postage)

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Why is it that the children who can least afford to switch off are the ones who don’t pay attention? And that children who most need to ask for help are the ones least likely to do so? If children are opting out in the classroom, switching off or passively waiting for direction, we need to understand the barriers they face and help them engage by making their learning opportunities more meaningful, interactive and rewarding.
This will help you make the classroom experience more accessible to all learners, and highlights the links between behaviour and hidden language processing difficulties.

Active Listening for Active Learning  New . . . New

Active Listening for Active Learning

£65 (FREE postage)

Sample pages

Now Available

Children with attention problems, poor thinking skills, avoidance tactics, over-reliance on adults and low self-esteem present real problems.

Why don’t these children ask for help or seek clarification?

This is a resource for all teachers who recognise children who are too nervous or inexperienced to ask questions; those with language difficulties who nod vacantly when asked if they understand; those who insist they are right and see only one point of view; those who lack self-help and questioning strategies and those who cannot distinguish facts from guessing or opinion.

Both whole-class and individual strategies are provided to support these children at the different stages of their journey towards becoming effective listeners and confident communicators, with a wealth of photocopiable resources, detailed language activities and assessment procedures. 

Developing an Inclusion Policy

in your early years setting

Inclusion in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

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Covering important issues such as special educational needs, anti-discrimination, behaviour, bullying, disability and equal opportunities, this book will help you develop an inclusion policy for your setting and provide you with practical ideas with its day-to-day implementation.

Stories for Talking

Stories for Talking

£18.50 (FREE postage)

Sample pages

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This is a structured language programme to teach a range of language skills, through stories, story themes and storytime at 3 different levels – teaching vocabulary, building sentences and developing sequencing and narrative skills.
Stories for Talking provides a highly structured prescriptive set of activities for 5 popular stories (Goldilocks, Dora's Egss, Washing Line, The Enormous Turnip, and Walking in the Jungle) in addition to an in depth explanatory section for those who want to further develop the ideas into their own planning.
The programme also covers many of the goals within the EYFS, and addresses the needs of the many children with Speech, Language and Communication needs highlighted in the recent Bercow Review.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

£8 (FREE postage)

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An introduction includes a 'frequently asked questions' type section; chapter two discusses diagnoses and labelling; there is a chapter on understanding autistic spectrum disorders, and others covering educational goals and specialist approaches, working with parents, building communication skills, developing social understanding and play and, finally, managing behaviour.

AD/HD and Attention Difficulties

ADHD and attention difficulties in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

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In this book Hannah Mortimer concentrates on planning and supporting the individual needs of children with attention difficulties. 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.

Observation and Assessment of Children in the Early Years

Observation and Assessment

£6 (FREE postage)

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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.

SEN Code of Practice in EY

SEN Code of Practice in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

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The SEN Code of Practice provides guidance on the identification, assessment and provision for children’s special educational needs. This book focuses on the duties within early years settings, providing practical advice on 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.

Emotional Literacy

Emotional literacy

£6 (FREE postage)

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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.

Gifted and Talented Children

Gifted and Talented children in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

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Exploring some of the myths and dilemmas surrounding giftedness, the author focuses on strategies in which carers are encouraged to match different learning styles with different teaching approaches. There is also helpful guidance on managing behaviour and working with families.

The issues are addressed in a clear and readable style, always with short examples and a practical focus.

Specific Learning Difficulties

Specific learning difficulties in the early years

£6 (FREE postage)

Read reviews

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.

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.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development of children in the EYFS

£6 (FREE postage)

Read reviews

This focuses on assessing the social and emotional needs of all children; developing programmes and activities to meet the social and emotional needs of each child; strategies for helping self-confidence and esteem; developing and implementing programmes and activities to support children with difficult and challenging behaviour; monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the assessment of children.

Literacy in the Early Years

Supporting Literacy in the Early Years

£8 (FREE postage)

Read reviews

Literacy links the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. In this book, Dorothy Smith provides a comprehensive analysis of the acquisition of these important skills. Assessment techniques are also examined and a wide variety of activities suggested. Written in an easy and accessible style, this book will enhance effective language and literacy teaching and learning in early years settings.

Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy in the EYFS

£6 (FREE postage)

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At a very early age, children are beginning to grasp mathematical ‘concepts’ as they endeavour to make sense of the world. In this book, Hannah Mortimer explains these early stages of development and provides practical examples of how early years workers can support and encourage early number work. From the child’s first year, through toddlerhood, the under threes and the Foundation Stage, examples are given that will help you both understand and support children’s mathematical development.

Managing your 4-8 year-old

 

Managing your 4-8 year-old

£2.50 (FREE postage) ... normal price £2.95

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This is a practical book for parents on how to manage their young children’s behaviour positively and effectively. There are suggestions for managing bedtimes and mealtimes, ideas for encouraging independence and approaches for encouraging appropriate behaviour. There are also helpful suggestions on preparing young children for nursery and school.

Managing your 8-12 year-old

 

Managing your 8-12 year-old

£2.50 (FREE postage) ... normal price £2.95

A user-friendly guide covering areas such as improving a child's self-esteem, communication, making rules and setting boundaries, rewards, sanctions and dealing with arguments. The advice given is flexible and practical.

Managing your 13-16 year-old

 

Parenting 13-16 year olds

£2.50 (FREE postage) ... normal price £2.95

This provides a practical guide for the difficult teenage years on building self-esteem; the value of good communication; on managing conflict; and negotiating with a teenager. Plenty of good, practical suggestions.

 

Positive Parenting

Positive Parenting

£2.50 (FREE postage)

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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.

Taking Part

Taking Part   special offer £2

£3 (FREE postage)

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There is a requirement that all pupils be involved in their own statutory assessment, and that their views be sought and taken into account. Sometimes, very young children may be unable to make their views known without additional help. This is a booklet to help young children take part in such a statutory assessment. It is written from a child's perspective and in such a way that children can read it themselves, or have it read to them by an adult. It is a way of helping the child become interested in the assessment, explaining what will happen, who the child will meet, and encourage the child to say what kind of help he or she wants. special offer £2

Baby and Me

Baby and Me

£5 (FREE postage) ... normal price £6

Read a review by a childminder

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.

Music and Play

Music and Play

£5 (FREE postage) ... normal price £6

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.

RUMPUS

RUMPUS

£5 (FREE postage) ... normal price £6

Read reviews of this book

RUMPUS is a user-friendly title for what is effectively a pre-school behaviour group. Developed by educational and child psychologist Hannah Mortimer, the aim is to support parents and their young children where there are particular difficulties in managing behaviour. What you will find is a combination of approaches to put parents at their ease, improve the attention skills of the children, encourage early language and interactive play, build up family relationships and provide practical advice based on realistic expectations.

Step by Step

Step by Step

£5 (FREE postage) ... normal price £6

Read reviews

Some young children need extra support to encourage their development — they might have special needs or they might need extra stimulation and structure to make progress. This book will help you set up and run such a group — how to plan, the type of sessions that work, suggestions for step by step teaching and finally, evaluating the sessions.

Making Connections

Making Connections

£5 (FREE postage) ... normal price £6

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How to set up a therapeutic group for parents or carers who have attachment difficulties with their young children. This will help you understand more about patterns of attachment and provides practical ways of designing interventions that will help build self-esteem in parents and carers and their children and help form attachments.

Special offer

Buy the set of 5 parent and carer books (above) and get all the books at half price

(total cost £15)

Baby and Me  Step by Step  Music and Play  RUMPUS  Making Connections

Accelerating Babies' Communication

Accelerating Babies' Communication

 

£5 + VAT

 

This is available as a download only

The Accelerating Babies' Communication programme was developed for carers to learn how to introduce baby signing and create the optimum communication environment for infants. The programme runs over four sessions and combines two excellent approaches:

teaching babies British Sign Language (BSL) based on Joseph Garcia's Sign with your Baby programme; and
teaching strategies from Tania Allen's Time to Talk, preverbal communication programme.

The ABC programme can be used with parents interested in teaching their babies to sign, as a preventative tool where infants may be at risk of language delay or as a remedial tool where infants are already displaying a delay in their communication.
The pack contains all you need to run the ABC programme and includes:
four session plans; presenter's guidelines for each session; ready-prepared handouts for copying; tips to help you make the programme a success.

How to order

This is a download. The cost is just £5 + VAT (£5.88) and you can copy and use the resources in your setting as much as you need to. Simply place the order and we will then email you a pdf of the book.

 

Sign with your Baby Complete Learning Kit

Sign with your baby

This can be ordered from Forest Books (www.forestbooks.com)

Babies have control over their hands long before they develop the fine motor skills required for speech. By teaching their infants to sign, starting as early as eight months, more and more parents, grandparents and carers are recognising the benefits of this early communication.

This comprehensive package provides you with an easy-to-follow method to help you and your baby begin signing. There are illustrations and demonstrations of the most effective signs to use. You will be amazed at how much babies can communicate with their hands - 'I'm hungry', 'I'm thirsty' or 'I have an earache' - many months before they can speak!

The kit includes a book, training video, British Sign Language reference book, and a quick reference guide.

Education in the Early Years Series

Special Offer

 

Buy a set of 13 books dealing with early years for half-price (see more details below)

 

(total cost £40.50 ... normally £81)

A series of thirteen, easy-to-read, titles covering a wide range of issues in early years education. Topics include behaviour, inclusion, emotional literacy, autism, AD/HD, specific learning difficulties, observation and assessment, PSE, literacy, SEN code of practice, gifted and talented children, mathematical development.

 

Titles can be bought separately, but if you buy the whole series you get all the titles for half-price ... that's the entire set for just £40.50 instead of £81 (see more details below).

 

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Get news of special offers and new books Email:

 

 

 

 

 

Trackers 0-5

Tracking children's progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage

Trackers 0-5

Trackers 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 Trackers 0–5?
• In an A4 format (with 64 pages) – you will need one book per child.
• There is 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.

 

“I have been reading through the Tracker record booklets, and I am very impressed with their layout. I am confident that they will reduce the written workload of my staff as well which has been a major concern for all in early years”

(Judith Baxter, St. Mary’s Nursery).

Prices (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

 

 

Home Page

 

 Education in the Early Years Series

Special Offer

 

Buy the full set of 13 books and get the entire set for half-price

 

(total cost £40.50 ... normally £81)

 

Special Offer

Buy the full set and get every title for only half-price

(total cost £40.50 ... normally £81)

Full details of all 13 books below

An A-Z of Tricky Behaviours

A-Z of Trick Behaviours in the early years

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.

Gifted and Talented Children

Gifted and Talented children in the early years

What do we mean by 'gifted' and 'talented'? What are the characteristics of gifted learners? How do we identify and support children in the early years who show early signs of giftedness? Hannah Mortimer deals with these and other issues, providing practical suggestions about how to identify and meet the needs of gifted and talented pupils.

Exploring some of the myths and dilemmas surrounding giftedness, the author focuses on strategies in which carers are encouraged to match different learning styles with different teaching approaches. There is also helpful guidance on managing behaviour and working with families.

The issues are addressed in a clear and readable style, always with short examples and a practical focus.

Behaviour Management

Behaviour Management in the Early Years

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?

Hannah Mortimer deals with these important questions in her usual easy-to-read style, providing a helpful and practical framework for dealing with young children’s behaviour.

Inclusion

Inclusion in the early years

Writing an inclusion policy, putting it into practice and then providing evidence that you are following it presents a challenge for early years settings. We so want to ‘get it right’ that it can be quite daunting. Here is a book that will help you to get it right. It covers important issues such as special educational needs; anti-discrimination; behaviour; bullying; disability; equal opportunities.
The book will help you develop an inclusion policy for your setting and provide you with practical ideas with its day-to-day implementation. Provided also, is a sample inclusion policy for you to adapt to your own setting.

Emotional Literacy

Emotional literacy

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.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are complex. The numbers of children with these conditions seem to be increasing and staff in early years settings are being faced with the difficulties of helping these children learn and develop. This book will provide you with a practical understanding to help you achieve this. Although aimed at all those working in early years settings, this will also be helpful to parents of young children with an ASD. Sections include:

  • diagnoses;

  • understanding ASDs;

  • educational goals and specialist approaches;

  • working with parents;

  • building communication;

  • developing social understanding and enabling play;

  • managing behaviour.

The main areas of concern are addressed in a clear and readable style, always with a practical focus, and short examples, on what needs to be done and the principles to guide your practice.

Observation & Assessment

Observation and Assessment

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.

Specific Learning Difficulties

Specific learning difficulties in the early years

 

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.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development

Personal, Social and Emotional Development of children in the EYFS

Learning to get on with others, learning about what is 'right' and 'wrong', beginning to speak about and understand feelings, and developing personal independence are very important areas in our personal and social skills. Early years carers are well placed to nurture the development of these skills in the first five years. In a simple and readable style, Hannah Mortimer focuses on:

  • assessing the social and emotional needs of all children;

  • developing programmes and activities to meet the social and emotional needs of each child;

  • strategies for helping self-confidence and esteem;

  • developing and implementing programmes and activities to support children with difficult and challenging behaviour;

  • monitoring, evaluating and reporting on the assessment of children.

AD/HD and Attention Difficulties

ADHD and attention difficulties in the early years

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.

Literacy in the Early Years

Supporting Literacy in the Early Years

Literacy links the four skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. It crosses curriculum boundaries and is at the heart of education. The process of becoming literate begins at home and continues beyond school and further education establishments. The importance of developing these skills at an early age is underlined by respective governments’ focus on a literacy strategy and literacy targets.

In this book, Dorothy Smith provides a comprehensive analysis of the acquisition of these important skills. Assessment techniques are also examined and a wide variety of activities suggested. Written in an easy and accessible style, this book will enhance effective language and literacy teaching and learning in early years settings.

SEN Code of Practice in EY

SEN Code of Practice in the early years

The SEN Code of Practice provides guidance on the identification, assessment and provision for children’s special educational needs. This book focuses on the duties within early years settings, providing practical advice on:
  • 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.

Problem Solving, Reasoning & Numeracy

Problem Solving, Reasoning and Numeracy in the EYFS

At a very early age, children are beginning to grasp mathematical ‘concepts’ as they endeavour to make sense of the world. In this book, Hannah Mortimer explains these early stages of development and provides practical examples of how early years workers can support and encourage early number work. From the child’s first year, through toddlerhood, the under threes and the Foundation Stage, examples are given that will help you both understand and support children’s mathematical development. Finally, there is a section on supporting children with special educational needs.
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Music Makers: Music circle times to include everyone
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Music Makers: Music circle time to include everyone

 

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.

 

ISBN  978 1 898873 48 8     Revised 2008     A4     78  pages            

Price £12    (delivery FREE in the UK; add £2 if outside the UK)        Read review

 

 

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Making Connections
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Making Connections

Making Connections is all about how to set up a therapeutic group for parents or carers who have attachment difficulties with their young children. This will help you understand more about patterns of attachment and provides practical ways of designing interventions that will help build self-esteem in parents and carers and their children and help form attachments.


In her usual readable style, Hannah Mortimer provides the underpinnings of attachment theory and then focuses on the practical steps needed to make support groups like this really work.

ISBN 1 898873 47 X     Published 2006     A5     52  pages             

Price £6     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)     Read a review

 

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BABY and ME
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Baby and me

Baby groups for parents, carers and their new babies form an important part of many antenatal support and Sure Start services and this book gives you plenty of ideas for getting going with your own group. We know how important it is to foster positive attachments between parents and babies during their early months together and to help new carers feel confident and fulfilled in their new relationship. This book helps you to design a supportive and enjoyable group that helps parents and babies enjoy each other and share pleasure and fun together.

The approaches in the book have all been tried and tested and include:

baby music time;

sensory games;

the use of baby massage;

activities to promote looking, listening, laughing, playing and sharing together.

 

The book helps you to plan your group, describes the kind of sessions that work best, offers practical suggestions for activities and provides you with a framework for evaluating and reporting back to management.

 

ISBN 1 898873 46 1     Published 2005    A5     42  pages             

Price £6     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)   

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MUSIC AND PLAY
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Music and Play

Music and Play groups have proved to be an excellent way of introducing group work in a community. They are an enjoyable and non-threatening method of ‘getting families through the door’, enabling you to move on to more supportive ways of working later on. They also serve as a gentle introduction to running a group and building up your own confidence in group working. The aim is to provide a constructive session for parents and their young children to share together. This book will help you:
  consider when and why you might like to run such a group and how it might fit in with the provision you offer;
  with ideas about what you need in terms of equipment and skills;
  with suggestions for the music session that are accessible at any level of musical ability (you do not need to be musical yourself);
  by providing suggestions for supported play activities;
  evaluate your sessions;
  with a list of useful resources and helpful contacts.
 

ISBN 1 898873 45 3     Published 2005    A5     44  pages             

Price £6     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)     Read reviews of this book   

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RUMPUS
by Dr Hannah Mortimer and Catterick Garrison Health Visitors

RUMPUS

RUMPUS stands for ‘Are you Mas and Pas under stress?’ and is a user-friendly title for what is effectively a pre-school behaviour group. Developed by educational and child psychologist, Hannah Mortimer, and a team of community health visitors in Catterick Garrison, the groups aim to support young parents and their early years children where there are particular difficulties in managing behaviour. A combination of approaches has been developed by the team to put parents at their ease, improve the attention skills of the children, encourage early language and lap play, build up family relationships and provide practical advice based on realistic expectations and week by week management of behaviour. In this book these approaches are described and explained.

ISBN 1 898873 43 7     Published 2005    A5     56  pages             

Price £6     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)     Read reviews of this book

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Step by Step
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Step by Step

Step by Step groups are a helpful way of working with parents or carers whose young children need extra support to encourage their development. Their development might be delayed in some sense (perhaps related to a condition such as Down’s Syndrome), they might have other special needs or they might need extra stimulation and structure to make progress. The benefits of working in groups with parents or carers of young children are to promote friendship and mutual support, reduce isolation, and help adults share information and advice in a palatable and non-threatening manner.

This book will help you set up and run such a group – providing information on planning your provision, the type of sessions that work, suggestions for step by step teaching and finally, evaluating and reporting back to management.

ISBN 1 898873 44 5     Published 2005     A5     46  pages             

Price £6     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)     Read reviews of this book

 

 

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Trackers 3-5
by Dr Hannah Mortimer

Trackers 3-5

 

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.

Please note - these are no longer suitable for use in England as they don't follow the new EYFS.

 

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 were developed to provide a simple method of meeting this requirement.

The Trackers are divided into various types of play activity and the six areas of learning. Within each area of learning, there are 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.

 

See sample pages

 

ISBN 1 898873 35 6     Published 2004     A5     44  pages             Read reviews of this book

Price £2.50  (for single copies ... 10 or more copies only £2 each)   (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)

 

 

Making 'Birth to three matters' work for you
by Helen Rowlands

Making Birth to three matters work for you

 

 

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

 

Now you can.

 

Drawing up activity planners for Birth to three matters? Hundreds of pages of practical hints, tips, sample activities and pro-formas that will help you develop a consistent approach across your setting. This practical manual will 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.

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.

 

ISBN 1 898873 42 9     Published 2005     Wirobound A4     174  pages  

 

Price £15     (delivery FREE in the UK; add £1 if outside the UK)  Special Offer ... just £10

 

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