Best Selling Books by Sally Featherstone

Many of the wild flowers that used to enrich our fields have gone. Herbicides, pesticides and artificial fertilisers have destroyed them, damaging too the insects, birds and animals that depend on them for food and shelter. The hope is that this book will encourage the enjoyment of traditional hay meadows and involvement in their preservation.

More than a word list, this book has suggestions for activities that stimulate every sense, together with songs, stories, games and activities for each letter of the alphabet. A good companion to The Little Book of Games with Sounds. Little Books are are packed with advice and ideas for working in early years settings with children aged between 36 and 60+ months. They are carefully planned to meet the objectives for each stage of development and reflect the latest thinking on the education of young children. Little Books make an excellent start to an exciting journey through learning.

The weather is a constant source of wonder, excitement, enjoyment and frustration for children and the adults who live and work with them. The unpredictable nature of our current weather puts pressure on planning and preparing activities in advance, often meaning that children cannot go out of doors, or may have their usual activities curtailed. This book offers you 50 ideas for simple activities to do in the rain, wind or snow (and in fog, frost, mist and sunshine!). The ideas may not all be new to you, some are revivals of old favourites, but they are all easy to prepare, mostly using resources readily at hand on your home or setting, collected in one place and ready for you to use.

This volume contains lots of activities for helping children to develop independence from a safe and comforting base of adult support.

Children love constructing models and other objects, and working with found and recycled materials has a firm and continuing place in the early years, encouraging children to be imaginative and creative as they practice their skills in joining, wrapping, bending and cutting. These materials that are often free or low cost, are available everywhere, waiting for imaginative practitioners to find and use them. This book gives you 50 ideas for using free, cheap and recycled materials in your setting, both for creative and independent play and for specific projects. The resources suggested are all easily available, and the ideas are only starters for the continuing interest children have in this sort of work.

Max is excited as he gets ready for his first day at school - but he''s a bit worried too. Each time he starts to worry, Dad is there to reassure him. And in the end, it''s Dad who is left alone, as Max runs off to play with his best friend Yuka!

These New Baby Books are a reorganisation of the Material in the original series of 16 Baby Books. They have been divided in a different way. Sixteen Books have become four organised by developmental stage. Each page gives step-by-step instructions, tips and plenty of further ideas for children ready for more. They offer practical ideas on differentiation for young babies with special needs as well as tips on what to look and listen for. The experiences suggested in this book will help young children to grow and develop through a range of planned and informal activities.

Little Baby Books have been written to give straighforward and practical help in implementing the advice contained in the Birth to Three Matters guidance (DfES/Sure Start, 2003). they are by experts in child development and early learning. All thesuggested activities have been tried and tested with children in the appropriate age group. Each book covers one area of learning, an four broad stages of development. Visual links make it easy to see which is the focus group for the activity. No special equipment is required - most activities rely on things you already have, or can easily collect. Activities are fun and easy to use. Each page: - has clear instructions for the activity - shows how the activity can be matched to individual children, including those with additional needs - points out what to watch for and note during the activity, so you see the learning in action - describes how thw child''s learning develops and how it links with later skills

A wealth of practical and inspiring ideas for setting up themed treasure baskets for preschool children at all stages of development.

First Hand takes an in-depth look at planning and managing the Foundation Stage. There is discussion of the principles which should underpin planning, a detailed sections on content, experiences and resources, advice on managing the provision and on including adults in the community and guidance on ensuring quality preparatory to inspection.

Carrying on in Key Stage 1 is written to help teachers continue key practical activities and child focused learning throughout Key Stage 1. The activities are easily mapped onto the National Curriculum Programmes of Study for this age group, which is included in short form within the book. With the child at the centre of the activities, the book offers many exciting suggestions for topic based work, following on from and building upon the work children have done in the Foundation Stage. There is a host of ideas for using everyday materials such as paper and wood, along with purpose-designed construction materials such as Lego. The tasks included in the book are active, varied and challenging - guaranteed to interest both boys and girls. Outdoor Play looks at different sorts of outdoor spaces and some resources to use in them, keeping a good balance between what must be bought and what can be obtained free. Activities include play, games, plants and animals, mark making and constructing dens

Inspiring Play Spaces is designed to encourage and inspire early childhood educators in all settings to create open-ended play spaces that will provide opportunities for children to develop a sense of who they are and an understanding of the world. Written by Australian authors

There''s cooking to do, stories to create, decorations to make and much, more in this book especially written to give you lots of ideas at this very busy time of year! Although there''s a Christmas focus, many of the activities can be adapted for all sorts of festivals and celelrations throughout the year.

These New Baby Books are a reorganisation of the Material in the original series of 16 Baby Books. They have been divided in a different way. Sixteen Books have become four organised by developmental stage. Each page gives step-by-step instructions, tips and plenty of further ideas for children ready for more. They offer practical ideas on differentiation for young babies with special needs as well as tips on what to look and listen for. The experiences suggested in this book will help young children to grow and develop through a range of planned and informal activities.

For a child, moving from the Early Years Foundation Stage into Key Stage 1 can be a huge change. It is up to the adults involved to make the process of transition as smooth and continuous as possible. This straightforward guide contains advice for teachers, teaching assistants, practitioners, parents and managers on supporting children though and after the move. It includes a special section on how we can use new knowledge about how children learn to help them build on their previous experiences of learning and what we can do to help them cope with the emotional factors involved in the change.

The ''50 Fantastic Things'' series is a no nonsense, ideas bank ... no frills, just 50 examples of great ideas already in practice Ideal for the busy practitioner they offer a a ''dip in'' approach to accessing ideas that they may not have thought of. Simple inspiring ideas is just what they need to reignite their enthusiasm.

The 50 Fantastic Ideas series is packed full of fun, original, skills-based activities for Early Years practitioners to use with children aged 0-5. Each activity features step-by-step guidance, a list of resources, and a detailed explanation of the skills children will learn. Creative, simple, and highly effective, this series is a must-have for every Early Years setting.Exploring and investigating familiar objects and places gives children real experiences to think, plan and get involved in both indoors and outside. This book gives a variety of ideas for investigations, some of which will extend far beyond the simple initial starting points.Simple observations can turn into early science, technology and creative thinking. Using familiar and easily found objects, the investigations will involve and encourage children to develop these thoughts.

Presents a A3 laminated, full-colour wall chart showing the nine profile statements for personal, social, emotional development; communication, language, and literacy; mathematical development; knowledge and understanding of the world; physical development; and creative development.

The Early Years Foundation Stage Framework requires that practitioners forge positive relationships with parents and actively engage them in their children''s early learning experiences. The suggestions in this book aim to aid practitioners in their endeavors to make parents feel welcome, included and supported. Practitioners can dip into the book and choose simple ideas ranging from supporting parents during the induction period, involving them in curriculum development and helping them to support their children''s learning at home. Each idea comprises- a list of resources needed; step-by-step instructions on how put the idea into action; suggestions for how to extend the idea; and how the idea is beneficial to parents.

This is a new edition of Making It Work in Year 1, revised and updated.This book has been specially devised in response to the needs expressedby Reception and Year 1 teachers who are grappling with the complexityof transition. It deals with building on from children''s experiences inthe Foundation Stage into KS1. The approach is to focus on the individual,starting at the stage children have reached, rather than where adocument says they should be.

Being a confident and competent user of language is at the heart of learning. Here are activities and ideas for developing communication and vocalisation.

Shows how mathematical skills build through the numeracy framework. A great help for target setting, organising the curriculum and planning for continuity and transfer.

''Little Baby Books'' are a series written by two early years specialists to help those working with under 3''s to put the advice in ''Birth to Three Matters'' into practice. Activities in each book are presented in four age groups suitable for different ages and stages.

This Little Book aims to demonstrate exciting ways to use washing lines to support learning in every area of the curriculum. We hope that this humble piece of household equipment will become as fundamental a piece of equipment in your setting as it has been in our homes.

These New Baby Books are a reorganisation of the Material in the original series of 16 Baby Books. They have been divided in a different way. Sixteen Books have become four organised by developmental stage. Each page gives step-by-step instructions, tips and plenty of further ideas for children ready for more. They offer practical ideas on differentiation for young babies with special needs as well as tips on what to look and listen for. The experiences suggested in this book will help young children to grow and develop through a range of planned and informal activities.