Exploring Materials (Play Foundations (Age 3-5 Years)) (Paperback)

The book starts with a comprehensive and informative introduction. A very clear planning grid shows how the activities in the book link to the areas of learning. This seems to me to be a very useful and practical book that could be used in any sort of pre-school or Reception class setting. It may well be worth checking out some of the books in this series for your Early Years setting. --TES Website, May 2008<br /><br />This is one of twelve titles in the Play Foundation series. Each A4 page contains a lesson plan to cover one of the six areas of Learning and Development in the EYFS. I was impressed how each activity encouraged independent learning with very little adult intervention. I believe this would be a very useful resource for teaching science to the foundation age groups. --Anita Loughrey, Write Away, June 2008

very carefully designed to offer help and guidance to any early years practitioner... --Lois Nott, Early Years Online, June 2008

"Play Foundations" offers 12 titles: 6 books for ages 3-5 years and 6 books for ages 0-3 years. This is a new series designed for practioners of the revised Early Years Foundation Stage (mandatory from September 2007 in all Early Years setting for 0-5 years). The books and CD-ROM's feature popular Early years themes, provides activities for setting up quality play scenarios with emphasis on child-led play. The activities are specifically designed to encourage independent learners and avoid adult prescription where possible.Each book in the series contains activities that cover the six areas of Learning and Development in the EYFS. It includes activities that utilise all areas of the early years setting both inside and outside. All activities include reference to the Early Learning Goals. It contains: helpful observation tips for each activity and suggestions for questions to ask the children to enhance their learning; ideas for adapting the activities for more able and less able children; a planning grid with an overview of the Early Learning Goals covered in the activities; and, assessment questions linked to each chapter and an assessment checklist.It also includes opportunities to address the four underlying themes of the EYFS (which are clearly defined on the activity pages): A Unique Child (The book includes ideas for differentiation for different levels of development); Positive Relationships (the books include activities that encourage speaking and listening, respecting each other and collaboration); Enabling Environments (the books include activities for indoor and outdoor environments and questions to ask during observation and assessment); and, Learning & Development (the activities are play-based and child-led wherever possible and generally contain several areas of Learning and Development within each activity). The age 3-5 years books and CD-ROM's each contain 40 high quality assets including photos (some with sound effects, songs, stories, poems, video clips, interactive pictures and activity sheets. These assets are referenced in the books. Each CD-ROM features an interactive, animated character, Claude Cat, who asks the children questions about the assets. Activity sheets, photos, stories, songs and poems can be printed from the CD-ROM. The CD-ROM is MAC and PC compatible and can be networked. The activity sheets are also included in the books.