A Z Of Childcare

This book provides a completely new approach to planning and study for all childcare courses. Written by the country's leading childcare authors, A-Z of Childcare explains the most effective methods of study, and presents outline plans to all the key curriculum areas.

This easy-to-understand reference contains up-to-date information on topics every parent needs to know for successful child rearing. From additives in food to zygotes, with bed-wetting, nightmares, teething, and starting school in between, this book offers answers for every type of developmental concern.

Dr. Michel Cohen, named by the New York Post as the hip, "must-have" pediatrician, has an important message for parents: Don't worry so much. In an easy-reference alphabetical format, The New Basics clearly lays out the concerns you may face as aparent and explains how to solve them -- without fuss, without stress, and without harming your child by using unnecessary medicines or interventions. With sensitivity and love, Dr. Michel describes proven techniques for keeping your children healthy and happy without driving yourself crazy. He will show you how to set positive habits for sleeping and eating and how to treat ailments early and effectively. You'll learn when antibiotics are helpful and when they can be harmful. If you're having trouble breast feeding, pumping, or bottle weaning, Dr. Michel has the advice to set you back on track. If after several months your baby is still not sleeping through the night, The New Basics will provide you with tried-and-true methods to help ease this difficult transition for babies and parents. Dr. Michel recognizes that you're probably asking the same questions his own patients' parents frequently ask, so he includes a section called "Real Questions from Real Parents" throughout the book. You'll find important answers about treating asthma, head injuries, fevers, stomach bugs, colic, earaches, and other ailments. More than just a book on how to care for your child's physical well-being, The New Basics also covers such parenting challenges as biting, hitting, ADD, separation anxiety, how to prevent the terrible twos (and threes and fours ...), and preparing your child for a new sibling.

Due to the demand for flexible working hours and employees who are available around the clock, the time patterns of childcare and schooling have increasingly become a political issue. Comparing the development of different “time policies” of half-day and all-day provisions in a variety of Eastern and Western European countries since the end of World War II, this innovative volume brings together internationally known experts from the fields of comparative education, history, and the social and political sciences, and makes a significant contribution to this new interdisciplinary field of comparative study.

The concept of inclusion is complex and messy and although many definitions abound it has never been fully clarified in legislation and guidance. The purpose of this book is to consider how professionals working with young children and their families can better understand the concept of inclusion and successfully establish, examine and evaluate the building blocks and framework that should underpin inclusive practice. This book represents a genuine attempt to identify the challenges and barriers to inclusion for all children; to understand them and in some measure, to suggest how they might be overcome.This book is particularly important because: It is based on a broad understanding of inclusion that embraces all forms of difference including race, gender, ability and class It draws on good practice developed over the years and describes challenges for the future It takes into account contemporary issues such as austerity measures, cuts to public services and a changing political landscape It brings the reader up to date with current theory, analysis, controversies and debates This book is essential reading for early years professionals and students who wish to increase their knowledge and understanding of these issues which can divide society; especially in terms of the impact on young children and their families. "Mary Dickins has given us a book which is a beautifully written guide to the principles and practice of inclusion in young children's care and education. For some this will be an introduction to, for others a reminder of, knowledge and skills which we have developed over many years but which are too often misunderstood or ignored. Through her alphabetical approach it is possible to address a huge number of issues in a very accessible way, either dipping into it as needed or reading from beginning to end as a story of how we can improve the experiences of young children in childcare, and every entry comes with a list of references to enable readers to take the subject further. Informing the whole book is her knowledge and experience of this issue and her passion to support the development of a shared vision and understanding of it. As she says: 'inclusion is not a fixed state…we all have responsibility and a role to play in challenging discrimination and oppression'." Sue Owen, Independent early years consultant "I have learnt a lot from reading this book - and there is a lot to learn! Its scope is so enormous that inevitably it cannot cover everything, for example my pet topic of 'the power of assumptions'! It identifies the complexities of the various aspects of inclusion and touches on the inter-relatedness of many - for example, race and class. As readers dip into it I hope it will trigger further reading on particular issues and also stimulate more discussion of how institutional procedures and practices, deeply embedded in our society (the 'system'), remain barriers to inclusion. We all need to identify, understand and break down such barriers so that every one of our precious children, wherever they are, feel they truly belong." Jane Lane, Advocate worker for racial equality in the early years "Mary Dickins has long experience in early years and equality issues and writes from a defined value system. She encourages a proactive and anti-discriminatory approach which contributes to the development of - in her words - 'a shared vision, understanding and sense of purpose'. Mary stresses the importance of individual responsibility and transfer of specialist skills to a mainstream context. This book is a good addition to the continuing debate on inclusion from a clear children's rights perspective and a valuable resource for the early years sector, providing a framework to embed effective inclusive practice." Julie Jennings, Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK

A-Z's for designing superior day care facilities Virtually unknown 30 years ago, daycare has become a growth industry. Child Care Design Guide helps architects and designers plan, design, and renovate functional, developmentally rich, pleasing centers. Author Anita Rui Olds brings to this work over 25 years of design experience with children's facilities. She gives you step-by-step explanations of interior and exterior layout and design principles fleshed out in clarifying case studies. You learn about licensing and code requirements, operational standards and strategies, and get helpful checklists, charts and graphs for optimum facility design within time, space, and budgetary constraints. This highly visual work features over 300 floor plans for infant and toddler, preschool, and afterschool spaces, plus areas for outdoor play and more.