Infants And Toddlers At Work

"For each activity presented, the text examines its relation to the rapid brain growth that characterizes the 0 to 3 years, including major developments in sensory reception, movement, language, cognition, memory, vision, and motivation. Revised and expanded, this edition features many full-color images and new chapters on using electronic technology"--

This book contains a wealth of practical and specific activities and materials to use with infants and toddlers to enhance growth and development. Writing in the accessible style that her readers appreciate, Ann Lewin-Benham looks at current research from the neurosciences to show what teachers and childcare providers can do with very young children. For each material or activity presented, the text examines its relation to the rapid brain growth that characterizes the zero to three years, including sensory reception, movement, language, cognition, memory, vision, and motivation. Materials, with guidance for their use and where to find them, include: paint, mark-makers, man-made found objects, natural objects, clay, paper, and light and shadow. This is the definitive guide for trainers and professionals who work with young children. “This book does not patronize or talk down to the reader—it assumes that teachers and parents are eager to think hard about how the brain works and children learn. The information is scientifically up-to-date, and its implications for education are stimulating to laypersons and professionals alike. Reading this book will forever change the way you think about how children learn.” —From the Foreword by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Claremont Graduate University “Ann Lewin-Benham’s book represents an extraordinarily comprehensive yet usable guide to the neuroscientific state-of-the-art in infant and toddler cognitive development. Full of practical recommendations for engaging young children’s brains with the physical world around them, this volume will connect strongly with educators and caregivers alike.” —Mariale Hardiman, Interim Dean, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University “As we learn more and more from neuroscience about the development of the infant brain, two things have become clear: how competent babies are, and how much they depend on relationships to frame their early development. In her new book Ann Lewin-Benham helps us to understand how to respectfully relate to the developing brain.” —J. Ronald Lally, Co-Director, Center for Child & Family Studies, WestEd

Think more intentionally about the play materials you choose and offer to preschoolers to enhance their development and learning

Connecting theory to practice, this book highlights the importance of play for the social, emotional, and intellectual development of very young children. Combines theoretical and practical information and includes guidance about how to improve interactions with children, select materials for young children to use, and work with families to support children development. Through vignettes, photographs, and narrative text, learn a range of ideas to help infant-toddler teachers become more responsive to children's cues and more intentional in their interactions and play with children.

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Now in a second edition, this popular resource shows teachers and childcare providers how to work with young children based on current neuroscience research. Revised and expanded, it contains a wealth of practical and specific activities and materials to use with infants and toddlers to enhance growth and development. For each activity presented, the text examines its relation to the rapid brain growth that characterizes the 0 to 3 years, including major developments in sensory reception, movement, language, cognition, memory, vision, and motivation. Featured materials, with guidance for their use and where to find them, include paint, mark-makers, man-made found objects, natural objects, clay, paper, and light and shadow. This edition features many full color images and two new chapters on using electronic technology with infants and toddlers written by outstanding early educators. This is an essential guide for trainers and professionals who work with very young children, as well as parents and other caregivers. Book Features: The interpretation of current neuroscience as a supplement to the wisdom of excellent early childhood educators. Numerous vignettes of teachers at work with young children inspired by the experiences of lifelong early educator Ann Lewin-Benham. New ideas regarding the responsible introduction of electronic technology to young children. Original color photos of children learning with traditional materials such as paint, clay, and fabric, as well as with electronic devices such as cameras and computers. Insights and practices of renowned cognitive psychologists, including Stanislas Dehaene. “In this well-researched and aptly illustrated book, master educator Ann Lewin-Benham surveys authorities (like Piaget), exemplary programs (like Reggio Emilia), materials (like paper and clay), as well as current research on the brain and on technology—and skillfully integrates them.” —Howard Gardner, Hobbs Research Professor of Cognition and Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education “A wealth of information and specific suggestions for creating learning environments that capitalize on current knowledge make this an invaluable guide for practitioners and teacher educators.” —Young Children “Ann Lewin-Benham’s book represents an extraordinarily comprehensive yet usable guide to the neuroscientific state-of-the-art in infant and toddler cognitive development. Full of practical recommendations for engaging young children’s brains with the physical world around them, this volume will connect strongly with educators and caregivers alike.” —Mariale Hardiman, interim dean, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University “As we learn more and more from neuroscience about the development of the infant brain, two things have become clear: how competent babies are, and how much they depend on relationships to frame their early development. In her new book Ann Lewin-Benham helps us to understand how to respectfully relate to the developing brain.” —J. Ronald Lally, co-director, Center for Child & Family Studies, WestEd

A modern parenting classic—a guide to a new and gentle way of understanding the care and nurture of infants, by the internationally renowned childcare expert, podcaster, and author of No Bad Kids “An absolute go-to for all parents, therapists, anyone who works with, is, or knows parents of young children.”—Wendy Denham, PhD A Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE) teacher and student of pioneering child specialist Magda Gerber, Janet Lansbury helps parents look at the world through the eyes of their infants and relate to them as whole people who have natural abilities to learn without being taught. Once we are able to view our children in this light, even the most common daily parenting experiences become stimulating opportunities to learn, discover, and connect with our child. A collection of the most-read articles from Janet’s popular and long-running blog, Elevating Child Care focuses on common infant issues, including: • Nourishing our babies’ healthy eating habits • Calming your clingy, fearful child • How to build your child’s focus and attention span • Developing routines that promote restful sleep Eschewing the quick-fix tips and tricks of popular parenting culture, Lansbury’s gentle, insightful guidance lays the foundation for a closer, more fulfilling parent-child relationship, and children who grow up to be authentic, confident, successful adults.