Teaching Thinking Skills Across The Early Years

This book helps teachers incorporate problem-solving and thinking skills into the National Curriculum at the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 1, in line with QCA and DfES recommendations. It presents a range of activities for children aged 4-7 years, all of which have been tried and tested in classrooms. The ideas are cross-referenced with the Learning Objectives of the National Curriculum, and are enhanced with samples of children's work. It provides sections on the core subjects of literacy, numeracy and science, and ideas for project work across the curriculum. This book is aimed at teachers at the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 1. Teacher trainers, student teachers, teaching assistants, parents and all those working in early years settings will find it equally useful.

This text offers a rationale for the popular idea among teachers and researchers that young children should be taught critical thinking and argument in the early years of their education.

This book helps teachers incorporate problem-solving and thinking skills into the National Curriculum at the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 1, in line with QCA and DfES recommendations. It presents a range of activities for children aged 4-7 years, all of which have been tried and tested in classrooms. The ideas are cross-referenced with the Learning Objectives of the National Curriculum, and are enhanced with samples of children's work. It provides sections on the core subjects of literacy, numeracy and science, and ideas for project work across the curriculum. This book is aimed at teachers at the Foundation Phase and Key Stage 1. Teacher trainers, student teachers, teaching assistants, parents and all those working in early years settings will find it equally useful.

Since 1999, thinking skills have been included in the National Curriculum alongside key skills, such as those to do with communication and ICT. This review of literature on the subject of thinking skills provides an evidence base for researchers and practitioners on which thinking skills approaches have been established.

Discusses key areas including emotional intelligence, cognitive acceleration, and the use of ICT in teaching thinking.

This book presents a practical framework for the teaching of thinking skills and problem-solving with children across Key Stages 2 and 3. Using examples of topics from the National Curriculum, teachers are presented with classroom techniques and activities, which systematically develop these skills. While accommodating the needs of all learners, the book caters for the need to differentiate learning activities to extend the more able learners. Included are suggested activities for developing thinking and problem-solving skills relating to the National Numeracy Curriculum, the National Literacy Strategy and the National Science Curriculum. The book also includes activities to support the development of thinking and problem-solving skills in information communication technology (ICT), models of successful practice, and photocopiable activities. The skills and strategies suggested all derive from real classrooms and teachers and as such are practical and useful. There is clear guidance on adopting certain teaching techniques, lesson planning and organization. This book will be useful for teachers and headteachers working at Key Stages 2 and 3, all SENCOs and Advisory Teachers.

This highly practical resource book presents ways in which teachers can help to develop children's problem-solving and thinking skills through a range of exciting science topics. The book contains classroom-based activities which have been trialled and evaluated by teachers and children, and helpfully shows how the skills developed through rigorous scientific investigations can be used across all areas of the curriculum. The scientific curriculum requirements are extended with exciting and inspiring problem-solving activities that use scientific skills, for example: fair-testing pattern-seeking surveying classifying and identifying investigations over time designing testing and adapting an artefact open-ended exploration The book contains learning objectives for each activity, step by step guidelines for carrying out each problem-solving activity, basic equipment that's needed, examples of learner's work and guidelines for assessment. This book is a must-buy for all early years and primary school teachers keen to encourage an inclusive but differentiated approach to the development of problem-solving and thinking skills in their pupils.

The book is packed with information about brain-based learning, but is easily accessible with great illustrations - it's a book that is full of life and humour. Like ALPS, there are loads of practical ideas and suggestions, backed up by the theory of why brain-based learning works. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for any early years practitioner or parent of a preschool child who wants to know more about how children learn.' This new edition of The Thinking Child is fully updated with reference to the new Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and Every Child Matters. The book considers the most recent research into the brain and learning, and offers practical advice on how to reflect these findings across the whole range of early years provision in schools and other settings This new edition contains guidance on current challenges facing practitioners, such as dealing with stressed and over-scheduled children, the philosophy and benefits of including every child and how to address practical issues that might arise in different settings The authors offer practical advice on implementing statutory requirements, maintaining a balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities and making the most of existing resources