Progressing Play: Practicalities, Intentions and Possibilities in Emerging Co-constructed Curriculum by Leanne Hunter and Lisa J Sonter.
The long title reflects the breadth of insight and guidance provided.
The cover is not glossy and eye-catching probably because it’s a practical book that has been produced by teachers for teachers, and not by a big publisher focussed on marketing and sales.
The authors, Leanne Hunter and Lisa Sonter, are both practising early childhood teachers with many years of experience and have each been recipients of NEITA Community Merit Awards for Leadership and Innovation in Early Childhood Teaching Methods in Australia.
How to teach and not what to teach is the focus of ‘Progressing Play’.
The authors detail, discuss and throughout the book provide real-examples of children’s play and teacher action and responses – to support and inspire the reader to think about and extend the quality of her or his teaching in many different areas.
Some of the areas of teaching covered and challenges covered here are:
- Atmosphere for learning
- Open-ended materials
- Strategies for promoting fair and safe play
- Extending children’s thinking and ideas
- Practicalities of discussions and discussion times
- Embedded practices
- Literacy, numeracy, science, physical well-being, visual arts, music and movement
- Superhero play, weapon play …
- Documentation and making learning visible
- Sharing information
- Dealing with stress
- Finding the joy in teaching
- Dilemmas in the learning environment, gender equity and play, child behaviour …
- Partnerships – working with colleagues, working with parents …
‘Progressing Play’ is relevant to early childhood education contexts in both New Zealand and Australia.
Copies of this book that have already been picked up by early childhood services, professional development providers, and teachers will no doubt be well-thumbed through as this is a book to have with you and not be left on a shelf.
Paper Back ISBN: 978-0-9750502-1-7
Publication date: 2012
Publisher: Consultants at Play
