This practical resource explains brain development from prenatal to age 8 with suggestions for activities educators and caregivers can use to foster children's cognitive growth. The authors begin with the basics of brain development, and the issues that affect it, and then provide information specific to infant, toddler, preschool, and…

We are in a period of unknowns unlike any in a generation or more. As educators, we need new pathways and ideas that can help us educate children for the world to come. "Reimagining the Classroom: Creating New Learning Spaces and Connecting with the World" provides practical steps and examples that parents and educators can use to begin…

This guidance report offers early years professionals seven practical evidence-based recommendations to provide every child--but particularly those from disadvantaged homes--with a high quality and well-rounded grounding in early literacy, language and communication. One recommendation focuses on the importance of high quality interactions between…

This handbook on nutrition and cooking is one of a series written especially for parents and other caregivers. Contents include: (1) the importance of nutrition, (2) the four basic food groups in terms of serving size, menu planning, and major nutrients, (3) ways to build healthy attitudes toward food, (4) unsafe foods which have the potential to…

This book of activities is designed to supplement a child's outdoor experiences and to encourage children to take a closer look at nature by creating temporary mini-habitats at home or in school. An introduction explains to students the concept of habitat and the responsibilities of keeping a mini-habitat. The remainder of the book contains…

These workshop materials describe an approach to teaching children about dinosaurs. The lesson centers on a story written by Dr. Edith Bondi and illustrated by Shawn Turung, entitled "Just Like People." The story, appended, consists of 36 ways dinosaurs are similar to and, occasionally, different from human beings. Illustrations, too,…

This book is a resource for parents and teachers who want to teach about recycling and composting by setting up and maintaining a worm composting system. It is designed to be a detailed yet simple manual of vermicomposting. The manual covers the basics of vermicomposting and answers such questions as where to store a composting container, what…

This series of leaflets provides information about nature education in outdoor settings. Each issue begins with an account of a personal experience with children in nature. Following the personal narrative is a section titled, "A Nature Primer," which provides scientific information about a topic in nature. The next section, "Ready,…

Part I of this bibliography provides a selective list of picture books and suggests coordinated learning activities for children. Each entry is annotated and a suitable age range is indicated and marked with a symbol representing toddlers (18 to 36 months), preschool children (3 to 5 years), and primary school students (5 to 7 years of age).…

This book aims to prepare children in the event they become lost in the outdoors. An opening story, designed to capture children's attention, outlines safety protocols. These protocols are: (1) keep yourself warm, particularly your head; (2) stay in one place, preferably an open space, so searchers can find you; (3) make a bed of branches or other…

Songs, rhymes, and sayings entered in this handbook are particularly useful as basic teaching techniques for babies and small children. Popular and easy to learn, many are simple Mother Goose nursery rhymes. Others are traditional songs and sayings that have been passed on from generation to generation in our culture. Some are appropriate for use…

This book presents simple environmental activities designed for young children. The contents are organized seasonally and each section features subsections: The Whole Earth Home and Classroom, Bringing Nature In, The Season Garden, Seasonal Crafts, and Supplying the Missing Links. These sections provide information on how to set up an indoor…

Goals of the Children's Museum of Boston are to encourage curiosity, skepticism, and realism while providing opportunities for discoveries and new insights. The museum addresses the needs of young children through adolescents by providing a multicultural environment and participatory learning centers. (JDD)

The inquiry approach of Discovery Place of Birmingham, Inc., in Birmingham, Alabama, invites children of all ages to explore the excitement of science, technology, art, and humanities. The educational resource center provides interactive exhibits, hands-on materials, teacher workshops, and family programs. (JDD)

These learning activities are designed for use in the classroom or at home when activities for special moments are needed. They can be introduced with a minimum amount of preparation and materials and a maximum amount of success. They are intended to give children a learning experience that is fun while developing imagination and creative…