Cathy Nutbrown

This new edition of Cathy Nutbrown's much loved book explains the key ideas and issues in Early Childhood clearly and concisely, keeping students up-to-date with the latest developments in the field. There are brand new entries on: - Attachment - Babies' learning and development - Children's Centres - Citizenship - Digital Technologies - Early Years Foundation Stage - Early Years Professional Status - Neuroscience - Sexualities The rest of the book has also been thoroughly updated and revised, and includes coverage of heuristic play, Early Literacy Development and Parental Involvement. The book offers starting points which provide a clear focus, further reading and discussion of research on thirty-five key topics. It is a must for students following courses in early childhood education and care. Professor Cathy Nutbrown directs and teaches on Masters and Doctoral programmes in Early Childhood Education at the University of Sheffield.

`The 'Raising Early Achievement in Literacy' or REAL project was the result of a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield LEA and schools and centres across the city of Sheffield, starting in 1995. For those interested in developing their own projects in this field it will provide essential information. It contains many examples of work carried out this in this project. Many examples are given that could prompt practitioners to identify ways in which they too could focus their own input with children or help their parent group to interact with their children's developing literacy' - Early Years Update `A "must read" for practitioners, policy makers and researchers interested in the detail and the theory underpinning this important family literacy initiative' - Neil McClelland OBE, Director, National Literacy Trust `The REAL Project is one of the best conceptualized, most intensively documented and successful British family literacy initiatives and the book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of this powerful project. It is essential reading for anyone working alongside families to promote children's early development' - Professor Nigel Hall, Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University 'The project described in detail in this book is arguably the most important and well-researched UK initiative for developing early literacy work with parents of young children. ... Readers will find inspirational case studies ... There are illuminating insights into children's perspectives on family literacy, including good news about fathers and boys. ... Don't miss it!' - Marian Whitehead, Nursery World Anyone involved in the field of early-childhood literacy should be familiar with the work of the REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) Project. Here, leading members of the project team Cathy Nutbrown, Peter Hannon and Anne Morgan, discuss the research. An essential guide to the subject, this book will be of great practical use to all in the field of early childhood literacy: students, practitioners and course leaders on literacy and early childhood courses. The authors discuss the policy contexts of early-childhood and literacy today and use their experience of the REAL project to discuss and illustrate practical research and evaluation strategies for family literacy workers. They examine the issues from all perspectives: teachers, parents and young children. The book concludes with examples of how the theoretical framework of the REAL Project (ORIM) has been used by other practitioners and an examination of the implications of such work for the future of early-childhood and literacy policy development. The book also includes: - An informative update on research in the field - A description of the family literacy programme - Useful activities for family literacy work - Guidelines for interviewing parents and children - Suggestions for how to evaluate family literacy work - Ideas for practical sessions for professional development for family literacy workers - A Guide to further reading This is an important book and should be read by anyone wishing to keep pace with the field of family literacy in early childhood education.

`The 'Raising Early Achievement in Literacy' or REAL project was the result of a collaboration between the University of Sheffield, Sheffield LEA and schools and centres across the city of Sheffield, starting in 1995. For those interested in developing their own projects in this field it will provide essential information. It contains many examples of work carried out this in this project. Many examples are given that could prompt practitioners to identify ways in which they too could focus their own input with children or help their parent group to interact with their children's developing literacy' - Early Years Update `A "must read" for practitioners, policy makers and researchers interested in the detail and the theory underpinning this important family literacy initiative' - Neil McClelland OBE, Director, National Literacy Trust `The REAL Project is one of the best conceptualized, most intensively documented and successful British family literacy initiatives and the book provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of this powerful project. It is essential reading for anyone working alongside families to promote children's early development' - Professor Nigel Hall, Institute of Education, Manchester Metropolitan University 'The project described in detail in this book is arguably the most important and well-researched UK initiative for developing early literacy work with parents of young children. ... Readers will find inspirational case studies ... There are illuminating insights into children's perspectives on family literacy, including good news about fathers and boys. ... Don't miss it!' - Marian Whitehead, Nursery World Anyone involved in the field of early-childhood literacy should be familiar with the work of the REAL (Raising Early Achievement in Literacy) Project. Here, leading members of the project team Cathy Nutbrown, Peter Hannon and Anne Morgan, discuss the research. An essential guide to the subject, this book will be of great practical use to all in the field of early childhood literacy: students, practitioners and course leaders on literacy and early childhood courses. The authors discuss the policy contexts of early-childhood and literacy today and use their experience of the REAL project to discuss and illustrate practical research and evaluation strategies for family literacy workers. They examine the issues from all perspectives: teachers, parents and young children. The book concludes with examples of how the theoretical framework of the REAL Project (ORIM) has been used by other practitioners and an examination of the implications of such work for the future of early-childhood and literacy policy development. The book also includes: - An informative update on research in the field - A description of the family literacy programme - Useful activities for family literacy work - Guidelines for interviewing parents and children - Suggestions for how to evaluate family literacy work - Ideas for practical sessions for professional development for family literacy workers - A Guide to further reading This is an important book and should be read by anyone wishing to keep pace with the field of family literacy in early childhood education.

`This book examines the literacy development and assessment of children before the age of five years. It is highly relevant to all those professionally involved in assessment. Cathy Nutbrown explores the need for appropriate assessment practice to support teachers and illustrates the mismatch between the way teachers and researchers assess literacy. The book is worth buying for the final chapter alone, which provides an analysis of the newly developed Sheffield Early Literacy Development Profile. The actual tasks are included in the appendices. Thus, Cathy Nutbrown does not leave us frustrated. We are able to consider an ongoing assessment which is in tune with the best practice in teaching. This is a research text which balances theory with practical realism. It is particularly relevant today with the introduction of Baseline Assessment. Teachers and researchers will find much that they can relate to and learn from. It is clearly written and deserves to be widely read. However, it may make for uncomfortable reading as Cathy Nutbrown challenges all concerned with the assessment of early literacy development to reflect on exactly what they are doing and why' - British Educational Research Recognising Early Literacy Development presents a new view of the many purposes of assessment in early literacy development. Issues in early literacy assessment, current assessment material, the purposes of literacy assessment, government policy, practice in schools, baseline assessment of literacy, the need for new research measures of early literacy, are all recurrent themes of the book. The author reviews and discusses three decades of policy and practice in assessing literacy development in the years 3 to 5 - from recognising in the late 1960s that literacy in these years exists, to proposals in 1997 for official assessment of literacy at 5 years.