Interacting or Interfering? Improving interactions in the early years

Description

High quality interactions are recognised as fundamental to the achievement of outstanding teaching and learning in the early years. If you are working with children from six months to six years this authoritative new book from leading author Julie Fisher encourages you to reflect deeply on the quality and impact of interactions in your setting.Drawing on research undertaken in baby rooms, nurseries and classrooms over four years the book challenges prevailing orthodoxies and offers specific practical guidance on how to improve the quality of interactions on a day-to-day basis. With its illuminating examples, the book shows how you can best tune into and respond effectively to young children’s conversations. It exemplifies how interactions are most effectively sustained and how developing high quality interactions can better scaffold and support children’s learning and development.'Interacting or Interfering?'• Identifies the key components of effective interactions and how implementing these can improve the quality of children’s learning • Contains transcripts of interactions from baby rooms through to Year 2 classes which exemplify key messages• Provides prompts you can use to analyse and improve your own practiceWritten in the author’s exceptionally clear and accessible style, this book is indispensable reading for all students and practitioners working and studying in the early years."There is a tendency for adult talk to dominate nurseries and schools in an attempt to manage, organise and interrogate children’s learning; this closes down children’s own investigation and capacity for thought. Fisher points out how ‘the very act of “being an educator” can sometimes distort the nature of an interaction so much that it inhibits the very learning it is trying to promote’. In this timely, thought-provoking and very readable book she prompts us to think more deeply about interactions and adapt new strategies to encourage all young children to engage in meaningful and enriching talk."TACTYC, March, 2016"The prompts and points for reflection encourage practitioners to critically consider their role and function, noting where their work is affirmed and where there is scope for further development ... This book is both relevant, though provoking and extremely useful for all involved in early childhood - an excellent tool for professional development."Marion Dowling, Early Education Journal, No 79/ Summer 2016 Review: AN ABSOLUTE MUST a proper guide for everybody interested in the development of language and learning from babyhood onwards. - This latest book by Julie Fisher is an ABSOLUTE MUST for everybody who is interested in child development from babyhood onwards! WHY" Because Julie's long experience as a mother, a teacher, an early childhood advisor and now as a Professor are drawn on skilfully with the commitment of a team of professional practitioners in this research based book. In particular Julie has made watching and listening to young children totally understandable and meaningful. She has linked (through excellent first hand examples) how adults need to interact rather than to interfere in the encouragement of spoken language needed for deep thought. Her examples of this in action show how even the youngest infants use language to help them make sense; to be in control of themselves and to negotiate with their friends to help solve 'play inspired' problems. Few people can write as well as Julie in terms of her depth and clarity. Ofsted inspectors please note that the continual interruption by adults who constantly question or interrupt children who need time to think is damaging their emotions and their learning. Review: Thought Provoking - I've been teaching for 19 years and found this a very useful and challenging look at the fine details of how we interact with children. It is basically a write up of a large research project so lots of examples conversations are included. Really loved it and it has an easy to access style. Highly recommend for EYFS practitioners.