An inspiring environment is essential for helping young children learn. The Rating Observation Scale for Inspiring Environments (ROSIE) is an observation rating scale that challenges teachers to examine classrooms in a totally new way: with an eye for what is aesthetically beautiful and inspiring.

The classroom environment is an essential component for maximizing learning experiences for young children. "Inspiring Spaces for Young Children "invites teachers to enhance children's educational environment in a beautiful way by emphasizing aesthetic environmental qualities that are often overlooked in early childhood classrooms, such as nature, color, furnishings, textures, displays, lighting, and focal points. Step-by-step instructions and lush photographs take educators through the process of transforming ordinary classrooms into creative, beautiful learning spaces, providing children with an environment where they can learn and grow. With easy-to-implement ideas that incorporate nature, children's artwork, and everyday classroom materials, the photographs and ideas in this book promote creativity, learning, and simple beauty.

Now in its third edition, Nature and Young Children promotes the holistic development of children by connecting them with nature. It offers practical advice on how to set up indoor and outdoor nature play spaces as well as encouraging environmentally responsible attitudes, values and behaviour in your early childhood setting. With fully revised chapters in line with recent developments to policy and practice, and brand new material covering Early Childhood Education for Sustainability, the power of pro-nature poetry and philosophical discussions, and children living in urban environments, this book reveals just how important nature play can be in the development of young children. The user-friendly chapters offer guidance on: alternative settings for nature-focused programs culturally sensitive approaches to nature play in early childhood the role of the adult in nature-based learning using nature play for cross-curricular learning environmentally appropriate practices integrating nature education and peace education health, safety, and risky play. Highly accessible, detailed and now extensively updated, Nature and Young Children will provide all early years practitioners, teachers and students with a wealth of ideas on how to foster creative play and learning in nature-focused environments while also encouraging positive connections with nature.

From adding richness and variety to learning, to redesigning a playground, this highly accessible text will provide early years practitioners with a wealth of ideas on how to foster creative play and learning in the outdoor environment with a focus on interacting with the natural world.

Staying strong through ARDS, vasculitis, paralysis, and recovery Did you ever wonder what would happen if your entire life changed completely in a single day? If everything you had ever known was turned upside down? Your health, your family, your job, your identity, your future-all changed forever? Breathless is the story of a woman who faced this terrifying and uncertain fate. Follow along on her journey as she describes her life as a mother, wife, and business executive who is successful, busy, happy, and healthy one day, and the next day is on life support in the ER as her lungs close after collapsing at home. As she endures a month in a medically induced coma while doctors frantically search for a cause, and her chances of survival become dim, her husband, family, and dear friends cover her in prayer beseeching God to spare her life. Miraculously, God spared her life! She recovered from the coma and ARDS, only to awaken completely paralyzed. Life had changed forever, and the battle to return to a sense of normalcy was overwhelming. She was unable to do anything for herself. Doctors anticipated possible recovery of some movement but didn't know for sure what the final outcome would be. After a year of physical therapy, strong determination, endless prayers, and the support of dear friends, she regained her mobility and was able to return to normal activities. The only problem was, life had moved on and her twenty-six-year career was gone. Thus a new battle began-a battle to discover who she was, and what God's plan was for her life. After struggling for a year to return to her "normal" life, only to find that normal no longer existed, what would life mean now? Who was she? What was normal when normal no longer existed? It was there when all else was gone that she discovered peace, comfort, and identity in Jesus. The author shares her poignant story of battling rejection, depression, and loss of identity by staying strong in hope, faith, and trust in her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She shares how God became tangible through His word, leading her to a deeper knowledge of her purpose-driven life in Him.

The best-selling source of inspiration for early childhood professionals designing learning environments; updated with all new photographs and fresh content

Intentional teaching begins with focused observations and systematic documentation of children's learning and development. This book is filled with tools and techniques designed to help early childhood educators purposefully observe children, create portfolios with rich documentation, and plan curriculum that supports every child. Discussion questions, observation practice exercises, and reflection assignments are included, as well as DVD with classroom vignettes showcasing observation techniques. Gaye Gronlund is an early childhood education consultant who trains early childhood educators across the country. Marlyn James is an education and early childhood professor.