New resources from the Pre-school Learning Alliance help parents support children at the Early Years Foundation Stage
NEWS RELEASE
15 January 2008
New resources from the Pre-school Learning Alliance help parents support children at the Early Years Foundation Stage
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has published a series of books to help parents support children following the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the play-based curriculum being introduced to all early years settings by September 2008.
Grouped under the umbrella title First and Foremost, the series comprises six books packed with a wealth of ideas for applying the key themes and principles of the EYFS to everyday life and so enriching a child's learning and development in early years settings. With each book containing a chapter on theory and research, the First and Foremost series is an ideal resource for parents, grandparents, practitioners and childcare students alike.
First and Foremost (Ref AO12)
- Listening Together (Ref: A001) focuses on the development of communication and language including children who sign and those who are learning to be bi-lingual.
- Playing and Learning Outdoors (Ref: A003) offers parents and practitioners creative ideas of outdoor activities they can do with children in the most subtle way and looks at the potential for exploring all areas and aspects of learning in outdoor environments beyond physical play.
- Music and Dance (Ref A004) explores ways the crucial role that music and dance plays in children's cognitive, emotional, physical and social development. Included in the book are ideas for encouraging music and dancing and harnessing children's instinctive responses.
- Numbers, Shapes and Problem Solving (Ref A006) This book demonstrates how the knowledge and understanding children gain from finding out about objects - how they work, and what they do - informally in the home is linked to further learning through play in their setting. This understanding in turn is an essential pre-requisite for introducing formal mathematics at an appropriate time.
- Being Me (Ref A007) focuses on the individuality and uniqueness of each child, their personality and the development of their sense of ‘self'. The area of learning that Being Me links strongly with its personal, social and emotional development. This area is the key to opening the doors to the whole curriculum.
- Mark making and representation (Ref A008) This book looks at children's early use of crayons, marks and paint to make lines and shapes on paper or other surfaces that represent their thoughts, ideas, experiences and feelings. Mark making is an important aspect of development for babies and children who are beginning to represent their ideas in this way.
First and Foremost can be purchased either as a set or individually. Price for the complete set is £42.12 for members of the Pre-school Learning Alliance and £52.65 for non-members. Cost for each individual book is £7.80 for members and £9.75 for non-members. Copies can be purchased at www.pre-school.org.uk/shop or by calling 0870 603 0062
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Kate Summerside
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7697 2502
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Kate Summerside
Notes for Editors:
- The Pre-school Learning Alliance is the largest voluntary sector provider of quality affordable childcare and education in England.
- Through direct provision and its membership of 15,000 nurseries, sessional pre-schools and parent and toddler groups, the Alliance supports over 800,000 children and their families in England. The Alliance also develops and runs family learning programmes, offers information and advice, runs acclaimed training and accreditation programmes and campaigns to influence early years policy and practice.
- For information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance, visit our website: www.pre-school.org.uk
- To see the full range of Pre-school Learning Alliance publications, visit our online shop: www.pre-school.org.uk/shop

