Redleaf Press

A complete movement curriculum for early elementary children

Physical education is a critical part of early learning. Movement experiences exercise the whole body—including the mind—and can help children develop a lifetime desire for health and fitness and success in all areas of academic learning. With more than 100 developmentally appropriate physical activities, this curriculum promotes children’s participation in and enjoyment of creative movement that is inclusive, active, and fun.

Everything you need to get started is here, including:
An introduction to implementing physical education into your curriculum
An explanation of the ways creative movement supports children’s physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and creative development
Tips to create a positive learning environment, suggestions for adding equipment to activities, simple questions to evaluate whether or not the children are meeting the activity’s objective, and information on how the activities meet early learning standards outlined by NAEYC and AAHPERD
A wide variety of activities—plus extensions and adaptations for children with special needs—falling under five categories: openers and closers, basic movement, cooperative activities, educational gymnastics, and rhythm and dance
Curriculum Connectors that identify each activity’s correlation with content learning areas
A CD filled with original music to add joy and energy to the activities

Looking at the science behind exploring, designing, and building structures, Building Structures with Young Children guides children’s explorations to help deepen their understanding of the physical science present in building block structures—including concepts such as gravity, stability, and balance. Part of the innovative Young Scientist series, this resource guides teachers through an inquiry-based curriculum that builds on children’s natural curiosity about structures big and small.

This comprehensive trainer's set provides an in-depth look and visual tour of the complete Building Structures with Young Children curriculum. The trainer's guide takes you through the curriculum step-by-step, with discussion plans, sample charts and forms, and extensive resource suggestions. The trainer's DVD contains eight real-life vignettes of the curriculum in use in the classroom.

Twelve Essential Topics in Early Childhood Meetings is an easy tool for program administrators to prepare successful, high-quality professional development experiences for their staff during monthly meetings. Includes an agenda and outline for each topic along with a materials list, handouts, instructions for activities, and a CD-ROM with twelve PowerPoint presentations and reproducibles for each topic.

Nancy P. Alexander is an award winning professional trainer, the executive director of Northwestern State University Child and Family Network, and president of the North Louisiana Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).

This updated edition of Focused Observations will help early childhood educators connect observation and documentation to appropriate assessment and curriculum related to early learning guidelines.

Intentional teaching begins with focused observations and systematic documentation of children’s learning and development. This book explains why observation is one of the best methods to get to know each child well, track progress, and plan individualized curriculum. It also provides tools and techniques to help you strengthen your observations, create portfolios with rich documentation, and support each child. You will also learn how to share your findings with families and grow as an observer through review and reflection activities.

Learn answers to common questions about observation, including
Why should I use observation in my classroom?
What does effective observation and documentation look like?
How do I fit observation in so that it doesn’t take away from teaching and interacting with children?
How do observation and documentation work with early learning guidelines?

An interactive CD-ROM with nineteen vignettes of children in action provide opportunities to practice observing children and capturing what you see.

Gaye Gronlund is an early childhood consultant who trains educators, administrators, and policy makers across the country. She is a well-known keynote speaker and staff development presenter and the author of six Redleaf Press books. Gaye holds a master’s degree in adult learning and early childhood education.

Marlyn James is the early childhood program director and the education department chair at Flathead Valley Community College in Kalispell, Montana. She presents at local, state, and national conferences and coauthored Early Learning Standards and Staff Development with Gaye Gronlund. Marlyn holds a master’s degree in human development.

Opening young minds to the wonders of nature, Discovering Nature with Young Children expands on the role science has traditionally played in the early childhood classroom. Part of the innovative Young Scientist series, this resource guides teachers through an inquiry-based curriculum that builds on children’s natural curiosity about the living world around them.

This comprehensive trainer's set provides an in-depth look and visual tour of the complete Discovering Nature with Young Children curriculum. The trainer's guide takes you through the curriculum step-by-step, with discussion plans, sample charts and forms, and extensive resource suggestions. The trainer's DVD contains seven real-life vignettes of the curriculum in use in the classroom.

A complete movement curriculum for toddlers

Toddlers need—and love—to move! Young children are ready to use their muscles and minds as they stretch, dance, wiggle, explore, and learn. This physical education program incorporates more than 50 developmentally appropriate activities designed to help toddlers channel their energy in creative, beneficial ways as they develop habits that encourage lifelong health and fitness and success in all areas of learning.

Everything you need to get started is here, including:
An introduction to implementing physical education into your curriculum
An explanation of the ways creative movement supports children’s physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and creative development
Tips to create a positive learning environment, suggestions for adding equipment to activities, simple questions to evaluate whether or not the children are meeting the activity’s objective, and information on how the activities meet early learning standards outlined by NAEYC and AAHPERD
Fourteen lesson plans with four 30-minute activities per plan—plus extensions and adaptations for children with special needs
Curriculum Connectors that identify each activity’s correlation with content learning areas
A CD filled with original music to add joy and energy to the activities

A complete movement curriculum for preschoolers and kindergartners

Give children opportunities to explore all kinds of movement, to find and use their own personal rhythms, and to feel good about participating in physical activity. This curriculum incorporates more than 80 developmentally appropriate movement activities designed to help preschoolers and kindergartners develop habits that encourage lifelong health and fitness and success in all areas of learning.

Everything you need to get started is here, including:
An introduction to implementing physical education into your curriculum
An explanation of the ways creative movement supports children’s physical, social/emotional, cognitive, and creative development
Tips to create a positive learning environment, suggestions for adding equipment to activities, simple questions to evaluate whether or not the children are meeting the activity’s objective, and information on how the activities meet early learning standards outlined by NAEYC and AAHPERD
Twenty lesson plans with four 45-minute activities per plan—plus extensions and adaptations for children with special needs
Curriculum Connectors that identify each activity’s correlation with content learning areas
A CD filled with original music to add joy and energy to the activities

Early Learning Standards and Staff Development helps directors and trainers guide early childhood staff to fulfill learning standards, often without compromising best practices. Written by respected consultants Gaye Gronlund and Marlyn James, it is one of few books on staff development in the area of learning standards.

The book includes activities for reflecting on issues such as how much teachers should direct each type of classroom activity, and helps staff developers assist teachers in strengthening their observation and documentation skills. The book comes with a DVD featuring video vignettes to accompany the observation exercises, as well as PowerPoint training aids.

Sing your way through difficult times of the day and watch your job get easier!

Young children in school go through many transitions throughout the day. What can make ten children settle down, clean up, and move from room to room without protest?

Even if you're uncomfortable singing in public, the simple songs in this book will help you glide smoothly through tough transitions such as greetings and good-byes, calling attention, cleaning up, moving, waiting, and slowing down. Children will feel more powerful and in control, reducing stress levels during the more difficult times in your day. You will learn songs that everyone will love singing, including:
"Get On Board, Little Children" and "We're On Our Way," which move toe-tapping children in and out of the classroom
"Go to Sleep, My Little Pumpkins," which helps kids wind down for naptime
"Cleaning Spirit," which acknowledges children as they clean up the classroom

The CD includes multiple songs for each transition area, and the book includes a transition planning guide and lyrics to all 69 songs, formatted so you can easily create your own song cards.