"This timely book will help teachers in KS1 to implement authoritative recommendations on transition from recent reviews of primary education, and convince senior managers and parents of the value of starting from the child. Its well-grounded arguments coupled with practical guidance will foster the development of principled and confident professional judgement." Wendy Scott, President, TACTYC"Julie is an excellent writer, leading her reader through the difficult arguments about what really matters in our work with young children. She explores the tensions around the different 'drivers' in Foundation Stage and Key Stage One teaching with sensitivity but with the same clear vision she shows in her earlier books. This is an important book for students, lecturers and teachers - and a must for heads and subject co-ordinators." Nick Swarbrick, Westminster Institute of Education, Oxford Brookes University, UK "Your common-sense, authoritative, warm and inspirational words...remind me beyond all doubt of why I went into teaching." Key Stage 1 teacher"Julie Fisher's newest contribution to the debate on transitions in England is written in her usual clear and accessible style, and with the breadth and confidence which all readers have come to expect of her." Liz Brooker, Institute of Education, University of London, UK This practical book offers a series of strategies for promoting learning that meets the needs and interests of Key Stage 1 pupils, ensuring that the move from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 is a positive one. It includes: Descriptions and case studies of good practice that stem from established principles of learning and teachingReflective practice prompts at the end of each chapter Julie Fisher considers recent evidence about how children learn and questions whether current practice in Key Stage 1 optimises these ways of learning. Challenging the reliance on teacher-directed activity, she asks whether introducing more child-initiated learning could offer children a more appropriate balance of learning opportunities. Key issues include: The place of play in Key Stage 1Organising the learning day to include child-initiated activity Observation and assessmentPlanningThe role of the teacher This essential book is indispensable reading for students and practitioners in both the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

Author Biography

Julie Fisher is an independent Early Years Adviser and visiting Professor of early childhood education at Oxford Brookes University. Prior to this she held the post of Early Years Adviser in Oxfordshire for 11 years. Before moving to Oxfordshire, Julie was lecturer in early childhood education at the University of Reading. She has taught children from 3 to 12 years and has been headteacher of two urban, multi-cultural schools. Julie has been chair of the Early Years Curriculum Group and the National Association of Inspectors, Advisers and Consultants Early Childhood Group. She was the first elected chair of the national Early Childhood Forum. She is now national vice-chair of the British Association for Early Childhood Education. Julie is author of a number of articles on early childhood education as well as her books 'Starting from the Child' and 'The Foundations of Learning' (Open University Press).