Summary:

The Early Years Foundation Stage brings new expectations to ensure that every child is provided with the best support for their learning and development, from birth to five and beyond.

Practical skills in observing, making assessments and using these assessments in planning are essential for all practitioners working with young children. Vicky Hutchin offers clear guidance and advice on all aspects of assessment and planning in the early years, rooted firmly in the well-established principles of good practice and recent research.

With plenty of real observations of children learning across the age range, Vicky explains the essential processes for effective assessment and planning, including different ways of observing as well as how best to involve parents and the children themselves – even the very youngest. Most importantly, she shows how to make these processes manageable, covering a wide range of different types of settings - from childminder to playgroup, nursery, children’s centre and reception class. She also considers the new statutory summative assessment, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, and how to ensure the assessment is used effectively to support planning in Year 1.

This book follows on from Vicky's previous books Right from the Start and Observing and Assessing for the Foundation Stage Profile in showing how rewarding effective assessment and planning is for all concerned – the children, their families and the practitioners involved.

• 
  - All you need to know to implement the new Early Years Foundation Stage assessment/planning requirements - statutory from 2008 
  - essential for all Early Years practitioners in all settings - daycare and playgroup leaders, as well as nursery and Reception teachers
  - practical, down to earth, clearly written, and with numerous examples - written by an Early Years practitioner for practitioners
  - authoritative - Vicky Hutchin has been directly involved in shaping the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and official guidance/training materials
  - includes advice on how to complete the EYFS Profile, and how to use this effectively in the transition to Key Stage 1

About the Author(s):
Vicky Hutchin is currently Foundation Stage Regional Adviser with the Primary National Strategy. 

Vicky taught in nursery and Reception classes for many years, becoming a LEA Adviser in Early Years, first in Kensington & Chelsea, then Islington, before then becoming Senior Early Years Consultant to the London Borough of Merton. A popular speaker and trainer, she has written three books on Early Years assessment for H&S (see below). She has also contributed to the 'official' training materials for the Early Years Foundation Stage and the EYFS Profile.

Readership:
Nursery and Reception (student) teachers, and pre-school providers (playgroup and daycare leaders)