A Child's Work
A Child's Work

Author: Vivian Gussin Paley

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-09-15

Total Pages: 111

ISBN-13: 0226644987

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The buzz word in education today is accountability. But the federal mandate of "no child left behind" has come to mean curriculums driven by preparation for standardized tests and quantifiable learning results. Even for very young children, unstructured creative time in the classroom is waning as teachers and administrators are under growing pressures to measure school readiness through rote learning and increased homework. In her new book, Vivian Gussin Paley decries this rapid disappearance of creative time and makes the case for the critical role of fantasy play in the psychological, intellectual, and social development of young children. A Child's Work goes inside classrooms around the globe to explore the stunningly original language of children in their role-playing and storytelling. Drawing from their own words, Paley examines how this natural mode of learning allows children to construct meaning in their worlds, meaning that carries through into their adult lives. Proof that play is the work of children, this compelling and enchanting book will inspire and instruct teachers and parents as well as point to a fundamental misdirection in today's educational programs and strategies.

Just Pretend
Just Pretend

Author: Tori Sharp

Publisher: Little, Brown Ink

Published: 2021-05-18

Total Pages: 323

ISBN-13: 0316538868

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Fans of Real Friends and Be Prepared will love this energetic, affecting graphic memoir, in which a young girl uses her active imagination to navigate middle school as well as the fallout from her parents' divorce. Tori has never lived in just one world. Since her parents' divorce, she's lived in both her mom's house and her dad's new apartment. And in both places, no matter how hard she tries, her family still treats her like a little kid. Then there's school, where friendships old and new are starting to feel more and more out of her hands. Thankfully, she has books-and writing. And now the stories she makes up in her head just might save her when everything else around her—friendships, school, family—is falling apart. Author Tori Sharp takes us with her on a journey through the many commonplace but complex issues of fractured families, as well as the beautiful fantasy narrative that helps her cope, gorgeously illustrated and full of magic, fairies, witches and lost and found friendships.

Benny and Penny in Just Pretend
Benny and Penny in Just Pretend

Author: Geoffrey Hayes

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Published: 2008-04

Total Pages: 40

ISBN-13: 0979923808

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Benny wants to play pirates without his little sister Penny, and so he tries to get rid of her, but when Penny really disappears, Benny is worried.

Play pretend
Play pretend

Author: Yvette de Oro

Publisher: Yvette de Oro

Published: 2022-11-22

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13:

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TWO steamy romance stories CARMELA (40+ divorced story) Carmela Beltran found her play pretend cohort in Hayes Felker. A fun, simple (and mutually agreed upon) platonic match-up. But denying their growing attraction isn’t so simple–especially for these two relationship wary divorcees. MARIANELA (reality show) When Mari Randall meets Finn Barron in try-outs for a reality TV show, they form a partnership to help each other advance. But things aren’t exactly as they seem and it’s looking like one – or both – might lose more than just the chance at money and fame. Ambition, betrayal and possible love are in play.

How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce
How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce

Author: Samantha Rodman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-08-07

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1440588791

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Expert advice for discussing divorce with your children Written by Dr. Samantha Rodman, founder of DrPsychMom.com, How to Talk to Your Kids about Your Divorce teaches you how to raise a happy, thriving family in a changing environment. Each page offers expert advice for discussing your decision in healthy and effective ways, including breaking the initial news, fostering an open dialogue, and ensuring that your children's emotional needs are met throughout your separation. With Dr. Rodman's proven communication techniques, you will: Initiate honest conversations where your children can express their thoughts Discuss divorce-related topics and answer questions in age-appropriate ways Validate your children's feelings, making them feel acknowledged and secure Strengthen and deepen your relationship with your kids Whether you're raising toddlers, school-aged children, or young adults, How to Talk to Your Kids About Your Divorce will help your kids feel heard, valued, and loved during this difficult time.

Pretend
Pretend

Author: Jennifer Plecas

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2011-05-12

Total Pages: 36

ISBN-13: 1101648635

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What could have been a quiet afternoon at home turns into an adventure for Jimmy and his dad. Their couch turns into a boat! The staircase becomes a mountain! And blankets become a cozy hut, just right to cuddle inside. The one thing they don't have to pretend is how much they love one another. Jennifer Plecas's bold artwork and lively text come together in a celebration of imagination and the love between a parent and child. Great for Father's Day, but wonderful for any day that parent and child spend together.

52 E-mails to Transform Your Marriage
52 E-mails to Transform Your Marriage

Author: Samantha Rodman

Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Published: 2016-11-01

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 1626254621

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Press “send” for amazing results! With 52 E-mails to Transform Your Marriage, you’ll find a year’s worth of e-mails to help you reconnect with your spouse, reignite intimacy, and keep your love alive. There’s no doubt marriage can be a challenge—we’ve all heard that half of marriages end in divorce. A common problem you may face as a couple is feeling stuck or disconnected—lonely within the marriage—as if you and your spouse were worlds apart, even as you present a united front. Attempts to discuss the problem may lead to painful arguments, and even couples therapy may prove more expensive and time-consuming than effective, putting each of you on the spot and moving so quickly that you may leave, session after session, without feeling closer. E-mail, however, can be a much less threatening way to communicate your true thoughts and feelings. Based on the author’s popular online relationship coaching sessions, each chapter of this book provides an e-mail writing assignment focused on a different topic, such as sex, intimacy, communication, trust, and the future. These weekly assignments will grant you both the time to write—which can be extremely therapeutic in itself—and read what the other has to say without the need for an immediate response. With 52 E-mails to Transform Your Marriage, you’ll discover useful tips for good communication, learn how to respond to messages with empathy and validation, and be well on your way to rediscovering and sustaining the love that brought you together in the first place.

Pretend Play Workshop for Kids
Pretend Play Workshop for Kids

Author: Caitlin Kruse

Publisher: Quarry Books

Published: 2023-08-15

Total Pages: 146

ISBN-13: 0760381984

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Discover simple ways to create rich, imaginative play experiences for your child using things you already have on hand. What makes childhood feel magical? One simple word: PLAY! Play is crucial for children—it is fun, allows them to work through complex ideas and emotions, leads to a sense of mastery, and is also a key way kids learn. Regrettably, the technology and busyness of our modern lives leave little room for this fundamental and important part of childhood. Pretend Play Workshop for Kids offers a remedy with hours of dramatic play scenarios paired with simple crafts and fun activities—a rich resource for easy, ready-to-go alternatives to screentime. Along the way, you will learn the benefits of these experiences, including the social and emotional learning taking place, the fine and gross motor practice, the language development, the mathematical thinking, and the scientific thinking. This allows you to set the scene for your little one, but also tailor it to their strengths and opportunities for growth. Each chapter focuses on a different imaginative play setup, including: Detective Office Post Office Spaceship Coffee Shop Art Museum Laundromat Ice Cream Shop Doctor’s Office Hair Salon Car Wash Train Station Toy Store Within each chapter, find ideas for how to set the scene, instructions for crafting props, and activities that you can set up for your child. You’ll also discover time-saving tips, ways to extend the play, how to adapt activities for different age groups, and how engaging in the play and activities benefits your child. Pretend Play Workshop for Kids will inspire you and deepen your understanding so that you can support your child in their play for years to come.

Pretend Play As Improvisation
Pretend Play As Improvisation

Author: R. Keith Sawyer

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2013-01-11

Total Pages: 231

ISBN-13: 1134799055

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Everyday conversations including gossip, boasting, flirting, teasing, and informative discussions are highly creative, improvised interactions. Children's play is also an important, often improvisational activity. One of the most improvisational games among 3- to 5-year-old children is social pretend play--also called fantasy play, sociodramatic play, or role play. Children's imaginations have free reign during pretend play. Conversations in these play episodes are far more improvisational than the average adult conversation. Because pretend play occurs in a dramatized, fantasy world, it is less constrained by social and physical reality. This book adds to our understanding of preschoolers' pretend play by examining it in the context of a theory of improvisational performance genres. This theory, derived from in-depth analyses of the implicit and explicit rules of theatrical improvisation, proves to generalize to pretend play as well. The two genres share several characteristics: * There is no script; they are created in the moment. * There are loose outlines of structure which guide the performance. * They are collective; no one person decides what will happen. Because group improvisational genres are collective and unscripted, improvisational creativity is a collective social process. The pretend play literature states that this improvisational behavior is most prevalent during the same years that many other social and cognitive skills are developing. Children between the ages of 3 and 5 begin to develop representations of their own and others' mental states as well as learn to represent and construct narratives. Freudian psychologists and other personality theorists have identified these years as critical in the development of the personality. The author believes that if we can demonstrate that children's improvisational abilities develop during these years--and that their fantasy improvisations become more complex and creative--it might suggest that these social skills are linked to the child's developing ability to improvise with other creative performers.

What's Going on in There?
What's Going on in There?

Author: Lise Eliot

Publisher: Bantam

Published: 2010-06-16

Total Pages: 546

ISBN-13: 0307575381

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As a research neuroscientist, Lise Eliot has made the study of the human brain her life's work. But it wasn't until she was pregnant with her first child that she became intrigued with the study of brain development. She wanted to know precisely how the baby's brain is formed, and when and how each sense, skill, and cognitive ability is developed. And just as important, she was interested in finding out how her role as a nurturer can affect this complex process. How much of her baby's development is genetically ordained--and how much is determined by environment? Is there anything parents can do to make their babies' brains work better--to help them become smarter, happier people? Drawing upon the exploding research in this field as well as the stories of real children, What's Going On in There? is a lively and thought-provoking book that charts the brain's development from conception through the critical first five years. In examining the many factors that play crucial roles in that process, What's Going On in There? explores the evolution of the senses, motor skills, social and emotional behaviors, and mental functions such as attention, language, memory, reasoning, and intelligence. This remarkable book also discusses: how a baby's brain is "assembled" from scratch the critical prenatal factors that shapebrain development how the birthing process itself affects the brain which forms of stimulation are most effective at promoting cognitive development how boys' and girls' brains develop differently how nutrition, stress, and other physical and social factors can permanently affect a child's brain Brilliantly blending cutting-edge science with a mother's wisdom and insight, What's Going On in There? is an invaluable contribution to the nature versus nurture debate. Children's development is determined both by the genes they are born with and the richness of their early environment. This timely and important book shows parents the innumerable ways in which they can actually help their children grow better brains.