A Forest Days Handbook: Program Design for School Days Outside

A Forest Days Handbook: Program Design for School Days Outside
Author: Eliza Minnucci
Publisher:
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2018-09-11
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9781732266261

Written by Eliza Minnucci with Meghan Teachout The Forest Days Handbook answers the frequently asked questions about choosing an outdoor classroom space, developing routines, building light infrastructure, and offers narrative examples of what a kindergarten Forest Day might look like. Accompanied by photos of students on their Forest Day, and with a foreword by David Sobel, this book gives a passionate teacher the confidence to step beyond the schoolyard. Included as an appendix is also a collection of case studies commissioned by AUNE describing three public kindergarten Forest Day programs. Students, teachers, parents and administrators weigh in with their perspectives on the Forest Day movement.

Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens

Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens
Author: David Sobel
Publisher: Redleaf Press
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2015-12-01
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1605544299

Everything you need to get started and succeed in a nature preschool or forest kindergarten.

Forest School and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years

Forest School and Outdoor Learning in the Early Years
Author: Sara Knight
Publisher: SAGE
Total Pages: 177
Release: 2013-06-17
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1446281655

Outdoor learning continues to play an essential role in early years education, and this new edition of a bestselling book explores how the Forest School approach can be easily and effectively incorporated into early years practice. Expanding on aspects of Forest School teaching, and drawing on new developments and policy changes within the field, this new edition also includes: - a new chapter on working with parents - greater coverage of the 0-2 age range - new case studies to aid learning - coverage of international approaches to Forest School Yet again Sara Knight delivers an inspirational text for all those working in or studying early years education and care. Sara Knight is an experienced early years educator and Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. She is a trained Forest School practitioner and author of Forest Schools For All and Risk and Adventure in Early Years Outdoor Play (both published by SAGE).

The Sky Above and the Mud Below

The Sky Above and the Mud Below
Author: David Sobel
Publisher: Redleaf Press
Total Pages: 536
Release: 2020-09-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1605546836

David Sobel’s follow-up to Nature Preschools and Forest Kindergartens walks readers through the nitty-gritty facts of running a nature-based program. Organized around nine themes, each chapter begins with an overview from the author, followed by case studies from diverse early childhood programs, ranging from those that serve at-risk children to public preschools to university farm programs to Waldorf schools. Sample newsletters in each chapter show how real programs have tackled tough questions and sticky situations. The programs featured in these newsletters are from across the United States: Maryland, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Alabama, Connecticut, Illinois, Vermont, California, Michigan, Rhode Island, Louisiana, and Indiana.

Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education
Author: Stephen T. Schroth
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2023
Genre: Outdoor education
ISBN: 3031354222

"This is a superb book, and does a wonderful job of relating the current state of research related to outdoor, environmental, and place-based education. The book provides a roadmap showing others to identify problems, develop research questions, put together data, and disseminate information to third parties." Joan Franklin Smutny, Founding Director of the Center for Gifted, a Northern Illinois University Partner, and Director of the Midwest Torrance Center for Creativity This book explores the phenomenon of outdoor education, an approach that permits children from all backgrounds to explore environmental, sustainability, and other issues facing them and their communities. Organized around both the conceptual and the practical issues facing school leaders interested in outdoor education, the book provides a wealth of resources for those interested in implementing outdoor education in their schools or classrooms. Infinitely flexible, outdoor education provides a lens through which teachers may explore any content area with any age group of children. Providing readers with both the theoretical underpinnings that support place-based curriculum as well as practical ways to implement an outdoor education program, the book also provides seven case studies that examine the issues facing school leaders desiring to make such a change. It guides those interested in exploring outdoor education through the curricular, instructional, and policy considerations needed to accomplish this goal. Stephen T. Schroth is Professor of Early Childhood Education/Gifted & Creative Education at Towson University, USA. He is the author of eight monographs, multiple book chapters, and numerous articles, and has taught pre-service teachers and graduate students for over twenty five years.

Educating Children Outdoors

Educating Children Outdoors
Author: Amy Butler
Publisher: Cornell University Press
Total Pages: 262
Release: 2024-03-15
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1501771914

Educating Children Outdoors is a resource for educators interested in spending extended periods of time in nature with their students. Bringing over two decades of experience working outdoors with teachers and students, Amy Butler offers curricular guidance on nature-based lessons that align with K–12 education standards and build on the innate curiosity and wonder children have for the natural world. This book will help the educator: - Learn successful routines and practices to make learning outdoors safe and engaging - Understand protocols for real and risky play - Draw inspiration from real-life stories from other teachers about learning in nature - Meet NGSS and Common Core standards outdoors with seasonal lessons that are child-centered - Be part of the movement to support children in becoming reconnected with the natural world and the places they call home With twenty-five lessons in five units of study spread out across a seasonal school year and appendixes that offer templates for learning, Educating Children Outdoors is essential for educators looking to harvest the benefits of a nature-based curriculum.

Lens on Outdoor Learning

Lens on Outdoor Learning
Author: Wendy Banning
Publisher: Redleaf Press
Total Pages: 218
Release: 2010-11-23
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1605541850

The outdoors is full of rich learning experiences for preschool and pre-kindergarten children. Lens on Outdoor Learning is filled with stories and colorful photographs that illustrate how the outdoors supports children's early learning. Each story is connected to an early learning standard such as curiosity and initiative; engagement and persistence; imagination, invention, and creativity; reasoning and problem-solving; risk-taking, responsibility, and confidence; reflection, application, and interpretation; and flexibility and resilience. Much of the teaching in these experiences is indirect and involves provisioning, observing, and conversing with children as they spend quality time in nature. Children's dialogue and actions are included in each story to show just how engaged they became during these experiences. Lens on Outdoor Learning will inspire early childhood professionals to use this outdoor approach in their own setting. Wendy Banning is coordinator of Irvin Learning Farm, an inquiry-based, hands-on outdoor learning space for children and adults in North Carolina. She is also an educational consultant, teacher, trainer, and photographer. Ginny Sullivan is co-principal of Learning by the Yard, a partnership of landscape architects and educators that helps schools develop their grounds as habitat, focusing on native plants. Ginny consults, trains teachers, and involves schools and centers in the design of their outdoor spaces to help children learn about the natural world.

School, Family, and Community Partnerships

School, Family, and Community Partnerships
Author: Joyce L. Epstein
Publisher: Corwin Press
Total Pages: 508
Release: 2018-07-19
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1483320014

Strengthen programs of family and community engagement to promote equity and increase student success! When schools, families, and communities collaborate and share responsibility for students′ education, more students succeed in school. Based on 30 years of research and fieldwork, the fourth edition of the bestseller School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action, presents tools and guidelines to help develop more effective and more equitable programs of family and community engagement. Written by a team of well-known experts, it provides a theory and framework of six types of involvement for action; up-to-date research on school, family, and community collaboration; and new materials for professional development and on-going technical assistance. Readers also will find: Examples of best practices on the six types of involvement from preschools, and elementary, middle, and high schools Checklists, templates, and evaluations to plan goal-linked partnership programs and assess progress CD-ROM with slides and notes for two presentations: A new awareness session to orient colleagues on the major components of a research-based partnership program, and a full One-Day Team Training Workshop to prepare school teams to develop their partnership programs. As a foundational text, this handbook demonstrates a proven approach to implement and sustain inclusive, goal-linked programs of partnership. It shows how a good partnership program is an essential component of good school organization and school improvement for student success. This book will help every district and all schools strengthen and continually improve their programs of family and community engagement.

Nature Play Workshop for Families

Nature Play Workshop for Families
Author: Monica Wiedel-Lubinski
Publisher: Quarto Publishing Group USA
Total Pages: 147
Release: 2020-07-14
Genre: Crafts & Hobbies
ISBN: 1631598694

National Outdoor Book Award Winner: A fun, practical guide to outdoor play that sparks a connection to nature vital to children’s healthy development. Today children and families are often plugged into electronics and disconnected from direct experiences in nature. This beautifully photographed resource offers tangible approaches to nature-based learning and play for children. Parents and teachers can discover the benefits of outdoor learning and simple ways to facilitate unplugged nature connection in every season. Inspired by nature preschools, forest kindergartens, and forest school models the world over, this guide also includes “Voices from the Field” with advice from experienced nature-based educators. Balancing nature play experiences with hands-on projects using natural materials, it’s an ideal jumping off point for immersive nature play. Examples include: Wildlife observation and tracking Nature sounds, songs, and poetry Gardening and cooking with wild edibles Printmaking, charcoal drawing, dyeing, and shadow play Journaling inspired by nature “Voices from the Field” includes more ideas and tips contributed by leading educators, including: Sally Anderson, Sol Forest School, Tijeras, New Mexico * Yash Bhagwanji, Florida Atlantic University * Lauren Brown, Asheville Farmstead School * Peter Dargatz, Woodside Elementary School, Sussex, Wisconsin * Monica French, Wild Haven Forest Preschool and Childcare, Baltimore, Maryland * Patricia Leon, Miami Nature Playschool * Sheila William Ridge, Shirley G. Moore Lab School, Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota * Beth Savitz, Irvine Nature Center, Owings Mills, Maryland * Maria Soboleski, New Mexico School for the Deaf * Paige Vonder Haar, Bunnell House Early Childhood Lab School, Fairbanks, Alaska * Susie Wirth, Arbor Day Foundation and Dimensions Foundation