reading list

[poppie]

Hi i am doin my 2nd yr of the foundation degree & am reviewing my reading list & am unsure about the books as i do not want to waste my muny on books that are no good if you have read any please comment as i would be very great full
1. childhood in society for early childhood studies.(2010)
2.understanding childrens development 4th edition.(2003)
3. rethinking childhood. attitudes in contemporary society.(2009)
4.the early years foundation stage: theory and practice.(2009)
5. child development for the early child hood studies. (2010)

please comment and or recommend books that u are or have used that have been great help.

[Heidi]

Originally Posted by poppie

Hi i am doin my 2nd yr of the foundation degree & am reviewing my reading list & am unsure about the books as i do not want to waste my muny on books that are no good if you have read any please comment as i would be very great full
1. childhood in society for early childhood studies.(2010)
2.understanding childrens development 4th edition.(2003)
3. rethinking childhood. attitudes in contemporary society.(2009)
4.the early years foundation stage: theory and practice.(2009)
5. child development for the early child hood studies. (2010)

please comment and or recommend books that u are or have used that have been great help.

Without the authors, these titles could be attributed to many, as numerous books on the 'Early Years' subject have near identical titles.

As this is your second year, you will be getting a feel of what authors or reading style you prefer. The reading list is a guide ( and a good one) of what will help you, but by no means obligatory. You can research and choose your own reading material and mix it with a book or two from your reading list.

You'll be expected to use a certain number of academic references depending on the essay word count, so make sure you feel confident that you have enough reading references for what is expected of you; but that can be a mixture of books, journals etc.
It's no good having just one or two books, no matter how good they are - as it doesn't show further reading, research or learning. Everyone always seems to want the book you are after and often they may appear scarce in the library, so if you are serious about getting a good qualification - invest in some books; they don't all have to be brand spanking new, but second hand ones from Amazon, ebay or charity shops a.

I (personally) feel books by (or about) theorists such as Piaget, Vygotsky, Bruner, Bowlby etc and perhaps some on a more modern outlook i.e. Lindon, Berk, Bruce, Robinson ( and many many others - a variety of your choice) and will stand you in good stead throughout your degree and beyond into your practice. Add to this one or two books as you research and learn of specific subjects or areas i.e. whether you are looking/comparing at education in alternative teaching or other countries/cultures or outdoor play. This will add to your repertoire of knowledge and books.

I think you have to ask yourself - what section you fall into - a student that buys and then sells all their books after completion of their degree or one that keeps them to use. The choice is yours but this may help give you an indication ( money premitting) of what you wish to do, but regardless of that they will be a good investment.

It's very difficult to give you specific advice, as I remember liking very different styles and authors and having an interest in very different areas to others. One thing I remember was taking books to university with me, as did others to share and compare what we'd bought; that use to save us money on not buying books that we didn't feel were right for us, but on the other hand, I ordered one or two I felt I should have.

Put your reading list details into Amazon as sometimes you can 'dip' into the book and you can see if you like the layout and look at the index to see if it has anything on the area that you need or they may be an 'online' book for you to peruse.

I hope this helps you a little on choosing your books.

[tutu]

you need to read EVERYTHING on your core reading list and at list 2 from the suggested reading list. theres no short cuts to a degree esp in the second year which is at a much higher level. i would say all of these are essentials BUT as a lecturer i am looking for much more than this. these are the books i tell my lot they must read, i am unimpressed if these are their major refs the extra they read is the icing. have you applied for a book grant from the early years or your setting?
hours in the library is the norm at this level, internet or good book collection notwithstanding.

[Heidi]

Yes, Tutu is right.

I forget that we are all different and I already owned (and read) a very large collection of books and read all my reading list before I started any degree.

I shouldn't assume that others read or will want to read as much as I do. This (as Tutu says) is your core knowledge and if you read and research as much as you can, you'll find it really helps gain you top grades. It was noticeable that students who did not do so struggled.

If I had answered you how I first thought - it would be to read everything and more!

[tutu]

YES Heidi. it does amaze me how many students dont read the reading list as if it is something that has been put together just to fill up a page! How anyone even begins to imagine that they have the knowledge they need to complete a degree without reading is beyond me. i have learners who by xmas still haven't read a book and never read a paper and then wonder why they are getting a 3 , just about! they will fail or drop out and it is everyone else's fault! lol lol ! seriously i asked my lot to present an article they had read this week and 10 of the 16 hadn't read a paper and 4 of the 6 left had read the sun or metro! i do think this is a huge flaw in the OU and distance learning system though. many people do as little as possible to get through and when you dont attend a class and get nagged by lecturers it is easy to do. i have wonderful learners a superb class but have had to teach them from scratch reading, skimming , canning and study skills as they all dod their NVQs train to gain and have no academic skills whatsoever. we disable people who wish to go further, through train to gain.

[poppie]

:reading: hi thanks for evry1s comments in regards to the list i had posted i would be very greatful if anybody has and recommendations as to additional books which would be an extremly good read and help with the course or just for help with essays or just good reads in general