Schemas are a fascinating part of children’s development. By spotting schemas practitioners, parents and carers can support children’s learning more effectively and make sense of seemingly unconnected behaviour. However, some of the standard texts about schema can be highly academic and this can sometimes discourage people from finding out more about this extremely interesting subject.

The “Spot the Schema” booklet produced by In The Picture solves this problem wonderfully. The booklet is beautifully produced, in an easy to read format, in bright colours. Eight of the most common schemas are covered, including transporting and enveloping. Each schema has a double page spread with signs to look out for, irritating behaviours and, most importantly, things you can do to extend learning and thinking. These are laid out in a stylish way and accompanied by some charming photographs of children playing.

But the real beauty of this booklet is its accessibility. Practitioners with little or no knowledge of schema can use this booklet immediately. Each schema is explained clearly with some really practical activities, which can be incorporated into the daily routines. The ‘signs to look out for’ sections summarise the salient points for each schema, including the children’s learning and development opportunities.

Particularly useful are the ideas for outings. All too often the advice given to practitioners concentrates on activities within the setting, without exploring the rich learning opportunities on trips and visits. These ideas are deceptively simple, but are the sorts of things that children would remember for a long time afterwards, such as watching marching in parades or visiting a train station.

There is a comprehensive reading list for those practitioners and parents who would like to read further about schema. The list includes the seminal book by Chris Athey, whose research identified the many different types of schematic play.

This booklet is suitable for those just coming across schematic play for the first time, as well as experienced practitioners, parents and carers who are looking for new ideas to support their children’s learning. The high production quality values will ensure that it will become a resource that will be used time after time.

Written by Kathy Brodie Early Years Professional and Trainer

This week, the School Food Trust are launching the brand new Children’s Food Trust and holding their first annual Children’s Food Trust Conference on Wednesday. With a strong focus on early years and the role of the parent in encouraging a healthy lifestyle, this is something the In The Picture Team can’t wait to get our teeth into!

If you’re looking for a handy way to make healthy eating easier for practitioners and parents, have a sneaky peak at our very own guide to healthy eating and active play, The Boy Who Became What He Ate by clicking on the video below.

We’re really excited to introduce you to the star of our new practical guide to healthy eating and active play: The boy who became what he ate.

Join our hero in an all-new story-led adventure that’s positively jam-packed with fun, sticky, squishy, squashy activities. It’s been made with parents, Early Years experts and nutritionists and the brilliant Dr. Robert Hicks, who narrates the story and adds in lots of really useful top tips.

And better still, there are two versions. The practitioner book has EYFS tips, best practice ideas and reflective questions and the Parent and Child edition is stuffed with tonnes of fun ideas and activities -it even has stickers! So now parents and practitioners can build effective and long-lasting partnerships just by singing from the same song sheet.

So if you’d like a free sample of this great new booklet, drop us a line at hello@inthepicture.info and we’ll pop one in the post for you.

We all have special stories we remember from our childhood. But what makes them special? Is it the place they were told in? Or the person they were told by? When we share stories, we’re not just sharing the words on a page, we’re also sharing experiences and memories.

That’s why we’re proud to have been a part of the Sharing Stories project initiated by The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education. Designed for Early Years practitioners to encourage parents to read with their children, this DVD and booklet produced by In The Picture, uses filmed footage from libraries, community settings and homes that shows families sharing in book-based activities across five different languages to help develop a child’s love of books before they start school.

You can find out more about this fantastic new resource along with details of how to get your hands on a copy by visiting:

http://www.clpe.co.uk/parents-families/sharing-stories

There’s also a great interview with Julia Eccleshare, the creator of the Sharing Stories project on the Nursery World website which you can see at:

http://www.nurseryworld.co.uk/news/1110112/New-resource-practitioners-encourage-parents-read-children/

We’ve searched high and low for the freshest, up-and-coming Illustrators and Animators from across the UK and now we’re proud to announce that the winner of The Great Illustrator Hunt is…

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop showcasing the latest developments in the Early Years field, then look no further. The Brighton Baby Expo is a fun family focused event, jam-packed with stalls and live demonstrations that guarantee to bring a smile to parent’s faces.

With some great on-stage performances from the Boogie Mites, Diddi Dance, the Numberjacks and Mister Maker, this year’s Brighton Baby Expo is going to be tough to beat next year!

We caught up with Harriet from the Boogie Mites who brought a huge amount of fun to the event by getting audience members off of their chairs and on to the stage to come and have a sing and dance!

Are you under the bed? Are you behind the tree? Are you sat in a caf’ with a hot cup of tea?

We’re scouring the country for the freshest, most innovative, peculiar, bizarre, and well, just darned fabulous illustrators and animators in town to help us bring to life a new range of children’s characters.

Excited?
Here comes the good part.

We’d love for you to submit sketches and/or animations that you think fit the brief outlined in the case file below to victoria@inthepicture.info by 12pm on Monday 21st November.

Case file:

Name: Sergeant Nutty

Character Traits: Militant, super organised, over energetic

Favourite Pastime: Creating armies from inanimate objects

The prize you say?

I thought you’d never ask. The winning artist will be contracted to design and create a full character series that will be published as a range of children’s books, toys, platform game and animated series.

So why not show us what you’ve got…

Creeping vines, candyfloss, rainbows and AstroTurf are just some of the many wonders of the Moshi universe that were recently discovered by Matt & Victoria at the Mind Candy HQ launch in East London – we loved the photo booth!

Kerry and Matt interview culinary master, Massimo Bottura, to appeal to the appetites of food lovers across the globe as part of the 20^th Anniversary celebration of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.

Insightful and touching, watch out for this fantastic interview about following your passion and being wild, whilst remembering to keep your feet on the ground!

Stop the press! Hold the phone! In The Picture have been shortlisted for the 2011 Nursery World Awards and we’re proud to spread the word and share the news with all our friends and family.

From humble beginnings almost ten years ago, we’re honoured and excited to have been recognised for our parent-partnership program, Look Who’s Talking which you can see here:

We’d love to hear what you think about the Look Who’s Talking Project and if you think we should win the award which you can do by either commenting here or tweeting to us @InThePictureLtd – we’d love to see who’s talking!