from HUMAN SCALE EDUCATION

Betty Peck is an American educator who has spent her life being with kindergarten age children. Inspired by the work of the Steiner Waldorf movement, by Froebel and Montessori and interestingly by her training in the British Infant Schools of the 1950s, she has produced this moving book as a testament to her life and work. Play, gardening, storytelling, festivals, music and drama provide the foundations of an holistic education for young children many miles away from the Early Learning Goals approach of the Department for Education and Skills.

This beautifully written book is full of practical tips as well as words of wisdom and will be welcomed by all early years teachers who want to find ways of releasing children's creativity and imagination.

from KINDLING, Issue 5

In 'Kindergarten Education', Betty Peck shares with us her enormous wealth of knowledge of the developing child and education today. She gives many suggestions for creating a harmonious and loving environment in which the child is able to play freely, and addresses the question of school readiness in terms of the teaching of literacy and numeracy.

Looking at Waldorf education and the principles on which it is based and how they support young children in their all-round development, she uses vivid examples from her own experience and research from other early years pioneers. She gives a wide variety of new songs and poems for every season, and for the celebration of festivals.

This is a wonderfully rich resource for both the teacher and parents. A book to have with you all year round!
Ellie Watson

from THE MOTHER, Issue Ten 15 Summer 2004

There is something magical about immersing yourself into the pages of this book. It is about meeting an extraordinary lady who has left such a beautiful impression on so many tender young lives. So much so that the memories are rich and alive well into their adult lives.

I had many moments of catching my breath at the sheer passion with which Betty Peck approached creating a kindergarten environment. If only more educational settings were gifted with such a teacher.
Without doubt, my favourite chapter was on the garden and importance of an environment for outdoor play. Betty Peck also describes what a living kindergarten is like and how the days and weeks are influenced by a rhythm.

Enjoy reading about the celebrations of the year and how they are imprinted into the kindergarten life, as well as the importance of the teacher, the classroom and the parents.

If you are considering a Steiner kindergarten for your child, this book should be at the top of your reading list. This is a very special book written by an amazing lady. Another brilliant book from Hawthorn Press.

from 'GATEWAYS', Spring/Summer 2004 no. 46

Betty Peck was a 'mainstream' kindergarten teacher for over fifty years before her retirement. She founded the Kindergarten Forum, and hosts it quarterly at her home in Saratoga, California. She has written a wonderful book on the young child that offers insight and suggestions. This book, as Joseph Chilton Pearce says, 'is must reading for every parent, would-be parent, and teacher world-wide.'

Contemplating the title gives a true sense of the content of this book, and it meets any expectations one could develop. Betty's knowledge and experience shines through every page as she offers ideas and inspirations for the work with young children in any sort of program setting. Her many anecdotes and references to various early years researchers make this book a valuable resource and just a plain-old 'good read.'

The editor of the Hawthorn Press Early Years series, Richard House, makes a couple of pertinent observations in an endnote to the book, which resound deeply with this reviewer. He says, 'The value of Kindergarten Education can hardly be overestimated, offering a creative alternative to what is rapidly becoming a lost art the art of being with young children...' and 'Betty Peck's love of celebration overflows throughout-her deep understanding of the way in which it nourishes the young child, and helps to confer a meaning upon, and reverence for, life...'

This book can nourish the lives of the early childhood educators and parents who look inside its covers and discover a treasure trove of creativity and wisdom that can enrich our work and the lives of the children we serve.

Betty Peck's work is a powerful example .for us all, especially because of her deepest love for the young child and her profound gratitude for the help she has received and for life itself. To end, I quote several 'Blessings' from Betty on page 178:

Blessings on the adults of this world who realize that the young child needs the warmth of earthly and human experiences that feed the senses in order for the expansion of their adulthood.
Blessings on all teachers who cultivate the imagination.
Blessings on all teachers who know the importance of real work in the life of the child.
Blessings on all teachers who know that to nourish their own spirit is the greatest gift to the child.

Blessings on Betty Peck for distilling her life's work and making it available for us all!

from 'EDUCATION OTHERWISE', April 2004

The author has been a life long kindergarten teacher. She writes about her kindergarten - the children's garden - a place where she believes children should be: outside playing, close to nature - touching, smelling, growing and celebrating the natural world. She created a peaceful, beautiful environment, free of synthetic materials, full of meaning, wonder, stories and festivals.

Her book gives many ideas for songs, activities and rituals, ideal for a small group or to be used at home. One lovely idea was to find a 'kindergarten baby'; the mother would come to the group throughout her pregnancy and talk about what was happening to her. The children would anticipate the wonderful, magical event of the birth and would all embroider squares for the baby, enjoying the preparation and participation. This celebration would also give the older brothers/sisters a great sense of pride. This has many heart warming stories, and is a very inspiring book, one that reminds you just how precious the first years are.

Hilary Woolf