Primary Teaching Assistants: Learners and Learning draws together the key ideas that are of central importance to teaching assistants and other support staff working in primary schools. It presents a rich variety of material written by teachers, teaching assistants, researchers and parents, that has been carefully chosen to offer a broad-based understanding of learning and the contexts in which learners can engage with learning.

Roger Hancock is an Educational Consultant and Researcher.
Janet Collins is a Staff Tutor at The Open University.
Mary Stacey is a Writer and an Educational Consultant.

Introduction Section 1: Learning support Introduction to Section 1 1. Ten titles and roles 2. 'They call me wonder woman' 3. Supporting human Rights 4. My history of helpers 5. Klaus' story 6. Calm, purposeful, happy 7. Nadia's education 8. Support in a mathematics lesson Section 2: Learners and learning Introduction to Section 2 9. What is education for? 10. Learning: 'Let us out...' 11. Home education and informal learning 12. Living and learning 13. Net gains for 'slum' children 14. Information and communication technology 15. Assessment 16. Fighting the fuzzies 17. Homework Section 3: Learning relationships Introduction to Section 3 18. Institutional rites and rights 19. 'It's not fair - anyway, we've got rights!' 20. Hearing the silence 21. Understanding eating disorders 22. Gypsies and Travellers 23. Considering communication 24. Tackling bullying 25. Anti-cyber bullying policy 26. Boys don't cry 27. Police in schools 28. Supporting learning and behaviour Section 4: Learners' identities Introduction to Section 4 29. Looking out for little miss popular 30. Language, culture and class 31. A balance of power: observing a teaching assistant 32. Life as a disabled head 33. Learners in the driving seat 34. An interactive pedagogy for bilingual children 35. Beyond pink and blue 36. Working with boys