Jane Vella and Kate Bass have both worked with young children in various settings for over 2 years each. They have a longstanding interest and expertise in the language and conceptual development of young children. Even though they spend a great deal of time and energy delivering training to a range of Local Authorities and schools across London, they are first and foremost practitioners. Working daily in an Early Years setting, they are, of course, accustomed to assessing children's individual needs and devising and implementing learning opportunities to extend their skills, knowledge and understanding. They then review and refine both the process and content of the learning in the light of their children's reactions and progress. The activities in their books are therefore thoroughly tried and tested so they hope you find them as useful as all their colleagues and co-workers do!