Administration & Program Development

Preschool is a time of wonder when curiosity, development, and learning intersect. While the new sights, routines, and experiences can make preschool exhilarating, what about children who struggle? Perhaps they exhibit odd behaviors: chewing on clothing, covering their ears, avoiding certain textures, refusing to sit with peers, screaming when frustrated, hitting, kicking, or biting. "Wired Differently" will help you to decode what may seem like every day challenging behaviors. It's possible… More »

Equity means individuals get what they need to succeed. As early childhood classrooms and programs become increasingly more culturally and linguistically diverse, educators need ideas for connecting with families to learn what children need. The more families are engaged, the better the outcomes for children. Early childhood administrators and teachers collaborate to create equitable and inclusive learning environments where children and families feel welcome. Building Equitable Early Learning Programs:… More »

A positive, strengths-based leadership system is the key to transforming the quality of early childhood programs. Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership lays out strategies designed to support program leaders in finding new ways to reduce the levels of stress on themselves and their staff, and move into a unified, engaging system for leading with passion, intention, and purpose. Author Susan MacDonald's goal is to take leaders past their challenges with a vision of new possibilities so they can ensure… More »

Play is learning! But play in the early years is endangered by the emphasis on push-down academics, mounting parental expectations, and pressures on early childhood teachers to prepare young children for the rigors of kindergarten and beyond. With all of that, gains made by play experiences, including readiness skills and social-emotional development, have fallen away. Young children learn best through play. This book helps educators understand the different types of play and the rich opportunities… More »

Available in packages of 10 booklets, each with 6 observation sheets and 1 scoring summary sheet, these are the forms needed to conduct the Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS® ) Toddler observation. These forms are a part of CLASS®, the bestselling classroom observational tool that measures interactions between children and teachers -- a primary ingredient of high-quality early educational experiences. With versions for toddler programs, PreK, and K-3 classrooms, the reliable… More »

The child-care industry--essential to American families and to the American economy--is on the verge of collapse. Before COVID-19 struck, the child-care industry faced funding issues and staffing dilemmas, while families struggled to find--or simply afford--quality child care. The reality is that COVID-19 has only exacerbated the challenges of the already-fragile child-care ecosystem. America's Child-Care Crisis takes a hard look at the current state of the industry and explores how to save this… More »

This tri-fold laminated sheet is a handy reference for users of the popular CLASS® Toddler observation tool. Available in convenient packages of 5, this sturdy quick-sheet shows evaluators what to look for while observing each of the 8 CLASS® Toddler dimensions and scoring the tool. This product is part of CLASS®, the bestselling classroom observational tool that measures interactions between children and teachers -- a primary ingredient of high-quality early educational experiences.… More »

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The Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) is the first valid and reliable tool for measuring and improving the overall quality of business and professional practices in family child care settings. It is applicable for multiple uses, including program self-improvement, technical assistance and monitoring, training, research and evaluation, and public awareness. It is currently embedded in many state quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS) across the nation.

Infants and toddlers need caring adults to help them learn emotional competence-how to understand, express, and manage emotions. By supporting their development in the early years, educators can create a strong foundation that will give young children important life skills and resilience. Paperback. 152 pages.

Effective teacher-student interactions are a primary ingredient of high-quality early educational experiences. With the popular CLASS® observational tool, schools can accurately assess classroom quality in K-3 classrooms based on teacher-student interactions rather than the physical environment or a specific curriculum. Spiral-bound. 128 pages.

Feel confident and competent when it comes to choosing and implementing the most appropriate technology tools for your early childhood classroom!

In the United States, the number of children who come from homes where they speak languages other than English is rising. Despite the common misperception that dual language learners are slower learners or have special needs, research shows that they have better executive function and cognitive skills. Their brains are doing double duty! "Strength in Diversity: A Positive Approach to Teaching Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood" offers teachers context, practical advice, and strategies… More »

The highly anticipated toddler version of the CLASS® tool is here -- providing early childhood programs with an accurate, reliable way to assess effective classrooms. For use with children from 15 - 36 months, this standardized observation tool measures the effectiveness of interactions between teachers and children, a primary ingredient of early educational experiences that prepare children for future school success. Spiral-bound, 80 pages.

"Lead the Way" provides short, self-guided overviews that both aspiring and practicing after school professionals need to thrive in their roles. The 24 fundamental insights and strategies can be used as professional development topics with after school program staff, laying the foundation for the program to recruit, retain, and grown effective leaders. Paperback. 120 pages.

Storms, flooding, earthquakes, epidemics, tornadoes, fire. You hope it never happens, but you know you need to be ready. "Preschool Preparedness for an Emergency," the second book in the Preparing for the Unexpected Series, will train you for a worst-case scenario. While this may seem like a daunting task, it's easier when you break it down. Emergency-preparedness expert Andrew Roszak will teach you how to: reduce potential harm or damage; develop and test emergency action plans; empower… More »

Provides real-world answers for directors who work in the field of early childhood education. Addresses key issues such as training staff, handling discipline, dealing with parents, and creating partnerships in the community. For anyone who is a director or wishes to someday become a director, this book is the ultimate "can't-do-without-it" survival kit.

With the infant version of the trusted, widely used CLASS® tool, early childhood programs have an accurate and reliable way to assess teacher-infant interactions, a primary component of positive early experiences. Developed for use with children from birth to 18 months, the CLASS® Infant tool specifically focuses on how teachers engage with infants and support their learning and development during everyday routines and activities. With clear guidance and background information, this manual… More »

You've probably seen it: frustration builds, teacher turnover rises, staff meetings become insufferable, indifference breeds throughout the school. Spark change! When your staff feels supported and empowered to grow and develop their skills, your program and the children will thrive. "Inspiring Professional Growth," the follow-up to Inspiring Early Childhood Leadership, addresses the need for offering nurturing and empowering professional development. This book provides leaders with a… More »

Now that you've identified the market need for high-quality child care and you've taken the first steps to building your practice, what's next? How do you ensure quality care? How do you create a culture of growth and stem turnover? The Basics of Leading a Child-Care Business, the second book in The Business of Child Care series, explains how to develop and lead a high-quality program where children can play and learn in the care of a well-educated, committed, and trained workforce. Explore key… More »

Open the door to teaching infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds successfully with these 300 activities linked to the latest development in child development. Observe what your children are already doing, then give them varied opportunities to develop at their own pace. This book outlines a typical development sequence in ten domains: social/emotional, fine motor, gross motor, language, cognitive, sensory, nature, music and movement, creativity, and dramatic play. Chapters on appropriate curriculum… More »

Children are expected to read, write, count, and sit still at younger and younger ages. As these unrealistic expectations mount, family members and teachers alike continue to believe that these activities will prepare young children for school. But there is a better way one that helps children build school readiness through developmentally appropriate activities. Best of all? The children can have fun! Building on Emergent Curriculum guides preschool teachers to tap into young children's natural… More »

For experts in the field of early care and education, defining and providing technical assistance can be as difficult as nailing jelly to the wall. Learn to effectively coach, mentor, and train early childhood teachers and administrators with guided experiences, strategies, and activities to provide technical assistance in specific program areas like parent involvement, science, outdoor play, music. and art. 144 pages. Paperback.

Maltreatment during the first three years of life is of utmost concern. Not only are the numbers of harmed infants and toddlers staggering, maltreatment during this vulnerable period alters children's development in such a way that it robs them of reaching their full human potential. As an infant-toddler child-care provider, you are a "first responder" to this national crisis, playing a key role in the early identification of maltreatment and unhealthy patterns of development. You can… More »