Resource Books

This resource supplies 25 two-week themes, with a total of over 2,000 activities and ideas. Paperback, 463 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.

Set of 414 sequenced cards correlate with E-LAP™ domains and supply teaching procedures, developmental objectives, and suggested activities for expanding emerging skills. Cards are ideal for sending home with children who need additional skill practice.

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 »

From 'The Wheels on the Bus' to 'A Bicycle Built for Two', children will sing and learn about different types of transportation. The enclosed CD features 25 songs, old favorites and originals, and the book offers more than 300 activities that creatively expand on the transportation theme. All children love to sing and learn, so the book includes both English language learner strategies and special needs adaptations.

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.

For the littlest learners, everything is an activity--feeling a rock, trying to lick a bubble, smelling a flower, or poking sand. In this book, teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers will learn how these simple explorations support cognitive and vocabulary development. The book explains heuristic learning--discovery by trial and error--and how to encourage this type of learning to boost development. Through his explorations, the child is answering some fundamental questions: What is this… More »

You may know classroom environments are a complex interaction of physical elements, including sensory components, design and organization, aesthetics, nurturing attributes, and pedagogical resources. Did you know these elements are proven to work together to improve early learning, self-efficacy and higher order thinking skills, and ultimately to achieve better child outcomes? "Room to Learn" presents the Assessing the Pillars of the Physical Environment for Academic Learning (APPEAL)… More »

With the increase in both parents working outside the home during the last two decades, infants and toddlers are spending more time together in infant/toddler programs and family child-care homes. From Biting to Hugging will give you effective strategies to help you take advantage of this peer time. Enhance the quality of peer experiences in infant/toddler group settings. Create responsive adult-child relationships and environments. Encourage positive social emotional development and learning. Teach… More »

PreK & up. Self-directed, open-ended activities incorporating daily events and ordinary materials help children easily learn science and math. 246 pages.

Over 450 rhymes, songs, stories, and fingerplays with Spanish and English on each page to help build vocabulary and language skills. Organized by theme. 384 pages.

An insightful resource which offers over 400 tips, ideas, and activities to help infants and toddlers move smoothly through the day. Includes book lists on different topics and great ideas to help parents and teachers deal with big transitions in the child's life, such as separation anxiety and more. Age focus: Birth - 24 months. 168 pages.

This award-winning guide provides child care directors, teachers, and caregivers with essential information on the prevention and management of infectious diseases in group care settings. The newly revised and updated sixth edition is aligned with the most recent version of the premier AAP source of information on infectious diseases, Red Book(REG): 2021 - 2024 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 32nd Edition. The robust section of more than 55 quick reference fact sheets on common infectious… More »

This book features classroom activities from teachers around the globe, all focused on topics that teachers use every day. Organized by curriculum area, Learn Every Day® About Colors has 100 activities for children ages 3-6, providing teachers with innovative and fun ways to introduce and reinforce learning about colors. Each activity features learning objectives, related vocabulary, related children's books, materials needed, directions for preparation, instructions for each activity, and an… More »

Time and money are challenging, abstract concepts with concrete everyday importance. Using role-playing, games, songs, and dramatic play, 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Time and Money explores these difficult concepts through props, real-life scenarios, and imaginative play. 80 pages. Paperback.

Preschoolers have a sense of wonder about so many aspects of their world. They enjoy demonstrating their knowledge to others, and they are challenged to use their brains in fascinating new ways every day. Whether they are making clay figures, rolling cars down ramps, experimenting with writing, or exploring nature, they are expanding their mental horizons constantly. This book will help you understand typical milestones children tend to reach during the preschool years as they develop their ability… More »

Did you know that emotions boost our memory? Or that small muscle exercises help the brain develop? Early experiences contribute to the structure of the brain and its capacities. The quality, quantity, and consistency of stimulation will determine, to a large extent, the number of brain synapses that are formed and how those connections will function. This is true for both cognitive and emotional development, and the effect is lifelong. Start Smart offers simple, straightforward ways to boost brain… More »

3 - 6 years. In every classroom, there is a person who cares about the way children learn, grow, and feel--you, the teacher! The affirming verses and fanciful illustrations in A Teacher's Promise express what all teachers wish for the children they teach--that they develop self-confidence, perseverance, curiosity, and an enjoyment of learning. A Teacher's Promise can help ease fears children might have about joining a new classroom or child care setting. The book can help reassure children about… More »

Learning environments are an important topic as more and more teachers try to make their classrooms into places that support and inspire learning. This book shows early childhood teachers step-by-step how small changes can transform their classrooms into wondrous environments for children to learn and grow by using "before" and "after" pictures. Written in simple, down-to-earth language, this book introduces and describes the philosophy behind creative learning environments based… More »

A beginner's primer to providing professional child care for toddlers and two-year-olds! The elements of a quality learning environment are not the same for every age. The toddler years are unique, and what for preschool does not always work with toddlers. Complete with tips for creating a developmentally appropriate environment and experiences that stimulate muscles and minds, Focus on Toddlers gives caregivers the tools to craft a quality learning environment that's as unique as the needs of the children in their care.

With 100 classroom-tested activities this book makes it easy for teachers to incorporate discussions about caring for the Earth into any curriculum. Each activity features learning objectives, vocabulary, related children's books, materials, preparation (if necessary), directions, and an assessment component. Paperback.

Movement-inspiring activities reinforce good nutrition, health and motor skills! Young children learn best when they connect physical activity with learning! Up, Down, Move Around is packed with fun, simple activities that will have your children jumping, shaking, rolling, dancing, and clapping as they learn! From the Healthy Food Obstacle Course to the Bendy Bodies Stretch, children ages 3 to 6 will get moving as they learn and support an awareness of nutrition and health concepts as well as fine… More »

Sure, you know that children learn best through hands-on explorations. How does that work in a real classroom? With jam-packed days and mounting expectations, you're pressed for time and pushed to follow standards-based curricula. It's no wonder you struggle to incorporate STEAM activites each day. Provoking Curiosity brings new and easy-to-execute STEAM learning experiences that encourage children to think, explore, and wonder. Each exploration builds on core ideas in the STEAM disciplines, develops… More »

Get the most of the revised edition with this companion CD-ROM containing more than 40 pages of Core Learning Activity handouts plus sample posters for promoting a family-friendly program environment and sample cover letters and response forms.