Resource Books

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 »

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

Children learn best through play. Did you know play supports children's skill building, from language and literacy to memory and math? Through play, children can experiment with words and concepts, express emotions and ideas, and make connections. "Playful Activities for Reading Readiness" offers purposeful, play-based activities to develop the foundational literacy and language skills young children need to succeed in school. Learn research-led tips to guide children to play their way… More »

Elevating Equity requires educators to be mindful of how to include children, families, and colleagues in all parts of early childhood programming. Elevating equity is all about creating systems that celebrate everyone! Sounds great - but how do you do it? Elevating Equity: Advice for Navigating Challenging Conversations in Early Childhood Programs takes a positive approach by embracing differences and meeting readers where they are. Get nonjudgmental, practical advice from an experienced trainer… More »

Contains over 600 activities written by teachers illustrating new ways to use everyday items to create fresh exciting projects. Also includes management techniques and helpful tips for working with 4 year olds. 624 pages

"Promoting Resilience For Now and Forever: This resource gives family-friendly information on promoting a child's social and emotional health at home. A Family Guide for Supporting the Social and Emotional Development of Infants and Toddlers", Second Edition supports families in understanding what social and emotional health of infants and toddlers is, how to recognize key behaviors, and how to support children's social/emotional health in the home setting in simple ways every day. Set… More »

Nature-based early childhood education is a rapidly growing trend! Although many schools and programs have incorporated nature-based learning, educators can feel at a loss when trying to evaluate quality in this learning approach. But don't worry - Evaluating Natureness: Measuring the Quality of Nature-Based Classrooms in Pre-K through 3rd Grade is here to help! Designed with early education practitioners, researchers, and policy makers in mind, the NAture-Based Education Rating Scales (NABERS)… More »

Ideal for sharing with pre-K educators new to the CLASS®! Provides an overview of the teacher-child interactions that form the popular classroom observation tool. Describes each of the 10 teacher-child interactions (or "dimensions") that make up the CLASS® assessment, explaining it's importance for children's social-emotional and academic growth. Provides practical strategies and tips to help teachers improve the effectiveness of their teaching across each of the CLASS® dimensions.… More »

Introduce teachers to the 10 dimensions of the CLASS® K-3 tool with this concise quick-guide, which includes practical teaching tips for strengthening each of the areas assessed with the popular observational tool. This guide is used with the bestselling CLASS® observational tool that measures interactions between children and teachers -- a primary ingredient of high-quality early educational experiences. With versions for toddler programs and PreK and K-3 classrooms, the reliable and valid… More »

This book includes over 600 math activities organized by curriculum area or time of the day. Each activity is complete with math concepts, materials needed, and step-by-step instructions. It is easy for the teacher and children to have fun learning new concepts. 528 pages.

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 »

This best selling book comes with 2 CD's featuring 50 songs. Children will build a strong foundation in skills such as listening, imagination, coordination, and spatial and body awareness. Accompanying songs are sure to get children up and moving! 500 pages.

You are not alone! Regardless of the type of early childhood center you lead, you have a diverse set of responsibilities, and managing them all can often feel like a delicate balance. Have you ever wondered if you are the only director facing a specific situation? "The Early Childhood Director's Guide to Solving Everyday Challenges" examines real-world issues experienced at actual child-care centers. Drawing on her years as a child-care licensing consultant and her extensive personal experience… More »

An invaluable collection of over 600 activities covering 48 themes, created by teachers from all over America. These are ideas that work and keep children learning and happy for days, weeks and months. Many activities include suggestions for extending the circle time or group activity into other areas of the curriculum such as math, science, snack, language, or field trips. Books and songs related to the acrtivity as well as original songs and poems are included. 510 pages.

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 »

Over 2000 experiences and ideas in one book. Designed for ages 12-36 months. Each of the 100 daily topics is divided into activities and experiments that enrich all skills through stories, music, art, exercise, and more. A detailed appendix offers quick reference to helpful tools. 640 pages.

In a complex and changing landscape of scare funding, high turnover rates, and differing view about priorities, the early childhood profession needs an anchor. The Whole Leadership Framework, developed by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, helps early childhood professionals inspire their staffs' collaboration, creativity, and ethical commitment. Learn how to: develop foundational leadership attributes and competencies, use both day-to-day management and long-range leadership skills,… More »

An early childhood classroom should reinforce and enhance young children's sense of belonging and connection to their environment, each other, their families, and their community. This book invites educators and administrators to rethink the traditional classroom, with inspirational examples showing how to weave elements that reflect each center's community into the classroom design. Colorful photos show what teachers can do to encourage a sense of community unique to each classroom. Easy-to-implement… More »

Professional development is important, but early childhood professionals get just as bored, worn out, and disengaged from learning as their younger counterparts do. But while pre-K and K-12 classroom learning continues to evolve and improve, adult learners are often left by the wayside! There must be a better way. "Lose the Lecture" brings administrators, coaches, and facilitators a new approach to professional development and adult learning that focuses on the learners-how they think,… More »

The ultimate resource book! Over 600 activities, stories, games, recipes, props, and dances to enhance any preschool curriculum. Plus a materials index, theme connection index, and thematic chart. Paperback. 512 pages.

Mary Jalongo, PhD, offers 65 strategies to support literacy learning with children from preschool through the third grade. With specific suggestions for ELL students, Jalongo includes recommendations for hundreds of great children's books, websites, and apps to make teaching easier. Each strategy is designed to be simple to use with all of the children in your classroom-from the not-yet-readers to the fluent readers-and each strategy is tied to the Common Core State Standards for kindergarten through… More »

With 52 weekly plans, this book makes it easy to come up with appropriate learning experiences that children will love. This essential classroom resource covers every topic and other things that you probably never thought of. 384 pages.

3 years & up. A comprehensive collection of the best art and craft activities for young children! These teacher created, classroom-tested art activities will engage children's imaginations! The result of a nationwide competition, these art and craft activities are the best of the best. Paperback 500 pages.

3 years & up. Leave your fears of science behind! Respond to children's natural curiosity with over 600 teacher-created, classroom-tested activities guaranteed to teach your children all about science while they are having fun. The result of a nationwide contest, the GIANT Encyclopedia of Science joins our bestselling GIANT Encyclopedia series. 575 pages.