Resource Books

No education professional wants to think about an active shooter on campus. Recent tragic events illustrate a clear and imminent need to prepare educators for these threats. Public institutions are required by law to follow rules and regulations to train for emergency responses, and several states have enacted or are considering enacting regulations specific to early childhood programs. "Preschool Preparedness for an Active Shooter," the first book in the new Preparing for the Unexpected… More »

With this book, teachers, parents, after-school caregivers, and anyone working with children will encourage creativity, promote the process of art exploration, and appreciate the significance of the resulting art. Each art experience has three parts; it is introduced by a simple activity, progresses to a more experienced level, and finishes with a more intricate primary art experience. Paperback.184 pages.

Take your children beyond the ordinary and into the amazing world of art! Children will explore and create with activities such as hair dryer painting, lawn prints, and face and body paint recipes. Paperback. 132 pages.

An essential resource all teachers can use. Tips and techniques on dealing with daily routines and schedules, managing behavior issues, and building a caring community in the classroom. 224 pages.

50 great ways to create with lace, string, fabric, glue, and other simple materials. Encourage children to experience the joy of exploration and discovery with this view series by MaryAnn Kohl. Make art fun and accessible to children of all ages with these creative, easy-to-do activities! Paperback. 64 pages.

Based on her popular Pre-K Now blog, Sophia Pappas' book Good Morning, Children provides an up-close and personal view of the challenges and successes of a beginning teacher. The book describes daily encounters with students, family members, and administrators; reflects on the state of early childhood education in America; and celebrates the ways the pre-K teacher can help prepare every child to succeed in both school and life. Paperback. 192 pages.

Parenting isn't always the joy it's made out to be. On the contrary, many parents feel they are struggling to maintain their sanity and control of their young children's behaviors. Offering realistic, practical advice for parents who want the joy back in parenting. Instead of getting bogged down in negative cycles, the book will help readers leave those behavior struggles behind and turn children on to cooperation and respect. The book will also help adults model their "best self" and… More »

3 years & up. Loaded with over 450 activities that allow children to learn at their own pace about spatial relationships, patterning, shapes, numeration, and many other math concepts. 272 pages.

Music and movement go together like books and reading--they spread joy! It's no secret that quiet doesn't always equal quality learning. At times, we struggle to help children settle down so they can listen and learn. However, we can also encourage them to move to the beat so they can listen and learn in more active ways. In this book, you will find activities that inspire curiosity, exploration, and creativity. When children are singing, moving, listening, and playing music, their creative energy… More »

Rainy Day Activities has everything you need to make being stuck inside fun! This resource is filled with quiet games to create relaxing moments, active games to get the wiggles out, and games that require no materials at all. 64 pages.

30 Fun Ways to Learn with Blocks and Boxes is full of small group and individual activities that explore construction, collaborative play, and basic math concepts. From building basic models and mazes to constructing complex stairs and bridges, these activities ignite children's imaginations and engage their creativity and critical thinking. 80 pages. Paperback.

Many Languages, One Classroom applies the latest information about best practices to all aspects of a preschool program. Designed to fit any preschool curriculum, this book addresses state standards and benchmarks of standard quality programming. Organized by interest areas and times of the day, you'll find everything you need to help English language learners during dramatic play, outdoor play, reading, science, blocks, and circle time. Each chapter is broken down into several sections: the environment,… More »

Babies are naturally active, and their movements help them explore their environment. They first move involuntarily, based on reflexes, and then learn to move more independently as their bodies grow stronger and they begin to investigate the world around them. You can encourage their muscle development, strength and balance with simple activities done with infants as young as six weeks old. Paperback. 96 pages.

"Jump into Science" is the perfect way to turn children's love of active games into learning opportunities! The activities in each chapter are organized by level of difficulty and each one incorporates fun, exciting science experiences with movement. Most activities require few or no materials and include related children's books or music to extend the learning. The science skills index is an invaluable reference tool giving teachers flexibility to plan around children's interests. Paperback. 132 pages.

Children can make 150 edible activities. 89 activities require no baking, 64 activities use 5 ingredients or less, and 25 activities require only 10-15 minutes to prepare. 13 different food categories are represented with icons. The 12 theme-related chapters include Shapes & Forms, Numbers & Letters, Transportation & Travel, Building & Construction and Animals & Creatures. Paperback, 192 pages

Early childhood is a critical time in human development. Understanding and supporting children's wellness early on can make the greatest impact on physical, social and emotional, and cognitive health throughout childhood and adulthood. This book provides a comprehensive collection of checklists and research-based information to help you evaluate and improve wellness in your program, making it a safe, happy place for each person -- child and adult -- who passes through the doors. The checklists cover… More »

Through the activities in this book, teachers and caregivers are shown how easy it is to foster children's sense of curiosity through group explorations that promote social connection and positive development. With step-by-step instructions, "Getting to the Heart of Learning' weaves social-emotional learning into activities that support math, science, literacy, and motor skills. Rather than adding in activities throughout the day, these explorations integrate social-emotional learning across… More »

Counting is the foundation for future math learning. Pairing and sorting objects, understanding numbers and quantity, and counting can all be introduced with simple activities. 30 Fun Ways to Learn About Counting brings these skills into the classroom with fun and engaging games and activities! 80 pages. Paperback.

Parents and caregivers often seek ways to stimulate their little learners, but don't know where to start. While many conveniences have come our way in the digital age, none has made the process of guiding children through their years of growth and development any quicker, easier or less complex. Fun Baby Learning Games brings a new approach to having fun and learning: incorporate theory and research-backed activities in a fun and engaging way, help your infant or toddler nurture his/her skills and… More »

Explore fun and engaging ways to talk, sing, read, write, and play with young children throughout the day to help them begin developing important pre-literacy skills, including phonological awareness, print awareness, letter knowledge, and background knowledge. These practical techniques will help you put the children in your care on the path to school readiness! Paperback. 176 pages.

Written by Carol Stock Kranowitz, The Out-Of-Sync Child was the first of its kind to explain SPD - Sensory Processing Disorder - and provide parents a drug-free alternative in helping their children grow and adjust in the world. This is the revised addition, offering new sections on hearing and vision, and how this disorder often appears alongside other conditions.

Engage children with meaningful constructive play! This book provides educators of young children with guidance in how to create early childhood environments that support children's natural need to play. It includes strategies for creating and scaffolding the block play experience, recommends children's books that support the learning, and outlines ways to match behaviors, content, and concepts to learning standards. Lesson plans include: Thanksgiving -- sharing and giving; our families and ourselves;… More »

Featuring 100 well-loved children's books, Starting with Stories has more than 1500 activities to actively engage every learning style. First, choose one of the 100 popular children's books to read together. Then enhance the experience with ideas for learning centers, activities, and literacy experiences. Connect with children's eight multiple intelligences through creative and engaging math, art, dramatic play, fine motor, writing, blocks, science, and discovery activities. It's all here--everything… More »

Create readers while creating art! Contains activities that reinforce letter recognition and pre-reading skills. 160 pages.