Resource Books

Challenging behaviors can derail an early childhood classroom, and punishment and exclusion aren't the answer. Young children need support and instruction to help them learn how to cooperate, listen, share, interact positively with their peers and with adults. Where to start? Effective Discipline Policies will be your go-to resource. Craft a developmentally appropriate, consistent, effective behavioral guidance policy. Create a system that supports young children's social-emotional competence. Provide… More »

With the help of the stories and activities in this book, take the time to watch, wonder, ask questions, talk about, and explore the world of science with your child. Use favorite children's books to investigate animals and insects, learn how plants grow and change, and discover how shadows grow and shrink. With four chapters that cover a multitude of themes, it's never been easier to deepen your child's understanding of important science and reading concepts at the same time! 144 pages. Paperback.

Emphasizing essential interpersonal skills that should be developed in early childhood, this guide offers a holistic approach to developing classroom communities in which each child feels recognized, appreciated, and able to contribute. Taking into account a teacher's goals, values, strengths, and weaknesses, guidance is offered for adjusting and planning for developmentally appropriate expectations, classroom organization, and communication with families. Filled with concrete examples and effective… More »

The engaging, exciting introduction to early math concepts will be a sure-fire hit with young children. They can go on geometric shape hunts, measure with pompoms, or find the missing numbers. Includes activities that relate to the National Standards in the back of the book. 208 pages.

You can't stop a disaster from happening, especially when Mother Nature is the force behind it. But, you can limit the amount of time your early childhood program is closed, pick up the pieces, and return to normal as quickly as possible. The key to serving children and their families again quickly is advanced planning. Preschool Preparedness for After a Disaster, the third book in the Preparing for the Unexpected Series, will help your center get up and running after the worst has happened. In… More »

"Teaching Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder" is a straightforward, easy-to-understand guide to working with children who have autism. It explains the major characteristics associated with autism and helps teachers understand the ways children with autism relate to the world. Each chapter offers specific strategies for teachers to use, including setting up a proactive preschool environment, helping children learn life skills, managing behavior, helping children with autism communicate,… More »

This book emphasizes creating positive relationships with parents and families as the foundation for strong, ongoing partnerships between parents and families and after-school programs. This edition includes revised and expanded learning activities and answer guides to reflect current issues and concerns; revised and expanded handouts; enhanced and expanded tools for assessing parent needs and concerns; new and expanded tip sheets for building connections with parents and families; and a selected… More »

Movement-inspiring activities reinforce key literacy and math concepts! Young children learn best when they connect physical activity with learning! Up, Down, Move Around is packed with fun, simple math and literacy activities that will have your children jumping, shaking, rolling, dancing, and clapping as they learn! From the Syllable Freeze Dance to a Math Orchestra, children ages 3 to 6 will actively explore letters and numbers as they develop number sense, practice counting and rhyming, and… More »

A young child's brain grows at a phenomenal rate in the first years of life. Revised and updated to reflect the latest research on how children learn, 125 Brain Games for Toddlers and Twos is packed with everyday opportunities to contribute to brain development. Each game is accompanied by an annotation on the latest brain research and how the activity promotes brain power in the critical period between twelve and thirty-six months. Paperback. 144 pages.

Updated to reflect the latest research about how children learn, the revised edition of 125 Brain Games for Babies is a fun-filled collection of ways to develop the brain capacity of infants. Included are everyday opportunities to nurture brain development in the critical period from birth through twelve months. Each game and sensory experience presented includes an annotation on the latest brain research and how the activity promotes brain power in babies. Paperback. 144 pages.

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 »

100 easy-to-do activities give children a peek into the lives of their creepy-crawler friends. Each activity features learning objectives, vocabulary, related children's books, materials, preparation (if necessary), directions, and an assessment component.

With the 100 activities included in this resource, teachers can easily incorporate learning about animals into any curriculum. Each activity features learning objectives, vocabulary, related children's books, materials, preparation (if necessary), directions, and an assessment component.

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 »

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

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 »

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.

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.

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 »

Children decide everyday to pretend to have a tea party, be a firefighter, open a pet store - all of these are opportunities to increase pre-reading skills. Literacy Play is packed with over 185 dramatic play activities that teach important pre-reading skills while bringing children's imaginations to life. Paperback 320 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 »

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.

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 »

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 »