DRC All Resources

This article includes practical, supportive behavior strategies for children on the autism spectrum. While written for parents, many of the strategies can be adapted for the classroom setting and can even help children without autism who have challenging behaviors. Program staff can begin practicing these strategies to support inclusive classrooms.

Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) offers strategies practitioners can create a relationship-based culture supporting family engagement. Practitioners will further build their knowledge in making successful, collaborative program staff and family partnerships.

The Circle Infant and Toddler Curriculum provides everything your program needs to implement positive and engaging learning environments and experiences that support children’s individual needs, interests, and abilities while building a joy for learning.

The Circle Pre-K Curriculum supports the cognitive, social, and emotional development of pre-K children. Professional development resources such as video tutorials, lesson plan templates, and the teacher’s manual act as curriculum planning supports for weekly planning and instruction. This research-based curriculum and its resources are freely available to early learning programs through CLI Engage.

These photos show an environment where children can be actively engaged in hands-on activities using real objects. These materials are thoughtfully organized in different interest areas, allowing children to explore and learn through direct interaction.

Here is an exemplary written policy outlining how a program supports families and children who may need additional accommodations. Program leaders can include similar policies in the program’s family handbook as evidence of programmatic processes and classroom accommodations for families and children to include home language, differing abilities, and/or cultural backgrounds. This sample is available in English and Spanish.

Program staff can use this online module by the Vanderbilt IRIS Center to learn about how to accommodate children with visual disabilities in a physical learning environment by becoming familiar with common devices used, techniques on how to guide children and tips for setting up the classroom.

Early identification can significantly impact the life of a young child with a developmental delay or disorder. Act Early Texas! offers parents and early childhood professionals valuable information to pinpoint areas where a child’s development may differ from their peers, ensuring timely intervention.

This publication from WGBH Educational Foundation gives suggestions on how to use songs to label concepts and to narrate the actions children may take. Using songs to label actions and concepts build children’s vocabulary so they are more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

Action Songs, a publication created by Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education and Care, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support a playful attitude. The reader will read about how they can engage toddlers in repetitious songs which are fun but also help with vocabulary expansion.

PBS Kids for Parents has a variety of crafts, experiments, and learning activities for families to do at home with their children. Families can filter this free activity collection by age, topics, and their child’s favorite PBS television show.

This article includes tips for small changes to teaching and classroom setup that go a long way in supporting children with special needs. It also includes links to additional recommendations that help programs meet the needs of children with specific types of disabilities.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers showcase their ability to adjust their behavior to meet the needs, interest and abilities of infant, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. The teachers show no preference or rejection towards any of the children in their care.

Through a read-aloud, children learn how to name their and others’ feelings. Practitioners can stop during reading to encourage children to act out feelings or make connections between the book and their lives. Modeling and encouraging children to express their feelings supports their emotional development.

While participating in a read-aloud about feelings, children name feelings and talk about what makes them feel that way. If a child says “fall down” in response to a question about what makes him sad, the teacher might provide a short explanation by saying, “Jordan feels sad when he falls down.” Identifying feelings and what caused them is an important step in developing children’s self-regulation skills.

In this video exemplar, the teachers pause to give the children an opportunity to respond. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

Here is a template of an annual feedback survey for families to complete. Program leaders can use a similar survey—hard copy or electronic—to provide families with the opportunity to provide structured feedback on the program, staffing, and classrooms. Download will start automatically.

Use of this reflective document will support staff in identifying which future training topics (aligned with the Texas Core Competencies) would be beneficial to their professional development. This document should be used in tandem with the staff’s Annual Professional Development/Training Plan.

Teachers can use this word-reading game as an intentional activity on its own or to transition children. Because the goal of the game is to recognize words quickly, children don’t have to wait a long time for their turn.

In this video exemplar, the teachers asks the infant questions about the objects in the book and the outdoor learning environment. labeling objects in the book and within the outdoor learning environment. Teachers can initiate conversations with young children by asking a variety of questions during activities and routines.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asks questions to offer the child a choice on how to throw the ball. Teachers can initiate conversations with young children during play, routines, and structured activities by asking a variety of questions.

In this activity, children practice asking for what they need or want. Modeling for children how to ask for things helps them communicate clearly, which will prevent frustration and challenging behaviors.

In this activity, children practice asking for what they need or want. The teacher’s responses in the scripted scenario are warm and sensitive. Teaching children how to put their feelings into words will ensure you can help them solve a problem effectively. When a child shares their needs with you, continue the interaction until you’ve fully met them.

This publication provides teachers a few ideas to build toddlers’ conversational skills, such as noticing children’s signals and asking them questions. Teachers can have meaningful and back-and-forth conversations with children by asking open-ended questions and then allowing children time to respond.

In this video exemplar you will see teachers support toddlers, preschoolers, and school age children as needed to communicate effectively as conflict arises with their peers.

Authentic assessment practices involve observing children’s engagement in everyday activities. Use the assessment information to identify classroom activities and teacher-child interactions that promote a child’s engagement in the activities, maximize the child’s learning opportunities, and promote child participation and learning in classroom activities.

This teacher takes her time explaining the activity and modeling how to share writing aloud. She does not rush the child, and she shows interest by asking questions and bringing attention to the details in the drawing. The teacher remains patient as she facilitates conversations between the children.

In the document Babble Talk, created by the Department of Early Education and Care, the writers describe ways teachers can listen and then respond to a babies babbles or attempts at talk. Listening and responding to babies face-to-face in infancy can lead to stronger language skills as they become toddlers.

In the document Babble Talk, created by the Department of Early Education and Care, the writers describe ways teachers can listen and then respond and extend babies babbles or attempts at talk. Listening, responding and extending language with babies face-to-face in infancy can lead to stronger language skills as they become toddlers.

This publication from WGBH Educational Foundation provides a list of songs teachers can sing to narrate the actions infants may take. Using songs to label actions build children’s vocabulary so they are more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This publication gives readers ideas of how they can engage children in playful activities. The reader will read about the types of songs and chants they can use to introduce patterns and counting games to babies.

This exemplar video depicts practitioners of all age groups engaging in intentional instructional activities in different settings throughout the day. The instructional activities shown depict a balance between teacher directed instruction where the teacher leads and directs the play and child-initiated activities where the child leads the direction of a conversation, activity or play opportunity.

PennState Extension provides practitioners with steps and suggestions to support breastfeeding parents. In addition to including written policies in the family handbook and providing a designated breastfeeding area, program leaders can provide this resource in the parent resource library or electronically to support the breastfeeding parent and the overall health and safety of children.

In this exemplar video segment created by CLI, teachers demonstrate being predictable when caring for babies. Responding to signals promptly and predictably help infants to begin to trust their caregivers will consistently acknowledge their needs in a warm and responsive manner.

In this video segment created by CLI, teachers demonstrate being predictable when caring for toddlers. Responding to signals promptly and predictably helps children begin to trust that their caregivers will consistently acknowledge their needs in a warm and responsive manner.

The Beginning Education: Early Childcare At Home program is professional development program specifically designed for home-based child care providers of children from birth – five years. The program includes 4 modules (20 hours) and focuses on supporting the social-emotional, cognitive, language, literacy, and mathematics development of young children.

As the teacher reads aloud, she pauses to ask questions and talk with the children; she does not rush to finish the book. Her tone is consistently positive as she reads, talks, and makes believe with the children. Her relaxed and patient style makes the children feel comfortable as they build and explore their “nest.”

In this video, the caregiver smiles at the baby and touches him gently as she names each body part. Face-to-face play and soft touch are important nonverbal ways to build a secure relationship with a baby.

This website contains several breastfeeding resources that a program can share with enrolled families. In addition to including written policies in the family handbook and providing a designated breastfeeding area, program leaders can provide this resource in the parent resource library or electronically to support the breastfeeding parent and the overall health and safety of children.

In this activity, children will work together to build a bridge. Teachers should provide a variety of materials for children to build with. As the teacher visits each group of children, they guide children by asking questions and encouraging further exploration.

Build Relationships with Children, a publication created by the Department of Early Education and Care, gives readers relationship tips for children ages birth to three years. Many of the tips encourage teachers to engage in activities that will strengthen the bond they create with children and increase their feelings of acceptance.

Build Relationships with Children, a publication created by Department of Early Education and Care, discusses techniques teachers can use to support relationship building within their environments. The techniques described can be used to insure children feel a sense of trust and wellbeing from the adults that care for them.

This publication from the Department of Early Education and Care discusses techniques teachers can use to get to know their children as they attend to their signals and needs throughout the day. The techniques described can be used to ensure children feel a sense of trust and wellbeing from the adults that care for them.

As a teacher and children participate in pretend play, teachers can reinforce language, literacy, and social development. Teachers should ask questions, use labels and descriptors, and make connections to expand on children’s play. In the video included in the activity, the teacher follows the children’s agenda in the dramatic play center.

During this small group activity, the teacher shows interest in the children by nodding, smiling, and making eye contact at their level. These behaviors, along with the high fives, contribute to the children’s feeling of belonging.

Building positive relationships in the early childhood classroom, is a publication created by Penn State Extension which discusses ways to create warm trusting relationships with children. The document describes four methods teachers can use to ensure the children they care for feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings.

In this video, teachers encourage children to develop self-help skills like handwashing and serving themselves. Building these skills promotes children’s independence, self-reliance, and self-esteem.

The Camp Fire First Texas Early Education Apprenticeship Program (EEAP) is the first U.S. Department of Labor registered apprenticeship program for early educators in the State of Texas. The EEAP includes paid on-the-job-learning, coupled with educational courses and one-on-one coaching in the classroom from a Camp Fire mentor.

CDC’s developmental milestone checklists are communication tools intended to encourage ongoing conversations between families and professionals. They also help promote early identification of and action on potential developmental concerns so that children and families can get the early services and support they may need.

This is an example of an early learning program’s written policy and process for addressing challenging behaviors of children. The exemplar includes evidence of the families being informed of their child’s progress, as well as the ongoing conversations between staff and the family framed around school readiness and the objective of the program.

This broad collection of resources includes an assessment guide for program leaders and strategies for observing young children. Although this site was developed for Head Start programs, much of the content explores assessment practices that apply to all types of early learning programs.

This brief guide provides ideas for how to bring real natural objects inside the classroom, as well as ideas for how to use the objects to promote conversation with children. Classrooms can use this guide to generate ideas for incorporating more natural objects.

This publication by Penn State Extension discusses the benefits of incorporating natural elements in children’s play and how providers can set it up. It also includes pictures from classrooms as examples.

This photo shows a display of toddlers’ artwork along with photographs of the children engaging in the original art activity. Notice that the artwork is displayed at children’s eye level, grouped for each child, and includes labels for the different emotion words.

The Circle Activity Collection: Family (CAC) translates child development research into practice by providing a variety of hands-on activities that families can do at home. The CAC allows families to learn more about the growth and development of their child. The CAC: Family is freely available to the public through CLI Engage.

The Circle Activity Collection: Infant and Toddler translates research into practice through a variety of hands-on, play-based learning activities that teachers can implement in their classrooms in whole groups, small groups, and with individual children. Access the collection for free with your CLI Engage account.

The Circle Activity Collection: Pre-K to Grade 2 translates research into practice through a variety of hands-on activities that school-age teachers can implement in their classrooms. Filter these play-based activities by learning area or setting (e.g., small group). Access the collection for free with your CLI Engage account.

Connect with Me is a five-part series of courses designed to provide teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers with the skills and knowledge to support social and emotional development. Participants will learn about social-emotional milestones, theories, and long-term outcomes through video segments, expert interviews, and research-based resources. (10 hours)

Grow with Me is a course designed to provide caregivers of infants and toddlers with the skills and knowledge to support developmental assessment. This course focuses on the importance of monitoring young children’s developmental progress, different methods and formats of assessment including developmental milestones checklists, factors to consider when assessing young children from diverse backgrounds, and what to do with assessment results for an individual child, whole classroom, or program.

Learn with Me is a three-part series of courses designed to provide teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers with the skills and knowledge to support cognitive development. In this course, participants explore teaching strategies that support skills across many cognitive areas, such as executive function, imagination, sensory exploration, problem-solving, math, and science.

Talk with Me is a three-part series of courses designed to provide teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers with the skills and knowledge to support language development. Participants will learn about language milestones, theories, and long-term outcomes through video segments, expert interviews, and research-based resources. (6 hours)

The Circle Pre-K Curriculum includes Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides for use throughout the school year. You can use the Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides together to provide weekly instruction that comprehensively supports the cognitive, social, and emotional development of prekindergarten children. Download all the components from CLI Engage at no cost or purchase printed versions of these same files.

The Start-up Guide is a type of curriculum planning support for weekly planning and delivery of instruction. It provides an overview and guidance for lesson planning to classroom teachers using the Circle Pre-K Curriculum. This research-based curriculum and its resources are freely available to early learning programs through CLI Engage access.

The Circle Pre-K Teacher’s Manual provides an overview of the Circle Pre-K curriculum features, the structures and processes of classroom management, classroom instruction guidance for each of the skill domain areas, and more. This research-based curriculum and its resources are freely available to early learning programs through CLI Engage access.

The Circle Progress Monitoring (CPM) supports early learning programs to conduct formal assessments that measure children’s developmental progress. The CPM Observables checklists are printed versions of the CPM observable assessments on CLI Engage. Teachers can use these checklists to track student skill development throughout the year.

Circle Progress Monitoring (C-PM) is a free preschool assessment system that was validated in multiple research studies. Programs can choose which measures to use, and results are available in family-friendly reports. Texas Rising Star programs are eligible to access C-PM at no cost through the TSR Online program. Follow instructions for TSR Online access when creating your CLI Engage account to start accessing this assessment.

Circle Progress Monitoring (CPM) supports early learning programs to conduct formal assessments that measure children’s developmental progress. The (CPM) User Guide provides a thorough overview of the CPM assessment, the component domains, and the sub-measures. The guide also includes directions for offline assessment, general administration guidelines, and recommendations for assessment environments.

The Classroom Environment Checklist (CEC) is a tool that early childhood professionals can use to evaluate and improve their classroom environments. The tool can be used to set goals for classroom enhancements, track progress over time, and provide direction for coaching or technical assistance.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives a reminder to the child by stating how to successfully sit in a large group setting.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives reminders to the children of how to sit and listen during a shared reading activity.

Watch as the teacher calmly redirects and reminds a child where to keep their hands during story time.

Watch and listen as the teacher notices a child laying down during circle time and calmly provides a logical consequence for their behavior choice.

This teacher gives an excited group of students a calm reminder to help them sit correctly on the carpet.

In this short clip watch as the teacher notices a child is no longer paying attention in the activity and asks a question to redirect their attention back to the activity.

In this short clip, watch as the teacher calmly gives a reminder of behavior expectations for the activity and consequences for those who break the rules.

The teacher in this video involves children in the management of activities by allowing them to choose their classroom jobs for the week. As the children choose a job, she gives a brief description of the job and how the child can be successful. Teachers can use a classroom helper chart to enforce the classroom’s routines, as well as support children in learning responsibility and practicing self-help skills.

In this video exemplar, the teacher involves children in the management of activities by assigning children to their classroom jobs for the week and using the helper chart as a visual of these assignments. Teachers can use visuals, like a classroom helper chart, to enforce the classroom’s routines, as well as support children in learning responsibility and practicing self-help skills.

In this short clip watch as the teacher provides additional support for a student by drawing attention to the established rules and routines of the classroom.

This video shows a teacher explaining to children how to separate words into syllables during a planned, cognitive transition. The transition, because it is planned, helps minimize disruptions that could happen while moving from one area to another.

Using Willaby Wallaby Woo, as a planned rhyming transition, the teachers in this video are moving the children from whole group to small groups without much wait time. The decreased wait time also decreases the opportunity for disruptions while the children transition from one space in the room to another.

After a lesson on emotions, this teacher transitions children from small group to centers using a song from the lesson. The transition allows the children to move quickly from their current space to another with limited disruptions and with very little wait time.

A high-quality classroom intentionally supports children’s social, emotional, and behavioral regulatory abilities. This collection of classroom management tools will help practitioners create a structured, predictable environment to help prevent conflict and enable children to manage themselves successfully.

Classroom Transitions, created by Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center, is a brief presentation on classroom transitions. Practitioners will learn about some effective strategies or methods for helping children make smooth transitions from one classroom activity to the next to avoid disruption and long waits between activities.

The video exemplar highlights moments throughout the day classroom teachers can communicate with children. Routines such as hand-washing, center time, and small groups provide teachers with opportunities to have meaningful and rich conversations.

In this exemplar video segment, a teacher shows how to create a positive classroom community by facilitating social interactions with children. As the teacher in the video helps the children in a small group complete an activity, he also encourages the other children to celebrate one of their peers’ successes during the lesson.

The infant teachers are using descriptive language when labeling how the scarves are moving up and down. Labeling an object, activity, or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

The teacher is using descriptive language when labeling where the toddler is compared to the tunnel being used. Labeling an object, activity, or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This guide discusses the importance of screening and assessment and also provides in depth information about several nationally available assessments. Programs can refer to this list if they are looking for an assessment tool and would like to compare features of different assessments before making a final selection.

Teachers can use this collection of counting transitions to provide incidental learning while children move from one activity to another. Adding incidental learning to routine and transition times is an efficient and enjoyable way to help children build school-readiness skills.

In this activity, the caregiver supports the baby’s social-emotional skills as they play a crawling and chasing game. As they play, the caregiver encourages the baby with praise and affection. Playing on the floor, within the baby’s view, increases a baby’s feelings of safety because they can see you clearly.

This publication from Penn State Extension discusses ways to create a positive classroom atmosphere. The document describes strategies teachers can use to ensure the children they care for feel safe and comfortable in their surroundings.

This publication from PennState Extension provides tips teachers can use to offer solutions to children during conflict, such as modeling words to encourage sharing and turn taking. Teachers can use supportive language to help children communicate in a respectful manner during play and during conflict.

This book provides a comprehensive look at the disproportionate rates of exclusionary discipline for young children of color. Readers will learn about the need to create equity-oriented early learning programs and how to influence change. Apply the principles in this book to provide additional programmatic and classroom supports to families and children with differing cultural backgrounds.

PennState Extension provides four strategies to practitioners to create opportunities for English Language Learners (ELLs). Program leaders can include similar accommodations and supports in the program’s family handbook as evidence of programmatic processes for families and children.

Children need routines, procedures, rules, and transitions that are thoughtful and consistent. When children follow a schedule, they know what to expect from their day and can better self-regulate. This resource will help you better understand how having consistent rules and routines helps children develop self-regulation and independence.

PennState Extension provides strategies to program leaders on making enrolled families and children’s cultures a part of the curriculum. Program leaders can include similar accommodations and supports in the program’s family handbook as evidence of programmatic processes for families and children of various cultural backgrounds.

This course by Texas A&M AgriLife explores how curriculum and assessment are implemented through a model of planning, assessment, and modification. This course is $12 to access.

In this activity, the caregiver will engage an infant in a “conversation” during a routine daily activity. Caregivers can talk to babies and imitate sounds during diaper changes, mealtimes, and tummy time.

In this activity, the caregiver will engage an infant in a “conversation.” During the interaction, the teacher can use a variety of labels, descriptors, and questions to expand vocabulary and build understanding. For example, the teacher might narrate a diaper change by saying, “Time to change your diaper… We need to take off your pants… Let’s see how your diaper is… Let’s wipe you nice and clean.”

In this activity, the caregiver will engage an infant in a “conversation.” Caregivers can actively encourage babies to “talk” by asking questions, having conversations, and responding to vocalizations across a variety of activities, routines, and contexts.

Early childhood education setting are usually a child’s first communities out of their home. The character of these communities is very significant in children’s development. This article shares strategies to support practitioners in creating caring communities for children.

One of a child’s first communities are often early childhood classrooms. These classrooms are where they learn how to interact with and how to treat others. This article, DAP: Creating a Caring, Equitable Community of Learners, dives into ways teachers can create a community of caring learners by providing an environment where all members feel safe and welcome.

While the infants played with the toy cars, the teacher repeatedly used words and actions to demonstrate how the car moves. Teachers can deepen or expand on infants’ play by providing more specific information or building on their background knowledge.

In this exemplar video segment, Explain and Demonstrate How Things Work, a teacher provides guidance to a toddler as he builds a tower. As the two play together, the caregiver helps the child complete the building activity by modeling the appropriate way to stack the rings on the toy.

The teachers are labeling objects in the book and within the outdoor learning environment. Labeling an object, activity, or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

During an art activity, the teacher uses descriptive language to label how the paint feels. Labeling an object or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This page introduces four key areas of infant-toddler language and communication, and links to activities within the Circle Activity Collection: Infant and Toddler that facilitate language development.

Developmental language suggestions, a publication by Penn State Extension, gives the reader steps they can take to help children develop early literacy and language skills. This resource is written for infant, toddler, and preschool teachers and provides suggestions for each developmental stage.

Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age. These milestone checklists are divided into age ranges and areas of development, and they can be used by families or program staff of children from birth to 48 months of age. This informal student assessment tool supports early learning programs to measure children’s developmental progress.

Developmental milestones are things most children (75% or more) can do by a certain age. These milestone checklists are divided into age ranges and areas of development, and they can be used by families or program staff of children from birth to 48 months of age. This informal student assessment tool supports early learning programs to measure children’s developmental progress.

Different Ways to Play, is a lesson teachers can use to help toddlers experience play in new ways. The resource highlights ways teachers can allow a child’s wondering about the rain dictate what type of activity they choose to play outdoors.

Different Ways to Play, is a lesson teachers can use to help toddlers experience play in new ways. The resource highlights teacher directed instructional ideas about experiencing the rain throughout the day in different settings.

These photos show environments where materials are thoughtfully organized to encourage children’s independence and choice. The arrangement of these materials supports various interest areas, allowing children to engage in activities that appeal to them.

In this exemplar video segment, Do You Want More, a teacher provides guidance to help a baby build a new sign language skill. As the teacher feeds the child, she encourages him to use sign language as a way to communicate his desire for more food.

In this exemplar video segment, Lizard or Salamander, a teacher provides guidance by offering choices to a child as they attempt to identify a toy reptile. When the child struggles providing the correct name to the toy the teacher provides him with a scaffold to build his vocabulary knowledge.

The Dyslexia Referral Checklist is a questionnaire for kindergarten, first, and second-grade students that builds a link between direct assessment of early reading skills and classroom observations. This kind of documentation shows that the program offers accommodations and additional support to families and children with differing abilities.

This guide provides information and resources to build practitioners’ knowledge on using student assessment tools, informal or formal, to track students’ learning. This learning resource acts as a support to practitioners when measuring children’s developmental progress, and it provides a general written process for using student assessment tools to inform instruction.

This online course reviews key objectives and examples of well-designed indoor early childhood environments. Practitioners will gain strategies on how to design and implement effective physical, social, and temporal environments for children.

Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) is a statewide program within the Texas Health and Human Services Commission for families with children birth up to age 3, with developmental delays, disabilities or certain medical diagnoses that may impact development. It is important for early learning programs to understand ECI definitions and services and to partner with families who have received ECI services as programs build inclusive classrooms.

This online course from Texas A&M AgriLife offers specific strategies for building trusting relationships and creating collaborative partnerships with families to build a solid educational foundation for children. ($30) (4 hours)

The Early Learning Matters (ELM) Curriculum is an extensive, research-informed program created to support the optimal learning and development of children from birth to five years of age. ELM offers a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate approach to meaningful learning for all children.

eCircle is for teachers and administrators serving children 3 to 6 years of age. This suite of 16 courses includes video-based demonstrations of effective instructional practices, as well as application-based assignments and activities. Participants will learn strategies for balanced instruction across a variety of settings, formats, and learning domains. eCircle is available at no cost.

eCircle Professional Development Series – Building Vocabulary is a course teachers can take to help enhance and develop theme-based vocabulary instruction for their prekindergarten children. Practitioners will learn teaching techniques in both English and Spanish that can help them create a classroom environment based on themes that help children grow in language and vocabulary development.

This course focuses on key elements of encouraging children’s talk: responsiveness, rich content and stimulation, and emotional support. Practitioners will learn scaffolding strategies for children’s talk that will encourage them to flourish within the classroom environment. (6 hours)

This course focuses on preschoolers’ development of self-concept, self-control, social competence, and social awareness. Participants will learn about age-appropriate social-emotional goals for preschool children and learn effective strategies to help children develop social-emotional skills. (4 hours)

You’ve hired talented staff—but how can you ensure they stay at your program? This article outlines several strategies to keep staff happy, engaged, and productive.

This exemplar video segment, Encourage Imitations, showcases a teacher providing guidance as she models a simple behavior with a toy for an infant. The teacher demonstrates using the toy then waits patiently for the infant’s response before showing them again how to use the object.

In this video example, the teachers encourage the children to be independent and practice self-help skills, such as self-serving during mealtime. Teachers can encourage independence and self-regulation skills by including children in classroom routines and procedures.

In this video, you will see teachers encouraging self-regulation by implementing and consistently following classroom rules and procedures. You will notice that the children are aware of expectations as proof that these routines occur regularly.

In this video exemplar, the teachers initiate a conversation based on a child’s interest and then they pause for the child to have a chance to respond. Teachers can engage in one-on-one conversations by asking questions about a child’s interest and allowing the child the opportunity to respond as their turn.

This is a self-paced tutorial created to help educators understand the best ways to engage children in meaningful conversations. The video includes sections on how to build in opportunities to talk, modeling conversations, and using complex language and vocabulary with children.

This learning module from the WGBH Educational Foundation highlights toddler and preschool classroom teachers’ opportunities to create meaningful conversations with children. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for teachers to consider how to consistently communicate with children throughout the day.

This learning module gives teachers suggestions on how to create meaningful conversations with children, like asking open-ended questions and allowing children the time to respond. The module includes a video and reflective questions for teachers to consider how to have conversations at a pace comfortable for individual children.

This video produced by WGBH Educational Foundation provides information on why teachers should listen and respond to children attentively during conversations. In the video, teachers will see ways they can listen carefully to their children and appropriately respond to their questions, thoughts, and vocalizations.

This learning module from the WGBH Educational Foundation highlights the opportunities toddler and preschool classroom teachers have to communicate with children. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for teachers to consider how to initiate conversations with children during activities and daily routines.

This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how teachers can supply words to children when they need to convey their thoughts or are unable to express themselves. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

In the recording, teachers demonstrate having a patient, relaxed style to facilitate conversations between children as they teach them to negotiate, problem-solve, and communicate with each other throughout the school day.

In this video, you’ll see teachers model how to express thoughts, negotiate, problem-solve, and communicate with others. Toddlers and preschoolers often need concrete models to learn these skills. They need specific language strategies that help them ask or explain how or why something happens or to negotiate a disagreement.

The learning module video is an example to teachers on how to use rich language when communicating with children throughout the day. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for toddler and preschool teachers to consider how to use complex vocabulary and expand sentence structures when speaking with children.

This learning module from the WGBH Educational Foundation highlights the opportunities teachers have to use descriptive and rich language throughout the day. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for teachers to consider how to expose children to new words by describing the world around them.

The video of the learning module gives teachers ideas and suggestions on how to use complex language and vocabulary during conversations with children throughout the day. The module includes a video and a series of reflective questions for toddler and preschool teachers to initiate conversations with children by asking a variety of questions and using complex vocabulary.

The video illustrates how to offer new words and “child-friendly” definitions to engage children in rich conversations. The module includes a video and reflective questions for teachers to consider how to use complex vocabulary and expand sentences. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

This tip sheet includes ideas for how to divide interest areas and the types of developmentally appropriate toys and materials to include in each one. This sheet also includes tips for keeping areas organized and refreshed with new materials.

This tip sheet includes ideas for setting up environments that promote interest in exploring materials. Use these tips and incorporate real-world objects like real cookware, food containers, magazines, pine cones, rocks, etc.

Giving children time to answer helps elicit responses. The teacher in this video gives children time to think and respond before continuing. She varies her pace based on individual children’s needs, and she takes time to guide them instead of providing an answer when they choose the wrong category.

In this video exemplar, the teachers expand on the children’s interest by adding words and specific information. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

When the child showed the teacher the magnifying glass, she expanded on the child’s initation by asking questions about the object and giving a description of what it was and how to use it. Teachers can expand on children’s initiation by asking questions and elaborating on what the child shows interest in.

Having predictable routines and schedules help children feel secure. In this video exemplar, watch as the teacher using pictures and words to show and tell children what is going to happen next in their day. Pay attention to how she talks and interacts with the children to ensure they understand what’s going on in their classroom.

This video shows teachers explaining reasonable consequences for children’s behaviors and enforcing consequences that are specifically related to misbehavior.

This exemplar video segment shows an infant teacher expressing warmth and affection toward two babies in her classroom. Her interactions with the babies is positive and helps the children to feel safe and comfortable.

In this exemplar video, a toddler teacher welcomes a child into the classroom. Her expression of warmth and affection creates a feeling of safety and allows the child to feel comfortable in their learning environment.

In this video exemplar, the teachers restate and then extend the children’s attempts to communicate. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

In this video exemplar, the teacher noticed a child’s verbal attempt to communicate and then extended the toddler’s language. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

This workshop series engages families in hands-on learning experiences with a focus on social and emotional learning, character development, and executive function skills. The program includes full activity plans and links to related media. Program staff can provide access to these workshops and resources to assist them in better understanding child growth and development.

This letter is an example of a message program leaders can provide in a bag or container filled with take-home activities. The activities, along with a message or letter with instructions, assist families with a better understanding of how to use the materials at home.

Providing families with various opportunities to actively participate in the early learning program sets the foundation for strong family involvement. This document contains some ideas of how to involve families in program activities.

In this series of online trainings, participants learn about research-driven ways to partner with families in supporting children’s development. Family education and involvement are critical components in the establishment of successful home-school relationships, and this professional development series will help programs build a strong partnership between home and school.

The family engagement resources, such as event preparation checklists and goal-setting forms, make the most of procedures programs already have in place. Program leaders can keep a record of their complete forms, like the family event preparation checklists, as evidence of families being encouraged to participate in program-related events and have a role in making decisions regarding their child’s experience.

Make the most of procedures you already have in place—like progress monitoring, homework, parent-teacher conferences, and open houses—with CLI’s Family Engagement Toolkit. Download guides and tools, discover resources to share with families, and access free professional development to foster a strong relationship between school and home!

This sample flyer tells families everything they need to know about an upcoming family workshop that focuses on building preschoolers’ literacy skills.

This checklist helps teachers track key tasks for family event planning. There is also room to record specific activities and materials needed for the event.

The Texas Rising Star requirements related to Family Education and Involvement emphasize the importance of sharing policies and procedures of the early learning program with families. Upon enrollment, programs should provide written policies and procedures in a family handbook like this example.

The following invitation is an example of a flyer program leaders can share with enrolled families to encourage attendance and participation in program-related events. In addition to event flyers, programs are encouraged to also take photographs and to keep record of sign-in sheets from events as evidence.

Assessment practices should include receiving input from families on children’s developing skills. The Circle Progress Monitoring: Family Observation Forms are appropriate for preschool children and can be used in conversations with families to identify skills that could be supported at home and at the program.

Upon enrollment, early learning programs should provide families with key documents and have a discussion regarding the child’s enrollment. This example form ensures that the facility has provided parents/families with specific outlined information, and a family member provides their signature as confirmation.

Children will sing a song about feelings and imitate the facial expressions of each one. While singing, teachers use puppets to build children’s understanding of their own and others’ feelings. This is an intentional activity that supports children’s emotional awareness.

In this activity, children will identify feelings by recognizing nonverbal cues. The teacher uses picture cards and models to show what feelings look like. Intentional activities that invite children to label feelings and act them out build their emotional awareness and understanding.

In this activity, children will identify feelings by recognizing nonverbal cues. In the Guide Practice section, the teacher provides short explanations for why a child might feel happy or sad. Helping children make connections between their feelings and reason for them supports their regulation.

In this activity, children will learn about and discuss what it means to feel safe and what helps them feel safe. As children share, teachers can respond warmly and think of ways to incorporate children’s needs into the classroom during times of stress.

It is important to teach children words to use to express feelings in replace of the use of challenging behavior. The feeling wheel can be used in a variety of ways to help children learn social emotional skills around use of emotional literacy and vocabulary.

Children are learning to manage their feelings and behavior. They are learning the words to express their feelings and how to show feelings in appropriate ways. In this resource you will find some ways you can help them to be successful as they learn these important skills.

Children are learning to understand their feelings and behavior. They are learning how to express their feelings and how to show feelings in suitable ways. This article shares some ways you can help children to be successful as they learn these significant skills.

Toddlers have strong feelings and often they are not able to manage them on their own. This article shares a few ideas on how to offer toddlers positive guidance that helps them build both self-control and language.

The teacher in this video asks a variety of questions about zoo animals. She invites children to respond verbally or nonverbally and waits for them to reply before she continues. She also rephrases and extends their responses to model more complex language.

Providers can use this collection of action steps and resources to reduce the impact maternal depression can have on the families they serve. By providing support, resources, and written policies regarding the overall health and safety of children, early learning programs have evidence demonstrating their procedures for supporting the whole child’s development.

This exemplar video segment, Promote Flexibility in Thinking, showcases a teacher providing guidance as she prepares toddlers to transition from outside to snack. The teacher accepts a child’s way of doing things by not requiring her to count down the time to go inside but instead accepting her response and offering another choice.

Smooth transitions help reduce toddlers’ frustration, confusion, and challenging behaviors. Establishing a consistent way to transition from one activity to the next is a very important part of the daily routine for children. In this video exemplar watch as the teacher uses song, verbal cues, and signals to support children follow consistent daily schedules and routines.

Following the Child’s Lead, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can engage children in playful activities to encourage them as they make decisions throughout the day.

Following the Child’s Lead, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can follow children’s lead and participate in the types of activities they chose and also extend on their choices.

Following the Child’s Lead, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives an overview of how teachers can notice and attend to children’s signals and needs by simply following their lead.

Following the Child’s Lead, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can provide guidance to children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can follow children’s lead and participate in the types of activities they chose while accepting the child’s way of doing things.

PennState Extension provides practitioners with tips on preparing food for children with a diagnosed peanut allergy. In addition to including written policies in the family handbook about food allergies and how staff handle emergencies, program leaders can provide this resource in the parent resource library or electronically to support the overall health and safety of children.

This publication put out by HUD, includes suggestions on how to create a predictable, nurturing environment for infants, toddlers and pre school children. Fostering Healthy Social and Emotional Development in Young Children: Tips for Early Childhood Teachers and Providers covers topics that will equip teachers with several ideas on how to create safe and secure environments for all children.

Early childhood teachers and providers play an important role in nurturing children’s social and emotional development. Critical to providing support is having realistic expectations of children’s development at different ages. Allowing and encouraging children to express their feelings — both positive and negative — can support their emotional development.

Early childhood teachers and providers play an important role in nurturing children’s social and emotional development. Critical to providing support is having realistic expectations of children’s development at different ages. This resource will support teachers in acknowledging children’s strong feelings and providing children with strategies to respond to them.

Early childhood teachers and providers play an important role in nurturing children’s social and emotional development. Supporting children’s social and emotional development can be both rewarding and challenging. Critical to providing support is having realistic expectations of children’s development at different ages. This resource will support teachers in fostering healthy social and emotional development in the children (infant/toddler/preschooler) in their care.

In this Texas Rising Star exemplar video, teachers of all age groups show how using frequent positive nonverbal behaviors help to increase children’s feelings of acceptance. In the video you will see teachers making eye contact, smiling at children and using reassuring touches to support children’s sense of belonging.

Children can play with toy animals in many ways! Caregivers and children can make-believe, sing songs, and play games with the animals. Teachers should participate or guide children as they choose how to play with the animals.

Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) gives suggestions on how to gather and share information with families to support children’s learning and development. Practitioners will further build their knowledge and skillset to have ongoing conversations with parents regarding the child’s experience, progress, and development.

Get “In Tune,” a publication created by the Department of Early Education and Care, gives teachers ideas on how they can have back-and-forth “talks” with babies before they can understand or speak. During these “talks,” the teachers will use kind and caring language as they notice and attend to children’s needs.

Get “In Tune” a publication created by the Department of Early Education and Care, gives teachers ideas on how they can have back-and-forth “talks” with babies before they can understand or speak. During these “talks” the teachers will use kind and caring language free from demeaning comments. This type of language helps to create a warm, safe and nurturing environment.

This course from Texas A&M AgriLife offers practical tips on how to prepare to do assessments in preschool classrooms and how to best support children using assessment results. The course is $12 to access.

Areas for gross motor play are important for infants to develop strong bodies and to practice new movements. This photo shows a classroom setup that includes soft mats that encourage crawling, sitting, and climbing.

Real world objects can support a variety of skills, including gross motor play. In this photo we see toddlers playing with a real box and laundry basket.

Take a guided interactive virtual tour of an outdoor learning environment at a real child care center with labels marking key elements to promote learning and engagement. There are also videos by the Natural Learning Initiative linked to the labels to explain the purpose of each outdoor feature. Program staff can use this tool for inspiration on how to design their outdoor learning environment.

Practicing proper handwashing with children helps them learn the importance of this self-care skill and healthy behavior. The movements of the hands and fingers during handwashing build the muscles children will use for more complex activities as they grow older, such as zipping a jacket or picking up and writing with crayons.

The following includes direct links to a variety of resources, such as meal planning, breastfeeding, garden-based learning, and oral health. In addition to including written policies in the family and staff handbooks, program leaders can provide these resources electronically or as handouts in their program’s parent resource library to support the overall health and safety of children.

Childcare providers play an important role in children’s overall nutritional health and well-being. This toolkit includes resources for providers and families on a variety of health-related topics.

This article provides families with tips on using transitions at home to support children with differing abilities. Program leaders can provide this article as a resource electronically or in their program’s resource library to families of children with differing abilities to assist them in learning more about the growth and development of their child.

Have you ever had a friend move away? Have you had a pet die? Have you lost someone close to you? Sad times are part of life, just as much as happy times. This article shares some ideas for working with children who are going through some sad times.

In this video exemplar, the teacher notices conflict between the two children and she verbally reminds the children to use gentle touch while playing with the tunnel. Teachers can support children’s self-regulation by first recognizing rising tensions or conflict and then providing children with a logical consequence of their actions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher assists the children with interacting and communicating with one another by modeling which words to use so they can both play with the tunnel. Teachers can use supportive language to help children communicate in a respectful manner during play and during conflict.

Teachers should intervene quickly to help children solve problems when more than one child wants the same toy, wants to play in the same spot, or wants another child to move out of the way. Watch as the teacher in this video interprets what the children are trying to do and say but also suggests actions and words to help resolve conflicts while sharing playground equipment.

In this video, a child and a caregiver play a game of “hide and seek.” Notice how the caregiver celebrates enthusiastically with the child when he finds her. These brief separations and reunions increase his feelings of safety and trust as he learns that his special person will be back soon.

This video showcases how using frequent, positive nonverbal behaviors with children can increase their feelings of acceptance while playing a game. The teacher smiles, sits at the children’s level, and uses reassuring touch throughout the entire video.

This page includes strategies for embedding high-quality language support and links to activities within the Circle Activity Collection that facilitate language development.

This page includes strategies for embedding high-quality social-emotional support, which builds children’s self-regulation skills. The page also links to activities within the Circle Activity Collection that can be used to help children practice self-regulation, emotional understanding, self-help skills, and relationships with others.

In this activity, children sing a modified “Hokey Pokey” song with shapes. Teachers can use this playful approach to shape recognition to build children’s math skills.

The teacher in this video encourages the baby with several positive, supportive phrases, such as “Let me see you do it!” and “Yay, goes in! Great job!” Providing praise reinforces the baby’s effort and accomplishments.

Hosting planned, playful, and purposeful family events are an excellent way to prepare parents to be successful home educators and engage as partners in their child’s educational support team. Choose a workshop from Teaching Together (pre-K) or Supporting Sprouts (infant/toddler) to get started!

This course examines processes for program directors looking to improve their staff development program. Participants develop methods and explore strategies for identifying center and staff training needs, as well as effective adult learning strategies. ($12)

This article will help you understand the connections between self-regulation skills in children, their brain development, and your own responses to children who are having a difficult time self-regulating. The author also provides specific strategies that can be used to prevent and de-escalate rising tensions.

This Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) checklist can help families identify and address developmental concerns before their child turns 3. Early support helps children develop communication, self-care, and social skills, laying a foundation for lifelong learning.

This webinar explores how the strengthening of certain Human Resources (HR) practices can directly support a culture of safety for children and families. It examines the issues and costs of staff turnover and offers research-based retention strategies. Explore how cultivating teamwork and autonomy can drive engagement.

Teachers support children’s positive interactions with peers through role-playing. As children become comfortable initiating friendships, the language they learn from this activity will help them speak respectfully and expand on each other’s play ideas.

Teaching children how to make friends is important for their social development. In this activity, the teacher provides opportunities for children to act out ways to ask others to play. Children can use the strategies in small groups, in centers, or outside.

Children need to learn that everyone feels angry sometimes, but hitting, kicking, or biting someone when they are angry is not okay. This article shares some ideas and strategies for working with angry children and supporting them through their feelings.

In this video, we see teachers use routine and transition times as opportunities to learn. They count, model and encourage language, and practice early literacy skills.

In this publication from Penn State Extension practitioners can explore the meaning and the key components of inclusion: access, participation, and supports. By having written policies regarding additional accommodations, the program has proof that additional supports are offered for families and children with differing home languages and cultural backgrounds.

This checklist can be used for self-assessment by a director or classroom teacher as well as the mentor to determine what elements may be needed to provide a high-quality learning environment. Some items may not be required for Texas Rising Star but are indicators of high-quality learning environments.

Use this checklist to determine whether the purchased or program-created curriculum being used is developmentally appropriate for the infants and toddlers served. For a curriculum to be considered “approved” for Texas Rising Star scoring, the curriculum must meet all criteria on the checklist.

This infant classroom has clear play areas with a variety of developmentally appropriate books, toys, and sensory materials. Notice that the materials are organized low to the ground to promote infants’ exploration.

This sample infant classroom daily schedule shows set time frames of specific activities to be done throughout the day. The schedule is balanced with a mixture of opportunities for both teacher-initiated activities and times where infants can initiate what they would like to do within those set times.

This weekly lesson plan template is for infant/toddler practitioners to document structured learning activities and additional instruction notes. Using a template similar to this shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning guidelines, and there is evidence teaching staff receive feedback on lesson planning as a type of curriculum support on a regular basis.

The Children’s Learning Institute partnered with the Texas Workforce Commission to provide free, online training that guides caregivers in understanding early childhood development and in making the most of each day during the early years of growth. Educators can use the information in these courses to implement and adapt strategies to support learning and development across a variety of settings and formats.

Displaying family photographs at eye level is a great way to help children feel connected to their classroom and promote language and conversation. Notice how this infant room has family photos taped to the floor, where they are more easily seen by infants who aren’t yet standing.

This course helps practitioners to implement research-based best practices in child-care settings to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. In addition to including written policies, programs can provide learning resources and professional development opportunities for staff to gain a deeper understanding of the overall health and safety of children.

This course will help individuals gain a better understanding of child safety and how to prevent injuries to the children in their care. In addition to including written policies, programs can provide learning resources and professional development opportunities for staff and families to gain a deeper understanding of the overall health and safety of children.

Here is an instructional plan template for practitioners to document the learning goals and instruction details for a structured classroom activity. Using a template like the one provided shows the planned activity has a learning objective aligned with the early learning standards or guidelines that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

Intentional early language development, a publication by PennState Extension, provides readers with an idea of how they can purposefully guide and support children with language development. Practitioners will read about how they can intentionally plan their days with oral language opportunities to support language acquisition.

This publication created by the PennState Extension gives readers research-based information on how teachers interactions with children affect their development. The publication gives strategies caregivers can use to demonstrate effective positive interactions throughout the day.

The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework serves as a guide to what children should know and be able to do in five developmental domains. Practitioners can use this framework to see the relevant subdomains, goals, progressions, and indicators, as well as a type of curriculum planning support for weekly planning and delivery of classroom instruction.

This exemplar video segment, showcases a teacher inviting a group of toddlers to become interested in a book she’s about to read. The teacher uses an engaging song to introduce the book and hand gestures throughout to get the children involved in a playful way.

This exemplar video segment, showcases a teacher inviting a group of infants to become interested in a book she’s about to read. The teacher engages the babies in playful ways by changing her tone of voice and tapping her fingers as she reads.

During this whole group activity, the teacher asks the children questions and prompts them to moveparts of their body. Teachers can initiate conversations with young children by asking questions during whole group activities.

In this video, the teacher uses descriptive language while the infant is playing with the toy keys. Labeling an object or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video, the teacher sings a song to describe the actions she and the children are taking while manipulating the play dough. Describing actions or objects contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This exemplar video depicts an infant teacher labeling the feelings of a baby waiting for his bottle. In this video, you will notice how the teacher labels the infant’s feeling to describe his emotions in the moment.

This exemplar video shows how to discuss feelings with toddlers in a small group setting. Using visual aids and songs support children in learning the foundational skills to identity their feelings.

This course will focus on leadership fundamentals. You will be introduced to critical leadership concerns and how managers can effectively build and support a high-performing team. Additionally, you will complete a leadership self-assessment, which will be used to assess individual competencies. This is course 1 of 8 in the Child Care Business Training courses.

This online course walks participants through the importance of designing preschool environments for learning, selecting quality materials, establishing routines, ensuring cultural relevance, and adapting environments to support children with special needs. It also connects to competency and observation tools to support improvement planning.

This Outdoor Learning Planning Form can aid providers in planning how they can set up their outdoor learning environment while including all necessary elements. It also includes examples of each type of element to help inspire ideas.

This planning form helps programs identify indoor and outdoor interest areas and the real objects provided in those areas. Use this form with teachers to reflect on what’s currently available to children and what improvements can be made.

This brief will help staff advocate for making play-based learning a central aspect of the preschool classrooms in their program. Readers will build background knowledge and explore strategies to infuse play in multiple contexts.

In this exemplar video segment, a teacher uses language to expand and add meaning to a book being read to a child. As the child listens and talks about the watermelon story, the teacher asks questions to expand on what interests the child during the book reading.

Teachers notice and respond positively to individual children’s gestures, vocalizations, and comments in this video. They build children’s oral language skills by attentively and appropriately responding to their communication attempts.

The caregiver in this video is highly responsive to the baby. She notices when the baby communicates nonverbally that she wants to stand, and she responds positively when the baby babbles and interacts with her reflection.

Program leaders and staff will understand why small ratios and group sizes are important to maintain and how to solve common problems. Meeting compliance with national, state, and quality improvement guidelines regarding ratios and group sizes is a way to ensure the safety, well-being, and development of children in early learning settings.

Book reading is a great time to discuss and make connections between feelings, actions, and events. In this video you will see a toddler teacher read a story to make a connection between the character’s actions and their feelings.

The Department of Agriculture provides suggestions to practitioners and families on including fruits and vegetables in meals throughout the day. In addition to including written policies on nutrition and meal planning, program leaders can provide this handout as a resource to support the overall health and safety of children.

In this video the teacher supports the children’s use of name tags for center management to discuss center expectations for using their name tags when moving from centers to small group and back.

This course reviews procedures for preventing and responding to food or allergy emergencies. Individuals will learn how to manage common childhood illnesses, food intolerances, and allergies.

This photo shows a home-based setting with shelves and containers labeled with both words and pictures of the materials. The low positioning of the shelves helps children retrieve the materials independently, and the labels help children return each item to its appropriate place.

This infant room includes toys organized in containers low to the ground, supporting the infants’ ability to explore. Although infants aren’t likely to return items independently, pictures on the labels help infants learn the words for materials as the teacher encourages returning the items to their containers.

This photo shows a shelving unit in a preschool classroom with developmentally appropriate toys. Many of the materials are organized in containers with labels that include both pictures and words. The shelves are an appropriate height to allow children to retrieve and return items independently.

This photo of a shelf in a school-age classroom includes writing and drawing materials clearly labeled with both pictures and words. Although many school-age children are beginning to read, providing labels with pictures supports children who are still building reading skills.

This photo shows a collection of toys on a low shelf in a toddler classroom. Notice that the containers are open, which helps toddlers find the toys. Under each container is a label that has the word and picture of the toys to support toddlers’ ability to return the toys appropriately.

In this home-based example, the provider has displayed realistic pictures of people and animals and recent artwork at children’s eye level.

This photograph shows an infant classroom with children’s artwork and realistic photos displayed at children’s eye level.

This photo shows a preschool classroom that displays children’s artwork and pictures of realistic animals at children’s eye level. Notice how the artwork and the photos are organized in visual groupings.

This photo shows a school-age classroom with a variety of children’s artwork, posters, teacher-made displays, and realistic photos.

This photo shows toddler classrooms rich with displays of children’s artwork and realistic photos of familiar people and places, all posted a children’s eye level. These displays help children feel pride in their work, feel connected to their classroom, and promote language and conversation.

This in-service suite explores guidelines on how to select classroom materials. The purpose of the presentation is to provide participants with an opportunity to select and then use materials so that all children have access to quality teaching and learning.

In this planned transition game, the teacher uses a die to move the children from whole group to center time. Implementing a planned transition helps the teacher avoid long waits which could lead to classroom disruptions.

This shelf in the infant room is open and very low to the ground, supporting infants’ ability to explore the toys. Notice the labels on the shelf include large pictures of the toys themselves.

In this exemplar video segment, Model and Join in Pretend and Play, a teacher engages with toddlers in a learning center. During the segment the caregiver demonstrates engaging children in playful activities and how to create an opportunity for children to make-believe.

In this exemplar video segment, Model Thinking Aloud, a teacher provides guidance to help an infant build skills in the area of expressing when they have had enough food. As the teacher feeds the child, she offers him more food and acknowledges his objections when he has had enough.

In this exemplar video segment, Model Thinking Aloud, a teacher provides guidance to toddlers as they work to come up with ideas on adjusting the height of a basketball hoop. The teacher questions the children to get their suggestions, she accepts their ideas and works with them until they are able to solve their problem.

In this exemplar video segment, Model Prosocial Behaviors, as a teacher is participating in play with her children, one falls. The teacher takes time to follow the agenda of the child by providing her with a choice to continue with the activity.

This document contains many examples of how to model correct speech and/or language. Modeling and recasting help children learn the rules of how speech and language work.

This video shows teachers modeling and encouraging children of multiple age groups to understand their feelings. Helping children make connections between their actions and emotional reactions is one of the ways teachers help support children’s regulation.

The PNC Foundation published this guide to share 10 different practices teachers can use to promote the language development and communication skills of infants and toddlers. One of the strategies mentioned is commenting on children’s actions, interests, or initiations. Teachers can make comments and ask questions in response to something a child has said to build the child’s language.

This guide illustrates 10 practices teachers can use to support the development of language and communication skills in infants and toddlers. One of the strategies mentioned is labeling an object, activity, or action. Using descriptive and rich language builds young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This guide illustrates 10 practices teachers can use to promote turn-taking and back-and-forth vocalizations in conversations. One of the strategies mentioned is responding to young children’s verbal and nonverbal communication with words. Teachers can initiate one-on-one conversations and can encourage back-and-forth vocalizations by asking multiple questions about a child’s interests.

In this activity, toddlers will identify people and activities in a personal photo book. Teachers can engage individual children in conversations about the photos by responding to the child’s interests or by asking open-ended questions about the pictures. At least one person in the conversation should get three turns to talk.

The Department of Agriculture provides suggestions to adults on making nutritious meals to young children. In addition to including written policies on nutrition and meal planning, program leaders can provide this handout as a resource to support the overall health and safety of children.

In this video, the teacher uses rich language when describing the outdoor learning environment and the actions she and the infant were taking. Describing an object, activity, or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

The teacher uses language and a song to describe the actions the children are taking to complete the art activity. Describing an object, activity, or action contributes to building young children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This collection of natural objects includes items that promote hands-on manipulation as well as smaller objects that are protected in a clear container.

Living plants that children can help care for are a great way to bring nature inside. Dried leaves and seasonal vegetables can also promote exploration and conversation about different plants and seasons.

This outdoor environment provides children with plants and dirt to encourage them to play and interact with nature. Here, they can plant seeds and care for them as they grow into plants.

Children can appreciate nature in these outdoor spaces. In one area, they can play and interact with sand; in another area, they can explore landscaping items like pebbles and rocks.

Naturalistic Instruction Practices, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives ideas on how teachers can respond to children’s needs and signals to support and encourage children’s engagement in child-initiated activities.

Naturalistic Instruction Practices, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can participate with children in playful activities throughout the day as they work and play.

Naturalistic Instruction Practices, a publication created by Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, gives teachers suggestions of how they can support children as they make choices based on their interest. The reader will read about how they can engage children in playful activities throughout the day to support and encourage the choices they make as they work and play.

This publication by Green Schoolyards America promotes the importance and benefits of nature play for young children. Program staff can utilize the recommendations and examples for designing their own outdoor learning environments in a safe and resourceful manner.

In this activity, children identify and draw items they find on a nature walk. The teacher can support each group of children by having conversations with them about what they find, what they notice, and what they’re drawing. The teacher can also describe how children help each other.

In this activity, children identify and draw items they find on a nature walk. As the teacher visits each group of children, they can encourage children to communicate by asking them about the items they find or the details in their drawings. The teacher can also answer children’s questions.

These example photos show equipment and materials that are thoughtfully chosen to represent diverse cultures, life roles, abilities, disabilities, and ethnicities. The arrangement of these materials supports a respectful atmosphere, promoting understanding and acceptance among children.

This Texas Rising Star exemplar video highlights teachers of all age groups attending to children’s signals and needs. In the video, you will notice teachers responding to children’s verbal and non-verbal signs that they may need help, have questions, or might be frustrated.

NCPMI’s Pyramid Model Preschool Module Series focuses on practices for building relationships with and promoting healthy relationships between children. This module includes resources and lists of practices teachers can implement to create a caring classroom community.

This publication gives teachers ways, such as allowing children to communicate and respond to questions, to promote children’s oral language development throughout the day. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

This publication gives teachers ways, such as asking open-ended questions, to promote children’s oral language development throughout the day. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking a variety of questions during activities and routines.

While reading a book, the teacher pauses to ask the children to show her how they slumber. Teachers can initiate conversations with young children by asking questions during play, mealtimes, routines, and planned activities.

While reading a book, the teacher pauses to define what it means to slurp. She then asks the children to show her how they would slurp. Teachers can initiate conversations by asking questions and giving children prompts during play, mealtimes, routines, and planned activities.

The teacher uses descriptive language to help the child to identify the right animal (the zebra). Describing an object contributes to building children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher provided ample time for the children to respond to her question about the picture. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the children a variety of closed-ended and open-ended questions about shoveling sand. When the teacher asked the children questions, she provided them ample time to respond. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

In the beginning of this video exemplar, the teacher names the parts of the shovel while pointing to them. Labeling an object contributes to building children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher uses descriptive language to help the child to identify the right animal, the lion. Labeling an object contributes to building children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher prompts the children to use their five senses to describe the starfish. When describing the smell, the teacher shared that the starfish smelt like rubber. Labeling an object using descriptive language builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

During the Star Student Interview, the teacher gives a few children the opportunity to ask a peer a question. Teachers can encourage children to communicate with teachers and peers by asking questions and providing instructions or prompts during planned activities.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the children a variety of closed-ended and open-ended questions about which animals they may find on a farm. When the teacher asked the children questions, she provided them ample time to respond. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions during activities and daily routines.

In this video exemplar, the teacher shows a picture of children building a sand castle on a beach. She then asks the children how they would build a sand castle. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions to encourage critical thinking during activities and daily routines.

When the teacher stopped reading to describe what it means to slurp, she initiated a conversation with the children by asking them which liquids could they slurp. Teachers can engage in conversations by asking open-ended questions and allowing children to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

In this video exemplar, the teacher initiates a conversation with the children by asking them what animals they may see on a farm. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking children open-ended questions and them allowing then to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

In this video exemplar, the teacher shows a picture of children building a sand castle on a beach. She then asks the children how they would build a sand castle and how they would use a shovel. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking open-ended questions and then allowing them to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

While reading the book, the teacher asks the children several open-ended questions about the bear in the story. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking a variety of questions and then allowing children time to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

While playing in the dramatic play center, the teacher asks the children questions about tea and popcorn. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking open-ended questions and then allowing children time to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

While reading the book, the teacher asks the children questions about the badger in the story. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking a variety of questions and then allowing children time to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

While reading the book, the teachers asks the children questions about the bear in the story. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking a variety of questions and then allowing children time to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asks the children what items they may need for school. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by asking a variety of questions and then allowing children time to respond before asking a follow-up question or moving on to another topic.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the children a variety of closed-ended and open-ended questions while reading the story. Even during structured, or planned, activities, teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the children a variety of questions about the fish and a movie. When the teacher asked the children questions, she provided them ample time to respond. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher responds to a child’s statement about fish being in the water. She then follows up by asking them if they can see fish in the picture. Teachers can engage in back-and-forth conversations by continually asking questions and then allowing children time to respond.

In this video exemplar, the teacher names or allows children to name the items once pulled out of the bucket. After the children could not name it, the teacher identified the animal as a stingray. Labeling an object using descriptive language builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the children questions while reading the story. Even during structured, or planned, activities, teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher names and allows the children to name the objects on the table. Labeling an object builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher uses descriptive language while in the dramatic play center. Labeling an object builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asked the child questions to take dictation and to add writing to his artwork. By naming the animals, she assisted the child in connecting parts of his drawing to a book read earlier. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions during independent play, whole group activities, or small group activities.

In this video exemplar, the teacher uses descriptive language when discussing the shape of the letter S. Labeling an object, action, action, or a concept builds children’s vocabulary so they are more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This exemplar preschool video segment shows a teacher listening and responding to a child attentively as they attempt to identify a letter. When the child’s attempt to recognize and name the letter become apparent, the teacher listens patiently, and offers the child support as needed.

In this preschool video segment a teacher listens intently and provides clarifying information which helps a group of children to come up with the phrase grocery store. The exemplar shows how listening to children can allow teachers to notice moments when children need language supports.

In this video exemplar, the teacher introduces a new vocabulary word to the children while reading a book. Labeling an object builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

This video includes a collection of photographs of outdoor learning environments. Notice how these toys and materials support learning in small groups while reinforcing what children are learning indoors. Note: This video has no audio.

This video illustrates materials that support exploration of infants in an outdoor learning environment through a collection of labeled photographs. Note: This video has no audio.

This outdoor environment for infants has several developmentally appropriate materials. There are balls, play mats, and rattles for the baby to explore outside.

This engaging play structure provides many opportunities for children to move, crawl, and twist. This structure also provides additional shade while children are playing.

This video illustrates materials that support exploration of infants in an outdoor learning environment through a collection of labeled photographs. Note: This video has no audio.

This video illustrates materials that supports children engaging in physical activity in an outdoor learning environment through a collection of labeled photographs. Note: This video has no audio.

Engage children in an art project with the “Painting Pies” activity. Teachers can plan pretend play activities like this one to allow children to make choices; in this activity, children decide what materials they will use as the teacher guides them to make their “pie.”

These examples of family communication logs reflect children’s experiences throughout the day.

Program staff can use this conference record form to document their conversations with families, as well as use the completed form as evidence showing the ongoing communication with families about children’s progress and development. By having completed forms, the program has proof that staff and families are working together to make decisions regarding the child’s experience.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers participate in play with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. As the teachers play with the children they take time to expand on any initiated play that might occur, reinforce language and follow their agenda during play.

Practitioners can work alongside families to support children’s ongoing development through everyday interactions and experiences. Through this course, practitioners will further build their knowledge and skillset to have ongoing conversations with parents to assist them in better understanding child growth and development, especially regarding their child’s experience and progress at the program.

This Texas Rising Star exemplar video showcases teachers of all age groups maintaining calm in the classroom. The teachers use positive voice tones, are patient and demonstrate a relaxed style as conflicts arise and children need support.

PBS LearningMedia has a variety of free learning activities aligned to state and national standards for the school-age specified age group. Activities include videos, photographs, and lesson details to support school-age classroom teachers in the planning and delivery of classroom instruction.

In this pretend play activity, children learn about and practice taking care of a pet. Teachers can bring a variety of “pets” and pet care items for children to choose from and play with. In the video included in the activity, the teacher engages children in a book about caring for pets before joining in the pretend play activity.

Teachers have many opportunities during the day to promote peer interaction between children. In this exemplar video segment, a teacher helps facilitate an activity where infants are taking turns playing back and forth with a toy.

There are many books available that explore preschoolers’ expression of feelings. Shared book reading is a wonderful activity to promote children’s understanding of different emotions. In this video exemplar watch as the teacher reads about different emotions and supports the children’s understanding of emotional expression by providing examples and modeling and describing emotions in the book.

Teachers have many opportunities during the day to promote peer interaction between children. In this exemplar video segment, teachers help facilitate an outdoor game with toddlers where they model social interactions. During the activity the teachers show the children how to include everyone in the game and how to wait patiently for peers as they finish up the game.

Teacher can support interactions between toddlers by providing children with common phrases that children say to each other. Watch as the teacher in this video coaches children with words to say while greeting each other. By supporting these conversations, the teacher helps children in communicating with their peers.

The teachers in this video make the most of transition times by singing songs, counting, playing games, and preparing snacks.

Play and Explore, a publication created by Massachusetts Dept. of Early Education and Care, focuses on a few activities’ teachers can try to expand on a babies-initiated play. When teachers’ pay attention to moments of a babies waning focus they can add to their play in hopes of extending their exploration.

These brief learning modules are free for family members. They introduce common strategies to support children’s learning at home like reading books, plus common challenges families face, like encouraging children to cooperate. This link will take you to a list of PALS Spotlights, where you can select any topic. These modules may be useful to incorporate into a program’s family education plan.

This video from the Center on the Developing Child discusses the importance of play for fostering children’s resilience and building their social-emotional skills.

In this intentional activity, teachers will guide children’s communication and interactions with each other by modeling how to speak respectfully. Teaching children how to interact with their peers proactively prevents conflict.

Teaching children how to play cooperatively is important for their social development. In this activity, the teacher provides opportunities for children to act out ways to play together, including what to say when a child doesn’t want to play with others.

A pre-k partnership is a collaboration between a school district or charter school and one or more quality-rated child care programs to provide high-quality care and education to eligible children. Play this video from the Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Education Agency to see how a pre-k partnership works.

Use this checklist to determine whether the purchased or program-created curriculum being used is developmentally appropriate for the preschoolers served. For a curriculum to be considered “approved” for Texas Rising Star scoring, the curriculum must meet all criteria on the checklist.

This sample preschool classroom daily schedule shows set time frames of specific activities to be done throughout the day. The schedule is balanced with a mixture of opportunities for both teacher-initiated activities and times where preschool children can initiate what they would like to do or talk about within those set times.

This weekly lesson plan template is for preschool practitioners to document structured learning activities and additional instruction notes. Using a template similar to this shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning guidelines, and there is evidence teaching staff receive feedback on lesson planning as a type of curriculum support on a regular basis. (Document will automatically download.)

During a transition activity, a teacher asks children to name the first letter in their name and to make the sound for the letter. This activity allows the teacher to transition the children from circle time to small groups without many disruptions or long waits.

This letter wall activity shows a teacher using a planned transition to move children from group time to center time. Adding planned transitions helps reduce confusion as children change learning spaces throughout the day.

In this activity, teachers will guide children as they act out steps for solving problems. The steps in the problem-solving process enable children to speak respectfully when they need to resolve a conflict with a friend.

This is an example of a Professional Development Profile Report for Administrators and Practitioners from TECPDS. This report can be used to analyze staff education, experience, and training to ensure staff are meeting requirements for training hours and topics. The report can also help inform staff training plans if some training topics have less coverage than others.

The Professional Development Profile Report for Practitioners from TECPDS can be used to assist in analyzing education, experience, and training. The assessor will use the Individual Professional Development Profile Report to help score the director’s education, experience, and training measures. Program staff files should be used to verify these documents if the report is incomplete or unavailable.

This self-assessment is designed for Administrators: early childhood professionals who are responsible for planning, managing, implementing, and evaluating early childhood programs. When selecting professional development opportunities, look for conferences and sessions aligned with the professional development plan to meet your goals.

Early childhood practitioners complete many hours of professional development each year to support their professional growth in child skill development and instructional practices, and to meet state guidelines. When selecting your next professional development opportunity, look for conferences and sessions aligned to the professional development plan to meet your goals!

A warm and responsive style supports children’s social, emotional, cognitive, academic, and physical well-being. Preschoolers develop positive social and emotional skills as a result of the close relationships they have with family members and teachers. This lesson highlights the significance of being a responsive preschool teacher.

This course within the Family Engagement series on CLI Engage has a particular focus on gathering family input and helping families with understanding their child’s assessment results. Login or create your free CLI Engage account to access this course.

In the video segment Provide Comfort to Children in Distress, the CLI exemplar demonstrates ways teachers can comfort babies when they show signs of stress and discomfort. Noticing and attending to children’s signals allows babies to trust practitioners to meet their needs.

In this exemplar video segment, Comforts Children in Distress, teachers demonstrate comforting toddlers in moments of distress. Responding promptly and sensitively to children when they show signs of discomfort help them to build a sense of trust in their caregivers.

Many activities in toddler classrooms should include hands on activities for children to touch and hold things. There will also be situations where children should look and not touch things. In this video exemplar watch as the teacher gives verbal and physical cues to remind children of what before an activity to support the children with self-control.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers provide guidance to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. As the teachers play and work with the children, they make sure to accept the way children choose to do activities, use encouraging communication and encourage problem solving all without using directive statements.

In this exemplar video segment, Offer Opportunities for Choice, a teacher is soothing a fussy baby. During the segment the caregiver is engaging the infant in a playful activity and demonstrating offering them the opportunity to make a choice between two objects.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers provide social opportunities for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. In the video teachers give children opportunities to interact with each other during mealtimes, centers, and outdoor time all while facilitating how the children interact as they play together.

In this video exemplar, the teachers use a variety of questions to communicate with children during the day. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking open-ended and closed-ended questions across various activities, routines, and contexts.

This video shows teachers providing short explanations that help children of multiple age groups understand why someone is feeling a certain way.

Learn all about pre-k partnerships in this webinar from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This video includes definitions, requirements, benefits, a description of the partnership process cycle, and additional resources.

This document by the Department of Early Education and Care describes what teachers can do when they notice babies attempting to communicate. The publication Reading Gestures describes techniques caregivers can use to respond promptly when they recognize babies using gestures.

In this video, the teacher reminds the children of the rules and expectations for centers before children go to centers.

In this Texas Rising Star exemplar there are multiple video segments which show teachers of many age groups teaching a new concept. The teachers show how they are able to carry the same concept over into many different learning environments throughout the day.

In this photo we see a collection of dolls that are inclusive of different ethnicities and abilities.

As shown in these photos, classrooms can provide books, pictures, and labels that represent diverse ethnicities, languages, and celebrations.

Practitioners will discover ways to engage families when they have concerns that a child is at risk for a disability or developmental delay. With proper documentation, staff and families can work together to make decisions regarding the child’s experience and discuss the supports available for children with differing abilities.

In this exemplar video segment, Responds Promptly and Sensitively to Children’s Signal, a teacher follows a baby’s lead and supports her by giving warm encouragement. Responding promptly and sensitively to infants builds trust and also enhances learning.

In this exemplar video segment, Responds Promptly and Sensitively to Children’s Signal, a teacher demonstrates responding promptly and sensitively to two children as they ask for help in a busy classroom. Responding promptly and sensitively to children increases the likelihood they will communicate about their need’s ideas and interest.

In this series of video segments, teachers respond sensitively to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and after-school children throughout the day. Responding to signals promptly as they play, learn, and communicate helps children begin to trust their caregivers will consistently acknowledge their needs in a warm and responsive manner.

This webinar from Head Start/ECLKC will help teachers understand why having healthy relationships early in life is beneficial for children. The webinar gives ideas on how practitioners can engage in responsive caregiving.

In this activity, children test out which surface makes a toy car go the fastest. While children investigate, teachers can visit each station to describe the surfaces (e.g., smooth, bumpy), narrate what children are doing, and ask them questions about their observations.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) explains the importance of inclusion and how infant and toddler practitioners can plan for more inclusive learning opportunities. Program leaders can include similiar accommodations and supports in the program’s family handbook as evidence of programmatic processes and classroom supports for families and children with differing abilities.

Rocking and Rolling: It’s Never “Just Play”! an article by Linda Groves Gillespie, featured on National Association for the Education of Young Children, gives readers an idea of what following the agenda of individual children might look like in a class setting. The article suggest a few new ideas and offers opportunities of reflection for readers as they participate on play initiated by children.

As children roll a ball to a friend, caregivers can guide children to speak respectfully to each other. Toddlers may point at a friend instead of saying their name, and teachers can support children’s positive peer interactions by giving reminders that make all children feel included.

Children can play “Roll to a Friend” with one friend or many! As children play, the teacher can facilitate how children interact by encouraging them to say each other’s names and play cooperatively.

Educational documentation (transcripts, diplomas, certificates) must be observed to show how the director qualifies. Here is a sample transcript that shows documentation of the director’s college education coursework as it relates to their role.

This sample menu reflects a variety of healthy meals and snacks. This program rotates the lunch and snack menus to encourage diverse meal planning.

Here is an exemplar of a monthly lesson plan for a school-age classroom. The exemplar shows there are planned activities aligned with early learning standards that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

This sample lesson plan shows how “focus skills,” or the skills children are developing, are targeted in the classroom activity selections for the week. It also includes planning for different instructional formats (e.g., circle time, centers) and connects to home-based activities. Programs can work up to this level of detail by first being more intentional about selecting activities that cover multiple learning areas.

Director documentation of experience (résumé, curriculum vitae, date of hire) must be observed during program assessment. The resume sample shows how proof of years of experience in early childhood education can be provided by the director.

Teacher documentation of experience (résumé, curriculum vitae, date of hire) must be observed during program assessment. The resume sample shows how proof of years of experience in early childhood education can be provided by program staff.

This sample plan shows a practitioner’s professional development goals and the trainings she has completed and plans to complete. Notice how there is alignment between her professional development goals and the trainings she completes.

Here is an exemplar of a weekly lesson plan for a school-age classroom. The exemplar shows there are planned activities aligned with early learning standards that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

In this exemplar video segment, Scaffold Children’s Learning by Adding Challenge, an infant teacher provides guidance to children as they play a game of shaking bottles to make noise. The teacher offers prompts and hints to the children as to encourage them to think of new ways to use the noise makers.

In this exemplar video segment, Scaffold Children’s Learning by Adding Challenge, a toddler teacher provides guidance to a child as she is working on matching-colored rings onto a puzzle. The teacher encourages communication, offers prompts and hints as the child attempts to verbalize the color of the rings before she sorts them on to the colored posts.

In this exemplar video segment, Scaffold Children’s Learning by Simplifying, an infant teacher provides guidance to a child as he is working to push buttons on a toy. The teacher demonstrates how to work the toy all while encouraging the baby to continue to work towards solving his problem of getting the toy to open.

In this exemplar video segment, Scaffold Children’s Learning by Simplifying, a toddler teacher provides guidance to a child as he is working on completing a puzzle. The teacher offers prompts and hints to the child as he attempts to place the puzzle piece in the correct space on the puzzle board.

This video from the Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center shows how schedules and routines help to promote children’s learning. A daily schedule that allows children to make choices, learn in varied group sizes and environments, and receive individualized support results in higher engagement. This video is a part of a larger professional development suite.

This weekly lesson plan template is for school-age practitioners to document structured learning activities and additional instruction notes. Using a template similar to this shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning guidelines, and there is evidence teaching staff receive feedback on lesson planning as a type of curriculum support on a regular basis.

Here is a weekly lesson plan template for practitioners to document their structured learning activities, as well as additional instruction notes, for the school-age specified age group. Using a template similar to the one provided shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning standards that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

Use this checklist to determine whether the purchased or program-created curriculum being used is developmentally appropriate for the students served. Activities should include objectives, materials needed, and guidance for teacher instruction. For a curriculum to be considered “approved” for Texas Rising Star scoring, the curriculum must meet all criteria in the checklist.

This sample school age daily schedule shows set time frames of specific activities to be done when participating in a before school and after school program. The schedule is balanced with a mixture of opportunities for both teacher-initiated activities and times where school age children can initiate what they would like to do or talk about within those set times.

This photo shows examples of real objects provided in the classroom that promote children’s scientific understanding, including a magnifiying glass and various samples from nature.

This is a closeup photo of an example of a developmentally appropriate science station for toddlers. Materials include magnifying glasses, sensory tubes, and science-related books.

This video follows a pre-K teacher as she uses Circle Progress Monitoring data to select a small group of children who would benefit from more targeted support.

Creating interest areas can also include a quiet space for toddlers to practice self-regulation. This example photo shows a space with pillows and stuffed animals for comfort and books and pictures to learn about feelings.

As children explore light and shadows, the caregiver provides guidance to build their skills and knowledge. The teacher explains and demonstrates how to make shadows, how to make shadows bigger or smaller, and how sunlight affects their shadows outside. Guiding children instead of directing them allows them to try out their ideas to find solutions on their own.

In this activity, the baby will share a toy with a caregiver. As the baby participates in the turn-taking cycle, the caregiver must pay attention to the child’s signals to see if they are ready to give and receive the toy. Waiting for the baby to share and returning the toy to them when they signal that they want it builds trust.

Some young children need assistance to communicate with classmates. Teachers can use this activity to proactively prevent conflict by modeling respectful communication and encouraging children to use it as they share with a partner.

In this activity, the teacher provides opportunities for children to share with a partner. Teaching children how to share with a friend is one way to facilitate positive peer interactions.

As this group of toddlers builds fine motor skills, the teacher notices and attends to their verbal and nonverbal signals. At the beginning of the video, she responds to the child’s suggestion by modeling the task. Then, later, she helps a child who struggles to put the top back on the container before she becomes frustrated.

The Small Grouping Tool  in CLI Engage groups children with scores below age-related benchmarks and recommends activities from the Circle Activity Collection: Pre-K to Grade 2 Classroom for further skill development. Learn more about this tool in this how-to guide.

This video shows a teacher interacting child who is upset by a consequence given during small group. The teacher in the video labels his feelings during their conversation to get him to participate in the activity.

This video shows a teacher working with a small group of children to discuss what emotions are and the expressions that are associated with feelings.

This video shows a teacher reading a story to a group of children. The teacher takes the opportunity to talk about the character’s feelings and discusses appropriate behaviors to ensure that all children pick up on the feelings presented in the story

In this exemplar video segment, as a teacher is working with children during circle time, she uses positive verbal responses. When the children successfully complete the activity she praises them by acknowledging their accomplishments.

In this exemplar preschool video segment, as a teacher is working with children, she uses positive verbal responses. When the children successfully complete the activity, she praises them by giving them a round of applause.

In this exemplar video segment, during a circle time activity, a teacher uses encouragement to reinforce a child’s accomplishment. When the child successfully completes a task, the teachers praises him on a job well done.

In this video watch as a teacher supports children in their development of self-regulation during a small group activity. In the activity you will see teacher and children discuss making choices in the classroom by highlighting situation that are familiar and meaningful to the children’s classroom experiences.

In this video watch as a teacher states behavior expectations and provides guidance that encourages children to regulate their own behavior while passing out materials for an activity.

In this exemplar video segment, a teacher responds promptly and warmly to a child who has questions about transitioning from circle time to centers. The teacher acknowledges the child’s thoughts and ideas about how the transition should be done and then explains why it must be done a certain way.

In this exemplar preschool video segment, as a teacher is working with children, she uses encouragement to reinforce a child’s accomplishment. When the child successfully completes the task, the teacher gives him detailed praise to reinforce the desired behavior she noticed.

In this exemplar video segment, as a teacher is working with children during circle time, she uses positive verbal responses. When the children successfully complete an activity, the teacher gives them detailed praise to reinforce the desired behavior she noticed.

This exemplar video segment shows a teacher providing verbal praise. She uses encouragement to reinforce a child’s accomplishment. When the child successfully completes the task, the teacher gives her detailed praise to reinforce the desired behavior she noticed.

This exemplar video segment shows a teacher providing verbal praise after children complete a math activity. She uses words of encouragement to reinforce their accomplishments and the desired behaviors she noticed.

This exemplar video segment shows a teacher giving verbal praise after a child successfully writes her name during an activity. She uses positive words to reinforce her accomplishment and to encourage the desired behaviors she noticed.

In this exemplar video segment, a child describes his writing to his teacher and classmates. Upon completion, the teacher provides him with specific verbal praise about his writing and descriptions to encourage a continuation of the desired outcome.

This shelf in an infant room has toy phones to encourage speech practice. Notice how the shelf is simple and uncluttered and labeled with a large picture of similar toys.

This photo shows a musical center with pictures of musicians and instruments from diverse backgrounds. The labels around the center are also provided in two languages.

During this water play activity, the caregiver gives all children the attention and assistance they need. Three of the children need help squeezing the sponge, while one child can complete the task independently. When one toddler shows interest in pouring the water from one bowl to the other, the teacher encourages everyone to try it.

This caregiver’s responsiveness and positive tone of voice make the activity fun for the babies. Her relaxed style and ability to adjust based on children’s needs and interests keep the babies calm as they play with the stacking cups.

Before beginning child care duties, all teaching staff members receive documented in-person interactive orientation with the director/administrator to improve knowledge of the childcare operation, specific job responsibilities, and children’s needs. Here is a sample document that provides evidence that this onboarding has taken place. This documentation should remain in the teacher’s staff file.

Here is a performance evaluation template for directors or administrators to document annual staff performance evaluations. Program leaders can use a staff’s performance evaluation to provide monetary compensation and to recognize an employee’s performance in the 12 months. The document will download automatically.

A checklist like this can help directors and staff keep track of the required topics for staff training and which topics are met across the year for each staff member. We recommend using a checklist like this in combination with a formal training plan that lists the staff member’s professional development goals and the specific trainings they will complete.

This template is an effortless way to document staff members’ professional development goals and training opportunities. Training opportunities should help the practitioner meet their goals while also meeting minimum requirements for clock hours and training topics.

Starting a new home-based child care business involves making a number of decisions, including the type of home-based child care to operate and how to incorporate best practices. This course supports home-based child care business owners introducing the types of home-based child care, Minimum Standards, best business practices, and other critical components for operating a successful business.

The health and safety of children in care is the top priority for all early childhood professionals. This course for prospective home-based child care business owners will introduce some of the health and safety standards, best practices, and ways to properly implement these in home-based child care.

Learning environments and intentional teaching are key aspects of any successful early childhood program. This course for prospective home-based child care business owners will introduce high-quality learning environments, intentional teaching, and multi-age activity planning in home-based child care settings.

Starting a new home-based child care business involves making a number of decisions about how best to operate the program and meet the needs of children and families. This course for prospective home-based child care business owners will introduce some key support systems and the tools and services they provide.

This teacher consistently responds to the children’s communication attempts in a positive way. She engages them in conversations and listens attentively. When a child says “no” to another child, the teacher continues the interaction by explaining that he wants to help and models how to ask a friend if they want help. Noticing and responding to children’s communication makes them feel valued.

Penn State Extension provides suggestions to practitioners on maintaining proper supervision and ratios of children in their care. Meeting compliance with national, state, and quality improvement guidelines regarding ratios and group sizes are a way to ensure the safety, well-being, and development of children in early learning settings.

Program leaders and staff will find the rationale for small group sizes and the general recommendations for safe classroom group sizes and staff-to-child ratios. Meeting compliance with national, state, and quality improvement guidelines regarding ratios and group sizes are a way to ensure the safety, well-being, and development of children in early learning settings.

PennState Extension provides suggestions and tips for early learning programs to support breastfeeding parents. In addition to including written policies in the family handbook and providing a designated breastfeeding area, program leaders can provide this resource in the parent resource library or electronically to support the breastfeeding parent and the overall health and safety of children.

In this exemplar video segment, Support Turn Taking, a toddler teacher provides many opportunities for children to work together in a large group during a music activity. The teacher uses turn taking to facilitate how the children engage in play with each other during music time.

In this webinar, viewers will define social, emotional, and regulatory development and explore how to support children’s growth in these areas. Upon completion, viewers will identify activities to implement either remotely or in the classroom that will support children’s regulation.

This teacher toolkit is designed to help families better understand their child’s growth and development to address any developmental concerns they observe. These tools and resources, once completed, can be referenced during parent-teacher conferences as evidence of staff and families working together in making decisions regarding the child’s experience.

Practitioners will learn ways to connect with the families of infants and toddlers with differing abilities and how to promote an all-inclusive learning environment. In addition to having written policies regarding accommodations, the program has proof that additional programmatic and classroom supports are offered for families and children with differing abilities.

This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows the various opportunities teachers have to communicate with infants and young toddlers. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking questions and responding to children’s signals during activities and daily routines.

This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how infant and toddler teachers can have meaningful conversations by imitating, responding to, and expanding on children’s signals. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how infant and toddler teachers can have meaningful conversations by imitating and then responding to children’s signals. Teachers can respond to children’s nonverbal and verbal signals to facilitate language across various contexts.

This professional development video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows how teachers can engage in conversations with children by asking questions and responding to children’s signals. Teachers can initiate one-on-one conversations and can encourage back-and-forth vocalizations by continually asking open-ended questions about a child’s interests.

This professional development video shows how teachers can provide frequent language stimulation by having conversations and asking questions, then watching for children’s signals and responses. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

This online self-study discusses Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) and examines how and why SPD can impact a child’s behavior. Educators will learn how to identify the behaviors that are associated with SPD and how to include children who display these behaviors.

This document provides tips to help caregivers use co-regulation to support early development of self-regulation skills in infants. Babies will experience moments of distress in any normal day. You can prevent and buffer some of this by creating a warm, safe environment.

In the publication “Supporting the Development of Self-Regulation in Young Children,” practitioners are given insightful ways to attend to children’s needs and signals in stressful moments. The document suggests ways caregivers can create calm and structured childcare environments by responding warmly to babies and having a patient and relaxed style.

In this publication from Childcare Services, practitioners are given insightful ways to work with infants in classroom settings. The document suggests ways caregivers can create calm and structured childcare environments by responding warmly to babies and having a patient and relaxed style.

This brief guide can serve as a useful reference for program staff working with toddlers. The guide provides high-level tips for supporting self-regulation skills including establishing a calm environment, responding during stressful moments, and partnering with family members.

In this recording, teachers demonstrate how to consistently notice and attend to children’s needs and signals as signs of stress arise or as children attempt to communicate by responding to their questions, comments, or vocalizations. This video is a part of a larger professional development series.

This video from the WGBH Educational Foundation shows the importance of communicating with infants throughout the day. From this video, infant teachers can see how to provide infants with language stimulation during the day’s routines and activities.

In the recording, teachers demonstrate how they use frequent, positive nonverbal behaviors like smiling and using reassuring touches to help babies in their care feel accepted. This video is a part of a larger professional development series.

This recording provides information on how teachers can offer a balance of teacher-initiated instructional opportunities while still allowing time for child-directed activities throughout the day. This video is a part of a larger professional development series.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers engage in a playful attitude with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. The teachers work with the children to encourage them to make believe, make choices, and adjust activities to their own interest throughout the day.

Toddlers practice taking turns in conversation with a teacher during a meal or snack. Caregivers can label what children are eating and use rich vocabulary to describe the food to build children’s language.

In this activity, toddlers practice taking turns in conversation with a teacher during a meal or snack. While you sit with children, you can ask questions and respond to their comments to encourage them to use expanded language.

PennState Extension provides helpful information and guidance to families and practitioners of children with diagnosed food allergies. In addition to including written policies in the family handbook about food allergies and how staff handle emergencies, program leaders can provide this resource in the parent resource library or electronically to support the overall health and safety of children.

In this video you will see a teacher observing infant children during play time to label feelings and connect those feelings to what the child is doing. The teacher also asks the young children open ended questions to encourage them to express themselves and responds to the child’s cues.

This video shows one of the ways a teacher can encourage children to talk about and express feelings. In this clip, you will see a teacher point out how characters in a book feel to encourage and extend discussion about feelings with children during story time.

In this video exemplar, the teacher asks the children questions about the pictures in the book. Teachers can initiate conversations with children by asking a variety of questions during activities and daily routines.

While waiting for the food to arrive, the teacher asks the children questions about the steps they would take after mealtime. This video exemplar highlights how teachers can initiate conversations with children throughout the day, such as mealtime, by asking a variety of questions.

This publication includes tips, such as asking a variety of questions, for teachers to enrich the environment with language for infants and toddlers. Teachers can engage in meaningful conversations with young children by asking open-ended questions and then allowing children time to respond.

This publication includes tips, such as asking questions related to children’s experiences and interests, for teachers to enrich the environment with language for preschool children. Teachers can engage in meaningful conversations with young children by asking open-ended questions and then allowing children time to respond.

This publication includes tips, such as expanding on children’s verbal attempts by adding more words, for teachers to enrich the environment with language for preschool children. Teachers can deepen or expand on children’s initiation by providing more specific information or building on a child’s background knowledge.

“Talk, Talk, Talk” provides tips teachers can use when talking and listening to babies and toddlers. The document suggests ways caregivers can listen attentively and respond to children to encourage back and forth conversation to develop language.

Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) provides tips to encourage staff to talk to families about depression and offers concrete ways to have those conversations. By providing supports, resources, and written policies regarding the overall health and safety of children, early learning programs have evidence demonstrating their procedures for supporting the whole child’s development.

Mealtimes–breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner–are an opportunity for teachers to communicate with children. This resource gives a list of “conversation starter” questions and recipes to support teachers in having meaningful conversations during meals.

This publication from PennState Extension explains how mealtime–breakfast, lunch, snack, or dinner–can support children’s early language and literacy development. This resource gives a list of “conversation starter” questions and food recipes with instructions to support teachers in having meaningful conversations at the table.

T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Early Childhood® Texas Scholarship Program is an educational scholarship opportunity for early childhood educators who work in the licensed childcare setting across Texas.  These comprehensive scholarships enable early childhood educators to take coursework leading to credentials and degrees at local community colleges and universities in Texas. 

Here is a template of a form current program staff can use to refer prospective employees and receive monetary compensation. Program leaders can implement a similar referral program as a type of compensatory support to encourage staff retention. The document will download automatically.

NCPMI’s Pyramid Model Preschool Module Series focuses on practices for building relationships with and promoting healthy relationships between children. This module focuses on teaching practices that support self-regulation, emotional literacy, problem-solving, and teaching friendship skills.

Create and update your professional development profile, review staff profile reports, and plan professional development for your center/facility. Anyone who works with children birth to age 8 can register for a TECPDS account, regardless of their role or the sector in which they work. If you work with young children and would like a personal account where you can keep track of your professional development, create an account today!

Use this checklist, specially written for Texas Rising Star center classroom staff, to complete your TECPDS account. Follow these tips to ensure you have everything needed for your next Texas Rising Star Assessment.

Use this checklist, specially written for Texas Rising Star center directors, to complete your TECPDS account. Follow these tips to ensure you have everything needed for your next Texas Rising Star Assessment.

Teachers will encourage individual children to pretend to have a conversation on the phone in this activity. Caregivers can reply to a baby’s babbles, and then pause to encourage the baby to continue “talking.” Practitioners can initiate and model conversations with toddlers by asking open-ended questions and waiting for a response. At least one person in the conversation should get three turns to talk.

This publication from Penn State Extension describes temperament as a child’s emotional and behavioral way of responding to the world. The document provides ideas on how teachers or caregivers can demonstrate their ability to adjust their behavior in response to children’s temperaments.

This website offers a range of digital and print materials and resources related to child care training, including a number of online courses for child care professionals seeking to fulfill state-mandated training requirements. These resources will help early childhood professionals find and complete training hours needed as related to their role.

This calculator intends to simplify the process of estimating the costs of providing child care. This tool can assist you with identifying the most common expenses incurred when providing child care services for infant to school-age children.

This training was designed for use by early childhood administrators. These competencies represent the range of knowledge and observable skills needed to effectively manage early childhood programs. They are intended to serve as a guide to those interested in acquiring a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities associated with early childhood program administration.

This training was designed for use by early childhood administrators. These competencies represent the range of knowledge and observable skills needed to effectively manage early childhood programs. They are intended to serve as a guide to those interested in acquiring a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities associated with early childhood program administration.

The Texas Core Competencies are a set of basic concepts, skills, and abilities that the state’s early childhood professionals should learn, understand, and be able to demonstrate. This webinar will provide an overview of the core competencies areas and how to access and utilize the Core Competencies online training on CLI Engage.

Core competencies refer to specific, basic concepts, skills, and abilities that early childhood professionals should learn, understand, and be able to demonstrate. This training was designed for use by early childhood professionals to improve the quality of care and education young children receive. (9.5 hours)

The career pathway relates a professional’s training hours, education, work experience, and other factors to a position on the career pathway, from entry-level to expertise in the early childhood field. The Texas ECE Career Pathways support those who identify as Practitioners, Administrators, Trainers, and Coaches.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. A high-quality curriculum ensures full coverage of TEKS, is aligned with research-based instructional strategies in each subject area, and supports all learners.

The Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines (ITELG) describe expectations about what children should know and be able to do across domains of learning during specific age ranges, as well as what steps caregivers should take to support healthy development. ELPs should consider these guidelines when choosing a curriculum. Visit CLI Engage for free ITELG training.

This course helps teachers and caregivers understand how to be responsive caregivers to infants and toddlers through the support they provide in the areas of language and development. The training focuses on the following topics: language development theory, language mastery, stages of language acquisition, and language development within the context of culture and history.

This self-paced training helps caregivers understand infants’ and toddlers’ physical, health, and motor development, and provides instructional and care-giving strategies. Engaging children in playful gross and fine motor activities sets them up for success socially and cognitively.

Caregivers can support young children in their ability to modulate their behavior and emotional expression by having realistic expectations and helping children develop self-regulation skills. This course discusses how teachers can promote self-regulation, practice appropriate transitions, and be responsive in stressful situations. (2 hours)

The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (TPG) have been developed to provide guidance for planning quality learning experiences for all children three to five years of age. Aligning intentional instructional practices and opportunities for play, exploration, discovery, and problem-solving with the learning outcomes will promote successful learning for all children. Visit CLI Engage for free TPG training.

This self-paced training gives prekindergarten teachers an overview of the Language and Communication domain, end-of, year outcomes, and types of instructional strategies they can use to support children’s skill development. The training focuses on the following topics: listening comprehension, speaking (conversation), speech production, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) provides support and inspiration to families to have healthy eating habits, have a healthy pregnancy, and raise children. Offering these resources in the program’s resource library or virtually to families supports whole child development and the overall health and safety of the child.

The Texas Workforce Registry (TWR) is a web-based application for early childhood professionals to keep track of all of their education and employment history, as well as the clock hours of training they have accrued. Through your TECPDS account, create a professional development profile, view reports, link to your program or school, connect to the job search resource and matching system, and evaluate trainings presented by Registered Trainers.

Infants and toddlers will explore several different textures in this activity. As children feel each of the objects, the caregiver should use rich, descriptive language to build understanding. In the video included in this activity, the teacher uses many labels and descriptors such as “white, soft fur” and “rough like the cat’s tongue.”

This lesson explores ways caregivers can create appropriate schedules and routines to help infants and toddlers feel safe, relaxed, and ready to explore and learn. Caregivers can extend learning across activity settings and formats, even with the littlest learners.

Designing your schedule and space to support effective routines helps promote preschool-aged children’s development and learning. This lesson will focus on providing a flexible schedule that extends learning throughout the day in both formal and informal settings.

This lesson will focus on constructing a flexible schedule that balances instructional activities and uses intentional approaches to learning. Teachers can promote independence by giving school-age children choice in their schedule as their needs and interests change.

This online course introduces how to design environments for infants and toddlers that promote responsive caregiving, exploration, and safety. It also includes support for selecting materials and setting up routines. The course includes reflection questions and application exercises that can be used to generate ideas for improvement.

This webinar from Head Start’s Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC) provides an overview of how to use outdoor learning environments to promote engagement and activity and it’s benefits for preschool age children. Program staff can learn what materials and elements to use when designing an outdoor learning environment.

This webpage from the American Academy of Pediatrics includes age-specific ideas for playful learning for children aged 0 to 6 years. This page can also be shared with families to encourage play at home.

This recording provides information on how teachers can offer a balance of teacher initiated instructional opportunities while still allowing time for child directed activities throughout the day. This video is a part of a larger professional development series.

The Roots of Early Leaning is a video from the Department of Early Education and Care. The recording depicts segments with teachers interacting with children in positive ways. The teachers in this video have created warm, safe and nurturing environments which allow the children to feel comfortable as they learn This video is a part of a larger professional development series.

The teaching and learning cycle provides a structure to achieve reflective teaching and effective learning. When teachers collect ongoing assessment data, they can evaluate children’s needs and then use the information to guide instruction. Taking the time to analyze child assessment results and data, and then reflecting on instructional practices, can lead to informed decisions on when to add new activities, how to modify lessons, and how to create targeted small groups. (18 minutes)

In this video exemplar, the teacher thinks aloud as she changes the infant’s diaper. Labeling an object, activity, action, or a thought builds children’s vocabulary and they will be more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teacher thinks aloud as she introduces a color-mixing activity. Thinking out loud and using descriptive language builds children’s vocabulary so they are more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

These books feature realistic pictures of familiar people, places, and objects. Displaying these books at children’s eye level ensures they can engage with them.

This toddler classroom has multiple interest areas for independent play. Look closely and see a music station, a cozy reading spot with pillows and books, a sensory table, a drawing area, and low shelves with building materials and other developmentally appropriate toys.

This sample toddler classroom daily schedule shows set time frames of specific activities to be done throughout the day. The schedule is balanced with a mixture of opportunities for both teacher-initiated activities and times where toddlers can initiate what they would like to do or talk about within those set times.

Children’s physical, social, and emotional development have an impact on their behavior. In this self-study, teachers will explore strategies to support children with differing sensory, developmental, and temperamental needs.

This publication from the New York City Department of Education includes a list of tools teachers can use to support children in developing their independence, self-regulation, and self-confidence. Toddler and preschool teachers can use these interactive visuals, like the attendance chart, to enforce the classroom’s routines and procedures and encourage children’s self-help skills.

This guide lists different types of activity settings and design considerations for outdoor learning environments. Each activity setting is accompanied by a picture to illustrate how the setting can promote learning and interactive play. Program staff can use these guidelines to incorporate common natural elements into an interactive outdoor learning environment for children.

Teachers can use this collection of letter knowledge transitions to encourage learning while children move from one activity to another. Adding incidental learning to routine and transition times is an efficient and enjoyable way to help children build school-readiness skills.

This website provides a number of resources for learning about and preparing for prekindergarten partnerships. On this page you will also find a link to TEA’s Interest Form, which will connect you with specialists who can support your partnership planning.

Practitioners will explore ways to partner with families to understand and respond to children’s behavior as communication. Practitioners will further build their knowledge and skillset to have ongoing conversations with parents to regarding their child’s experience and progress at the program.

There are many tools available to help practitioners and families learn about children’s growth and development. The resources on this page provide information about developmental milestones, developmental screening tools, and Early Childhood Intervention services for children with developmental delays or disabilities.

In this video exemplar, the teacher practices turn-taking and maintains an appropriate pace while communicating with the infant. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

In this video exemplar, the teacher maintains an appropriate pace while reading a book and she pauses to give the child an opportunity to respond to questions. Some children may need more time while others may need less, so it is important for teachers to listen attentively and wait patiently while children attempt to verbally respond to questions.

In this exemplar video segment, as a teacher is holding and talking to a baby she uses praise to encourage positive behaviors. She captures the infant’s attention and encourages her to participate by using praise throughout the interaction.

In this exemplar video segment, as a teacher is working with toddlers she uses praise to encourage positive behaviors. She captures their attention and encourages them to participate by using praise throughout the interaction.

In this exemplar video segment, Rhythm and Rhyme Toddlers 1, a teacher is reading nursery rhymes with a child in centers. During the segment the caregiver is allowing the child to make choices in the types of rhymes he wants to hear the teacher read or sing to him.

This publication from PennState Extension provides some examples of thoughtful questions and phrases teachers can use to engage children in conversations. Teachers can have meaningful and rich conversations with children by asking a variety of questions and prompts and then allowing children time to respond.

This publication from PennState Extension provides some examples of thoughtful questions and phrases teachers can use in conversations with children to encourage critical thinking. Teachers can initiate conversations with children and facilitate learning by asking a variety of questions during activities and routines.

In this video exemplar, the teachers narrate children’s actions and use descriptive language to label different objects and activities. Labeling an object, activity, or action builds children’s vocabulary so they are more likely to use those same words when communicating with others.

In this video exemplar, the teachers use language and asks questions to expand on the children’s interests. Teachers can make comments and ask questions in response to something a child has said to build the child’s language.

In this series of exemplar video segments, teachers showcase providing verbal praise to infants, toddlers, preschoolers and after school children throughout the day. Their use of positive responses, feedback and praise encourages a continuation of desired behaviors.

Formative assessment is an ongoing process that teachers use to gather information about children’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. This information enables educators to tailor instruction and better support children’s learning and development. (6 minutes)

This guide from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) focuses on how schools can make use of assessment data to improve teaching and learning. The guide recommends that schools set a clear vision for schoolwide data use, develop a data-driven culture, and make data part of an ongoing cycle of instructional improvement.

This example of a simple daily schedule includes realistic photographs of children at each timepoint across the day. The photos and the placement of the schedule at children’s eye level help children know what to expect in the daily routine.

The teacher in this video displays many positive nonverbal behaviors. She sits on the floor with the children as she explains the activity, she claps, she smiles, she invites children to sit close by, and she gives high-fives. These behaviors support children’s sense of acceptance in the classroom.

This exemplar video shows clips of teachers of all ages expressing warmth and affection to children in their classrooms. Their interactions are positive and the positivity helps the children feel safe and comfortable in their learning environments.

This publication from the Extension Alliance for Better Child Care provides toddler and preschool teachers with steps they can follow to assist children with conflict resolution. Teachers can use supportive language to help children communicate in a respectful manner during play and during conflict.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) provides resources to support emergent bilinguals. Including these articles and books in the program’s resource library for families shows that the program has processes and procedures in place to support families and children with differing home languages.

As children share their opinions about books, teachers can offer commentary and ask questions to encourage back-and-forth conversations. Though children talk in small groups in this activity, teachers can engage individual children in extended conversations about their ideas. At least one person in the conversation should get three turns to talk.

This teacher models complex language throughout the video. When the child says, “It makes me happy,” the teacher recasts by saying, “It makes you happy? Erin said it makes her happy.” Recasting children’s responses shows them you are excited about what they have to say and provides a model for correct and complete language.

This guide is discusses the features of a quality curriculum and provides recommendations for implementing and evaluating a curriculum. Programs and mentors can refer to different sections of this guide as a professional learning resource when making decisions about a curriculum and/or improving curriculum implementation.

The caregiver in this video consistently builds on children’s responses by modeling correct and complete language. At 0:48, when the child says the giraffe is “sitting,” the teacher extends his response (“He’s sitting on my chair.”). Extending and modeling language supports children’s language development.