All elementary schools are encouraged to implement Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory in the 2018-2019 school year in preparation for enhanced ESSA requirements.  The Kindergarten Entry Inventory is available to all school districts at no cost. Pennsylvania’s Kindergarten Entry Inventory (KEI) is a reliable reporting tool that offers teachers an instructional strategy for understanding and tracking...Read More

Lisa Mulliken From peg to frame to floor, puzzles provide children with many play opportunities and learning experiences, but organizing and storing these fine motor materials in the classroom can be… puzzling! How do you organize and store puzzles in a way that invites exploration and engagement and also allows children to independently clean up...Read More

Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) announced it was awarded a grant for early childhood programs to increase their financial sustainability and demonstrate strong child outcomes. The Heinz Endowments awarded $300,000 over two years to DHS, in partnership with Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11, to pilot regional shared-service alliances to support improving high-quality early...Read More

by Kelli Harris This is a great recipe to make with children in a shady spot outside during the summer or to create in the winter months to go along with a cold weather theme. You will need: 2 metal coffee cans with lids (1 small and 1 large)- cleaned and dried well Duct tape...Read More

By Kelli Harris A picture walk is previewing the pictures in a book to familiarize a child or group of children with the story prior to introducing the written words to them. Picture walks can pique a child’s interest about a story and help them want to learn more about the story. When you flip...Read More

Michelle Mallonee Long “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.” – Dr. Seuss    On a recent trip to Universal Studios where we spent the majority of our time in the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” I was afraid that I was going to have to...Read More

Governor Tom Wolf recently announced a $1.4 million grant to increase the quality of Pennsylvania’s early childhood learning professional workforce. The Higher Education, Early Child Care, and Community-based Partnership Working to Implement Innovative and Sustained Pathways grant will enable greater access for early childhood education staff to participate in and complete a credit-bearing Child Development...Read More

As part of the Office of Child Development and Early Learning’s (OCDEL) continuing efforts to support high quality child care, OCDEL will increase the subsidy base rates that are below the Maximum Child Care Allowance (MCCA) for STAR 3 and STAR 4 child care providers. Effective January, 1, 2018, all STAR 3 and STAR 4...Read More

On January 1, the PA Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) kicked off the We Are Pennsylvania Early Care and Education campaign. During this 14-week campaign, visitors will be able to meet some of the faces of staff who work with families, early learning programs, and community partners to ensure that families have access to safe and supportive...Read More

By Kweli Archie “Child care professionals have a unique opportunity to counteract unhealthy influences in a child’s early childhood. They have the power to affect a child’s life for better or for worse.  A child becomes what he/she experiences. While parents possess the original key to their offspring’s experience, child care professionals have a spare...Read More