The Pennsylvania Key welcomes Marnie Aylesworth as the new director. Marnie has worked in the field of early childhood education for over 25 years. She holds a Master’s degree in early childhood education and is in the final stages of her dissertation for her Ed.D in Curriculum and Instruction (ABD). Her current research is focused...Read More

Regina Wright Ingredients: A popsicle stick for each child 2 two-inch celery stalks per child 2 tablespoons of peanut butter per child (substitutions for food allergies can include hummus and cheese spreads) A small child size handful of raisinsRead More

Angel L. Avery-Wright Pets in child care can be a very rewarding and educational endeavor. Shy, younger children often respond to class pets Children can learn how to care for a pet and how to handle them. Pets needs vary depending on what kind of pet, so children can learn the different ways to care...Read More

By Stefanie Camoni What if there was a way to lower the number of challenging behaviors in your classroom? Would you believe it? The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) and the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI) have created the pyramid model a conceptual framework of evidence...Read More

Early childhood professionals, your voices have been heard! In response to feedback and to meet the growing needs of Pennsylvania’s early learning workforce, the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) announces the PD Registry will undergo a redesign in the coming months. The new registry will be live early 2018. Upcoming releases...Read More

Natalie Grebe If you have ever been in a toddler classroom, you can picture the scene. A room full of many toys and a lot of little people meandering around with those toys. It’s as if they’re in their own little world. A world full of pretending, imagining and play. The stuff in their eyes...Read More

By Erin DelRegno Attachment can be defined as the emotional bond that forms between a child and their parent and primary caregiver. Relationships like these are an important aspect of everyone’s life, and children start to build these relationships from birth. A healthy or secure attachment develops gradually over time and impacts how children build...Read More

Patty Carroll Many child care facilities struggle with taking infants outside. They wonder why it is so important and included as part of the Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale. During the first few years of life, infants are trying to make sense of their world. One of the ways they do this is by soaking...Read More

Books in Motion: Connecting Preschoolers with Books through Art, Games, Movement, Music, Playacting and Props Angel L. Avery-Wright I had the pleasure of attending the “Books in Motion” and “Non-Fiction in Motion” sessions with Julie Dietzel-Glair at the 2016 ECE Summit. I spent three hours having a blast with books. Julie was a very hands-on...Read More

Amy Hoffman The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) created a Code of Ethical Conduct to help early childhood educators understand their ethical responsibilities to children, families, coworkers, and the community. The Code can be used to help teachers and directors make decisions concerning ethical dilemmas. Maybe you’re asking, “What is an...Read More