Natalie Grebe A key component of a program’s sustained quality that may not receive consistent attention is the director’s observations of classrooms. It is best practice for dir...

Kitty Syster Everyone knows it is a great idea to have teachers from the same classroom work together when creating lesson plans, but it is not always easy to find time for them ...

Leah Zabari Do you think the experiences you had as a child and the important adults in your childhood have influenced you as an early childhood educator? Do you think the experi...

By Lisa Mulliken I sometimes drive my five-year-old granddaughter to preschool early in the morning. During our short drive she usually starts off a conversation with, “Mimi, did...

Barbara Bredell-Searle “Silence isn’t empty. It’s full of answers.” -Unknown After you have gotten the last child down on their nap furnishing; hopefully the room is quiet or h...

Aimee Currier Keystone STARS quality indicator EC 3.4.5 requires STAR 3 and STAR 4 early childhood and school-age programs to partner with their Quality Coach and a Program Quali...

By Rochelle Deane I never imagined that I would decide to transition to a new job, after doing a job I loved for 9 years. I also couldn’t imagine deciding to switch during the CO...

Kelli Harris You may have heard of self-care but not know what it is or how to do it “correctly.” Truth is there is no one “correct” way because everyone’s self-care needs are di...

By Regina Wright I may be confessing my age, but let’s let our imaginations wander. Think about the time in your life when you were a child. What made your free time fun time? Wh...

Stefanie Camoni As teachers, our role in the classroom is to provide quality care to contribute to the development of the children. We plan and adjust our lessons, environment, a...

By Angel Avery-Wright The learning of math/numbers should begin very early in life. Math for infants and toddlers should be introduced informally and naturally as opportunities c...

Natalie Grebe Children are crying, arguing, and not using their inside voices. Your director says your assistant called out sick. A parent wants to know where Anthony’s sweatshir...

Leah Zabari Do you have new staff in your center? Do you have staff that have been working in your program for many years? This next question might be a weird one to ask, but do ...

By Lisa Mulliken E-books are electronic books in digital form that can be read on a phone, tablet, computer or any other hand-held device. As e-books become more popular in class...

by Stefanie Camoni Are you new to early childhood? Have you been in the field for a couple years? Have you lived this your entire life? No matter where you are on your journey, t...

Barbara Bredell-Searle “The human foot is a masterpiece of engineering and a work of art” – Leonardo da Vinci What do you think about the above quote from Leonardo da Vinci...

By Tracy Walter One evening, my husband and our son (Joey), who was 3-years old at the time, were watching a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey game on TV. After much watching and asking...

By Pam Schaffner The assessment team in PA is often asked if they have any tips to make meeting quality standards easier. Since they have experiences visiting many programs in th...

By Pam Schaffner The assessment team in PA is often asked if they have any tips to make meeting quality standards easier. Since they have experiences visiting many programs in th...

By Kitty Syster What is the DERS? The Developmental Environment Rating Scale, DERS, is a program observation instrument to evaluate your classroom environment. The DERS i...