Kitty Syster Rhyming is an important pre-reading skill for children. Having phonological awareness to hear the different parts of words (beginning and ending sounds) separately i...

Guest Blogger – Rebecca Lamar Ed. S., Manager of Higher Education Initiatives, The Pennsylvania Key When I think about celebrating Kwanzaa, I often find myself remembering a time...

Amy Hoffman It snowed this week. As my friends all know, I’m not a fan of snow. It’s cold. And inconvenient. And disrupts plans. And causes directors of early learning programs a...

por Lisa Mulliken Los bebés nacen listos para comunicar. Los bebés pequeños lloran para expresar sus necesidades y, a medida que crecen y desarrollan, los bebés mayores usan so...

Leah Zabari During the spring and summer months, I enjoy hiking, camping, and paddling on the lake. Last summer, I decided I was going to start visiting as many of the state park...

Aimee Currier I kept falling into the same trap day after day. I would ask my children, “How was school today?” Their answer was always “fine.” At that point I’d pretty much lost...

By Amy Hoffman I’ve been involved in a community theater for several years in a variety of supporting roles. Although many great shows are performed by adults each year, my favor...

By Kitty Syster Most people and families have traditions that are unique to them. Traditions can be associated with holidays or just occasions that are special to you. Some of my...

By: Ingrid Á. Russell What is considered a challenging behavior vs. a typical behavior that is developmentally appropriate? Is there a difference? It is important to know...

By Lisa Mulliken Recently my daughter and granddaughter were visiting, and we were all on the couch watching a movie. My granddaughter was cuddled up next to me and very engrosse...

Mercedes Fleet-Mount I am Mercedes Fleet-Mount, Owner and Program Director of Bright Little Scholars Early Learning Centers. I joined the BAS CoP in September of 2021. When I sig...

Tracy Walter Autumn is a great time for children to get messy! The weather starts turning cooler, there is normally more rain in the forecast; this means more mud and mess natura...

Barbara Bredell-Searle Question : Have you visited the Pennsylvania Key website to register for professional development courses? If your answer is yes, you may have seen opport...

Kelli Harris What does it mean to have diversity in your classroom? High quality early childhood education provides experiences to nurture acceptance of diversity by encouraging ...

Guest Blogger- Jennifer Roberts Extended Day Services manages 22 school-age programs, mostly in the South Hills of Pittsburgh. We have been around for 30 years and have tried man...

Kelli Harris Did you know that if someone smiles at you, you’re bound to smile back? A smile often expresses encouragement to someone or serves as a warm greeting. If you aren’t ...

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 ...

by Natalie Grebe When chatting with a friend recently, she teased me about my love of chickpeas. I could eat them every day! Luckily for me, they can be prepared many ways as a h...

By Regina Wright Close your eyes. Now use four of your five senses. Without opening your eyes, listen to the sounds of spring. What do you hear? Listen as the birds sing. Feel th...

By: Tracy Walter When you hear the word “literacy”, what do you think? Do you think of literacy for children, in adults or does it make you think of literacy throughout a communi...