Welcome to a new “Let’s Talk Quality” blog feature where we spotlight a member of the Pennsylvania Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team each month. Have fun getting to know our t...

Leah Zabari Yesterday I was in a toddler classroom when two children slowly walked by me. One of the toddlers went up to the other and gently took hold of his friend’s hand. They...

By Michelle Long Life can be frustrating at times. So many of the things that happen each day are out of our own control. We have to rely on the competency of others without know...

We’re adding a new blog feature where we spotlight a member of the Pennsylvania Program Quality Assessment team each month. Have fun getting to know our team! Beth Simon M.Ed.,...

By Angel Avery-Wright Chalk is an open-ended art material that can be used for so much more than just art. Chalk gives children the opportunity to learn so many different skills ...

The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team is available to support you in the Internal Assessment Process (IAP) by completing an on-site assessment in your program. In addition to ...

By Pam Schaffner What do the words punishment, discipline, and redirection mean to you? Do you think they are interchangeable; do they mean the same thing? Do they have different...

Lisa Mulliken Piaget is a well-known name in the early childhood world. Piaget was a Swiss psychologist who created theories of cognitive development. Piaget’s theories included ...

Submitted by Tracy Walter My sister sends me pictures of my niece who will be two years old very soon. It is great getting messages and pictures of her enjoying the new sensory b...

By: Barbara Bredell-Searle As I was thinking of a topic for this blog issue, I was sitting in my primary doctor’s office waiting to get my yearly physical. That day, my husband w...

Kitty Syster Puzzles are not for everyone, but they are, and should be, a staple in early childhood classrooms. Children can learn and grow in so many ways from puzzles. Most peo...

By Leah Zabari Imagine you are reading a story to a group of toddlers. They are all engaged in the story you are reading except for one child who is rolling around on the floor b...

Beth Simon Asking for feedback on our program, activities, or about our performance as early childhood educators can be uncomfortable. Of course, receiving positive feedback is r...

The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) team wishes you all the joys of the season & happiness throughout the coming year.

The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team would like to announce the addition of four asynchronous professional development courses to the Pennsylvania PD Registry. The courses av...

By: Barbara Bredell-Searle Did you know: Not getting enough sleep each night could cause you to be in a car accident. According to The Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) resear...

Regina Wright The reason why I chose to write about this topic is because, I am asked often when visiting infant rooms and family childcare homes with only infants enrolled, “Why...

By Angel Avery-Wright I often observe early learning settings that are missing musical instruments and activities. The instruments are not on the shelves. There is no music cente...

Amy Hoffman I love to sing. I used to be pretty good at it; years of misuse have caused that to change. But no worries! Children still love to hear it. I’ve observed in classroom...

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...