Resources for Early Childhood Educators as Learners
This list includes general resources for early childhood professional development and further information organized by topic. For resources on eLearning, inclusion, and more, refer to the references and resources in each cluster article.
General
Young Children articles and books from NAEYC
Hadden, D.S., & R.C. Pianta. 2006. MyTeachingPartner: An innovative model of professional development. Young Children 61 (2): 42–43.
Hyson, M., ed. 2003. Preparing early childhood professionals: NAEYC’s standards for programs. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
Hyson, M. 2005. Professional Development. New directions for emerging leaders: National fellowships. Beyond the Journal, Young Children on the Web, Jan. Online: journal.naeyc.org/btj/200501/hyson.pdf.
McMullen, M.B., & S. Dixon. 2006. Research in Review. Building on common ground: Unifying practice with infant/toddler specialists through a mindful, relationship-based approach. Young Children 61 (4): 46–52.
NAEYC. 1993. Position statement. A conceptual framework for early childhood professional development. Online: www.naeyc.org/about/positions/pdfpsconf98.pdf.
NAEYC. 2001. NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation: Initial licensure programs. Online: www.naeyc.org/faculty/pdf/2001.pdf.
NAEYC. 2005. NAEYC Early Childhood Program Standards and Accreditation Criteria: The mark of quality in early childhood education. Washington, DC: Author.
National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education. 2001. New teachers for a new century: The future of early childhood professional preparation. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.
Noe, L.R. 2005. The literacy caravan: Professional development in a unique environment. Beyond the Journal, Young Children on the Web, May. Online: www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200505/02Noe.pdf.
Olson, M., & M. Hyson. 2005. Professional Development. NAEYC explores parental perspectives on early childhood education. Young Children 60 (3): 66–68.
Other books and resources
Bloom, P.J. 2005. Blueprint for action: Achieving center-based change through staff development. 2nd ed. Lake Forest: IL: New Horizons.
Danielson. C. 2006. Teacher leadership that strengthens professional practice. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Darling-Hammond, L. 2005. Teaching as a profession: Lessons in teacher preparation and professional development. Phi Delta Kappan (87) 3: 237.
Elliot, E. 2006. We’re not robots: The voices of daycare providers. SUNY Series, Early Childhood Education: Inquiries and Insights. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Jones, M., & M. Shelton. 2005. Developing your portfolio—Enhancing your learning and showing your stuff: A guide for the early childhood student or professional. New York: Routledge.
Meier, D., & B. Henderson. 2007. Learning from young children in the classroom: The art and science of teacher research. New York: Teachers College Press.
Zaslow, M., & I. Martinez-Beck, eds. 2006. Critical issues in early childhood professional development. Baltimore: Brookes.
Web sites, organizations, and Listservs
The Center for Teaching Quality (CTQ) develops and promotes teacher leadership as a means to improve student learning. The CTQ Web site offers a variety of resources, including information on teacher working conditions and a link to the recent report, Performance-Pay for Teachers: Designing a System that Students Deserve. http://teachingquality.org/index.php
Early Childhood Education On Line Listserv offers support and information to educators of young children birth through eight years, including resources on professional development topics. www.umaine.edu/eceol
ECE-SOS is an online resource for early childhood program directors. Its provides information and a community of support, including monthly articles and discussion forums. http://ece-sos.com
ECPROFDEV-L, a Listserv hosted by the Early Childhood and Parenting (ECAP) Collaborative at the University of Illinois, fosters communication among early childhood teacher educators and trainers. Discussions touch on philosophies of education and training, as well as designing learning activities, assessment, and other issues. http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/listserv/ecprof-l.html
ExchangeEveryDay is the electronic newsletter for ChildCareExchange.com. It features success stories, trend reports, and more. www.childcareexchange.com/eed
The Innovative Teacher Project is designed for early childhood educators interested in developing a deeper understanding of the Reggio Emilia approach and related issues. www.innovativeteacherproject.org
The McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership focuses on developing leadership and management skills in early childhood administrators. Learn more about training, technical assistance, research, and public awareness on the center’s Web site. http://cecl.nl.edu
National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) provides nonpartisan
research-based information related to the education of three- and four-year-olds. The institute commissions new research, advises policy makers, journalists, researchers, educators, and more. http://nieer.org
National Network for Child Care offers articles, other resources, a Listserv, and newsletters on a wide range of topics related to young children and child care. The network shares knowledge about children from the resources of the land-grant universities with practitioners, parents, and the general public. www.nncc.org/about.html
PBS Teachers provides early childhood educators with professional development resources as well as curriculum tools and ideas. www.pbs.org/teachers/earlychildhood
Pre-K Now is an advocacy organization promoting high-quality prekindergarten programs. Educators will find a range of professional development resources related to pre-K. www.Preknow.org
Reggio-L is a listserv discussion group cosponsored by Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative at the University of Illinois and the Merrill Palmer Institute at Wayne State University. It provides a forum for sharing ideas on the Reggio Emilia approach. http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/listserv/reggio-l.html
The State Teacher Quality Network is a free electronic newsletter published bi-weekly by the Teacher Quality Network of the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The newsletter highlights information related to teacher quality and improvement efforts at state and district levels.
www.ccsso.org/whats_new/newsletters/teacher_quality_and_improvement/index.cfm
Videatives are electronic text documents about education and children’s learning that link directly to video clips that show a variety of scenarios demonstrating child development and early childhood education. www.videatives.com
By topic area
Working with diverse children
As the population of young children in the United States becomes increasingly diverse, early childhood educators seek resources to help them learn how to support all children.
Akhavan, N. 2006. Help! My kids don’t all speak English: How to set up a language workshop in your linguistically diverse classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Colombo, M.W. 2005. Empathy and cultural competence: Reflections from teachers of culturally diverse children. Beyond the Journal, Young Children on the Web, Nov. Online: www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200511/Colombo BTJ1105.pdf.
Daniel, J., & S. Friedman. 2006. Taking the next step: Preparing teachers to work with culturally and linguistically diverse children. Beyond the Journal, Young Children on the Web, Nov. Online: www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200511/DanielFriedmanBTJ1105.pdf.
Derman-Sparks, L., & P.G. Ramsey. 2005. What if all the children in my class are White? Anti-bias/multicultural education with White children. Young Children 60 (6): 20–27.
Lobman, C., S. Ryan, & J. McLaughlin. 2005. Reconstructing teacher education to prepare qualified preschool teachers: Lessons from New Jersey. Early Childhood Research and Practice 7 (2). Online: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/lobman.html.
Ray, A., B. Bowman, & J. Robbins. 2006. Preparing early childhood teachers to successfully educate all children: The contribution of four-year undergraduate teacher preparation programs. A project of the Initiative on Race, Class and Culture in Early Childhood. Final Report to the Foundation for Child Development. Chicago: Erikson Institute. Online: www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/TeacherPreparation Programs.pdf.
Ray, A., B. Bowman, & J. Robbins. 2006. Preparing early childhood teachers to successfully educate all children: The contribution of state boards of higher education and national professional accreditation organizations. A project of the Initiative on Race, Class and Culture in Early Childhood. Final Report to the Foundation for Child Development. Chicago: Erikson Institute. Online: www.fcd-us.org/usr_doc/ContributionsofStateBoards.pdf.
Mentoring and student teaching
Student teaching and mentoring are essential components of teacher preparation. Here are some resources for mentors and student teachers.
Hillman, C.B. 2006. Mentoring early childhood educators: A handbook for supervisors, administrators, and teachers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Machado, J.M., & H.M. Botnarescue. 2005. Student teaching: Early childhood practicum guide. Albany, NY: Thomson/Delmar Learning.
Nolan, M. 2007. Mentor coaching and leadership in early care and education. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson/ Delmar Learning.
Ryan, S., & A. Hornbeck. 2004. Mentoring for quality improvement: A case study of a mentor teacher in the reform process. Journal of Research on Childhood Education 19 (1): 79.
Ryan, S., A. Hornbeck, & E. Frede. 2004. Mentoring for change: A time use study of teacher consultants in preschool reform. Early Childhood Research and Practice 6 (1). Online: http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v6n1/ryan.html.
Tyminski, C. 2006. Your early childhood practicum and student teaching experience: Guidelines for success. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.
How to prepare for and achieve a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential
The Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program is a credentialing process created by the Council for Professional Recognition. Candidates who complete a list of requirements, including 120 hours of training, can receive the CDA credential. Individuals or programs interested in learning more about the CDA Professional Preparation Program can call the Candidate Services Department of the Council for Professional Recognition at 800-424-4310 or 202-295-9090. More information is available at www.cdacouncil.org/cda.htm.
How to find an NAEYC-accredited associate degree program
NAEYC Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation is a new accreditation system to recognize high-quality associate degree programs that prepare early childhood educators. Seventeen associate degree programs have achieved accreditation; more than 100 additional programs from 30 states are currently taking part in the accrediting process. The number of programs seeking accreditation is growing rapidly, and soon some online two-year programs will also be accredited. For an updated list of NAEYC-accredited associate degree programs, see www.naeyc.org/faculty/asdegAll.asp. To learn more about accreditation of associate degree programs, visit www.naeyc.org/faculty/asdeg.asp.
Find additional information about community colleges and associate degree programs through the following two organizations.
American Association of Community Colleges—www.aacc.nche.edu
American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators (ACCESS)—
www.accessece.org
How to find an accredited bachelor’s degree program in early childhood education
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) is the teaching profession’s accrediting body for colleges of education. As part of NCATE’s accreditation system, NAEYC reviews and recognizes high-quality baccalaureate programs in early childhood education. For more information, visit the NCATE Web site at www.ncate.org.
NCATE provides lists by state of accredited institutions across the United States, as well as NAEYC-recognized four-year and master’s early childhood programs. An up-to-date list of NCATE-accredited schools, colleges, and departments of education can be found at www.ncate.org/public/listofaccredinst.asp. NCATE also provides information about what to look for in a teacher preparation program, the advantages of attending an accredited school, financial aid, and more, at www.ncate.org/subhomepage.asp?audience=public.
NAEYC provides information on accreditation of baccalaureate programs at
www.naeyc.org/faculty/degrees.asp.
How to find an accredited graduate level program
Advanced programs are at either the master’s or doctoral level.
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education provides a list of NCATE-accredited advanced degree programs at www.ncate.org/public/institlist.asp?ch=106.
NAEYC’s Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation: Advanced programs can be found online at www.naeyc.org/faculty/pdf/advanced_standards.pdf. To see a chart detailing the differences between initial licensure and advanced programs and to find out if a program is initial or advanced, go to http://naeyc.org/faculty/doc/InitialAdvancedComparisonChart.doc.
Financial assistance
NAEYC Affiliates, including State Affiliates, Local Affiliate Chapters, and Affiliate Alliances, support early childhood educators in a variety of ways and can connect educators to local financial aid resources. www.naeyc.org/affiliates/complete.asp
National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies (NACCRRA) works with state and local child care resource and referral agencies across the country to offer training to child care professionals. Local CCR&R’s also have information about professional development, scholarships, and other educational opportunities and resources. www.naccrra.net
State Higher Education Agencies provide information on state education programs, colleges and universities, financial aid assistance programs, grants, scholarships, continuing education programs, and career opportunities. Contact information for each state is available on the U.S. Department of Education’s Web site. http://wdcrobcolp01.ed.gov/Programs/EROD/org_list.cfm?category_ID=SHE
T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) works to improve the training of child care workers. The T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project gives scholarships to child care workers to complete course work in early childhood education and to increase their compensation. www.childcareservices.org/ps/teach.html
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA) provides information on funding college education.
http://studentaid .ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
NAEYC Conferences
NAEYC Affiliate Group Conferences. Affiliates host a variety of local, state, and regional conferences to promote high-quality early childhood education and professional development. Find information at www.naeyc.org/conferences/affiliate.asp.
The Public Policy Forum. Each year Affiliate leaders from across the country meet their members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and hear senior federal officials, congressional staff, and other policy experts discuss key federal issues that affect young children and families in every state. The forum also provides opportunities to delve into critical state policy issues. If you are interested in being part of your state’s team and attending next year’s forum, contact your state or local NAEYC Affiliate public policy chair. www.naeyc.org/affiliates/complete.asp
The NAEYC Annual Conference & Expo usually takes place in November and is the largest early childhood education conference in the world, drawing tens of thousands of educators. Participants can choose from hundreds of presentations and exhibits (to review presentation descriptions online, use the Search tool to select a topic).
www.annualconference.naeyc.org
The National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, a smaller gathering that usually takes place in June, is designed for professionals who prepare, mentor, and train early childhood professionals. Participants learn about the latest early childhood research, explore the expanding early childhood knowledge base, develop skills that improve professional preparation and practice, and discuss effective learning approaches for adults.
www.naeyc.org/conferences/institute.asp
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