Additional Resources

New America Foundation Early Education Initiative
http://earlyed.newamerica.net/

Natural Resources: Early childhood Listserv of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
natural_resources2@listserv.unc.edu

 
Center for the Study of Social Policy
http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengthening-families

Course resources

Position Statements and Influential Practices
Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/dap

Where we stand on child abuse prevention. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/ChildAbuseStand.pdf

Where we stand on school readiness. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/Readiness.pdf

Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/diversity.pdf

Early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation: Building an effective, accountable system in programs for children birth through age 8. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/pscape.pdf

Early childhood inclusion: A summary. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/DEC_NAEYC_ECSummary_A.pdf

Infant-toddler policy agenda. Retrieved from http://main.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_pub_infanttodller

Evidence-based practice empowers early childhood professionals and families. (FPG Snapshot, No. 33). Retrieved from http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~snapshots/snap33.pdf

Turnbull, A., Zuna, N., Hong, J. Y., Hu, X., Kyzar, K., Obremski, S., et al. (2010). Knowledge-to-action guides. Teaching Exceptional Children, 42(3), 42-53.

Global Support for Children's Rights and Well-Being
Fact sheet: A summary of the rights under the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf

Websites:

World Forum Foundation
http://worldforumfoundation.org/wf/wp/about-us

World Organization for Early Childhood Education
http://www.omep-usnc.org/

Association for Childhood Education International
http://acei.org/

Early Childhood Organizations
National Association for the Education of Young Children
http://www.naeyc.org/

The Division for Early Childhood
http://www.dec-sped.org/

Zero to Three: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families
http://www.zerotothree.org/

WESTED
http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm

Harvard Education Letter
http://www.hepg.org/hel/topic/85

FPG Child Development Institute
http://www.fpg.unc.edu/main/about.cfm

Administration for Children and Families Headstart's National Research Conference
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre/hsrc/

HighScope
http://www.highscope.org/

Children's Defense Fund
http://www.childrensdefense.org/

Center for Child Care Workforce
http://www.ccw.org/

Council for Exceptional Children
http://www.cec.sped.org//AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home

Institute for Women's Policy Research
http://www.iwpr.org/

National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education
http://www.ncrece.org/wordpress/

National Child Care Association
http://www.nccanet.org/

National Institute for Early Education Research
http://nieer.org/

Pre[K]Now
http://www.preknow.org/

Voices for America's Children
http://www.voices.org/

The Erikson Institute
http://www.erikson.edu/

Professional Journals
YC Young Children

Childhood

Journal of Child & Family Studies

Child Study Journal

Multicultural Education

Early Childhood Education Journal

Journal of Early Childhood Research

International Journal of Early Childhood

Early Childhood Research Quarterly

Developmental Psychology

Social Studies

Maternal & Child Health Journal

International Journal of Early Years Education

Words of inspiration and motivation

Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time.
-Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund

We do not have a money problem in America. We have a values and priorities problem.
-Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund

If we don't stand up for children, then we don't stand for much.
-Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund

The best economic development strategy is investment in early childhood.
- Art Rolnick, senior vice president, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Every dollar spent on preschool produces a 12 percent real rate of return – a number that, in the private sector, would start a venture capital stampede.
- Art Rolnick, senior vice president, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

One little sparkle will make the difference for me.
-Raymond Hernandez, Executive Director, School of Early Childhood Education, University of Southern Caliornia

I'm not here to save the world. I'm here just to make a difference in the community that I'm working.
-Raymond Hernandez, Executive Director, School of Early Childhood Education, University of Southern Caliornia

It's not all about you. You gotta take your ego out of it and think about what's best for this child.
-Renatta M. Cooper, Program Specialist, Office of Child Care, LA County Chief Administrative Office

Personal Childhood Web

Phyllis, my mom-She was very nurturing and was always there for us-even today when I have a problem, I tend to call my mom for advice.

Paul, my dad-He worked hard to provide us with the things we needed. Today he still works hard but also finds time to help me with my own projects and/or car repair.

Lynne, my sister-She is two years older than me so she always looked out for me. We shared the same neighborhood friends growing up and played the same games. Today we still play the same games, except they are online.

My maternal grandmother Helen-She was always showing caring and concern to us. Everytime we drove from her house I remember her waving and saying, "Love you much!" When I was in my teens, I spent some time with grandma baking before the holiday. We made her famous cinnamin rolls and we didn't use a recipe (grandma had it memorized). Now that she's gone I wish I would have had her write it down.

The power of the Preschool Teacher

The other day I ran into the parent of one of my former students.  This mother was telling me that her daughter was so excited about the coming school year and going to Kindergarten.  The student was talking about the Kindergarten teacher when all of a sudden she stopped and turned to her parent and said, "Mom, I can't go to Kindergarten.  I have to stay with Miss Smith."  That to me is just one of the rewards I get from teaching young children.

Some words about books

One of my all-time favorite children's books is Chicka Chick Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault with illustrations by Lois Ehlert.  I love this book because it was the first book I had read where the letters of the alphabet were treated as characters.  Now I love to read it to my students because of the wordplay it contains.  Who wouldn't want to "skit, skat, doodle, doop, flip, flop, flee"?

I also love the books by Kevin Henkes because his books deal with social issues that young children deal with.  He presents complex ideas such as jealousy over new siblings, teasing, cooperation, and friendship in a simple way that kids can understand.

Talking about books reminds me of one of my favortite quotes about young children.  "Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read."
- Marilyn Jager Adams 

I know that my own love of books is reflected in my classroom teaching and hope that it is passed on to my students.