May 15, 2020
This spring, ECE and OST professionals and families find themselves in unfamiliar territory. Some programs have remained open to serve families of essential workers. Others closed but are preparing to reopen. Some families are home with their children trying to work, teach, and parent all at once. At times like these a walk is great medicine!
April 10, 2020
Children’s development is shaped by multiple different factors including their family life, school, and the neighborhood they grow up in. While all of these factors play a direct role in promoting or impeding healthy development, it is important to recognize that the interaction between these factors has a tremendous impact on children’s overall well-being.
March 27, 2020
With an abundance of information circulating about the coronavirus, it is important to focus on science-based, factual information in order to protect your health and the health of the children and families in your care.
March 12, 2020
Learning to read is one of the most important childhood skills and can provide children with a tremendous sense of enjoyment. A wealth of research has established the importance of early literacy skills for later school readiness and long-term school success.
March 10, 2020
While these aren’t the conventional snow people that Terri VanHoudt and her homecare preschoolers usually make in their wintry Minnesota neighborhood, they were a lot of fun to create during some indoor play time. Terri repurposed recycled black corrugated cardboard she had been gifted by a parent into the backdrop, painted feet and allowed the kids to convert feet into their own snow girls and boys, each one as unique as the child whose feet formed the foundation.
February 14, 2020
Have you ever wondered why some children respond differently to the exact same event?
January 22, 2020
Building warm, trusting relationships with the children in your care is one of the most important things you can do as an educator. Research shows that close relationships formed in early childhood can positively impact children’s academic and social-emotional skills while conflictual relationships can have a detrimental impact on the child’s well-being and development. Additionally, educators who feel they have positive relationships with the children in their care tend to see their jobs as more rewarding and feel better about themselves. So, what can you do to foster these positive relationships?
January 20, 2020
"Positive Peer Interactions in School-Age Programs—Frontline Staff" is now available, completing the two-part series allowing administrators and staff to collaborate on creating a more respectful environment in school-age programs.
October 17, 2019
Healthy Kids, Healthy Future modules were developed in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and provide practical strategies for implementing best practices in early childhood settings for promoting healthy weight in young children.
September 17, 2019
Expulsion and suspension issues are complicated.
August 7, 2019
Using Penn State Better Kid Care’s online, On Demand system, is an easy, affordable, and convenient way to obtain the required 45 hours of professional development for the SAPC 3-year or 5-year renewal.
August 5, 2019
What comes to mind when you think of school readiness? Many would say that school readiness includes a child’s ability to get along with others, and to recognize some numbers and some letters of the alphabet. These skills are important, but school readiness also includes the many skills that develop over time from a child’s birth through school entrance age.
May 14, 2019
For Sarah Bakkum, “desperate times call for desperate measures.” Sarah was in the process of getting all her licensing paperwork together when she was notified that she had been selected for a special start-up grant, but she needed to have all her preparation completed, including 12 hours of PD within the next week.
April 10, 2019
Teaching can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.
November 16, 2018
At Pennsylvania’s Early Childhood Education Summit this fall, about thirty infant-toddler practitioners gathered to discuss and problem-solve around the challenges of helping infants and toddlers transition successfully from one part of their day to another. Recognizing that the youngest children need support with skills like diapering, pottying, handwashing, and putting on coats and shoes, the group brainstormed what to do during the “waiting time” to keep the other children who are ready to go outside or start a new experience engaged.
October 19, 2018
“There’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn… It grows in boarded-up lots and out of neglected rubbish heaps. It grows up out of cellar gratings. It is the only tree that grows out of cement. It grows lushly… survives without sun, water, and seemingly without earth” (Smith 1943).
August 23, 2018
Several new courses arrived over the summer. Click the titles to read a summary of the course, or just sign in to On Demand to start the course for free. As always, you only have to pay if you need a certificate of completion.
May 18, 2018
Children learn through imitation and observation. What they see adults do is just as important to learn skills, make choices, and establish habits as being told. When young children are surrounded by adults who practice healthy behaviors, they are more likely to make healthy choices themselves. Through modeling healthy habits for children, early care and education providers support children’s learning and health.
May 14, 2018
PYD + Coaching = Easy online training!
April 18, 2018
Young children benefit from being encouraged to inquire and explore possibilities. When they do this they can think like a scientist or an adventurer.
April 16, 2018
Observation with Purpose: Environmental Quality; Observation with Purpose: Attachment and Teacher-Child Relationships
March 14, 2018
When’s the last time you and your co-workers talked about adventurous, risky, or big body play? This type of programming is often something that people have strong opinions about but hesitate to discuss.
January 17, 2018
On December 19, 2017, Penn State Better Kid Care's CDA course was awarded the CDA Gold Standard following a quality review of their training and student services by the Council for Professional Recognition (the Council). The CDA Gold StandardSM is part of the Council’s early childhood education effort to help CDA students find the high-quality training and student services they need in preparation for the CDA exam and a career as early childhood educators.
January 12, 2018
Commonly heard responses are that early care and education (ECE) professionals observe children to monitor progress, to complete required assessments and screenings, and to identify learning or behavior challenges.
December 12, 2017
Relationships are the active ingredient for learning. Children's relationships with adults, peers, and the world around them are the foundation for all growth.
December 5, 2017
Adults are very important in a child’s life. Children need nurturing adults to guide them throughout childhood. You can see empathy, caring, and compassion in your young children, but you need to cultivate these wonderful qualities for children to grow up happy, have better relationships, and have the skills needed to make a difference in the world.
November 13, 2017
Do the children in your program sometimes demonstrate amazing creativity? Do they explore art media in interesting, unique ways? Celebrate their work through effective displays!
October 19, 2017
Almost 50 years ago a friend and colleague, Jim Van Horn, wrote an article about parenting. Read the article now, and you find everything he said is still relevant for parents today.
October 17, 2017
Children need the dizzying input that comes from spinning, rolling, and swinging. These important movement experiences help the child’s nervous system to mature and organize. Many adults eventually start to dislike the feeling of spinning or repetitive swinging, but for children, it is a crucial sensory and motor skill input.
September 19, 2017
How professionals think about and approach learning matters. Learn how to cultivate a commitment to learning.
