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As an early education professional in today’s environment, you spend significant time and effort on preventing the spread of germs in your environment. As important as it is to take action to prevent the spread of viruses such as COVID-19 in your early learning environment, it’s also important to be prepared to respond to a
As you work to provide safe and healthy early learning environments for young children, including infants and toddlers, you may find yourself wondering how to adapt for the youngest children in your care. Certain COVID safety recommendations may not apply to infants and toddlers due to their stage of development, but there are still plenty
When planning to provide care for young children during COVID-19, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to find reliable advice. On a daily basis, you face critical decisions such as: how should you screen for an illness; what do you need to change in your child care space; what should you do
Due to the onset of COVID-19, many early childhood education programs have shifted away from offering in-person activities to facilitating children’s learning from a distance, in the home setting. This change in services has created a multitude of difficulties and opportunities. Here are some ideas from two child care providers serving families in tribal and
Managing a center-based or home-based early childhood education program is a demanding job—and can feel isolating at times. Some of Arizona’s program directors have formed director’s networks to build support for themselves. These groups are comprised of early childhood program leaders, directors and administrators within a local geographic region. The groups provide an informal venue
The foundation of quality early childhood programs is providing a healthy environment. The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged and raised the stakes for programs statewide. Early childhood educators across Arizona are creating enhanced procedures to protect the health of the children in their care. Precious Stones Preschool in Sedona is one of those programs. As a
Proper handwashing is one of the most effective ways to reduce the spread of germs in a group care setting. By taking the time to teach correct handwashing to the children in your care, you help build a habit that will impact their health for the rest of their lives. Here are tips and ideas
Infants and toddlers are observant, curious and eager to explore. Natural pattern-seekers, infants observe their caregivers and environments, noticing similarities and differences, repetition and novelty. As they begin to interact with their environments, toddlers use these observations to learn about objects and patterns. Skilled caregivers encourage this natural curiosity to build strong foundations for mathematical
Reading is vital to a child’s ability to learn and be successful in school. Many skills like vocabulary, comprehension and print awareness support children’s reading abilities. However, one set of skills—phonological awareness—is particularly important and has been found to directly impact children’s reading success in kindergarten and beyond (Phillips, Menchetti & Lonigan 2008). Strong phonological
