Curriculum and Learning Environment Archives

ECO Bookworms Book Club | Free Book

AZ Early Childhood Network
March 16, 2022

TAGS: Curriculum and Learning Environment,

American Public Health Association's ECO Bookworms book club invites parents, caregivers, and educators to start conversations about climate change and the environment with their little ones. Reading stories about climate change and our changing planet is a great place to start. If you are an educator wanting to inspire climate action, you can choose one of their top five book picks, and ECO Bookworms will mail it to you for FREE. Top 5 book options: “Old Enough to Save the…

Give Young Children a Healthy Start with Go NAPSACC!

AZ Early Childhood Network
November 23, 2021

TAGS: Curriculum and Learning Environment, Health,

If you are a director or owner of an ECE program in Arizona that serves children 0-5, consider this FREE, exciting opportunity!Create an online Go NAPSACC account (one account per program) for the following benefits:Access to 35 FREE training courses* on health, nutrition, and physical activitySelf-assessment tools to examine your program's practices against "best practices"Create goals and action plans to make improvements in your programAccess to hundreds of tips and materials in the resource libraryAnd more!*Trainings to be listed in the…

Brainstorming a Path to Critical Thinking

Lisa Sutherland
September 11, 2019

TAGS: Child Growth and Development, Child Observation and Assessment, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Teachers,

I was recently working in an early childhood classroom where the teacher was discussing nocturnal animals. After explaining what nocturnal meant, she asked the children to come up with reasons why some animals would rather stay up at night and sleep during the day. She then wrote all of the children’s responses down on a chart paper. She told the children that the list would be up for them to think about over the next few weeks and that they…

How Child Care Center Directors Can Create Positive Work Environments

AZ Early Childhood Network
April 16, 2019

TAGS: Admin/Director, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Professionalism,

Be a good listener, engage with your staff to problem solve and encourage open communication between yourself and all of the staff members. Mary Jamsa As an early childhood education director, you need to keep your staff motivated as they deal with really complex issues. Given limited funds, raising your teachers’ salaries or offering benefits that other corporate jobs provide to employees may be difficult. However, your ability to help them become personally invested in your center is critical.Mary Jamsa,…

Intro to the Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Knowledge and Competencies

AZ Early Childhood Network
October 17, 2018

TAGS: Child Growth and Development, Child Observation and Assessment, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Effective Interactions, Family and Community Partnerships, Health, Safety and Nutrition, Professionalism, Program Management,

All children have the capacity and an inherent ability to learn, especially in the most informative (early) years of their life. With this in mind, providing children a high-quality early childhood education is of the utmost importance and sets the stage for success not only in school, but also in life. Your role as an early childhood educator is key to a young child’s success, so ensuring that you have the core knowledge and competencies will provide the necessary support…

Striking a Chord with Music in Early Childhood Development

AZ Early Childhood Network
June 15, 2018

TAGS: Admin/Director, Child Growth and Development, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Teachers,

Whether it's listening to music, singing or playing an instrument - music has a way of striking a chord (pun intended) in all of us! But, its role in early childhood development is especially beneficial.

Promoting the Creative Process in Your Classroom

AZ Early Childhood Network
May 7, 2018

TAGS: Admin/Director, Child Growth and Development, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Teachers,

Adopting the creative process in your classroom provides children an opportunity for self-expression, while sparking their imagination. This will ultimately enrich their experience when it comes to the arts.

Beat the Heat and Maintain Your Sanity: Tips for Indoor Activities that will Keep Young Children Engaged and Active

AZ Early Childhood Network
April 23, 2018

TAGS: Admin/Director, Curriculum and Learning Environment, Health, Safety and Nutrition, Teachers,

With recent temperatures already breaking 100 degrees, seasoned Arizonans can no longer ignore the inevitable. Summer is coming. While teachers and parents in many other states are preparing for outdoor play, we must prepare to spend the majority of our time for the next few months inside air-conditioned classrooms and homes.