Early Childhood
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Description: Every child grows and learns at their own pace, but developmental milestones provide a helpful guide to what most children (75%) can do by a certain age. As a parent or caregiver, you know your child best! If you have concerns about their development, talking to your child’s doctor about a developmental screening is a great first step.PEATC has created two valuable resource documents to help families understand and track early childhood development: Your Child's Development Milestones:...
Description: This Microlearning Training provides small bites of learning on hot topics focused around foundational knowledge and easy-to-implement skills and strategies. Microlearning is always available and take just 10-15 minutes to review. This Microlearning series includes: Social-Emotional Learning Early Childhood Toolkit Classroom Essentials: Schedules Strategies to Support Autistic Learners Strategies to Support Everyday Transitions Foundational Five for Families
Description: Video- Play in Early Childhood: The Role of Play in Any Setting - When children play, they can reduce sources of stress, strengthen core life skills, and build responsive relationships with caring adults—all of which are core principles of early childhood development. This video highlights the importance of play.
Description: The Brain Architects Podcast: Building Resilience Through Play - These days, resilience is needed more than ever, and one simple, underrecognized way of supporting healthy and resilient child development is as old as humanity itself: play. Far from frivolous, play contributes to sturdy brain architecture, the foundations of lifelong health, and the building blocks of resilience, yet its importance is often overlooked. In this podcast, Dr. Jack Shonkoff explains the role of play in supporting...
Description: Brain-Building Through Play: Activities for Infants, Toddlers, and Children - From infancy on, play is an important part of a child’s life. This handout series, developed with support from the LEGO Foundation, provides suggestions games and play-based activities based on a child’s age. The activities for younger children are designed for adults to engage in with children. Activities for later ages allow the adults to step back, enabling children’s independence to blossom...
Description: What are the Diffferent Kinds of Learning Disorders? This article talks discusses: What kinds of learning disorders can kids be diagnosed with? and What are some common signs of learning disorders? Early Signs of Learning Challenges - This article answers the following questions: What are the earliest signs that a child might have learning challenges?, How old do kids have to be to be diagnosed with a learning disability? and What can parents do to help?
Description: The Virginia Department of Education has launched a new online tool, the VQB5 Portal, to help families learn about early childhood programs across the state. With information on over 3,000 publicly funded early childhood sites, the portal makes it easy to check the quality, curriculum, and safety of programs for children from birth to age five. Families can search by location and review important details to choose the best option for their children. This tool is designed to help families make...
Description: The Early Childhood toolkit includes learning boosts on communication and social skills topics in less than ten minutes. The Toolkit: Requesting Help The Toolkit: Negation The Toolkit: Making a Choice
Description: Back to Basics: Special Education Law Series was developed from a partnership between the Virginia Department of Education and the Center for Implementation and Evaluation of Education Systems (CIEES) at Old Dominion University (ODU). The Back to Basics: Special Education Law series is designed to support Virginia school divisions in the professional development of teachers and division personnel on basic special education laws and regulations. The following modules and associated documents...
Description: Factsheet for Virginia’s Parents Supporting Positive Behavior in Young Children - Addressing challenging behavior in a positive manner brings results. Strategies for young children will be different than those for older children, but families and schools, including preschool, benefit from using the nationally recognized approach called Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS). PBIS is an approach to resolving challenging or disruptive behaviors that recognizes that behavior is...
Description: The VDOE T/TAC at VA Tech will be adding new Spotify podcasts for 2024-2025. Their podcasts from 2023-2024 are also available.
Description: Factsheet for Virginia’s Parents Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) in Early Childhood Programs - Least Restrictive Environment (LRE), refers to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirement that “children with disabilities not be placed in special classes or separate schools unless the nature and severity of their disability is such that education in regular classes with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.”...
Description: This interactive module on Curriculum Framework aims to empower educators to confidently support children with Individualized Education Programs, taking into account their unique strengths and interests. Educators can enhance their effectiveness in the classroom by understanding the key elements of a curriculum framework and how they work in tandem to nurture children and families. This resource encourages reflection on how to implement these elements to create a supportive learning environment...
Description: Connecting the Dots - Planning Your Child's Move from Early Intervention (EI) to Preschool - PEATC's new resource document will help you "Connect the Dots" and plan your child's move from Early Intervention (EI) to Preschool (Early Childhood Special Education, or ECSE).
Description: Call PEATC (703-923-0010) for free and confidential help with your special education & disability questions. PEATC's help is now available in over 300 languages!
Description: The Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Pre-K Project is a video series, based on mental health research, created to make important mental health skills available to preschool children (age 3 to 5). These videos introduce important ideas, taught the way young children learn best: through entertaining, relatable stories set in a vivid, imaginary world. Each video features a memorable song that reinforces the key messages. We invite you to watch the complete series with your children or students. You can...
Description: The focus of the March 2024 Natural Resources listserv is play for each and every child and family.
Description: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the U.S. Department of Education (ED) have partnered to announce the release of a joint Dear Colleague Letter encouraging state education and early childhood leaders to collaborate and leverage federal resources expanding access to preschool through a mixed delivery approach. The mixed delivery approach to preschool urges states and local communities to use resources to support...
Description: As part of Child Find under special education, school divisions are required to have procedures, including timelines, to document the screening of children enrolled in the division, including transfers from out of state (8VAC20-81-50 C.1.). These screenings must occur in the areas of hearing, vision, scoliosis, speech, voice, language, and fine and gross motor functions. The updated Required School Screenings Guidance Document for Special Educators provides users with regulatory...
Description: Local school divisions provide special education services for young children, ages two to five, who have developmental delays or disabilities. Depending on the learning needs of the child, these services may be provided in early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings such as Virginia Preschool Initiative, Head Start, Mixed Delivery, child care, and community-based preschool programs. When special education services are provided in ECCE settings, Itinerant Early Childhood Special Education...
Description: Local school divisions provide special education services for young children, ages two to five, who have developmental delays or disabilities. Depending on the learning needs of the child, these services may be provided in high-quality early childhood care and education (ECCE) settings such as Virginia Preschool Initiative, Head Start, Mixed Delivery, child care, and community-based preschool programs. When special education services are provided in ECCE settings, Itinerant Early Childhood...
Description: A Guide to Cross-Cutting Concepts - Cross-cutting concepts are a set of overarching big ideas that look and behave similarly across all STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) domain areas. In this document, we define and describe cross-cutting concepts in STEM learning for all young children, including children with disabilities. We provide definitions and examples. Learning progression steps for each cross-cutting concept have been added as well.
Description: Challenging Behavior Tips for Families - Young children need help from adults to learn how they are expected to behave in social situations. Check out these helpful tips for how families can promote their child’s positive behavior during common routines that can sometimes be challenging. Disabilities coordinators can download and share the handouts with educators to use during home visits and family nights, or directly with families. Coordinators and education staff may consider creating a...
Description: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Updated Resource to Support the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood Programs (11/2023) Recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education (the Departments) announced the release of an updated joint-policy statement on supporting the inclusion of children with disabilities in early childhood programs. The HHS-ED Policy Statement on the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities in Early Childhood...
Description: New Resources for Supporting Quality Inclusion (Resources Within Reason, DEC) Every quarter a concise set of free resources on a key early childhood/early childhood special education topic is posted. Whether the topic is family engagement (May 2018) or the evidence for inclusion (January 2017), this one-page summary highlights great materials to use or share. Resources to Support Practice Resources Within Reason From Article to Action DEC Recommended Practices Monograph Resources
Description: The Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education is a revision of the former A Parent’s Guide to Special Education that was originally published in 2010. This new state guide was developed by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to help those involved in special education, whether as families, teachers or school administrators, advocates, or students. Meeting the needs of children with disabilities requires an understanding of rights and responsibilities which include the...
Description: Building a Partnership with Your Child’s Teacher - Research shows that children thrive when their families are involved in their care and education. This article provides some ways you can collaborate with your child’s teacher to create and maintain a great relationship.
Description: This webinar provides information and strategies to support children with disabilities and their families through planned transitions. Learn how to use relationship-based practices to strengthen family engagement and contribute to successful adjustments.
Description: As we get to know the children and their families in our program, we share their joys as well as their challenges. And sometimes there’s a child who we feel worried about. Maybe it’s something about their behavior, or maybe their development and skills. We all know it can be challenging to talk about worries like these with parents. But we also know how helpful intervening early can be when we have a concern. We’re going to look at raising a concern with a parent about their...
Description: When children can fully access their learning environment, they participate and learn. Discover how disability services coordinators can help program staff think about ways to give children with disabilities or suspected delays access to a full range of learning experiences and activities. Explore how to support educators to recognize each child's level of participation. Learn how to set up the learning environment for full participation and when to modify activities and materials, including...
Description: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for increasing access to education environments and opportunities, including in infant and toddler settings. Learning environments, materials, and activities are planned ahead of time, with the aim of welcoming all learners. UDL supports all children, including infants and toddlers with disabilities, to help them engage more fully in learning. It doesn't take the place of individualized curriculum modifications necessary for particular...
Description: Effective Practice Guides: Social and Emotional Development (ECKLC) - Positive social and emotional development in the early years provides a critical foundation for lifelong development and learning. Social development refers to a child’s ability to create and sustain meaningful relationships with adults and other children. Emotional development is a child’s ability to express, recognize, and manage his or her emotions, as well as respond appropriately to others’ emotions....
Description: Video: Supporting Social and Emotional Learning for Children with Disabilities (ECLKC) - Developing social and emotional skills are important for all young children! Making and keeping friends, solving social problems, and paying attention to emotions are key skills for children to learn during their early years. After all, social and emotional development is the foundation for lifelong learning and development. Learning these critical skills is especially important for young children with...
Description: Engaging families of children with disabilities is essential to supporting children’s learning and development. It is rooted in foundational Head Start resources, including the Parent, Family, and Community Engagement (PFCE) Framework and Relationship-based Competencies to Support Family Engagement. Learning about the hopes and goals of families of children with disabilities is important. It is equally crucial to communicate to families in culturally and linguistically responsive and...
Description: Early Literacy - IES Practice Guide: Preparing Young Children for School (Literacy Sections 5-7) (2022), Elementary - IES Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2016), IES Practice Guide: Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2010), IES Practice Guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (2012), IES Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective...
Description: Valerie C. Williams, director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), released a blog series on discipline and behavior. The newest blog addresses OSEP’s priorities of calling on “state and local leaders to double down on their efforts to reduce their reliance on exclusionary discipline practice,” and “creating safe, predictable learning environments for students and educators.” In addition to sharing how OSEP’s discipline...
Description: Programs can support education staff and families by using the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Pyramid Model as a framework for understanding children's behavior. Many strategies can support healthy social and emotional development and prevent or reduce behaviors that could negatively affect children's development and learning. Education managers, child development specialists, home-based supervisors, mental health consultants, and coaches can help...
Description: Why is DEC taking a stand? Challenging behavior often can interfere with the development of social-emotional competence. Conversely, children with low social-emotional competence may develop challenging behavior as a way to communicate their needs. Punitive practices don’t teach children needed social and communicative behaviors. Additionally, punitive practices, such as corporal punishment, suspension, and expulsion disproportionately affect young children of color. Professionals and...
Description: Behavior Problems - Behavior issues are a common problem for many families. Understanding what’s behind a child’s behavior is often the first step to helping. Additional information is provided on the following topics: Behavior Basics Toddlers and Young Children, Managing Big Emotions, Common Behavior Issues, Behavior and School, Strategies for Managing Behavior, Mental Health and Problem Behavior and Treatment for Problem Behavior.
Description: Social communication is a core area of difficulty for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Children with ASD express fewer gestures to communicate and may be less engaged with others. This webcast will review early core challenges in social communication, including joint attention, among young children with ASD and describe different types of engagement states. As educators play a role in teaching gestures and joint attention, this webcast will also review how to support the development of...
Description: The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of school readiness. As an assessment system, VKRP adds measures of mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten to complement Virginia’s statewide assessment of literacy skills (Pre-K Language and Literacy Screener and PALS K-3). VKRP uses the Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) to measure children’s mathematical thinking. The EMAS is a...
Description: In this Teacher Time episode, explore the math component of STEAM.(STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math.) Learn how preschoolers explore everyday math concepts through daily routines and interactions. Preschool teachers and family child care providers will learn strategies and teaching practices that help all children explore math. Discover ways to use art to encourage math concepts and skills. Additional resource includes a document with Books That Support Math...
Description: Before they start school, most children develop an understanding of addition and subtraction through everyday interactions. Learn what informal activities give children a head start on early math skills when they start school.
Description: The VATTS: Resource Guide provides instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications, accommodations, and examples used to address areas of need identified through the AT consideration process to support student success. There are two Resource Guide PDFs: an ADA Compliant version and a printable table version.
Description: The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Head Start are releasing new documents to encourage collaboration between state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and Head Start programs to effectively meet the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requirements. These documents make clear that SEAs, LEAs, and Head Start programs all have responsibilities for...
Description: Joint attention is a critical skill that develops early in life for typically developing children, however, those with ASD may struggle with this skill for many years. VCU-ACE has developed a fact sheet on joint attention to help families and professionals support the development of this skill.
Description: It’s back to school time for many children, families, faculty, and early childhood professionals. Many children - and adults - find the start of the school year to be nerve wracking as we figure out new routines and make new friends amongst many other new experiences. We have just the resources for you from STEMIE and from other partners. Having predictable, comprehensible routines is one of the key ingredients to successful inclusion. The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations...
Description: A child’s social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development is strengthened when educators and families work together. When a child sees a positive relationship developing between educators and family, the child recognizes that the important people in his or her life are working together and trust each other, and he or she will do the same. This collaboration also provides a strong foundation for communication about children’s learning. To foster family involvement, interactions...
Description: This practice guide, developed in conjunction with an expert panel, distills contemporary early childhood and preschool education research into seven easily comprehensible and practical recommendations. The guidance will help to prepare young children to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in school.
Description: Arts integration can inspire children with a lifelong love of learning and of the performing arts. When you bring the arts into the classroom, you create joyful, active learning experiences that engage children in ways that can increase academic and social-emotional development for all kinds of learners. Wolf Trap Institute’s professional development empowers infant, toddler, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to integrate the performing arts into their classrooms. For more than 35...