Resource Books

Children are expected to read, write, count, and sit still at younger and younger ages. As these unrealistic expectations mount, family members and teachers alike continue to believe that these activities will prepare young children for school. But there is a better way one that helps children build school readiness through developmentally appropriate activities. Best of all? The children can have fun! Building on Emergent Curriculum guides preschool teachers to tap into young children's natural… More »

When young children are engaged in imaginative play, they are not just having fun; they are developing skills and concepts that are foundational to their learning. Teachers can get the most out of this critical development time with thoughtful preparations that allow the children to freely explore their creativity and learn from each other. Using simple props and donated items, the book shows how centers can be transformed into rich and rewarding learning spaces for children. Play Today offers dozens… More »

200 quick fixes for everything from big messes to small budgets, from clean up solutions to storage ideas to help with cost saving strategies, and everything in between. Solve everyday problems, giving you more time to teach and enjoy the children in your classroom. 160 pages.

Turn children's love of active games into learning opportunities with these activities. Each chapter is organized by level of difficulty and each one incorporates fun math experiences with movement. Most activities require few or no materials and include related children's books or music to extend the learning. The index is an great tool as it gives teachers flexibility to plan around children's interests. Use these activities during circle or group time, or use them to reinforce other lessons.… More »

Build the home-school connection to prepare for Kindergarten! Studies show that parent and family involvement with school is an important factor in children's later academic success. Many families of young children want to learn ways to support their little ones in preparing for and getting the most out of kindergarten. With easy-to-share parent letters and simple, fun activities for families to do together at home, Kick-Start Kindergarten Readiness is the perfect tool for early childhood teachers… More »

Children are the inspiration for positive family-provider relationships that are essential for promoting healthy child development and learning. School-to-Home Connections is bursting with ideas for early childhood educators. Inside, you'll find simple ways to explain developmentally appropriate practice to parents, ideas on partnering with them on their child's journey to school readiness, and tips for nurturing families' active involvement in the school community. Along the way, you discover information… More »

This resource book is full of attention-grabbing, creative activities that provide children with an outlet for wiggles, while giving their brain a jumpstart with cross-lateral movement games. Includes songs, games, and finger plays for anytime of the day. Paperback. 208 pages.

With art math, body math, moving math, wet and messy math and more, children will delight in the 140 activities that bring math to life in the classroom. 256 pages.

An ideal way to start children on an exciting, creative adventure towards global understanding! The fun, easy-to-do art activities in Global Art use collage, painting, drawing, printing, construction, and sculpture to help children appreciate people and cultures from all over the world. Each activity is explained in step-by-step detail and accompanied by geographic and cultural background to help you make the most of the teaching possibilities. Paperback. 190 pages.

Featuring activities organized by age, this resource provides you with the tools and information you need to teach fine motor skills to children ages 3 to 5. With few materials needed, the activities are perfect for both large and small groups and are easy to integrate into any curriculum. Paperback.

Explore and create with chalk, crayons, stencils, textures, and more! This book will introduce children of all ages to the joys of drawing through fun, hassle-free activities! Paperback. 64 pages.

'The Neglected Child' provides everything educators and caregivers need to know to identify and intervene in neglectful situations, while also creating a safe, nurturing, and protective environment for young children. From defining the different types and levels of severity of neglect to establishing suspicion and reporting neglectful situations, this book is filled with helpful information from expert psychologists and educators in the field today. Each chapter includes a brief quiz to assess chapter… More »

Do some children in your classroom have difficulty remembering the rules, gathering their materials independently, or completing activities? Do some find it hard to follow and remember instructions? These Children may be struggling with executive function. With stronger executive-function skills, children are better able to: Follow and remember a sequence of directions, Work on projects from start to finish, Develop problem-solving and organizational skills, and Self-monitor and regulate their emotions… More »

The literature-based activities in this book help children who have been through a trauma. With activities and exercises that can be used in conjunction with 50 children's books, teachers can use the discussion starters, writing activities, and art activities to promote children's ability to cope and heal. Addresses numerous crises that can affect a child, including earthquakes, epidemics and mass casualty incidents, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and major storms, shelter experiences, volcanic… More »

Most preschool teachers have musical instruments in their classrooms, but may not realize they can use them for science explorations. In this book, discover 100 activities that let children ages 3-6 explore the science of music and sound using materials easy to find for a preschool classroom. Children will use their bodies to create sounds, explore the relationship between size and pitch, investigate how tempo affects the way we listen to sounds, create musical instruments, and much more. From the… More »

Over 225 fun-filled games for the babies in your care. Games encourage bonding, coordination, motor skills, and more. This book shows providers how to build important developmental skills, stimulating activities to nurture and build self-confidence, coordination, social skills, and much more. Paperback. 286 pages.

Take a fresh approach to community service and giving back. Teaching young children to be socially conscious, community-oriented, and eager to volunteer seems like a daunting task, especially for busy families with children of varying ages. Simple Acts brings busy parents practical, easy-to-do ideas to involve the whole family in volunteering and helping others in the community. Full of advice, tips, and real-life stories; this fun, easy-to-use guide helps parents and children of all ages incorporate… More »

Few behavioral problems challenge and frustrate parents, caregivers, and teachers as does verbal rudeness in children of any age. Reinforced by the wise-cracking kids on TV and in the movies, backtalk has become all too common among today's youngsters. But there is nothing cute about this behavior. Remarks like "Yeah, right," "Big deal," and "Make me" -- from children as young as three -- get in the way of real communication between parents and kids, and can also be… More »

Children need a broad view of the world to better work with others and achieve academic success. That means being able to see many perspectives, listen to others, and share their own ideas and perceptions. This book contains simple activities that start with identifying different perspectives and then challenge them to notice what they perceive. The themes are meant to ask children to notice relationships, investigate same and different, use perceptions to develop inductive and deductive reasoning,… More »

Get your class moving with this exciting Wiggle Giggle & Shake - Move and Learn Book with 200 Activities to Get Active. This book provides 200 ways to move and learn. The engaging pages explore 38 popular themes to encourage children to problem solve, explore their feelings, and participate physically in their own learning. This book promotes gross motor skills and collaborative play. Include 216 pgs.

Features 700 experiences and activities that are perfect for infants from birth to 18 months and organized by developmental areas which are essential building blocks for development. The appendix is full of songs, rhymes, recipes, sign language, recommended books and family connection resources. 272 pages.

"ScreamFree Parenting" is not just another parenting book. It's the first parenting book that maintains -- from beginning to end -- that parenting is NOT about kids, it's about parents. As parents pay more attention to controlling their own behavior instead of their kids' behavior, the result is stronger, more rewarding, and more fulfilling family relationships. By staying calm and connected with your kids, you begin to operate less out of your deepest fears and more out of your highest… More »

All infants and toddlers need experiences that nurture, support, and teach their home language and culture. Language is a vital component of early experiences well before a child can say his first word. Infants and toddlers whose families come from diverse backgrounds and speak different languages are appearing in all kinds of early care and learning settings in growing numbers. Even the most experienced caregiver can feel a bit unsure about meeting the unique needs of infants and toddlers from… More »

Moving children are developing children. With "Move to Learn," it is easy to turn your classroom into an environment that encourages movement experiences rich in sensory, perceptual, and visual-motor experiences. Through simple strategies and activities, "Move to Learn" seamlessly integrates fine and gross motor-skill development across the early childhood curriculum: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Creative Representation, and Social Skills. With… More »