Quality Circle - Links/Resources

Online Resources (newest in blue)

Crosswalks Natural Institute - Natural Resources. Natural Resources has a weekly, one-way listserv. If you have a Natural Resource suggestion, please email it to Camille Catlett, catlett@mail.flpg.unc.edu.
A lesson in creativity (pdf) - This web site provides an introduction, some general information about promoting creativity in children, and specific activities that children are likely to enjoy.
Additional Notes for Clarification on the ECERS-R (9/05) (Click on the yellow "EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE, REVISED EDITION" image and then "Additional Notes" towards the bottom of the page.)
Alliance for Childhood (not dated). The importance of play for children from birth to five: A statement of first principles on early education for educators and policymakers.
Children of immigrant families - The on-line book discusses a variety of issues pertinent to children of immigrant families. Chapters include discussions of life circumstances, economics and what it means to grow up in America.
Developmental Milestones: Ages 3 through 5 - This web site offers an outline of social and emotional development broken down for three, four and five year olds.
Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative (ECAP) at University of Illinois - Provides links for subscribing to various early childhood electronic discussion groups, including Reggio and Project Approach. Also provides links to archives of past discussions organized by date or by topic thread.
Early Childhood Mathematics: promoting good beginnings (pdf) - This web site provides the complete NAEYC position statement on teaching math to young children.
It's About Our Kids - This timely website was created by early childhood colleagues in Iowa. It has everything you ever wanted to know about what Presidential candidates think about children's issues ... but were afraid to ask!
Forman, G. & Hall, E. (2006 Fall). Wondering with children: The importance of observation in early education. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 7(2).
Preschooler Development - Physical, social-emotional, and intellectual development are discussed at this site, with information broken down for three year olds and four year olds. Suggested activities to try with these two ages are also described. A Spanish version is available.
Preschool Inclusion Connection - The purpose of this Web site is to showcase early childhood programs that are incorporating the "Best Practices" as proposed by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and Division for Early Childhood (DEC).
Online workshops for web-based training demonstration CD - The workshop is an interactive, facilitated experience designed by the National Early Childhood Technical Assistance System (NECTAS) for its technical assistance audiences. We invite you to explore the workshop and learn more about taking your training online.
Quality in early childhood care and education settings: A compendium of measures, from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, reviews measures of the quality of early care and education settings to provide comparable information on existing measures that may be useful to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers. Profiles describe the purpose of the measure; the population and setting for which they are intended; procedures for administration; psychometric properties; as well as underlying constructs and scoring.

North Carolina Resources

Family Support Network of North Carolina - The mission of the Family Support Network of North Carolina is to promote and provide support for families with children who have special needs. The organization offers a variety of support, training, and resources for families with children who have special needs.
North Carolina Assistive Technology Program - This program offers opportunities to try out different kinds of equipment, receive training in using certain types of assistive technology, and borrow equipment.
North Carolina Early Intervention Library - This library offers a large collection of print and video materials available for loan that focus on young children with special needs and those who are typically developing, their families and recommended practices for serving them. There is also a special collection of children's books.
North Carolina Nutrition Services Branch - Did you know that you could borrow books, videocassettes and other nutrition education resources from the Nutrition education and Training (NET) Library? Visit the web site for this branch to learn more about this and other resources.
Partnerships for Inclusion - This technical assistance project promotes the inclusion of young children with disabilities, birth through 5 years, and their families in all aspects of community life.
Professional Development for Child Care Teachers and Administrators: The North Carolina System - A working knowledge of how children grow and develop is essential for adults who interact with and teach children. This organization helps educators increase their own professional development.

Print Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics, American Public Health Association, National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Childcare (2002). Caring for Our Children: National Health and Safety Performance Standard: Guidelines for Out-of-Home Child Care Second Edition. American Academy of Pediatrics.
Bos, B. & Chapman, J. (2005). Tumbling over the edge: A rant for children's play. Roseville, CA: Turn the Page Press
Brault, L., & Brault, T. (2005). Children with challenging behavior in child care: Resources for reflective thinking. Phoenix, AZ: CPG Publishing Co.
Center for the Child Care Workforce (CCW) (1999). Creating Better Child Care Jobs: Model Work Standards For Teaching Staff in Center-Based Child Care. Washington, DC: CCW
Cole, J. (1999). Language is the key. Seattle, WA: Washington Learning Systems.
Cryer, D., Harms, T., Ray, A.R. (1996). Active Learning Series, Active Learning for Fours. Parsippany, NJ: Dale Seymour Publications
Curtis, D. & Carter, M. (1996). Designs for living and learning: Transforming early childhood environments. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press
Dodge, D.T., Colker, L.J., Heroman, C. (2002). The Creative Curriculum for Preschool Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.
Dombro, A.L., Colker, L.J., Dodge, D.T. (1999). The Creative Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.
Doyle, M.B. (2002). Paraprofessional's guide to the inclusive classroom. Baltimore: Paul Brookes.
Kohl, M.F., Ramsey, R., & Bowman, D. (2002). First Art: Art experiences for toddlers and twos. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
McCaleb, S.P. (1995). Building communities of learners: A collaboration among teachers, students, families, and community. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbam Associates, Inc.
North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (not dated). Foundations: Early Learning Standards for North Carolina Preschoolers and Strategies for Guiding Their Success. State Board of Education/Early Childhood Section.
Paley, V. (2004). A child's work: The importance of fantasy play. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Rinaldi, C. (2006). In dialogue with Reggio Emilia: listening, researching and learning. London and New York: Routledge.
Schiller, P. & Dyke, P.C. (2002). The Practical Guide to Quality Child Care. Beltsville, MD: Gryphon House, Inc.
Topal, C.W., & Gandini, L. (1999). Beautiful stuff! Learning with found materials. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications.

Videos/CD's

Candid Camera, Inc. (2003). The green kid. Monterey, CA: Author.
Clearvue. (2003). Preschool fun for kids! Numbers. Chicago: Author.
Dodge, D.T. (1991). The New Room Arrangement As a Teaching Strategy. Washington, DC: Teaching Strategies, Inc.
Drake, A., & Kubetz, D. (2003). (2nd ed.) The world of children: Developing child observation skills. Glen Ellyn, IL: Office of Instructional Design, College of DuPage.
Early Connections for Infants, Toddlers and Families, Colorado Department of Education. (1998). One of the family. Denver, CO: Western Media Products.
Freeman, T., Hutter-Pishgahi, L., & Traub, E. (2000). Welcoming all children: Creating inclusive child care. Bloomington, IN: Indiana Institute on Disability and Community.
Harms, T. & Cryer, D. (2003). Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale Revised Edition. New York and London: Teachers College Press, Columbia University.
Harms, T. & Cryer, D. (1999). Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised Edition. New York and London: Teachers College Press, Columbia University.
High Scope Educational Research Foundation. (2004). Classification, seriation, and number: Booklet and video set. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press.
High Scope Educational Research Foundation (2001). Involving Families in Active Learning Settings. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
High Scope Educational Research Foundation (2003). It's Mine! Responding to Problems and Conflicts. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press.
High Scope Educational Research Foundation (1997). Safe Active Play. A Guide to Avoiding Play Area Hazards. Newark, DE: Video Active Productions.
Magna Systems. (no date). Guidance and discipline. Crystal Lake, IL: Author.
McCormick Tribune Foundation. (1999). Ten things every child needs. Available through independent bookstores.
Teaching Tolerance Project. (1997). Starting small: Teaching tolerance in preschool and early grades. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center.