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Recent Articles
Providing Instruction in Early Childhood: A Simple, but Necessary Organizing Framework
As early childhood programs across the state adopt evidence-based curricula, often designed primarily for four-year-olds, and more programs seek to blend programs and practices in order to provide more inclusive opportunities, the task of determining “who needs to learn what” across the developmental continuum becomes increasingly important, yet more complex. An Instructional Continuum Early ChildhoodRead More Providing Instruction in Early Childhood: A Simple, but Necessary Organizing Framework
Summer PD Preschool Teachers Can Do in Their PJs
Check out the following free online learning opportunities available for early childhood educators to take advantage of this summer. Early Childhood Investigations These free and engaging webinars (live and archived) are presented by many of the thought-leaders and experts in the field of early care and education. The webinars explore critical topics that offer newRead More Summer PD Preschool Teachers Can Do in Their PJs
3 Key Look-Fors in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms
Glance into an early childhood special education (ECSE) classroom and you may have trouble discerning what is considered “instructional time” from play or the daily routine. What does effective instruction look like in ECSE classrooms? We know that children are highly engaged when activities are both interesting and relevant to them and that engagement is theRead More 3 Key Look-Fors in Early Childhood Special Education Classrooms
Online Learning
Online Learning Opportunities
Early Childhood Investigations: Webinars
Free, engaging webinars that are presented by many of the thought-leaders and experts in the field of early care and education. The presentations explore critical topics that offer new ideas and insights to ECE professionals, especially administrators from early literacy to challenging behavior. All webinars are archived for future use!
The Division for Early Childhood: Learning DECks
One hour webinars addressing key topics in the field of early childhood special education.
CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge Online Modules
Current free modules: Embedded Interventions, Transition, Communication for Collaboration, Family-Professional Partnerships, Assistive Technology Interventions, Dialogic Reading Practices, Tiered Instruction. CONNECT Modules are practice-focused instructional resources for faculty and other professional development providers. CONNECT modules are designed using a 5-Step Learning Cycle, an approach for making evidence-based decisions about practice dilemmas, based on the integration of multiple sources of evidence.
Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development Center
Talks on Tuesdays are free professional development opportunities that are held the first Tuesday of each month. These one-hour webinars are designed to provide free online training opportunities related to important topics in early intervention. Topics chosen for the Talks on Tuesdays webinar series are based on feedback from EI practitioners about what they need to know more about!
Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention Webinars
Archived free webinars include: Prevent-Teach-Reinforce for Young Children: An Intervention Model for the Most Serious Challenging Behaviors, LEAP Preschool: An Inclusive Model of Early Autism Intervention, Moving Right Along Planning Transitions to Prevent Challenging Behavior, and more.
Early Childhood Outcomes Center
Free webinars and resources supporting the implementation of high-quality outcome systems (Indicator 7) for early intervention (EI) and early childhood special education (ECSE) programs.
Autism Center for Excellence @ VCU
Free, 1 hour, archived webcasts on a variety of topics related to autism spectrum disorder.
Useful Websites
Useful Websites for Early Childhood
Early Learning Standards and Guidance
Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning
Learning standards for four-year-olds: To be used in conjunction with an evidence-based curriculum to guide instruction
Virginia’s Milestones of Child Development
Indicators of development for two and three-year-olds: A comprehensive reference of learning and development from birth through kindergarten
Division for Early Childhood Recommended Practices
A set of practices that have been shown to result in better outcomes for young children with disabilities, intended as guidance for improving learning outcomes and promoting development
Literacy Resources
Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)
Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS) Activities
Reading Rockets Pre-K Guide: Learning to Read and Write
Zero to Three: Language and Communication
Math Resources
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM): Illuminations (Lesson plans)
NRICH: Enriching Mathematics Activities for the Early Years
What Works Clearinghouse: Teaching Math to Young Children