Resource Books

More than 300 theme activities written by teachers for teachers! Actively engage children's imaginations with more than 300 activities for young children organized into a variety of popular themes -- from the alphabet to the weather. The result of a nationwide contest among teachers, the classroom-tested activities in Another Encyclopedia of Theme Activities for Young Children provide many months of learning fun! Each activity is complete with learning objectives, materials list, related children's… More »

3 years & up. Introduce STEM concepts to your class with this exciting Science Is Simple Engaging STEM Activities Book for Preschoolers. Like learning to count or read, understanding the fascinating world of science is an essential skill. This innovative book encourages young children to predict outcomes, ask questions, and investigate answers. Watch preschoolers develop essential observational and analytical skills as they eagerly jump into the hands-on, interactive process that is science.

Children love outdoor play. Now teachers can combine the magic and excitement of the outdoors with activities that encourage and support learning! This book includes more than 100 new teacher-created, classroom-tested outdoor activities that engage children's minds and bodies as much as they explore the limitless bounds of the outdoors while also building key skills in areas like math, literacy and language, science, art, and music. Perfect for ages 3 - 6. Activities include: counting, alphabet,… More »

The Busy Family's Guide to Volunteering shows you how to access the resources and information available to find volunteer opportunities that meet the needs of your family. Whether you have a two-year-old or an eighteen-year-old, you'll find everything you need to know to have a fulfilling and fun volunteer experience, from finding the right opportunity for your family to answers to hesitations you may have. The perfect book for families who want to do good things for their community, spend quality… More »

Finding the right people to staff your center is challenging! Have you ever hired someone you thought was perfect, only to have her leave after a few months? Have you filled a position with a "warm body" to maintain the adult-child ratio because you couldn't find a more qualified candidate? Recruiting is an ongoing process that requires reflection, dedication, and importantly, a solid plan. But the plan isn't always easy to craft, especially when you're understaffed! "Build Your Dream… More »

Now more than ever, adults must help children develop the skills necessary to navigate through life successfully. By focusing on building social and emotional strength, we increase children's resilience and prepare them to handle the challenges in life. The strategies and activities in "Socially Strong, Emotionally Secure" help children become socially and emotionally healthy for life. Organized into five chapters, the activities support and build resilience in children ages 3 to 8. 160 pages. Paperback.

You may have noticed out-of-school-time care is burgeoning. As more families have two working parents, states and school districts are swooping in to provide supervision of children before and after school, during school breaks, and during the summer. And, as these programs grow, they continue to adapt to new approaches of out-of-school learning. Gone are the days of board games and swing sets! "School's Out: Challenges and Solutions for School-Age Programs" will cover all bases of creating… More »

Sometimes misbehavior isn't what it seems. Many children come to care with early signs of mental- or behavioral-health issues. Early childhood professionals are often the first to notice that something is different. "How Can I Help?" is a practical guide that helps educators first identify issues and then create nurturing, safe, and successful learning environments to set up all children for success. Learn how to: promote mental health for all children in your care, identify signs of behavioral-health… More »

Understanding infant and toddler behavior can be a challenge. But this Innovations book provides teacher with a more thorough understanding of the knowledge base that informs early childhood practice. Focusing on the development of children from birth to age three, Innovations gives you an in-depth guide to the early childhood field which begins to address these challenging behaviors in developmentally appropriate ways. Paperback. 372 pages.

Mary Jalongo, PhD, offers 65 strategies to support literacy learning with children from preschool through the third grade. With specific suggestions for ELL students, Jalongo includes recommendations for hundreds of great children's books, websites, and apps to make teaching easier. Each strategy is designed to be simple to use with all of the children in your classroom-from the not-yet-readers to the fluent readers-and each strategy is tied to the Common Core State Standards for kindergarten through… More »

It's never too early to read to a child, especially when you have Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s! The youngest children love the repetition of words and experiences that stories provide. Contains a resource of activities for 80 popular age-appropriate children's books and 240 ways to s-t-r-e-t-c-h the stories in new ways to enhance the learning process. (Books are not included). Children reap amazing benefits from being exposed to reading at an early age, and Story S-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-r-s makes reading… More »

From 'Baby Bumblebee' to 'The Ants Go Marching', children will sing and learn about the insects they encounter in their own backyards. The enclosed CD features 21 fun songs, old favorites and originals. The book offers more than 250 activities that help children appreciate the wonderful world of bugs. All children love to sing and learn, so the book includes both English language learner strategies and special needs adaptations.

3 years & up. Introduce more activities to arts and crafts lessons with this wonderful Activities Guide for Preschool Art Clay and Dough Crafts with Recipes. Encourage your children to explore art though clay and dough. This guide includes 50 easy activities with an emphasis on the process of art, not on the product. Also included are recipes to create play dough, tissue Mache, yeast dough and more. Follow along for fun classroom activity ideas. Paperback. 58 pages.

Develop the natural scientist in every child with 260 hands-on science activities and ideas. Build science skills such as classification, measurement, time and space relationships, prediction, inference and numbers. 205 pages.

With 52 weekly plans, this book makes it easy to come up with appropriate learning experiences that children will love. This essential classroom resource covers every topic and other things that you probably never thought of. 384 pages.

No education professional wants to think about an active shooter on campus. Recent tragic events illustrate a clear and imminent need to prepare educators for these threats. Public institutions are required by law to follow rules and regulations to train for emergency responses, and several states have enacted or are considering enacting regulations specific to early childhood programs. "Preschool Preparedness for an Active Shooter," the first book in the new Preparing for the Unexpected… More »

Early childhood educators are responsible for the health and safety of the children they care for. From preventing harm from known safety risks to promoting children's medical, nutritional, oral, and mental health, educators and program directors act as children's daily protection and support. This easy-to-use manual provides educators with the information they need to ensure that the children in their care are safe, while they learn the best practices to stay healthy for life. With suggestions,… More »

Whether you are a teacher looking for ways to strengthen the math learning in your early childhood classroom, an educator in a community of practice who wants to learn more about teaching math in developmentally appropriate ways, or a teacher-educator who wants to offer students an easy-to-use reference and guide for helping young children develop their math competencies and skills, this text will help you make math learning a fun and worthwhile activity in your setting. Filled with photographs… More »

Find exciting learning opportunities in everyday occurrences, from using laundry to teach sorting to exploring growth cycles in the garden, with the easy-to-organize, simple-to-start ideas, advice, and activities. This book will inspire parents to use their homes as classrooms and take advantage of the naturally rich learning opportunities existing in everyday life! With organizational tips, recipes, and more than 200 easy-to-pull-together activities, homeschool educators will have everything they… More »

Now that you've identified the market need for high-quality child care and you've taken the first steps to building your practice, what's next? How do you ensure quality care? How do you create a culture of growth and stem turnover? The Basics of Leading a Child-Care Business, the second book in The Business of Child Care series, explains how to develop and lead a high-quality program where children can play and learn in the care of a well-educated, committed, and trained workforce. Explore key… More »

From 'Sipping Cider Through a Straw' to 'Apples and Bananas', children will sing and learn about a variety of foods while exploring nutrition and traditions. The enclosed CD features 25 fun songs, old favorites and originals, and the book offers more than 300 activities that help children appreciate the fabulous food we enjoy every day. All children love to sing and learn, so the book includes both English language learner strategies and special needs adaptations.

Thoughtfully created learning centers are bubbling with opportunities for active learning. Dr. Jean, beloved author of dozens of books and songs, and coauthor Carolyn Kisloski bring you a collection of practical ideas and tips to inspire engagement and spark learning in your classroom centers-and, importantly, keep children coming back for more. Children learn best through play. Discover how you can help them thrive in your learning centers. The Possibilities of Play brings expert tips for selecting… More »

Maltreatment during the first three years of life is of utmost concern. Not only are the numbers of harmed infants and toddlers staggering, maltreatment during this vulnerable period alters children’s development in such a way that it robs them of reaching their full human potential. As an infant-toddler child-care provider, you are a “first responder” to this national crisis, playing a key role in the early identification of maltreatment and unhealthy patterns of development. You can be a gateway… More »

Contains over 600 activities written by teachers illustrating new ways to use everyday items to create fresh exciting projects. Also includes management techniques and helpful tips for working with 4 year olds. 624 pages