Early Learning
This page focuses on families who have children from Birth to 5 years of age and includes resources on physical, mental and emotional development.
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Description: The resources are organized by the following topics: Early Childhood Education Resources Counseling Resources Online Learning Resources Math Education Resources Culturally and Diverse Learner Resources Health and Physical Education Resources
Description: This brief provides guidance to parents, family members, and caregivers about using the power of play to build resilience and support healing. Some of the ideas outlined in the brief include: Create opportunities for young children to communicate their fears and express their big feelings in constructive ways. Support children in releasing the extra energy charge that accumulates in their bodies after a stressful or traumatic experience. Teach infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children...
Description: Bring the World to Your Classroom (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science and more) WETA and PBS have curate FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers. You can browse by Subject or by Grade. Featured lesson plans in this collection contain full contextualization for the media they include. Plan and adapt our lessons in creative ways, using the Lesson Builder tool, Google Classroom, Remind, and more. For early educators, we’ve...
Description: VAAEYC serves Virginia early educators with local public policy support, accreditation support, professional development, and connections. Our Mission VAAEYC acts and speaks on behalf of all young children in Virginia. Our Vision All children will grow up valued, respected and provided with the nurturing and resources necessary to ensure their optimal development.
Description: This manual was developed by the Virginia Department of Education and the state system of Training and Technical Assistance Centers to help local school divisions meet federal and state mandates that children with disabilities be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The manual contains 8 modules and extensive resources which provide critical information for understanding, building, supporting, and sustaining inclusive placement opportunities for young children with...
Description: Reading Tip Sheets for Parents - Reading, and a love for reading, begins at home. Our one-page Reading Tip Sheets are available in thirteen languages and offer easy ways for parents to help kids become successful readers. Even though these tips are divided by age, many of them can be used with children at various ages and stages - parents are encouraged to choose the ones that work best for their child. These tips were created with the generous support of the American Federation...
Description: The VCPD Inclusive Practices Task Force has compiled a list of state and national resources in support of inclusive practices for young children birth to age five. The "VCPD Inclusive Practices State and National Resources November 2019" includes awareness and rationale, evaluation of inclusive programs, high quality inclusive practices, and systems level supports. Websites, books, and technical assistance center resources are described. If you cannot locate it through the link below, search for...
Description: Meeting the Challenges of Early Literacy Phonics Instruction - Learning to read can, at times, seem almost magical. A child sits in front of a book and transforms those squiggles and lines into sounds, puts those sounds together to make words, and puts those words together to make meaning. But it’s not magical. English is an alphabetic language. We have 26 letters. These letters, in various combinations, represent the 44 sounds in our language. Teaching students the basic...
Description: Preschool refers to the time before a child is old enough to go to kindergarten or elementary school. In Virginia, preschoolers who are eligible for special education and related services are entitled to placement in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) alongside their peers without disabilities with supplementary aids and services. Inclusion in early childhood programs is supported through years of research and reinforced by a strong legal foundation and can set a trajectory for...
Description: National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) - Shaken Baby Syndrome/Abusive Head Trauma (SBS/AHT) is a term used to describe the constellation of signs and symptoms resulting from violent shaking or shaking and impacting of the head of an infant or small child. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes SBS as a subset of AHT with injuries having the potential to result in death or permanent neurologic disability. Can Tossing My Baby in the Air or Rough Play...
Description: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges. CDC is committed to continuing to provide essential data on ASD, search for factors that put children at risk for ASD and possible causes, and develop resources that help identify children with ASD as early as possible. What is Autism Spectrum Disorder? Screening & Diagnosis Treatments Materials & Multimedia Research & Tracking Data &...
Description: Ready to learn the ins and outs of Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) early intervention? Hearing First just launched the Fundamentals of LSL Learning Series, a new 12-course learning program that will give professionals and parents a solid foundation of knowledge to help children with hearing loss learn to listen and talk. If you're new to LSL or just seeking to up level your learning, this program is for you! The first learning experience of the series starts in July, but you can learn...
Description: This online module from the ECTA Center addresses strategies to engage parents in activities to build their competence and confidence in providing learning opportunities for their child. The module is divided into 4 lessons ranging from 10-15 min. each, and includes short video demonstrations, checks a learner's understanding through a variety of interactive formats, and; includes a family capacity-building checklist for self-assessment or planning home visits.
Description: Educators, policymakers, researchers and families agree: a high-quality preschool program can build early literacy and math skills, as well as develop the social and emotional foundation that children need to persist in school. But young children—whether in Head Start, public pre-kindergarten or in a private program—only receive the full effect of these benefits if they show up for class regularly. How do you go about improving attendance in the preschool years? It starts with...
Description: Milestones matter! Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing. From birth to age 5, your child should reach milestones in how he or she plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves. Photos and videos in this app illustrate each milestone and make tracking them for your child easy...
Description: We are a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting foster, kinship, and adoptive families of children and youth with disabilities and other special needs. We serve families, educators and child welfare professionals in the Northern Virginia area. Formed Families Forward’s mission is to improve developmental, educational, social, emotional and post-secondary outcomes for children and youth with disabilities and other special needs through provision of information, training and support...
Description: Khan Academy provides: Personalized learning - Students practice at their own pace, first filling in gaps in their understanding and then accelerating their learning. Trusted content - Created by experts, Khan Academy’s library of trusted, standards-aligned practice and lessons covers math K-12 through early college, grammar, science, history, AP®, SAT®, and more. It’s all free for learners and teachers. Tools to empower teachers - With Khan Academy, teachers can identify...
Description: Every year, 1.2 million children under 6 years old experience homelessness in the United States. Many of these children are in early childhood education programs. Explore this tip sheet to learn how homelessness impacts various areas of health and wellness. Discover ways to identify and assess the needs of families experiencing homelessness and connect them to medical and dental homes. Also, find resources and supports to connect families to health and wellness providers. When working with...
Description: The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to...
Description: As part of its barrier-busting mission, CAST offers a number of robust (and free) learning tools. These tools—many designed and tested as part of CAST’s research projects—help educators, developers, families, and other individuals experience the power of flexible learning environments. Clusive®?: An Accessible, Digital Reading Platfort Corgi: Co-organize Your Learning Biofab Explorer TIES Lessons for All: The 5-15-45 Tool CAST Figuration®? Learning Designed™ UDL...
Description: Partnership for People with Disabilities (VCU) - More than 50 million Americans currently live with some form of disability. In Virginia, this means that one of every five citizens will have a disability or know someone who does. Everything we do at the Partnership is focused on supporting people with disabilities and their families to be fully participating members of their community. Our work focuses on the four major areas of emphasis of early childhood, education, health, and community...
Description: Scientists and parents know that young children’s brain development is critically important—and researchers learn more every day. Children experience their most profound cognitive, social, and emotional growth in the first eight years of life. Children’s Institute has put together a series to share educational resources and the latest news from experts about young children’s growing brains and how their caregivers can support and nurture this growth. In this series,...
Description: Childhood trauma isn’t something you just get over as you grow up. Pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris explains that the repeated stress of abuse, neglect and parents struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues has real, tangible effects on the development of the brain. This unfolds across a lifetime, to the point where those who’ve experienced high levels of trauma are at triple the risk for heart disease and lung cancer. An impassioned plea for pediatric medicine to...
Description: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a tremendous impact on future violence victimization and perpetration, and lifelong health and opportunity. CDC works to understand ACEs and prevent them.
Description: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC) Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators (The National Child Traumatic Stress Network, NCTSN) Enhancing and Practicing Executive Function Skills with Children from Infancy to Adolescence (Activities Guide) Handbook: The Heart of Learning: Compassion, Resiliency, and Academic Success (Compassionate Schools: The Heart of Learning and Teaching) Helping Traumatized Children Learn How childhood trauma affects health...
Description: Families are the enduring presence in the lives of young children with disabilities. This volume contains activities to support early care and education staff and families in developing positive relationships that support collaboration and family leadership. Session 1: Creating Bright Futures (Building Relationships with Families) Session 2: Listening to Families Session 3: When Concerns Arise: Learning from Families' Experiences Session 4: Getting...
Description: The Inclusion of Children with Disabilities: Training Guide is designed to strengthen the inclusion of young children with disabilities and their families in programs serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. The guide features four modules, each containing a facilitator’s guide, training scripts, handouts, and videos. The modules are: Including Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities Building Relationships with Families Collaboration and Teaming Preschool Inclusion Series The training...
Description: On January 25, 2018, the Board of Education approved the proposed Guidelines for the Prevention of Suspension and Expulsion of Young Children: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings. The Department of Education has posted links to the Guidelines for the Prevention of Suspension and Expulsion of Young Children: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings on the Early Childhhood Curriculum & Instruction webpage. These...
Description: For parents, daycare providers, and early educators, new research describes a simple and powerful way to build children’s brains: talk with them, early and often. A study in Psychological Science shows how conversation — the interplay between a parent or caregiver and a child — ignites the language centers in a child’s brain. It’s the first study to show a relationship between the words children hear at home and the growth of their neural processing capacities...
Description: Evaluation is an essential beginning step in the special education process for a child with a disability. Before a child can receive special education and related services for the first time, a full and individual initial evaluation of the child must be conducted to see if the child has a disability and is eligible for special education. Informed parent consent must be obtained before this evaluation may be conducted. The evaluation process is guided by requirements in Part B of our...
Description: The birth of a child is an exciting, life-changing event. A beautiful new baby comes to your house, family, and neighborhood. It is a time for celebration. But what happens when this new child has a disability? What if there are health problems? What if, as time goes by, it seems as if the child isn’t learning and progressing as quickly or easily as other children? What do you do? CPIR offers a suite of resource pages that can help you find answers and people who can...
Description: Early intervention is full of terms that people constantly use in writing and in conversation, and it’s important to know what those terms mean. We are pleased to provide this handy reference to early intervention terminology, and hopes it helps our readers quickly connect with the meaning of pivotal words and phrases in the field.
Description: The education of children with disabilities is a top national priority. Our nation’s special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), sets high standards for their achievement and guides how special help and services are made available in schools to address their individual needs.
Description: Module 1 welcomes everyone to Part C of IDEA—the early intervention program for infants and toddlers with disabilities. With these training materials, you can learn about and provide training on: the 8 basic steps in the early intervention process; 7 acronyms used in early intervention and what they mean; and 9 key terms in early intervention and their definitions.
Description: Cerebral palsy—also known as CP—is a condition caused by injury to the parts of the brain that control our ability to use our muscles and bodies. Cerebral means having to do with the brain. Palsy means weakness or problems with using the muscles. Often the injury happens before birth, sometimes during delivery, or, like Jen, soon after being born. CP can be mild, moderate, or severe. Mild CP may mean a child is clumsy. Moderate CP may mean the child walks with a limp. He or she may...
Description: About the Training Curriculum Title | Building the Legacy for Our Youngest Children with Disabilities: A Training Curriculum on Part C of IDEA 2004 By Whom? | This training curriculum was produced by NICHCY at the request of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) at the U.S. Department of Education. The Center for Parent Information and Resources is pleased to house this curriculum and to make it continuously available. For Whom? | The curriculum is intended to...
Description: Kids grow fast, don’t they? And early intervention is designed for children from birth up to age three. At that point, services under EI end. If the child will need continued support once he or she moves on to preschool, it’s very important to plan ahead so that the transition is smooth. The resources below will help you do just that.
Description: Healthy brain development is essential for realizing one’s full potential and for overall well-being. For children and youth who experience child abuse or neglect and associated trauma, brain development may be interrupted, leading to functional impairments. Ongoing maltreatment can alter a child’s brain development and affect mental, emotional, and behavioral health into adulthood. Frontline child welfare professionals are in a unique position to recognize developmental delays in...
Description: Helping Young Children Who Have Experienced Trauma: Policies and Strategies for Early Care and Education - In almost every early care and education (ECE) program across the country, there are children who have experienced trauma or who will, during their early childhood, experience traumatic events. Trauma in early childhood takes many forms, including abuse or neglect, witnessing violence, and having prolonged separation from or loss of a parent. An extensive body of research has documented the...
Description: Read to Them programs show schools and families the wide array of benefits that come from reading aloud together. A child’s positive relationship with literacy provides the basis for a lifetime of learning. Our school-wide reading programs support reading together at home and learning together at school by providing schools with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to create a culture of literacy in their community.
Description: Aligning and Integrating Family Engagement in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Concepts and Strategies for Families and Schools in Key Contexts includes the following chapters: Enhancing Progress for Meaningful Family Engagement in all Aspects of Positive BehavioralInterventions and Supports (PBIS) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Family Engagement Foundations: Supporting Children and Families Engaging Families Through School-Wide Positive Behavior Support: Building...
Description: The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.
Description: Baby Talk is a free, one-way listserv that is distributed monthly. Each issue features resources that are high quality, readily available and free. To join the listserv, send an email with no message to subscribe-babytalk@listserv.unc.edu
Description: How to Identify and Support Children Experiencing Stress - Recent social and political changes have brought up feelings of fear and anxiety in many communities. In some communities, protests or even violent conflicts may be happening near children. It is not surprising, then, that these communities’ children may be exhibiting signs of anxiety. Child care providers can take steps to help children cope with worry and the uncertainty that change brings. First and foremost,...
Description: This guide provides human services leaders at the local, State, Tribal, and Territorial levels with information and resources on recent advances in our understanding of trauma, toxic stress, and executive functioning. It especially highlights what these advances mean for program design and service delivery. The guide helps professionals learn about trauma-informed care and helps those currently engaged in trauma-informed work to improve their practice.
Description: The POWER (Parent Organizer With Educational Resources) web app provides parents and families with online resources to answer questions about child development, disabilities, community services, Special Education, diploma options in Virginia and transition to life after high school. The questions and potential resources are separated into age levels: Early Childhood, Elementary School, Middle School and High School. This project is a collaborative effort between the Parent Resource...
Description: Celebrate the uniqueness of each and every child! In the U.S., 1 in 68 children is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In fact, almost every school and university in the country has students with autism. While the diagnosis is common, public understanding of autism is not. The lack of understanding around the condition contributes to discrimination, verbal abuse, even physical violence. A recent study reveals that children with autism are five times more likely to be bullied than...
Description: BULLYING BASICS in Early Childhood: Bullying can emerge in early childhood. If you don’t know that bullying happens among young children, you won’t see it or stop it. If you don’t stop bullying, it will grow and spread. When early childhood educators are prepared, they can nip bullying in the bud. Find out how to stop bullying before it starts.
Description: This policy brief promotes developmentally appropriate use of technology in homes and early learning settings. It was created by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help those who care for 0-8 year olds make wise decisions about technology use. It provides four guiding principles for families and early educators, and includes a call to action for researchers and technology developers, highlighting topics for further research and...
Description: This video shows how siblings of people with disabilities have a wide range of experiences and emotions that impact them in different ways. There are personal stories of insight, appreciation and pride as well as examples of embarassment and fear/worry.