This unit examines the area of the brain based learning with a particular focus on the development of the young child's brain and is of particular relevance to those who work with young children. We begin by looking at the structure and functions of the brain, and the impact that sensory deprivation can have on these. We consider the implications of current understandings of brain development for teaching and learning, particularly in an early years setting, and finish by exploring the value of play (particularly outdoor play) in children's learning and the development of their brains.

Resouces and guidance to help educators assess children in observational settings in order to find out where each child is on a developmental continuum.

Resources to help educators as students transition back into in-person learning in the fall.

This resource provides tools and guidance to help educators and families get to know one another and collaborate on learning activities that promote growth across learning settings. 

Development is sequential, with skills building on prior knowledge and learning. Young students pass through many key milestones on their way toward end-of-year standards. These progressions in literacy and numeracy show how learning unfolds across multiple grade levels allows teachers to identify what knowledge and abilities students possess at the start of the year and what comes next, so they can meet each student where they are and address any gaps that may exist.

This document was created by staff from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and the nine Educational Service Districts as a resource to educators across the earliest years of school, PreK–3rd grade. It is intended to support a smooth transition this fall for students who are just beginning their formal education or who may have experienced disruptions to their early education due to COVID-19

  Perspective, or how one looks at a situation or makes an assessment, is more or less based on his, her or their experiential knowledge to date. Shared perspectives can open up possibilities and expand one's awareness and understanding.  This is the essence of critical thinking!  When students' perspectives are shared, and questions are allowed to challenge the biases or judgments that form their opinions, there are opportunities and possibilities to change, enhance, support the perspectives that are meaningful and positive.

Tawasol symbols represent a symbol dictionary of frequently used words in spoken and written Arabic communication. The symbols are represented by images and pictograms.

This Open Access Educational textbook, "Teaching Early and Elementary STEM", was written to support pre-service early childhood and elementary teachers in their journey to become facilitators of science, technology, engineering, and math, or “STEM,” and "integrated STEM" in their future classrooms. Students who read and use this text will deepen their understanding of “STEM” and “integrated STEM,” learn what early childhood and elementary students need to know and be able to do in relation to STEM, and understand ways to create activity plans and implement current research-based approaches to teaching and pedagogy. This text arose out of our Early/Elementary STEM Collaboration project, which started in 2017 with the intention of increasing the quality of teacher preparation in STEM across early childhood and elementary education. The team is composed of math and science education professors, classroom in-service teachers, and pre-service teachers in pre-school through fifth grade. We are driven by the values of collaboration, strengths-based approaches to teaching and learning, constructivist philosophy of teaching and learning, and applied STEM experiences to increase access and equity. Our model of preparing pre-service teachers has been published elsewhere in more detail (Robertson, Nivens, & Lange, 2019). We built this open access product to include the following: 1) completely new content that includes input from our team as well as examples of integrated STEM learning experiences; 2) adaptations of existing resources, and; 3) compilations of existing free resources (e.g., Next Generation Science Standards).

Comprehensive literacy instruction for all students requires the use of tools and strategies that make the instruction accessible. The Unlocking Literacy for Students with Disabilities Modules will build on what you already know about literacy instruction by demonstrating how strategic tools or strategies can make literacy instruction accessible to students with complex communication needs and physical disabilities. Best practices and research-based strategies for literacy instruction, as well as K-2 English Language Arts (ELA) Common Core State Standards (CCSS), will be included throughout all modules.Unlocking Literacy Modules (K-2):Module 1. Universal Strategies & Technology ToolsModule 2. Alphabet and Phonological AwarenessModule 3. Emergent ReadingModule 4.  Emergent Writing 

This module focuses on best practices for instruction on alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness.  Explicit Instruction and the Cycle Approach to teaching letters and sounds are highlighted.  Instructional strategies and tools to extend literacy instruction to students with complex communication needs and physical disabilities are discussed.  English Language Art Common Core Standards are provided, along with research on instructional strategies to address the standards.