BookSpring, a 45 year old early literacy non-profit in Austin Texas, is providing rich digital content base on its time-tested educator kits online for families through 52 Weekly Themes for ages 3-5 and 6-8. Each week, a new theme related to early childhood curriculum is released with a video prompt to activate prior knowledge from Bibi the Butterfly, followed with a series of curated digital books in browser-based and downloadable pdf form. These resources are followed with reflection questions, suggested follow up activities, and additional resources to extend the learning at home. The materials are offered under a Creative Commons By-Share Alike license and available in both Spanish and English. The themes start in August 2020 and are planned to be completed in August 2021, and will be sustained online indefinitely. Plans for Toddler units (24-36 months) and older children (9-12) are being considered for future development. No log in is required, but donations are welcome and eligible as charitable contributions for the U.S. IRS. Aligned to multiple subjects in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for grades K-3, as well as the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (not currently available on OER for alignment) https://tea.texas.gov/academics/early-childhood-education/texas-prekindergarten-guidelines

This book describes approaches to capacity promotion that respond to the complexities and possibilities of communities—at local and country levels. These initiatives challenge established developmental narratives in ECD and international development, and in so doing provide alternative ways for scholars and practitioners in ECD, education, and the broad international development field to enhance capacities.

Coordinating Early Childhood Systems

Adults and a young child collaborating in an early learning classroom
While early childhood providers and families prioritize activities that optimize interactivity with peers and the natural environment, print and digital materials and technologies are commonly present in early learning settings, including the home and community. If and when they are determined to be appropriate, interactive materials and technologies need to be accessible if children with disabilities are to benefit from inclusive settings. Examples of accessible materials and technologies in early learning settings can include:

Tactile books that include a combination of print and braille
Video that includes captioning of sounds and audio description of visual elements
Mobile apps that are compatible with a child’s assistive technology (AT)
Ensuring that children with disabilities in early childhood programs can participate in all range of activities in early childhood programs is effectively achieved through a coordinated approach requiring collaboration between a number of agencies, federal, state, and local service providers, and families and caregivers.

Mix the letter B with other alphabet letters to make crazy words, and enjoy your own special recipe for family reading time!

This lesson introduces students to the core components of an early childhood daily schedule. Students will study the differences in schedules by age in order to develop their own.

Este curso é um produto educacional de uma Pesquisa desenvolvida no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Rede Nacional para o Ensino das Ciências Ambientais (PROFCIAMB), da Universidade Estadual de Maringá, e tem como objetivo fornecer conhecimentos que auxiliem no ensino de questões ambientais para crianças, principalmente as que estão vivenciando a primeira infância.

[Translation of summary: This course is an educational product of a research developed in the Graduate Program in the National Network for the Teaching of Environmental Sciences (PROFCIAMB), at the State University of Maringá, and aims to provide knowledge that helps in teaching environmental issues to children , especially those who are experiencing early childhood.]

This lesson introduces students to the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP). Students will learn the core considerations of DAP and the guidelines. Students will apply their knowledge of the guidelines for DAP to a set of early childhood educator “checklist questions.” 

This lesson introduces students to different curriculum models, Montessori and HighScopes, used in early childhood settings. Students will identify important details to each model, then identify similarities and differences in curriculum as the child ages. Students will end the lesson by developing an opinion on which model they believe to be the best.

This activity allows undergraduate early childhood or child development students to work collaboratively to find and identify reliable national and local resources regarding child observation, referral, assessment, and intervention services.

This is a printable version of the activity in the user guide. It gives examples of how each domain in the learning trajectories contributes to the holistic outcomes of the EYLF V2.0.

It invites you to collect examples within the context of your service. You may then revisit and reflect on the examples, individually and with colleagues, to deepen your knowledge and understanding of the learning trajectories and EYLF V2.0 Learning Outcomes.

This guide will help you use AERO’s early childhood learning trajectories in your practice. The learning trajectories are designed for teachers and educators working in early childhood education and care (ECEC) services for children in the years before school. They can support ongoing professional learning for individuals and entire ECEC services and teams.

Outlines course objectives and week-by-week lesson plans including links to syllabus and other OER materials for class use.

Required Course Objectives
1. Discuss theories and research supporting a family-centered approach to early childhood education.
2. Articulate the role of cultural context in attitudes, beliefs, values, and child-rearing practices.
3. Analyze personal values, beliefs, and cultural biases that influence their work with families.
4. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the IFSP/IEP process and the impact this process has on families.
5. Identify strategies that support and assist families to identify their priorities, resources, and concerns for their children.
6. Identify specific components of IDEA that support families in the special education process.
7. Continue to identify themselves with the early childhood profession and will exhibit the attributes of a collaborative educational leader including the acquisition of appropriate knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Utilizing a culturally responsive lens, this course focuses on strategies for developing family and community partnerships to benefit young children ages birth-5th grade of all abilities. Theories and research that support family-centered practices are explored with a focus on highlighting BIPoC authors and researchers. This course takes a family-centered perspective and emphasizes the role of collaborative planning with families and caregivers to create an inclusive environment.

This course is designed as a six week asynchronous online course. The weekly video supports students by providing the flexibility to stop and start the video. This can be a supportive tool for students who might not have uninterrupted time to absorb content. The paired slides also provide a visual support which aids various types of learning styles. The Reading Evidence assignment is student centered which allows each student to explore and identify a system that works best for them. Which supports the modeling of a Universal Design for Learning strategy that students can utilize in their own setting. Lastly, the learning activities are designed to be "field ready" tools that allow students to utilize their classwork as tangible real world tools for family and community partnerships.

This lesson is meant to be used at the start of a Child Development or Early Childhood Services course, to get students exploring the importance of early childhood.

This book includes the Learning Outcome: explain and recognize stages and milestones in physical, social, emotional, sensory, linguistic, and cognitive development for infants from birth to 15 months old. The objective meets the NAEYC Standard 1a [Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs, from birth through age 8] for educator preparation and the MA Core Competency 1.A.1 and 1.G.15 at the initial level. You will experience how an infant develops at an individual rate and has a personal approach to learning.

The book supports a speaking-intensive course that introduces you to key concepts in the study of childhood from multidisciplinary perspectives. Your reading and listening will allow you to examine the historical and socio-cultural constructions of “the child” and childhood, exploring topics such as child development, cultural notions of adolescence, children as social agents, children’s rights, and challenges facing children in both local and global contexts.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education Open Education Resources Textbook for common course ECED& 105 Introduction to Early Childhood Education was produced with support from funding secured through the Carl D. Perkins Act.  

A different look at various "modern" parenting styles that we see within our society & the impact they have on children across the lifespan.