Welcome! This page features resources organized by service type (service coordination, service provision, and family support). Use the tabs below to view a selection of resources under each type of service. To view all resources of a certain service type, use the following Menu:
Service Coordination
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Did you know that “research shows . . . having a strong foundation in early math . . . can lead to higher achievement in both math AND reading later in school.” That’s the kind of wisdom you’ll find in this tip sheet from the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The article defines S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in easy-to-understand terms then offers a long list of tips that families can try in their home language. These tips address such concept areas as measurement, counting, shapes, spatial relationships, patterns, and many more . . . all things inquisitive young minds are interested in learning. Give this tip sheet a read and see what S.T.E.M.…
alt="thumbnail of book cover"“Winning the Food Fights,” published on healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a light-hearted yet informative review of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insights, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup, by Laura A. Jana, M.D., FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP. In the review the author poses such mind-bending questions as “Why do (toddlers) insist they hate something they’ve never even tried?” then proceeds to describe the “practical, reality-based answers” spelled out in the book. The areas addressed include “palatable peace-keeping strategies,” weight and eating habits, practicing patience, and applying the suggestions outside the home (which may not be helpful right…
For nearly four decades, the not-for-profit organization Pathways has been a “positive, trusted, inclusive partner to parents everywhere.” The dedicated staff at Pathways.org provide “free, trusted resources” based on the best available research and the expert opinion of pediatricians and therapists (e.g., OT, PT, SLP). Pathways’ resources include information on milestones; ability descriptions divided by age group; suggested activities to stimulate development; downloadable checklists, in both English and Spanish, that are easy to print and share; and countless video examples of the skills being discussed. Visit Pathways.org and take a few minutes to look around, then leave us a comment about what you found most interesting. We’d love to hear from you!
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM)…
Our friends at Zero to Three have done it again! In “How to Introduce Toddlers and Babies to Books,” they’ve provided the field with evidence-informed strategies for teaching very young children about the joy of reading.
The first and most important tip shared is to have fun, noting that “when children have positive interactions with books, they are developing good feelings about reading.” What follows is a litany of sage advice—everything from “a few minutes at a time is OK” to “make books a part of…
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations describes the Pyramid Model as “a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development.” It’s used by both families and professionals and is “based on over a decade of evaluation data.” Modeled after a “tiered public health approach” to providing supports to children and families, the Pyramid Model is built on a foundation of an effective workforce, meaning professionals who are able to “adopt and sustain these evidence-based practices.”
This Pyramid Model poster we’ve provided here describes three tiers of intervention, looking first at the base of the pyramid, then moving…
The Office of Special Education Program’s Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) and the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute bring us this week, “Let Me Tell You What I Want.” The intention behind this practice guide is to capitalize on the gestures infants naturally use to communicate and to help parents find ways to adapt gestures and signs for children with disabilities who may struggle with communication.
The brochure offers step-by-step guidance on how to observe a young child’s attempts at gestures, then reinforce what’s working and what makes sense within their family. It also gives three real-life examples of families putting the practice to use with amazing results. If you work with a family of a child who is learning to communicate, this practice guide might be just what you need. Leave us a comment below to let us know how you used the information and what the family thought.
If you’d like to check…
The Backpack Connection Series features 25 downloadable handouts on how parents and early childhood professionals can “work together to help young children develop social emotional skills and reduce challenging behavior.” The handouts provide a wide variety of tools and strategies for caregivers across four main categories: Addressing Behavior, Emotions, Routines and Schedules, and Social Skills. Examples include “Addressing Behavior – How to Help Your Child Stop Biting,” “How to Help Your Child Transition Smoothly Between Places and Activities,” and How to Help Your Child Learn to Share.” View these handouts online at https://challengingbehavior.cbcs.usf.edu/Implementation/family.html#collapse2. These resources are also available in Spanish and Chinese at the California Teaching Pyramid…
California Department of Developmental Services, Early Start Section and California Department of Education, Special Education Division. WestEd Center for Prevention and Early Intervention, 2013.
Click here to download this resource directly.
…
A project of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, Story Blocks is “a collection of 30-60 second videos designed to model (for) parents, caregivers, and library staff . . . songs, rhymes, and finger-plays appropriate for early childhood.” The video clips also provide early literacy tips “to increase caregivers’ understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs.” Songs and rhymes are also offered in nine different languages. It’s a fun site to explore to be reminded of tried and true favorites as well as to learn new songs and rhymes children will enjoy. Check it out here and leave your comments below.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early…
The Let’s Participate! Model Demonstration Program was funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) to assist early childhood programs in “implementing and sustaining promising practices in the effective use of assistive technology (AT) by infants, toddlers, and preschool children with disabilities and, as a result, improve their functional outcomes” (CAInclusion.org). Staff and managers can access a variety of trainings and resources to learn more about using AT with the young children they serve, including how to create child-specific AT plans, build a lending library of AT devices and apps, and identifying AT supports for different needs. Learn more at https://www.letsparticipate.org/.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service…
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) offers earthquake resources, focusing on things that can be done to support children before, during, and after an earthquake. For example, the site recommends that parents be encouraged to “give children factual information about earthquakes in simple terms,” appropriate to their developmental level. They also offer an app they created called Help Kids Cope, which provides information on how to talk with children of different developmental levels. Immediately after an earthquake, parents can “model calm behavior; provide simple but accurate information in a quiet, steady voice; encourage comforting or distracting activities; and practice their own self-care.” The NCTSN article concludes with a host of downloadable resources for both parents and teachers. Be sure to check…
alt="thumbnail of book cover"“Winning the Food Fights,” published on healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a light-hearted yet informative review of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insights, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup, by Laura A. Jana, M.D., FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP. In the review the author poses such mind-bending questions as “Why do (toddlers) insist they hate something they’ve never even tried?” then proceeds to describe the “practical, reality-based answers” spelled out in the book. The areas addressed include “palatable peace-keeping strategies,” weight and eating habits, practicing patience, and applying the suggestions outside the home (which may not be helpful right…
Researchers at Zero to Three have developed a guide for early childhood professionals to support parents and caregivers in fostering their child's resilience to adversity. From ZerotoThree.org:
"In this brief, the authors explain how resilience can be recognized and fostered at four levels: the individual, the family, the school and caregiving systems, and the larger community. They also suggest ways that parents can build their child’s resilience on a daily basis by teaching self-care, emphasizing the positive, building a strong parent-child bond, reading together, encouraging social skills, maintaining a daily routine, nurturing self-esteem, and practicing reflection."
Visit the Zero to Three website to…
This article from the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ) titled “Fathers: Powerful Allies for Maternal and Child Health” summarizes research on the critical importance of fathers’ role during pregnancy and in a child’s early years, and offers practical recommendations on how to support the involvement of fathers. Although geared mainly toward health professionals, some proposed approaches are relevant to (or could be adapted for) early intervention professionals and settings.
Click here to read this article on the NICHQ website.
…
“Self-regulation is the act of managing thoughts and feelings to enable goal-directed actions.” It’s a set of skills we begin working on right after birth and continue refining through adulthood. Self-regulation is an important goal for infants and toddlers as it enables them to shift the focus of their attention, soothe themselves, adjust their behavior, and seek help from others when it’s needed.
This two-page snapshot from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services describes ways in which parents and caregivers can observe self-regulation in very young children, strategies they can use to support its development, and the research behind “lessons learned about interventions to promote self-regulation in infants and toddlers.”…
The National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations describes the Pyramid Model as “a conceptual framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development.” It’s used by both families and professionals and is “based on over a decade of evaluation data.” Modeled after a “tiered public health approach” to providing supports to children and families, the Pyramid Model is built on a foundation of an effective workforce, meaning professionals who are able to “adopt and sustain these evidence-based practices.”
This Pyramid Model poster we’ve provided here describes three tiers of intervention, looking first at the base of the pyramid, then moving…
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Center for PTSD have come together to produce a handout on Psychological First Aid, which offers parents “Tips for Helping Infants and Toddlers after Disasters.” This detailed and easy-to-read resource examines behaviors young children typically display after a disaster as well as what parents should know about and do in response to those behaviors.
Here’s an example:
If your child has problems sleeping . . .
Understand that children often dream about things they fear and can be scared of going to sleep . . . when children are scared, they want to be with people who help them feel safe, and they worry when you are not together . . .
Ways to Help: Hold him and tell him that he is safe, that you are there and will not leave . . . this…
To support parents and caregivers to engage in “serve and return” during everyday activities, the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child created a family-friendly two-page guide that lists five steps for completing serve and return interactions. The resource also includes a link where caregivers can watch an introductory video, learn more about the science behind serve and return, and access even more materials to help them support their baby’s development. Check out this resource online at https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/5-steps-for-brain-building-serve-and-return/, or in Spanish at https://developingchild.harvard.edu/translation/5-pasos-para-el-desarrollo-mental-saque-y-volea/.…
From the US Department of Health and Human Services' Safe to Sleep campaign: a publication for families and caregivers on safe sleep practices for infants. More resources can be found here: http://safetosleep.nichd.nih.gov/
Click here to download this resource.
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of…
The Office of Special Education Program’s Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) and the Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute bring us this week, “Let Me Tell You What I Want.” The intention behind this practice guide is to capitalize on the gestures infants naturally use to communicate and to help parents find ways to adapt gestures and signs for children with disabilities who may struggle with communication.
The brochure offers step-by-step guidance on how to observe a young child’s attempts at gestures, then reinforce what’s working and what makes sense within their family. It also gives three real-life examples of families putting the practice to use with amazing results. If you work with a family of a child who is learning to communicate, this practice guide might be just what you need. Leave us a comment below to let us know how you used the information and what the family thought.
If you’d like to check…
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) offers earthquake resources, focusing on things that can be done to support children before, during, and after an earthquake. For example, the site recommends that parents be encouraged to “give children factual information about earthquakes in simple terms,” appropriate to their developmental level. They also offer an app they created called Help Kids Cope, which provides information on how to talk with children of different developmental levels. Immediately after an earthquake, parents can “model calm behavior; provide simple but accurate information in a quiet, steady voice; encourage comforting or distracting activities; and practice their own self-care.” The NCTSN article concludes with a host of downloadable resources for both parents and teachers. Be sure to check…
The Daddy Factor: The Crucial Impact of Fathers on Young Children's Development, from Zero to Three, discusses exciting research evidence that supports the important role fathers play in the lives of their young children. From being involved during pregnancy to nurturing strong attachments afterward and everything in between (e.g., feeding, bathing, and playing together), fathers help children develop confidence which leads to stronger peer relationships as they grow older. The Daddy Factor also helps to raise IQ and improve communication and cognitive skills in the long term. The article summarizes its message by saying that “the more time fathers spend in enriching, stimulating play with their child . . . the better the child’s math and reading scores are at 10 and 11 years old.” So, the impact starts early and has lasting benefits that are evident years later. Join us…
Wow! What a wealth of information the American Academy of Pediatrics brings to us on their Drowning Prevention page! There are articles to read, videos to watch, and infographics to download. Everything you could ever want or need on the subject from newborns through the teen years. Water safety is always a priority but especially this time of year. Parents share their heartfelt stories of losing a child to drowning, and there other articles and videos about drowning prevention, swimming safety tips, and social media graphics you can use to help promote the Drowning Prevention campaign. Take a few minutes to check…
More Than Baby Talk: 10 Ways to Promote the Language and Communication Skills of Infants and Toddlers, a resource from the Frank Porter Graham Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, outlines ten simple ways that parents, teachers, and other caregivers can help build the language skills of the infants and toddlers in their care. These low- and no-tech strategies can be implemented during everyday routines and activities. Some examples include:
Did you know that “research shows . . . having a strong foundation in early math . . . can lead to higher achievement in both math AND reading later in school.” That’s the kind of wisdom you’ll find in this tip sheet from the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Education. The article defines S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering, and math) education in easy-to-understand terms then offers a long list of tips that families can try in their home language. These tips address such concept areas as measurement, counting, shapes, spatial relationships, patterns, and many more . . . all things inquisitive young minds are interested in learning. Give this tip sheet a read and see what S.T.E.M.…
alt="thumbnail of book cover"“Winning the Food Fights,” published on healthychildren.org by the American Academy of Pediatrics, is a light-hearted yet informative review of the book Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed with Insights, Humor, and a Bottle of Ketchup, by Laura A. Jana, M.D., FAAP, and Jennifer Shu, M.D., FAAP. In the review the author poses such mind-bending questions as “Why do (toddlers) insist they hate something they’ve never even tried?” then proceeds to describe the “practical, reality-based answers” spelled out in the book. The areas addressed include “palatable peace-keeping strategies,” weight and eating habits, practicing patience, and applying the suggestions outside the home (which may not be helpful right…
Researchers at Zero to Three have developed a guide for early childhood professionals to support parents and caregivers in fostering their child's resilience to adversity. From ZerotoThree.org:
"In this brief, the authors explain how resilience can be recognized and fostered at four levels: the individual, the family, the school and caregiving systems, and the larger community. They also suggest ways that parents can build their child’s resilience on a daily basis by teaching self-care, emphasizing the positive, building a strong parent-child bond, reading together, encouraging social skills, maintaining a daily routine, nurturing self-esteem, and practicing reflection."
Visit the Zero to Three website to…
For nearly four decades, the not-for-profit organization Pathways has been a “positive, trusted, inclusive partner to parents everywhere.” The dedicated staff at Pathways.org provide “free, trusted resources” based on the best available research and the expert opinion of pediatricians and therapists (e.g., OT, PT, SLP). Pathways’ resources include information on milestones; ability descriptions divided by age group; suggested activities to stimulate development; downloadable checklists, in both English and Spanish, that are easy to print and share; and countless video examples of the skills being discussed. Visit Pathways.org and take a few minutes to look around, then leave us a comment about what you found most interesting. We’d love to hear from you!
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM)…
This article from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) summarizes research that suggests that reading books with very young children promotes:
Click here to read the article in full on the NAEYC website, or visit the following URL: https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/read-together-support-early-literacy
The ICC-Recommended Early Start Personnel Manual (ESPM) describes core knowledge and role-specific competencies needed for early intervention service provision, incorporating current research and evidence in the field of early…
Our friends at Zero to Three have done it again! In “How to Introduce Toddlers and Babies to Books,” they’ve provided the field with evidence-informed strategies for teaching very young children about the joy of reading.
The first and most important tip shared is to have fun, noting that “when children have positive interactions with books, they are developing good feelings about reading.” What follows is a litany of sage advice—everything from “a few minutes at a time is OK” to “make books a part of…
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