Welcome to the…
Professional Standards & Competencies Resource Library
The Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators outline the essential knowledge, skills, and practices that are foundational to high-quality early childhood education. These standards define what early childhood educators should know and be able to do in order to support the learning and development of young children from birth through age 8. They serve as a guiding framework for professional development, practice, and evaluation within the field of early childhood education.
Understanding and implementing these standards is crucial for educators as they help ensure the delivery of equitable, inclusive, and high-quality education that promotes the well-being and success of all children. By adhering to these standards, educators also contribute to the profession's commitment to continuous improvement and accountability.
Please note that while the collection of resources has been organized and tagged according to the Professional Standards and Competencies, only the most applicable competencies have been prioritized for searching and tagging purposes.
For NAEYC resources in the library, you can find policies related to reproducing, distributing, or otherwise using content here. For all other resources, please follow appropriate practices for using/citing sources.
Directions for Using the Professional Standards and Competencies Resource Library
Check out the resource library tutorial here!
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The PS&Cs Resource Library allows you to peruse ALL of the many resources available (by default) or you can utilize the provided filter and narrow down your search to target specific resources.
Check out the resource library tutorial for more info.
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By using the filtering categories, you are able to narrow your search to particular professional standards, one or more of the 22 key competencies, various ECE topics, a variety of age ranges, specific types of resources such as articles or videos or even find resources available in languages other than English.
The robust filters even allow you to choose multiple choices across categories or within the same category to further narrow your search!
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Once you have opened the various filter categories provided in the filter tool, you will notice that “all” is highlighted and checked in each category by default. This means the filter tool will not filter out any of those options within that category. If you wish to narrow your search, you simply click on one or more of the other options within the various filtering categories. Clicking will check that option. Checked options will be utilized for your search!
To remove an option, simply click it again to remove the check from the checkbox.
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The search feature is similar to any other search engine on a website. It can be used for a specific key word or phrase. Although the search may be helpful and is provided, the more robust filter tool may ultimately be more helpful in focusing and narrowing your search for resources.
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Naturally, broken links will occur. Sometimes the resource has been moved to a new web address and other times it has been temporarily or permanently removed. We welcome you to report any broken links you find here. We will do our best to replace the link when possible or remove the resource if it is no longer available.
**As of Feb. 2025, certain webpages and resources, particularly from agencies/organizations/projects that receive federal funds, have been at least temporarily removed in order to comply with federal mandates related to the Trump Administration’s Executive Orders. We will continue to monitor these resource links and update them if and when new links are available.
Start Your Search--Resource Library
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Start Your Search--Resource Library *
Sort quickly through the hundreds of available resources by using the filter tool on the left to populate the specific resources you need!
The Ordinary Magic of Resilience
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/the-ordinary-magic-of-resilience
This article explores how fairy tales and imaginative play serve as powerful tools for building "ordinary magic"—the resilience children need to overcome toxic stress and adversity. By integrating classic stories into classroom centers, educators can foster the four key protective factors of resilience: strong relationships, initiative, executive function, and cultural context.
Organization/Author: Stephanie Goloway, Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: May 2023
Strengthening Executive Function Builds Social-Emotional Competence in Young Learners
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/strengthening-executive-function-builds-social-emotional-competence-in-young-learners
Renae Ouillette addresses the gap between neuroscience and current educational practices, calling for a shift away from standardized testing toward EF-building strategies. The article provides actionable classroom techniques, such as establishing predictable routines, prioritizing open-ended play, and modeling conflict resolution to improve long-term learning trajectories
Organization/Author: Renae Ouillette, Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: July 2024
Building Executive Function Skills Through Games: The Power of Playful Learning
Building Executive Function Skills Through Games: The Power of Playful Learning
This article discusses the importance of executive function to children’s learning and development, exploring the connection between EF and playful learning through games.
Organization/Author: Cynthia A. Wiltshire and Molly Scott, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: 2024
Differentiation in Preschool
Differentiation in Preschool
This brief article explores differentiation in the preschool classroom.
Organization/Author: Cecilia Cabrera Martirena, Edutopia
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: 2021
Executive Function: Essential Classroom Skills EdWeb Webinar
Executive Function: Essential Classroom Skills EdWeb Webinar
In this edWebinar, Dr. Andrei Semenov and Renae Ouillette talk about the development of executive function skills and how these skills manifest themselves in the classroom as well as strategies teachers and parents can take to improve a child’s proficiency at these skills. Note: Registration is required to view webinar.
Organization/Author: Dr. Andrei Semenov and Renae Ouillette, edWeb Webinar
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2022
Social-Emotional and Executive Functioning Solutions for the Early Childhood Program Webinar
Social-Emotional and Executive Functioning Solutions for the Early Childhood Program Webinar
In this edWebinar, experts cover the theory and significance of social-emotional learning and executive functioning skills development as they relate to early childhood learning programs and highlight the current needs of early childhood programs as related to these areas. Note: registration is required to view webinar.
Organization/Author: Kylie Rymanowicz, edWeb Webinar
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2023
Simple and Effective Strategies to Support Executive Function Skills in Young Children Webinar
Simple and Effective Strategies to Support Executive Function Skills in Young Children Webinar
During this edWebinar, viewers not only learn what executive function is, they also learn strategies and activities they can start using right away to help all children develop strong executive function skills that they can rely on throughout the day. Note: Registration is required to view webinar.
Organization/Author: Julie Tourigny, edWeb Webinar
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2024
Support Preschoolers’ Executive Function and Self-Regulation Skills with Music Webinar
Support Preschoolers’ Executive Function and Self-Regulation Skills with Music Webinar
In this edWebinar, explore the many ways in which developmentally appropriate, participatory, and enjoyable music and movement activities can naturally support young children’s development of important self-regulation and executive function skills, including attention control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and inhibitory control. Note: registration is required to view webinar
Organization/Author: Dr. Eliza Braden, and Dr. Sanjuana Rodriguez, edWeb Webinar
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2023
Executive Function and Challenging Behavior: A New Approach, by Ellen Galinsky Webinar
Routines-Based Planning for Infants and Toddlers
In this paradigm-shifting (recorded) webinar by child development experts, researchers, and author, Ellen Galinsky, you will learn the research implications and strategies that work to help children manage their own behavior through improved executive function. Note: Registration is required to view webinar
Organization/Author: Ellen Galinsky, Early Childhood Investigations
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2020
8 Things to Remember about Child Development
Building on a well-established knowledge base more than half a century in the making, recent advances in the science of early childhood development and its underlying biology provide a deeper understanding that can inform and improve existing policy and practice, as well as help generate new ways of thinking about solutions. In this important list, featured in the From Best Practices to Breakthrough Impacts report, the Center on the Developing Child sets the record straight about some aspects of early child development.
Organization/Author: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function
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Executive function skills help us plan, focus attention, switch gears, and juggle multiple tasks—much like an air traffic control system at a busy airport. Acquiring the early building blocks of these skills is one of the most important and challenging tasks of the early childhood years. Their strength is critical to healthy development throughout childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. This working paper from the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child explains how these lifelong skills develop, what can disrupt their development, and how supporting them pays off in school and life.
Organization/Author: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: 2011
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