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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

  • 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.

  • 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!

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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!

Standard 1, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Reflective Practices, Topic: Continuous Collaborative Learning, Resource Type: Video Collection Kadisha Conteh Standard 1, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Reflective Practices, Topic: Continuous Collaborative Learning, Resource Type: Video Collection Kadisha Conteh

Let’s Dig Deep: Culturally Responsive (4 part video series)

Let’s Dig Deep: Culturally Responsive (4 part video series)

This video collection includes four videos (under 5 minutes, each) created by the Devereux Center for Resilient Children. All videos explore culturally responsive practices.

Organization/Author: Devereux Center for Resilient Children

Type of Resource: Videos

Publication Date: 2023

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Toolkit Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Toolkit Kadisha Conteh

Self-Care for Teachers

Self-Care for Teachers

When children engage in behavior that pushes your buttons, it is important to be intentional in how you respond. This resource provides strategies that you might use when a child’s behavior pushes your buttons to help you respond in a way that is supportive of the child.

Organization/Author: National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations
Type of Resource: Toolkit

Publication Date: Unknown

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Video Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Video Kadisha Conteh

The Importance of Self-Care for Early Care and Education Professionals

The Importance of Self-Care for Early Care and Education Professionals

A video with discussion questions to help guide educators to  identify self-care strategies and make action plans to stay physically and mentally healthy.

Organization/Author: Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut University
Type of Resource: Video with discussion guide

Publication Date: Unknown

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Article, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Article, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh

Carving Out Time for Wonder: Reflective Practices in Early Childhood Pedagogy

Carving Out Time for Wonder: Reflective Practices in Early Childhood Pedagogy

An article that addresses the importance of a wondering disposition in reflective practice.

Organization/Author: Ron Grady, Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Article

Publication Date: 2022

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Blog Post, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Blog Post, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh

How to Improve Teaching and Learning Through Reflective Practice

How to Improve Teaching and Learning Through Reflective Practice

With reflective practice, educators can learn from their past teaching experiences. In this blog post, discover the benefits of reflective practice and how it can vastly improve your creativity, lessons, and child-teacher relationships.

Organization/Author: Brightwheel
Type of Resource: Blog

Publication Date: 2024

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Open Educational Resource (OER), Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Open Educational Resource (OER), Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh

Reflective Practice in Early Years Education

Reflective Practice in Early Years Education

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost, and without needing to ask permission. 

This OER textbook will provide a context that will allow the reader to consider their obligation to reflect from their own perspective and will explore how to create a practice that best suits their professional setting. This book will bring together in one place the history, the values, the skills and disposition required to be a reflective practitioner. It is a textbook with elements of a workbook, embedded are opportunities to watch, to think, to write, and to listen allowing the reader to become a purposeful and intentional reflective practitioner.

Organization/Author: Sheryl Third
Type of Resource: Book Chapter, Open Educational Resource (OER)

Publication Date: 2022

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Article, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Article, Topic: Reflective Practices Kadisha Conteh

Reflective Practices and Strategies in Early Head Start

Reflective Practices and Strategies in Early Head Start

Learn strategies for sustaining relationships built through the circle of support. Explore strategies and issues to consider to overcome a break down in reflective practice, and suggestions for encouraging parents to reflect and build on parenting practices.

Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Article

Publication Date: 2024

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Article Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Article Kadisha Conteh

Preventing Compassion Fatigue: Caring for Yourself

Preventing Compassion Fatigue: Caring for Yourself

This article is excerpted from NAEYC’s upcoming book Trauma and Young Children: Teaching Strategies to Support and Empower Children, by Sarah Erdman, Laura J. Colker, and Elizabeth C. Winter.

Organization/Author: Sarah Erdman, Laura J. Colker, and Elizabeth C. Winter,  Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article

Publication Date: 2020

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Standard 6 Kadisha Conteh Standard 6 Kadisha Conteh

OER Textbook: Children, Families, Schools, and Communities

OER Textbook: Children, Families, Schools, and Communities

Open Educational Resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that you may freely use and reuse at no cost, and without needing to ask permission.

Children, Families, Schools, and Communities is an introductory text in the field of Child and Family Studies. It provides a lens for understanding the evolving definition of “family”. It promotes strategies for culturally sustaining and deeply collaborative relationships. Children, Families, Schools, and Communities is an adapted OER text from Rebecca Laff’s and Wendy Ruiz’s "Child, Family, and Community.”

Organization/Author: Joan Giovannini

Type of Resource: Book, Open Education Resource (OER)

Publication Date: 2023

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Standard 6, Resource Type: Toolkit Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Resource Type: Toolkit Kadisha Conteh

Getting Started with Mindfulness: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Organizations

Getting Started with Mindfulness: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Organizations

Learn more about the case for implementing mindfulness in early childhood, try hands-on strategies for doing so, and learn more from organizations that have begun this journey. This resource must be downloaded to access.

Organization/Author: Zero to Three

Type of Resource: Toolkit

Publication Date: Unknown

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Standard 6, Topic: Reflective Practices, Resource Type: Video Collection with Reflection Questions Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Reflective Practices, Resource Type: Video Collection with Reflection Questions Kadisha Conteh

Reflections from the Field Video Series

Reflections from the Field Video Series

Interviews with teachers and providers about their experiences working with young children.

Organization/Author: Center for Early Childhood Education at Eastern Connecticut University

Type of Resource: Video Collection with Reflection Questions

Publication Date: unknown

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Additional Resources

About the Resource Library &

The Professional Standards & Competencies for Early Childhood Educators