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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 2, Standard 3, Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh

Early Childhood Recommended Practice Module 5: Families

Early Childhood Recommended Practice Module 5: Families

This free, online module offers content related to supporting children’s learning and development through quality adult-child and child-child interactions. Objectives target what family-centered practices are, how to build the capacity of families, and strategies for building trusting partnerships with families. A companion Learning Guide provides additional resources for faculty and professional development providers to use in addressing the content of the module.

Organization/Author: Early Childhood Recommended Practices Module

Type of Resource: Module

Publication Date: Unknown

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Standard 2, Standard 6, Topic: Partnership-building with Families, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh Standard 2, Standard 6, Topic: Partnership-building with Families, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh

CONNECT Module 2: Transition

CONNECT Module 2: Transition

These modules are designed for faculty and professional development providers to use in their professional development. Instructor Guides, in the form of dashboards, are included. Students learn about practices to help support children and families as they transition among programs in the early care and education system.

Organization/Author: CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge and DEC

Type of Resource: Module

Publication Date: Unknown

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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 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh Standard 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh

NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Position Statement (full document)

NAEYC’s Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Position Statement (full document)

This position statement, one of five foundational documents developed by NAEYC in collaboration with the early childhood profession to advance high-quality early learning for all young children, defines the term, “developmentally appropriate practice.”  The definition emerges from a set of evidence-based core considerations and principles of child development and learning, all of which are explained in the principles section of this statement. To support educators’ use of developmentally appropriate practice, this statement also identifies guidelines for decision making in six key areas of responsibility that correspond to the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators.

Organization/Author: NAEYC 

Type of Resource: Position Statement

Publication Date: 2020

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Standard 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Family Diversity, Topic: Developmentally Appropriate Practice Kadisha Conteh Standard 1, Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 4, Standard 6, Topic: Family Diversity, Topic: Developmentally Appropriate Practice Kadisha Conteh

NAEYC’s Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement Recommendations for Early Childhood Educators: (full document)

advancingequitypositionstatement.pdf

This position statement is one of five foundational documents NAEYC has developed in collaboration with the early childhood profession. With its specific focus on advancing equity in early childhood education, this statement complements and supports the other foundational documents that (1) define developmentally appropriate practice, (2) set professional standards and competencies for early childhood educators, (3) define the profession’s code of ethics, and (4) outline standards for early learning programs.

Organization/Author: NAEYC 

Type of Resource: Position Statement

Publication Date: 2019

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Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website Kadisha Conteh

Alliance for Early Success Website

Alliance for Early Success Website

The Alliance for Early Success is a national nonprofit that works with early childhood policy advocates at the state level to ensure that every child, birth through eight, has an equal opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

Organization/Author: Alliance for Early Success

Type of Resource: Website

Publication Date: unknown

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

Understanding Implicit Bias and Its Role in Early Learning Environments Webinar

Understanding Implicit Bias and Its Role in Early Learning Environments Webinar

Racial inequities have long been present in our educational system. Recently, there has been a growing emphasis on the role of implicit bias in how programs discipline children, implement classroom practices, and establish teacher-child relationships. This session aims to support early childhood professionals in reducing implicit biases and using culturally responsive practices.

Organization/Author: Jen Neitzel, PhD, Megan Vinh, PhD, Ebonyse Mead, Division for Early Childhood at the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)

Type of Resource: Training

Publication Date: unknown

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Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Ethical and Professional Guidelines, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Ethical and Professional Guidelines, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh

DEC Position Statement on Ethical Practice

DEC Position Statement on Ethical Practice

The Position Statement on Ethical Practice for the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) of the Council for Exceptional Children is a public statement of principles and practice guidelines supported by the mission of DEC.

Organization/Author: Division for Early Childhood at the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)

Type of Resource: Position Statement

Publication Date: 2022

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Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Ethical and Professional Guidelines, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Ethical and Professional Guidelines, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Resource Type: Position Statement Kadisha Conteh

DEC Position Statement: The Role of Special Instruction in Early Intervention

DEC Position Statement: The Role of Special Instruction in Early Intervention

The purpose of this position statement is to clarify the role of the service,

Special Instruction, and its providers (referred to as “early intervention educators” in this paper) within the broader field of IDEA (2004) Part C early intervention (EI).

Organization/Author: Division for Early Childhood at the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC)

Type of Resource: Position Statement

Publication Date: 2024

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Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 6, Topic: Partnership-building with Families, Topic: Assessment Methods and Tools, Topic: Communication Skills, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Early Childhood Special Education, Topic: Collaboration with Service Providers and other Members of the Team, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh Standard 2, Standard 3, Standard 6, Topic: Partnership-building with Families, Topic: Assessment Methods and Tools, Topic: Communication Skills, Topic: Children with Disabilities/Delays, Topic: Aligned with DEC Recommended Practices, Topic: Early Intervention, Topic: Early Childhood Special Education, Topic: Collaboration with Service Providers and other Members of the Team, Resource Type: Modules Kadisha Conteh

CONNECT Module 3: Communication for Collaboration

CONNECT Module 3: Communication for Collaboration 

These modules are designed for faculty and professional development providers to use in their professional development. Instructor Guides, in the form of dashboards, are included. Learn about effective communication practices that can be used to promote collaboration with professionals and families in early care and education, and intervention settings.

Organization/Author: CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge and DEC

Type of Resource: Module

Publication Date: Unknown

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Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website Kadisha Conteh

Think Babies Website

Think Babies Website

Think Babies is a website created by Zero to Three to advocate for every baby on 5 key policy areas: paid leave, child care, Early Head Start, infant and early childhood mental health, family support, and economic security. The website outlines policy priorities, stories, and ways to take action.

Organization/Author: Think Babies, Zero to Three

Type of Resource: Website

Publication Date: Unknown

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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: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website, Topic: Early Childhood Policy Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Website, Topic: Early Childhood Policy Kadisha Conteh

Commission for Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education

Commission for Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education

The goal of Commission for Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education is to advancing a unified, diverse, equitable, effective and well-compensated ECE profession. This website includes resources and useful information about the Commission.

Organization/Author: Commission for Professional Excellence in Early Childhood Education

Type of Resource: Website

Publication Date: unknown

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Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Report Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Report Kadisha Conteh

Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession: Executive Summary

Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession: Executive Summary

This is an executive summary of the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education Profession.

Organization/Author: Power to the Profession Taskforce

Type of Resource: Report

Publication Date: 2020

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Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Podcast Kadisha Conteh Standard 6, Topic: Advocacy, Resource Type: Podcast Kadisha Conteh

ECE Advocacy 101: You’re Either at the Table or on the Menu

ECE Advocacy 101: You’re Either at the Table or on the Menu

There are so many challenges that hinder ECE professionals from successfully advocating for continued support, that many are inclined to simply not participate. However, as one of our guests says, “you’re either at the table or on the menu.” Fortunately, there are new ways to advocate and simple steps that any ECE professional can take to ensure support for the field. These are outlined in this podcast.

Organization/Author: Rae Pica with Suzanne Gellens, Aaron Carrara, Kristen Kerr, Sandra Giarde, NAEYC

Type of Resource: Podcast

Publication Date: unknown

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Additional Resources

About the Resource Library &

The Professional Standards & Competencies for Early Childhood Educators