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 Stuff of Childhood
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/literature/universal-learning-spaces
How do you choose play equipment that supports your developmental goals for children? What makes good playthings? These time-tested guidelines can help you select appropriate equipment for young children. This is a 24 page booklet.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
Universal Learning Spaces-Designing high-quality neuroinclusive learning environments in early education centers
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/literature/universal-learning-spaces
A guide to create learning spaces to support all children.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
Showing Up Podcast
https://cultivatelearning.webdamdb.com/bp/#/brandguidelines/4662/section/54916
The “Showing Up” podcast explores trauma-informed care within Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO). Featuring insights from academics, youth, and community providers, each episode covers critical topics such as intersectionality, queer youth advocacy, and self-regulation. Every installment concludes with a "strategy spotlight" providing actionable tools and language to help practitioners foster hope and sustainable well-being in their work with young people. Each podcast episode includes a video and MP3 file.
Organization/Author: Cultivate Learning, University of Washington
Type of Resource: Podcast
Publication Date: unknown
Closing the Opportunity Gap for Young Children
https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26743/closing-the-opportunity-gap-for-young-children
Many young children in the United States are thriving and have access to the conditions and resources they need to grow up healthy. However, a substantial number of young children face more challenging conditions such as: poverty; food insecurity; exposure to violence; and inadequate access to health care, well-funded quality schools, and mental health care. In many cases, the historical origins of unequal access to crucial supports for children's physical, emotional, and cognitive development are rooted in policies that intentionally segregated and limited various populations' access to resources and create opportunity gaps that intertwine and compound to affect academic, health, and economic outcomes over an individual's life course and across generations.
Organization/Author: LaRue Allen and Rebekah Hutton, Editors; Various Contributors; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Type of Resource: Book
Publication Date: 2023
Message in a Backpack™. Strategies Families Can Use for Dealing with Stress
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/eyc/summer2025/message-in-a-backpack
This "Message in a Backpack™" article provides practical guidance for families on managing stress to support both adult well-being and child development.
Organization/Author: Ingrid Anderson, Educating Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2025
Topic of issue of EYC: Educator Well-Being: Supports Across the Early Childhood Ecosystem
Innovations in Higher Education. Decolonization Is Not a Buzz Word: (Re)Envisioning Early Childhood Teacher Education Through Curriculum Design
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/summer2024/decolonization-in-ece
In this article, the author explores the redesign of Erikson Institute’s teacher licensure program to challenge white-dominant narratives and address systemic inequities in early childhood education. It details how decolonizing pedagogies, such as land education and reflective identity assignments, are used to prepare educators to foster inclusive, just learning environments.
Organization/Author: Meghan L. Green, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Self-Regulation and Executive Function: Responsive and Informed Practices for Early Childhood
Communicating with Clarity: Helping Children Understand the What, Why, and How of Their Learning
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/summer2024/communicating-clarity
This article explores "clarity for learning," which helps children understand the what (goal), why (relevance), and how (success criteria) of their daily activities. It suggests that by using visuals, think-aloud modeling, and metacognitive questioning, educators empower children to take ownership of their learning and self-monitor their progress across play and academic tasks.
Organization/Author: Kateri Thunder, John T. Almarode, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Alisha-Demchak, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Self-Regulation and Executive Function: Responsive and Informed Practices for Early Childhood
Rocking and Rolling. Sharing Our Calm: The Role of Coregulation in the Infant-Toddler Classroom
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/summer2024/rocking-and-rolling
This article explores coregulation, the essential process where adults "share their calm" to help infants and toddlers manage emotions they cannot yet regulate themselves. It suggests that educators must first maintain their own well-being through mindfulness to provide the sensitive, predictable responses that form the foundation for a child's future self-regulation and social success.
Organization/Author: Rebecca Parlakian, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Self-Regulation and Executive Function: Responsive and Informed Practices for Early Childhood
Rocking and Rolling. Using Materials Creatively to Enhance Toddler Learning Environments
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/fall2024/rocking-and-rolling
This article highlights how educators boost toddler engagement by following children’s interests and using "loose parts"—low-cost, open-ended materials like nature finds and repurposed household items. It suggests that replacing expensive, single-use toys with versatile, family-donated materials fosters deeper problem-solving and agency while creating a sustainable learning space that is culturally reflective of a child’s home.
Organization/Author: Erin Skaggs and Janelle Jamero, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Fall 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Informed and Guided by Context: Strengths-Based Teaching and Learning
Our Proud Heritage. Drawing on Women’s Expertise: Establishing the Bureau of Educational Experiments
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/fall2024/our-proud-heritage
This article explores the history of the Bureau of Educational Experiments (now Bank Street College), highlighting how a dedicated network of women transformed early childhood education through social reform and scientific observation. It suggests that by studying children’s play and interests—an approach called "learning from children"—educators can develop a curriculum that values student agency and connects learning to the "here and now." This legacy emphasizes the importance of professional collaboration and using a child’s own ideas to build a more equitable and engaging school experience.
Organization/Author: Jeroen Staring, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Fall 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Informed and Guided by Context: Strengths-Based Teaching and Learning
Engaging Families of Multilingual Learners: Using Families’ Stories to Link Classroom Content with Children’s Funds of Knowledge
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/fall2024/engaging-multilingual-learner-families
This article explores how educators can use simple technology, like QR codes and tablets, to bring families' "funds of knowledge" and home languages directly into the classroom curriculum. It suggests that by having families record and share personal stories related to class themes, teachers create a more inclusive environment that values a child's heritage and strengthens their language development. This approach fosters a deeper, reciprocal partnership between home and school while making learning more meaningful and engaging for multilingual learners.
Organization/Author: Alexandra Figueras-Daniels and Bernice Vasquez, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Fall 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Informed and Guided by Context: Strengths-Based Teaching and Learning
Innovations in Higher Education. Including Black Language in Early Childhood Education: Addressing Linguistic Diversity in Teacher Preparation
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/winter2024/including-black-language-ece
This article explores how teacher preparation programs can challenge "anti-Black linguistic racism" by teaching educators to value Black Language as a sophisticated, rule-governed system rather than "broken English." It suggests that by examining personal biases and learning the historical roots of the language, teachers can transition from correcting children to affirming their bilingual identity. This shift is presented as a critical step in creating equitable classrooms where African American children can express themselves authentically without fear of judgment or unfair discipline.
Organization/Author: Taajah Witherspoon and Teaira McMurtry, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Winter 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Creating and Supporting High-Quality Early Learning Programs
The Power of Child-Created Texts and Puppetry: Nurturing Preschoolers’ Social and Emotional Development (Voices)
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/winter2024/child-created-texts-and-puppetry
This teacher research article explores how using puppet-making and child-led storytelling helped two multilingual preschoolers build social skills and confidence. It suggests that these creative tools allow children to express themselves beyond language barriers, fostering a sense of belonging and community. By researching their own practice, the educators demonstrate how honoring a child's unique cultural identity can transform their social and emotional development.
Organization/Author: Kiyomi Umezawa and Emiko Kurosawa Arakaki, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Winter 2024
Topic of issue of YC: Creating and Supporting High-Quality Early Learning Programs
Message in a Backpack™. Benefits When Families Speak Their Home Languages
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/summer2024/message-backpack-speak-their-home-languages
Also available in Spanish: https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/summer2024/message-backpacktm-los-beneficios-de-hablar
This article is a resource written specifically for families to explain why speaking their native language at home is so beneficial for their children. It suggests that using a home language doesn't slow down English learning, but instead builds a child's brain power, strengthens family bonds, and creates a proud sense of cultural identity. By sharing stories and songs in their own language, parents provide a "secret ingredient" that helps their children succeed both at home and in school.
Organization/Author: Rica Ramirez, Teaching Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2024
Topic of issue of TYC: Nurturing Multilingual Learners in Preschool
Six Ways Educators Can Honor Home Languages
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/summer2024/educators-can-honor-home-languages
This article explores practical ways educators can value and incorporate children's home languages into the classroom, even if the teachers are monolingual English speakers. It suggests that by engaging families, using multilingual greetings, and affirming home languages during play, educators create a more inclusive environment that strengthens a child's cultural identity. These strategies help build a caring community where diverse linguistic backgrounds are recognized as valuable assets to learning.
Organization/Author: Angele Sancho Passe, Teaching Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Summer 2024
Topic of issue of TYC: Nurturing Multilingual Learners in Preschool
Assessing Agency in Learning Contexts: A First, Critical Step to Assessing Children
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/spring2023/assessing-agency
This article explores how children can only show their true intelligence and skills when they have "agency," or the freedom to make choices and lead their own activities. It suggests that instead of focusing primarily on testing and control, teachers can benefit from creating learning environments that encourage kids to move, talk, and solve problems together. By doing this, educators can move past personal biases and better recognize the full potential of every child.
Organization/Author: Natacha N. Jones, Amber T. Fowler, Jennifer Keys Adair, Young Children, NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Spring 2023
Topic of issue of YC: Developmentally Appropriate Assessment Practices: Gathering, Understanding, and Using Information
Though select articles (like this one) are available for nonmembers, a complete edition of this NAEYC publication is available as a NAEYC member benefit through the membership portal.
A Guide to Developmental Environments
A Guide to Developmental Environments
Learn how the conditions in places where children live, grow, play, and learn shape their developing brains and other biological systems, with lifelong implications. This is a set of resources, including working papers, infographics, and policy briefs, all which shed light on this topic.
Organization/Author: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
Type of Resource: Toolkit
Publication Date: Various
The New Ecology of Early Childhood: Revisiting Bronfenbrenner’s Theory in the Context of Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities
The New Ecology of Early Childhood: Revisiting Bronfenbrenner’s Theory in the Context of Contemporary Challenges and Opportunities
This working paper from the Stanford Center on Early Childhood revisits Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory in light of present day conditions and challenges.
Organization/Author: Philip A. Fisher, PhD & Joan Lombardi, PhD, Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Stanford University
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: 2025
A Child-Centered Approach for Inspiring Discovery and Learning in Pre-K Students Webinar
A Child-Centered Approach for Inspiring Discovery and Learning in Pre-K Students Webinar
This edWebinar explores how an innovative blend of play, hands-on experiences, direct instruction, and technology can enrich your teaching practices and provide developmentally appropriate, thematically integrated learning experiences. Kara Ball, author and Academic Officer at Teacher Created Materials, addresses the key elements of creating a safe and engaging preschool classroom where children learn through exploration, inquiry, and play. Note: registration is required to view webinar
Organization/Author: Kara Ball, edWeb Webinar
Type of Resource: Webinar
Publication Date: 2024
10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies
10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies
An infographic from NAEYC that gives ten effective strategies to individualize instruction.
Organization/Author: NAEYC
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: Unknown
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