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!
-
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.
-
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
*
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!
Incorporating Literacy and Math Skills in the Emergent Curriculum- A director's thoughts on how to cultivate joyful, child-led learning
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/articles/incorporating-literacy-and-math-skills-in-the-emergent-curriculum
This article explores the emergent curriculum approach, where educators build lessons around children's natural curiosities and real-world observations rather than pre-set workbooks. It demonstrates how teachers can integrate core math and literacy skills into student-led inquiries—such as building skyscrapers or observing winter ducks—to create authentic, lasting learning experiences.
Organization/Author: Meghan Murray, Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Article
Publication Date: May 2025
Pre-K Spaces
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/literature/pre-k-spaces
Pre-K Spaces is a room design handbook for preschool environments. This step-by-step guide walks you through the six easy steps to create the best layout and design for a preschool classroom. 28 page booklet
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
The Wisdom of Play
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/literature/wisdom-of-play
David Elkind, Stuart Brown, Larry Schweinhart, and other early childhood experts record their thoughts on the importance of play. Read how play is a child’s way to make sense of their world, and why it is an essential part of emotional and physical well-being. 28 page booklet
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
Infant and Toddler Spaces
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/literature/infant-toddler-spaces
Design your own infant and toddler room with these guidelines for developmentally appropriate spaces.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Report
Publication Date: unknown
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
Creating a Flexible Learning Environment-A Community Playthings Case Study: CRT's Heritage Child Development Center, Hartford, CT
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/videos/case-study-crt-heritage
This resource explores how the Heritage Child Development Center utilizes modular "Roomscapes" furniture to create adaptable environments for infants and toddlers. It demonstrates practical strategies for balancing rapid developmental needs with strict licensing requirements for visibility and furniture stability, offering a model for maintaining a dynamic yet safe early learning space.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Video
Publication Date: unknown
Watch and Wonder: The Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly Video
This resource highlights the captivating power of nature in the classroom through the life cycle of monarch butterflies. By observing the metamorphosis from egg to butterfly, students and families engage in a shared educational experience that fosters deep curiosity and strengthens the home-school connection.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Video
Publication Date: unknown
The Important Role of the Teacher in Block Play: Supporting Deeper Engagement and Learning in the Block Area Video
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/videos/the-important-role-of-the-teacher-in-block-play
What is the role of the adult in block play? Watch and listen as experienced educators from Bank Street, City & Country School, and Caltech discuss the important role of the teacher in supporting, scaffolding, and guiding block play.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Video
Publication Date: unknown
Foundations of Learning: Building STEM Skills Video
https://www.communityplaythings.com/resources/videos/foundations-of-learning-building-stem-skills
In this 3-minute video, Hal Melnick, Susan Wood, and Yvonne Smith explain why every school that is serious about STEM education needs to have a strong block play component in their curriculum.
Organization/Author: Community Playthings
Type of Resource: Video
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
Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Simulation: Boosting School Readiness Through Effective Family Engagement Series
These four training simulations are designed to provide students with immersive, practice-based opportunities to master the complexities of family engagement and professional collaboration. Simulation 1 allows students to practice building bonds with families, beginning with an intake visit. Simulation 2 explores the process of developing and implementing goals with families. Simulation 3 explores using strengths-based attitudes to partner with families during challenging times. Simulation 4 allows students to practice using collaborative strategies to partner with families during conversations about developmental concerns.
Organization/Author: Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Type of Resource: Training (Simulations)
Publication Date: Last updated Dec. 2025
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
From the Pages of TYC. Partnering with Families to Support Young Children’s Social and Emotional Development Through Picture Books
https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/yc/summer2024/partnering-with-families
This article explores how educators can partner with families to use picture books as primary tools for nurturing social-emotional skills like empathy, self-regulation, and perseverance. It suggests that by providing lending libraries with discussion guides and hosting interactive literacy workshops, teachers help families navigate challenging topics while strengthening the parent-child bond.
Organization/Author: Alison Hooper, 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
Additional Resources
