Our scales are designed to assess process quality in an early childhood or school age care group. Process quality consists of the various interactions that go on in a classroom between staff and children, staff, parents, and other adults, among the children themselves, and the interactions children have with the many materials and activities in the environment, as well as those features, such as space, schedule and materials that support these interactions. Process quality is assessed primarily through observation and has been found to be more predictive of child outcomes than structural indicators such as staff to child ratio, group size, cost of care, and even type of care, for example child care center or family child care home (Whitebook, Howes & Phillips, 1995).
The Coalition for Quality Children's Media is a national, nonprofit organization founded in 1991 whose mission is to teach children critical viewing skills and to increase the visibility and availability of quality children's media.
KIDS FIRST! evaluates, rates and endorses children's films, DVDs, CDs, TV shows and games using volunteer, community-based juries of adults and children from diverse backgrounds and offers a variety of means to showcase and enhance consumer awareness of sponsored products.
KIDS FIRST! is supported by more than 17 million teachers, librarians, media professionals, lobbyists, policymakers, child advocates, educators, parents and families nationwide. Campaign support for the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics program comes from national nonprofit organizations that include the National Education Association, REEL Fathers, National Association of Elementary School Principals and the National Council of Women's Organizations, with a cumulative membership of over 17 million.
We welcome you to ZERO TO THREE's website. ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
Neuroscientists have documented that our earliest days, weeks and months of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. Research and clinical experience also demonstrate that health and development are directly influenced by the quality of care and experiences a child has with his parents and other adults.
That is why at ZERO TO THREE our mission is to promote the health and development of infants and toddlers.
We know that as babies, the way we are held, talked to and cared for teaches us about who we are and how we are valued. This profoundly shapes who we will become.
Early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter. We encourage you to learn more about very young children, early development and the work of ZERO TO THREE by exploring our site.
Spaces for Children creates developmentally appropriate spaces that enhance a child's growth and that are convenient and a pleasure for teachers to use. Aesthetically pleasing, long lasting designs promote child development and attract and maintain high-caliber staff. Teachers who feel comfortable and effective in their classrooms provide the continuity essential to a child's sense of well being.
The firm's hands-on approach includes time spent with teachers and administrators, observation of existing facilities if applicable, and, at the completion of construction, staff training and follow-up.
The principals' expertise ranges from programming to building design, from classroom layout to furniture and outdoor play yard design, from the specifics of appropriate materials, fastenings, and finishes that assure optimum play value, child safety, and durability to the selection of low-toxic materials and optimization of indoor air quality. It is this knowledge, developed through working together as a team on a large number of projects, that sets Spaces for Children apart from other architecture firms designing childcare facilities.
"The Best Websites for Teaching and Learning honors websites, tools, and resources of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the American Association of School Librarians' Standards for the 21st-Century Learner.
New for 2011, the Top 25 Websites foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
The Landmark Websites are honored due to their exemplary histories of authoritative, dynamic content and curricular relevance. They are free, web-based sites that are user-friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover and provide a foundation to support 21st-century teaching and learning."
Due to the expanding volume of information on the Web, parents and professionals often have difficulty locating the information they want. Even when they find information that seems relevant, they have difficulty determining if it is credible. The Child & Family WebGuide describes trustworthy websites on topics of interest to parents and professionals. All the sites listed on the WebGuide have been systematically evaluated by graduate students and faculty in child development. These sites have been selected from thousands that are available on the Web, based primarily on the quality of the information they provide. The goal of the WebGuide is to give the public easy access to the best child development information on the Web.
There are five main categories of information: family/parenting, education/learning, typical child development, health/mental health, and resources/recreation. The first four categories contain sites with research-based information. The fifth category, resources/recreation, contains sites with information about specific programs and things to do. The resources/recreation sites, which were added at the request of parents, do not contain research-based information. The WebGuide also offers an option of searching for sites that are especially relevant to a particular age group (topics by age) and it offers several features requested by parents (e.g., ask an expert sites; research news sites).
The National Military Family Association is an organization with strong grassroots support balanced with professionalism that makes us a leader in the field. Not only do we support military families - we are military families. Spouses, parents, and family members make up our staff and board positions. We speak up on behalf of military families and empower husbands, wives, and children to understand and access their benefits. Based on what we hear from our members, we meet the needs of service members and their families with insightful recommendations, innovative programs, and grassroots efforts to better the quality of life for military families.
We make it easy to find research-based practices.
Our mission is to translate research-based practices into practical tools to improve classroom instruction.
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