The resources in this Spotlight focus on early childhood interventions and education, with a new tool to help early childhood professionals self-assess group care programs, an insider’s Q&A with an early childhood intervention specialist, and practical advice on programs and practices that encourage early literacy.

New Tool Guides Early Childhood Professionals Through Care Program Self-Evaluations

PITC PARS Instrument - EnglishEarly childhood specialists committed to providing the best care now have a powerful new tool to help: the Program Assessment and Reflection System from the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC PARS). Available in English, Spanish, simplified Chinese, and traditional Chinese, PITC PARS “guides early childhood professionals in observing, documenting, and reflecting on the quality of care they are providing to infants and toddlers,” says Kerry Kriener-Althen, Assessment and Research Director at WestEd.

PITC PARS simplifies the difficult process of assessment by grouping its standards for promoting children’s learning, development, health, and well-being into quality indicators in five different areas:

  • quality of adult interactions with children
  • family partnerships, cultural responsiveness, and inclusive care
  • organization of group care
  • physical environment
  • routines and record keeping

Practitioners are guided through the process of collecting evidence of their performance in each area and then evaluating how that evidence contributes to the total picture of care quality.

Improving Outcomes for Children with Early Interventions: Q&A with Angela McGuire

An early childhood caregiver teaching her student.Early intervention services are crucial for infants and toddlers with disabilities and have an enormous impact on both educational and life outcomes. The early childhood interventionists who work to foster development must be trained and supported in providing their services. So, since 1992, WestEd’s Comprehensive Early Intervention Technical Assistance Network (CEITAN) has worked with the California Department of Developmental Services to deliver powerful professional development for these interventionists.

In this Q&A with Angela McGuire, CEITAN’s lead on early intervention professional development; technical assistance; and consulting for national, state, and local agencies serving children with disabilities and their families (and a parent of a child with disabilities), she speaks on the benefits of enrolling parents into intervention services, CEITAN’s contributions to the field, and current challenges.

Early Literacy Resources: Teaching Young Children to Read and Write 

Child in classroom with teacherThe Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) West and REL Northwest developed three new evidence-based resources to assist educators in promoting literacy in early childhood and beyond.

Subscribe to the E-Bulletin

Stay informed about WestEd’s research, resources, services, events, and career opportunities by subscribing to our E-Bulletin. Our April 2024, Volume 2 issue examines research and shares resources for early childhood educators and education leaders. The issue features the following:

  • New Resource to Support High-Quality Care for Children Ages 0–3
  • Become a Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) Certified Trainer
  • Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Group Settings
  • Improving Outcomes for Young Children With Disabilities
  • Early Literacy Resources: Teaching Young Children to Read and Write
  • Supporting Young Children Through Stress and Trauma
  • Pre-Referral Processes for Multilingual Children in Preschool
  • Moving Toward High-Quality PreK Systems for All

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