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Toddler CLASS

CHILDDERSECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-3FCCERS-RICPInfant CLASSInternal AssessmentITERS-3ITERS-RK-3 CLASSNews and UpdatesPre-K CLASSROSIESACERS-USEL PQASPQAToddler CLASSTPITOSTPOT

Let’s Talk Quality! On-site Assessments

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The Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Team is available to support you in the Internal Assessment Process (IAP) by completing an on-site assessment in your program. In addition to the Environment Rating Scales® (ERS) and Classroom Observation Scoring System® (CLASS®) this opportunity is available for all Program Observation Instruments (POIs) listed in the Keystone STARS Standards.

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Toddler CLASS

Guiding Behavior

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By Leah Zabari

Imagine you are reading a story to a group of toddlers. They are all engaged in the story you are reading except for one child who is rolling around on the floor behind the group. How do you react? Do you…

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ECERS-3ECERS-RInfant CLASSInternal AssessmentITERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-UToddler CLASS

Finding Time for Classroom Observations

Preschool,Age,Boy,Yelling,About,What,Time,It,Is,,While

Natalie Grebe

A key component of a program’s sustained quality that may not receive consistent attention is the director’s observations of classrooms. It is best practice for directors to observe classrooms and review their findings with teachers. Most directors will say the biggest reason for not being able to do this as well as they would like is time. While room observations may be scheduled, the constant interruptions of staff shortages, ill children, broken equipment, and parents’ needs make this difficult to complete. Some teachers may feel uncomfortable with their director in the classroom for an extended period of time or get more nervous at the thought of being “watched.” By implementing a few ideas and staying consistent, both directors and teachers can benefit from these observations.

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DERSECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RInfant CLASSITERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSROSIESACERS-UToddler CLASS

Fun times on a budget

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By Regina Wright

I may be confessing my age, but let’s let our imaginations wander. Think about the time in your life when you were a child. What made your free time fun time? When I imagine, I think about long summer days and how I spent endless hours jumping rope. I had so much fun. Just one simple object, and of course friends, made my summers the best summers ever.

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ECERS-3FCCERS-RPre-K CLASSToddler CLASS

Real World Conversations

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Beth Simon 

Why are real world conversations important to children? Children learn best when adults don’t talk to them about abstract concepts. Numbers and letters are part of the “abstract” world. Do we need numbers and letters? YES, absolutely! But children will learn about those things in due course. Children learn best when adults use concrete concepts that they can relate to in the world around them. 

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Infant CLASSInternal AssessmentK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSToddler CLASS

Q-T Corner Installment #11

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The assessment team in PA is often asked if they have any tips to make meeting quality standards easier. Since they have experience visiting many programs in their professional careers, they have seen many programs employ strategies to make things easier, more efficient, and more effective. Implementing quality can be stressful or time consuming, but always worth it. So, this Q-T Corner moment aims at helping you along the way.

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ECERS-3ECERS-RFCCERS-RK-3 CLASSPre-K CLASSSACERS-UToddler CLASSUncategorized

Finding Joy in the Cold

Happy,Funny,Marshmallow,Snowman,Are,Having,Fun,In,Snow

Leah Zabari

During the spring and summer months, I enjoy hiking, camping, and paddling on the lake. Last summer, I decided I was going to start visiting as many of the state parks in Pennsylvania as I could, explore hidden gems of our state, and start enjoying the outdoors even more than before. Each weekend I dedicated myself to finding new places to hike and if I wasn’t hiking, I was sitting under a tree with a book (yes, an actual book) or at the lake daydreaming while watching sail boats go by. I always feel better in my soul when I am outside breathing in the fresh air, feeling the warm sun on my face, and wandering through the woods. However, when the weather turns cold, my feelings of doing anything outdoors changes. I find myself feeling envious of hibernating bears during this time of year! This year, though, I made it a goal to brave the cold weather and continue my outdoor adventures.

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ITERS-RToddler CLASS

Musings of a Mimi: It’s My Mouth!

Woman,In,Blue,Uniform,Teaching,Writing,To,A,Child,With

By Lisa Mulliken

Recently my daughter and granddaughter were visiting, and we were all on the couch watching a movie. My granddaughter was cuddled up next to me and very engrossed in the movie. Her mother, on the other side of the couch, said to her, “Tell Mimi what you did at Pop Pop’s house.” When she didn’t receive a response, she asked her again. Still no response. So, she asked her one more time and my granddaughter turned her head, looked at her mom, and said, “Mom, it’s my mouth so I’ll use it to talk when I want to.” She then turned her head back to the movie. I know what you are thinking, she’s sassy! But she is also right! How many times do we ask children questions that they aren’t interested in answering or expect them to engage in conversations with us when their attention is on something else? How often do we ask questions, such as, “What color is that?” or “How many do you have?”

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