25 Activities for Reading and Writing Fun - Engage in activities with your children to promote their reading and writing skills while having fun.

Early Literacy (Birth to Age 5) | International Literacy Association - Early childhood education is critical for later academic achievement, and literacy serves as the foundation for it all. 

Early Literacy Development | Reading Rockets - Recommended resources for early literacy skills.

Early Literacy Study | Scholastic Teacher - Children who are routinely read to day in and day out—and immersed in rich talk about books and the various activities in which they are engaged—thrive. And those children with less exposure to books face tougher learning challenges in school and beyond

Get Ready to Read! - Designed to support educators, parents, and young children in the development of early literacy skills in the years before kindergarten. 

Language and Literacy - Sesame Workshop - Language is a key part of early childhood education and helps lay the foundation for success in school.

Literacy At Home Video Series - Learning Ally - Early Literacy is all about building a foundation for reading, writing, communication, and language. Let's dive into some actionable tips you can use today to help you lay a strong foundation for your little ones.

NAEYC | Literacy - Developmentally appropriate approaches to literacy.

National Center on Improving Literacy | Schools & Districts - Find evidence-based approaches and effective professional development to screen, identify, and teach students with literacy-related difficulties.  

Reading 101 | Reading Rockets - Explore reading basics as well as the key role of background knowledge and motivation in becoming a lifelong reader and learner. 

Read Together to Support Early Literacy | NAEYC - Children who have lots of experiences with books absorb the rhythms and patterns of language and, at surprisingly early ages, begin to imitate the language and gestures their parents and caregivers use while sharing stories, sometimes turning pages and murmuring as they “read” the pictures.

Resources for early childhood educators and families - Bookshare - Resources for professionals and families supporting young children. Find answers to FAQs as well as links to literacy resources and activities for young children.

Teach Your Monster - Inspire learning with magical reading and mathematics games for kids

Sesame Street in Communities - Home - Hundreds of bilingual multi-media tools to help kids and families enrich and expand their knowledge during the early years of birth through six, a critical window for brain development. Our resources engage kids and adults in everyday moments and daily routines—from teaching early math and literacy concepts, to encouraging families to eat nutritious foods, to serious topics such as divorce and food insecurity.

Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3 - Specializing in reading, phonics & math - educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for children K-3.

What We Know About Early Literacy and Language Development | ZERO TO THREE - Explore how early language and literacy skills unfold for infants and toddlers across the first 3 years of life.

Why Some Kids Struggle and How to Help | Reading Rockets - Learn more about why some kids have trouble learning to read, how to target the problem, and how to help a struggling reader with self-esteem issues.

20 Best Strategies for Teaching Early Math Skills — Sprig Learning - Learning math is a fundamental part of early childhood education. Making sense of oral language helps to learn math concepts by understanding what is being said or instructed. Math also builds reasoning, which increases comprehension, including language comprehension.

30 Preschool Math Games and Activities for Young Learners | We Are Teachers - A collection of preschool math games and activities across many early math areas that tap into that action-oriented enthusiasm and their need to get hands-on. 

Early Math - What do you need to know and do to help your preschooler learn about math?  

Engaging Children in Math Module | Resources for Early Learning -  The early childhood center offers a wealth of opportunities each day for children to think mathematically during daily calendar activities, snack time, read alouds, outdoor play, in learning centers, and so on. You can use these experiences, whether formal or informal, planned or organic, to prepare a child for deeper mathematical learning.

Engaging Children in Math Module | Resources for Early Learning  

Early Math Project - Promotes awareness of the importance of math in early education (birth to age eight), provides tools to parents and educators, and collaborate with agencies and organizations working to advance mathematical learning.

Early Math Resources | Early Math Counts - The University of Illinois Chicago College of Education launched Early Math Counts website with a grant from the CME Group Foundation to give early childhood educators in Illinois the knowledge and skills they need to boost children’s mastery of early math.

Free Lessons and Publications | The Math Learning Center - More than 130 activities sets and related worksheets organized by grade level and topic. Each grade level also includes a correlation chart for standards.

Help Your Child Develop Early Math Skills | Zero to Three - Learn what informal activities give children a head start when they start learning math in school.

Mathematics in Early Childhood Learning | NCTM - Early childhood is an important and vulnerable time; these years lay the foundation for a child’s mathematical journey. High-quality early mathematics experiences have a long-lasting impact, serving as a catalyst for children’s later success in life. 

Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths Toward Excellence and Equity | The National Academies Press -  Early childhood mathematics is vitally important for young children's present and future educational success. Research demonstrates that virtually all young children have the capability to learn and become competent in mathematics. Furthermore, young children enjoy their early informal experiences with mathematics.  Read or download the book for free.

NAEYC | Math - Playful math learning articles.

Sesame Street in Communities - Home - Hundreds of bilingual multi-media tools to help kids and families enrich and expand their knowledge during the early years of birth through six, a critical window for brain development. Our resources engage kids and adults in everyday moments and daily routines—from teaching early math and literacy concepts, to encouraging families to eat nutritious foods, to serious topics such as divorce and food insecurity.

Teaching Math to Young Children Practice Guide Summary: Educators' Practice Guide Summary - Build on children's natural interest in math to make preschool and kindergarten more engaging and beneficial.

Think - Math - ECE Resource Hub - Young children’s development of early math skills includes introduction to the basic concepts of numeracy, operations, patterning, measurement, geometry and spatial sense. Through planned activities and everyday moments, educators can invite children to explore foundational math concepts.

Transform Early Learning of Mathematics | Erikson Institute - Provides professional development, research, publications, and online resources designed for child care providers, early childhood teachers, teacher educators, administrators, and other stakeholders. The Idea Library contains hundreds of foundational early childhood math resources that reflect our Big Ideas and Whole Teacher Approach to teacher development.

10 Tips to Support Children's Science Learning | NAEYC 

15 Insanely Cool Preschool Science Projects | Playdough to Plato - Little Einsteins will love this roundup of super fun kids’ science projects. It includes fun ways to learn about density, states of matter, life cycles and so. much. more.

21 Easy Science Activities for Preschoolers - Introduce science concepts to your preschool classroom with these activities and experiments. 

25 Preschool STEM Activities: Inquiry-Based Learning | Accelerate Learning - Preschool STEM activities and play-based learning are a great way to engage students in science, technology, engineering, and math. These activities introduce foundational concepts for cross-curricular connections and deepen students’ interests in STEM.

45 Easy and Fun Science Activities for Preschool | We Are Teachers- Every day is a new opportunity for toddlers to ask “Why?” over and over. Tap into that curiosity with these fun and engaging science activities for preschoolers. These simple experiments incorporate many preschool favorites like playing with bubbles or water, making arts and crafts, and, of course, making a mess! 

50 Easy Science Activities For Preschoolers - Curious kids turn into junior scientists with these fun and easy preschool science experiments. These science activities for preschoolers are doable and use simple supplies for home or in the classroom. 

Early Childhood Learning - New Jetpack Site  - The mission of the Early Childhood Learning group is to provide opportunities and resources for early learners participating in high quality STEM learning experiences inside and outside of school.

Early Science Resources | Early Science Matters - Designed to help you foster the development of early science skills in children from birth through age five.

Early STEM Learning | Educational Development Center - From birth to age eight, children take the first steps in a lifelong learning journey. Promoting STEM learning during early childhood -  using new research-based approaches in varied settings, such as in school, at home, and in afterschool programs—capitalizes on young children’s natural curiosity and desire to understand their world.

Let’s Talk, Read and Sing about STEM! Tips for Preschool Teachers & Providers - By talking, reading, singing, playing, signing or using other ways to communicate – whatever works best for your preschoolers – you can help develop their STEM skills through play and exploration. E 

Problem Solvers: A Free Early STEM Curriculum | ZERO TO THREE - A free, downloadable early childhood and preschool STEM curriculum for children aged 30 to 48 months. 

Resources - EARLY CHILDHOOD STEM LAB - EC STEM Lab is a group of researchers and educators providing resources, supports, and guidance on promising practices in teaching science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and integrated STEM in early childhood. Their resource page includes a collection of books, articles, videos, activities and webinars.

STEM | NAEYC - Engage children in meaningful STEM experiences with these books, articles, 

STEM From The Start - Designed for PreK-2 learners, SFTS uses the power of educational video to help lay the groundwork for STEM subjects by engaging children in learning that is fun, engaging and long-lasting. 

STEM Sprouts Teaching Kit - The STEM Sprouts Teaching Kit is the product of a collaboration between National Grid, Boston Children’s Museum, and WGBH  to assist preschool educators in focusing and refining the naturally inquisitive behaviors of three to five-year-olds on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

STEMIE | Resources - Resources from the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center to help families and practitioners engage young children with disabilities (0-5) in science, technology, engineering, and math learning opportunities.  Filter by topic, type of resource, developmental stage, setting, audience, language, and more. 

The Ultimate Guide to Science Activities for Preschoolers - The goal of science activities at the preschool age is not to memorize facts but rather how to gain knowledge through observations, experimentation, and play! Science is about connecting children’s senses to the world around them. As educators, we must spark this curiosity and sense of wonder especially when they are young so they continue to ask questions as they grow older.

What is Science in Pre-K? | Smithsonian Institute - The goal of Science in Pre-K is to provide teachers, child-care providers and other early childhood educators with a foundation in science content and teaching methods for science inquiry in a pre-school environment. Methods from Science in Pre-K can give you confidence in your teaching and offer you access to resources beyond your classroom to make science come alive for your young students.

15 Best Preschool Social Studies Activities - These 15 activities will foster kids’ understanding of society, culture while encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and teamwork.

Early Childhood Education | National Museum of African American History and Culture - We believe meaningful museum learning can, and should, happen at every age. Our dedicated team of early childhood educators design fun, age-appropriate experiences and resources for children from birth to 8 years old. 

Kindergarten Social Studies Lesson Plans | Education.com - Lesson plans and activities.  

Kindergarten Social Studies and History Lesson Plans | Teacher Vision - A collection of lesson plans and activities.

Knowledgeable and Engaged Young Citizens: Social Studies in Early Childhood | NAEYC -  Focuses on some of these key concepts and effective practices for promoting early social studies. Each article offers in-depth explanations and powerful examples of social studies teaching and learning in early childhood settings. 

Preschool Social Studies Resources - Social Studies activities for kids from Education.com

Preparing for Preschool: Social Studies | Scholastic - The classroom becomes the first community your child joins outside of your family.

Race, Ethnicity, and Culture - Sesame Workshop - Resources to help children celebrate and understand our diverse world. 

Social Studies Activities for Preschoolers That Every Family Can Explore - For young children, direct, personal experiences are the most developmentally appropriate way to learn about how people live and the environments in which they live.

Social Studies | PBS Learning Media - Explore the past and learn about the present with resources on government, history, economics, and more. Search by grade level and subject to find the perfect activities to enhance your social studies class. 

Social Studies | NAEYC - Collection of articles designed to help foster a sense of community and build key social studies skills in the early childhood classroom.

Social Studies - Cognitive Development | PBS Learning Media - Cognitive Development encourages the growth of language, math, science, and social studies skills in young learners. Social studies students will study their culture and community with virtual field trips to Biscayne National Park, the post office, and the hardware store. Cultural celebrations, democracy in action, and economics are also explored in Cognitive Development.

Social Studies | Kids' Learning Guides, Tips & Activities - Feed your future global citizen with an understanding of different cultures.

Social Studies: Kindergarten | Scholastic - Learn the social studies skills your child will develop in Kindergarten and ways to help your child grow these skills at home. 

Teaching Resources For Preschool Lessons - Explore teaching resources for preschool lessons. Inspire your students with videos, games, and activities.

Early Childhood (Ages 3-5) - OPEN Physical Education Curriculum - In an effort to afford early childhood education providers equity of access to the highest-quality movement education programming,OPEN has launched a content development effort with the help of some of the nation’s most respected physical education and early childhood content specialists.

Early Childhood Resources for Teacher's Toolbox | Shape America - free resources for elementary school physical education teachers that align with SHAPE America's National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education.

Emotional Well-Being - Sesame Workshop - Children who are healthy in mind, body, and heart can thrive in every way. Mental health IS health! 

FREE Early Childhood Resources for Physical Education | Shape America- SHAPE America early-childhood resources teach families the importance of physical activity for young children. They offer a variety of activity ideas, strategies, information and guidelines for parents to use the space within their homes, the materials they have, and their limited time to model and encourage healthy habits and physical activity. 

Health and Hygiene - Sesame Workshop - Practice healthy routines and good hygiene habits to help the whole family stay well. 

Healthy Minds and Bodies - Sesame Workshop - Help children build healthy habits to last a lifetime. 

Help Your Child Build Fine Motor Skills | NAEYC - Many of your child’s daily activities—like getting dressed, eating, and writing—require control of small muscles in the hands. We call these skills fine motor skills. There are lots of activities that can increase muscle strength and coordination, preparing children for more advanced skills, from writing with a pencil, using a computer mouse, or playing a musical instrument.

Kindergarten Activities: Fine Motor Skills | Scholastic - Quick Ideas: Cut, Glue, Build, Squirt! PreK-K students will love these fun, simple activities.

The OT Toolbox - Tools and Ideas for Occupational Therapists, Teachers, and Parents - Designed to support the healthy development of children, you’ll discover hands-on OT activities, tools for therapists, and intervention ideas to support kids, as well as the OT professionals, educators, and parents that strive to help kids thrive.

Resources | Classrooms in Motion - Healthy kids and the promotion of physical activity for students is a hot topic!  This page offers a compilation of resources that may assist teachers in adopting classroom physical activity.

Social Emotional Skills - Sesame Workshop - Help kids build skills to develop healthy relationships, respect differences, and build the social behaviors and confidence they need. 

What Are Fine Motor Skills - The ability to make movements using the small muscles in our hands and wrists.

Building Environments That Encourage Positive Behavior: The Preschool Behavior Support Self-Assessment | NAEYC - Shares a teacher self-assessment tool—the Preschool Behavior Support Self-Assessment—that helps teachers of preschool children examine how their classrooms support children’s positive behavior. The self-assessment aligns with the key features of positive behavior support (PBS), an approach grounded in theory, supported by research, and applicable to the values and needs of early childhood settings. 

Creating the Learning Environment Module | Resources for Early Learning - Young children need different types of spaces to promote physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development. Every area should be designed to offer activities and materials that prompt children to explore, experiment, and interact in different ways.  

Early Childhood Environments: Designing Effective Classrooms Challenge | Iris Center - When teachers think of the classroom environment, they tend to think primarily of its physical aspects. However, teachers should also pay attention to the social and temporal environments. It is the integration of all three (see the table below) that contribute to a well-designed classroom for young children.

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-3)| ERS Institute - A classroom assessment tool used in preschools, kindergartens, and child care classrooms for children ages 3–5. It assesses the quality of the learning environment and teacher-child interactions that affect a child's development. 

Learning Environments | ECLKC - Learning environments are nurturing spaces that support the development of all young children. They include classrooms, play spaces, areas for caregiving routines, and outdoor areas.

Learning Environments: An Introduction | Virtual Lab School - A well-arranged environment can help you meet preschool-age children’s needs during play and routines. This lesson highlights the importance of the environment and provides an overview of what to consider when creating and maintaining developmentally appropriate preschool learning environments.

The Benefits of Play for a Child’s Development | Bright Horizons - Play nurtures relationships with oneself and others. It relieves stress and increases happiness. It builds feelings of empathy, creativity, and collaboration. It supports the growth of sturdiness and grit. When children are deprived of opportunities for play, their development can be significantly impaired.   

For Young Kids, The Power of Play-Based Learning - Research shows play-based learning can be more effective than direct instruction at improving outcomes for early learners—particularly in the development of mathematical and spatial skills.

Importance of Play in Early Childhood | ECLKC - Explore the different definitions of play and why it is so important. 

Learning through Play | LEGO Foundation - When children play, they learn. They solve problems, think strategically, relate to others, and manage life’s ups and downs. Play helps children learn how to learn – and love learning.

Learning through Play - UNICEF - Strengthening learning through play in early childhood education program. 

Pedagogy of Play | Project Zero - Cultivating school cultures that value and support learning through play

A Pedagogy of Play: Supporting Playful Learning in Classrooms and Schools (PDF) | Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education - Comprehensive toolkit brings together a variety of tools and resources that teachers can draw on for designing and implementing a pedagogy of play.  

Play | NAEYC - Play is an important part of children's learning and development. Find articles on how to intentionally connect play and learning, ideas to share with families, and the latest research about learning and play.

Play and the Learning Environment | SAGE - Why is the physical environment important for learning and play? What are some learning environments? What are the developmental characteristics of play? How do we distinguish play from other behaviors?  What are the theories on play?  How can teachers use play to help children learn and develop?

Play-based learning | Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development - Play-based learning is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the use of play in promoting multiple areas of children’s development and learning. Free play and guided play are two types of play-based learning.  

The Power of Play in Kindergarten | NEA - Too many classrooms are sacrificing the discovery and critical thinking skills that arise through play in favor of academics. Educators say it is time to bring more play back to kindergarten. 

The Power of Playful Learning in the Early Childhood Setting | NAEYC - Illustrates the ways in which play and learning mutually support one another and how teachers connect learning goals to children’s play.

Prioritizing Play: The Importance of Play-based Learning in Early Education | REL Blog - Play-based learning has been linked to the development of 21st century learning skills—including collaboration, communication, content, critical thinking, creative innovation, and confidence—as well as social and emotional development, language development, and math outcomes.

Early Childhood Education | NJDOE - The Division of Early Childhood Services is committed to enhancing the social-emotional, physical and cognitive development of New Jersey's children from birth through third grade by supporting the implementation of comprehensive services that address the needs of the whole child.  

Preschool Students with Disabilities - Special Education NJDOE - Collection of resources for educators and families to support preschool students with disabilities.

Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education Position Statement | NAEYC - All children have the right to equitable learning opportunities that help them achieve their full potential as engaged learners and valued members of society. Thus, all early childhood educators have a professional obligation to advance equity.

Birth to 5: Watch Me Thrive Resources | The Administration for Children and Families - A group of federal partners has designed this collection of resources to connect providers with tools focused on child development as well as developmental and behavioral screening.

Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) | University of Minnesota - CEED is a center within the Institute of Child Development (Department of Child Psychology) at the University of Minnesota. The Institute is a premier center of scholarship, teaching, and research that is devoted to understanding and supporting how children learn and grow. 

Center for Early Literacy Learning - The goal of the Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL) is to promote the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices. This site has resources for early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes. 

Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) -  Focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. CSEFEL is a national resource center funded by the Office of Head Start and Child Care Bureau for disseminating research and evidence-based practices to early childhood programs across the country.

Core Skills - ECE Resource Hub - Explore what children’s Core Skills look like and how you can support their development with your everyday interactions.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice | NAEYC - The DAP framework is grounded both in the research on child development and learning and in knowledge about educational effectiveness and promotes young children’s optimal learning and development.  

Division for Early Childhood | Council for Exceptional Children - We advance and shape leadership, research, policy, and practice that supports, engages, and informs those who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children with or at risk for developmental delays and disabilities. DEC works to identify, interrogate, and dismantle systemic inequities so that young children and their families thrive.

Early Childhood Education | IES - Institute of Education Sciences - The goal of early childhood education is to improve academic and social behavioral outcomes for children from birth through third grade. IES supports rigorous and relevant research in education and special education, evaluation, and survey data collection to improve the school readiness skills of young children and examine children's early learning and development.

Early Childhood Education: Resources, Theories, and Fundamentals - How can current and aspiring teachers ensure that they’re giving young students the best opportunities to engage with this curriculum for the purposes of their own physical, mental and emotional development? This page is full of resources to help make early childhood education as versatile, engaging and effective as possible.

Early Childhood Education | USDOE - The latest information about ED’s work in supporting our nation’s youngest learners. 

Early Childhood Learning and Knowledge Center (ECLKC) | Head Start - Resources on Education & Child Development, Child Screening & Assessment, Children with Disabilities, Curriculum, Learning Environments, Teaching Practices, Transitions, Family & Community and more.

Early Childhood Resources | Inclusive Schools Network - Covers a wide range of topics, from developmentally appropriate teaching methods to parenting tips, and the latest research in early childhood education. These websites offer educators and parents valuable insights, practical advice, and resources to foster a nurturing and enriching environment for our youngest learners. 

NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children - Promoting high-quality learning by connecting practice, policy, and research

National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations - Basics - The Pyramid Model is a framework of evidence-based practices for promoting young children’s healthy social and emotional development. 

National Institute for Early Education Research - Improving the learning and development of young children through research that transforms policy and practice and supports high-quality, effective, early childhood education for all young children. 

NJAEYC - New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children - Dedicated to advancing excellence in the field of early childhood education.

Early Childhood Education Resources & Activities | Gryphon House - Collection of articles, lessons and information supporting early childhood education. 

Early Learning Resources | PBS Learning Media - Find early learning resources for preschool and kindergarten that support the critical transition to school. Inspire your students with videos, games, and activities aligned to state and national standards. 

Excellent Early Childhood Education Resources | Common Sense Media - Handpicked list of our favorite top-rated, seriously fun early learning apps, games, and websites. Each offers the engaging and well-scaffolded experiences that kids need as they start learning.Find tools to help the youngest kids master the fundamentals of ordering, counting, and reading, or introduce them to broader STEM concepts and social and emotional learning skills.  

Games and Storybooks - Sesame Workshop - Help incorporate playful learning into your child’s early education through different kinds of games, storybooks, and interactives that will keep them curious, confident, and excited to explore more. 

Resources for Early Learning - Provides exciting, engaging media-rich learning opportunities for educators, parents, and caregivers of children. From detailed lesson plans to simple, everyday activities, you will find everything you need to help your children succeed.

Teaching Resources For Preschool Lessons | PBS Learning Media - Explore teaching resources for preschool lessons. Inspire your students with videos, games, and activities

Sesame Workshop - Helping Children Grow Smarter, Stronger, and Kinder.

Smithsonian Kids - Group - A one-stop-shop for young learners and their teachers and caregivers. Smithsonian programs and at-home resources for kids age birth to eight, offer guidance on how to locate more from individual museums and share ideas for making museums accessible and inviting to young children. The Smithsonian to you! Smithsonian Kids digital programs, lessons, and activities are accessible anytime, anywhere. 

Supporting Your Child’s Literacy Development | National Center on Improving Literacy - Toolkit to help parents and families take part in literacy experiences at home to develop children’s reading and language skills.

Universal Design for Learning in Pre-school with Alicia Drelick, Ed.D and Lindsay Hastings, M.A. | LRC-South PL Short - Professional development videos, available in both English and Spanish, provide a clear overview of UDL's key principles and how they can make classrooms a more inclusive space. These videos have been developed for early childhood educators, to explore Universal Design for Learning (UDL) specific to the early childhood setting.