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This website provides training webinars for working with children with special needs. It also provides information and E-books on any questions you have with working with special needs.

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Watch our Board Certified Behavior Analysts to increase your knowledge on potty training a kiddo with Autism!
What: Our BCBAs will cover the entire potty training process including how-to's, the what not to do's and how to best prepare. Parents will learn:

How to recognize when your child may be developmentally ready to be potty trained.

How to successfully begin the potty training process.

How to keep the child motivated throughout the entire process.

Join Dr. Greg Stasi, Pediatric Neuropsychologist, Dr. Cynthia Kane, Pediatric Neuropsychologist and Monal Patel MOT, OTR/L for this informative webinar on the executive functions and how to build skills in these areas.
What: Executive Functioning Skills are critical for school success but are often not taught in the classroom. This webinar will cover the five basic areas of executive functioning:

Parents will be encouraged to evaluate their child's current executive functioning habits and will be given practical applications for daily school work including the following:

More effective organization

Planning

Study skills

Goal setting

This webinar is ideal for any parent looking to improve their child's executive functioning skills in order to see real progress in academic functioning this school year.

Watch Lindsey Moyer MS, OTR/L, Assistant Branch Director of Therapies and Elizabeth
Mackay MOT, OTR/L in this webinar recording on typical sensory needs, red flags for sensory disorders and solutions for parents.
What: Challenges with sensory processing can cause a variety of issues for young children both in and out of the school setting. This recorded webinar for parents and educators will explain the following:

The main areas of sensory processing

The role of sensory processing for young children

How challenges in these areas can manifest day-to-day

Solutions for meeting the sensory needs of the child

Watch Abby Rohlfing MOT, OTR/L and Marissa Edwards, OTR/L in this informative webinar on the best ways to set up your child with Sensory Processing Disorder for success at school. This webinar also explains strategies to maintain this success over the holidays with sensory activities for home.
Who: Abby Rohlfing MOT, OTR/L and Marissa Edwards, OTR/L

What: Learn strategies to empower your child with SPD to succeed in school and tips to maintain this progress at home over the holiday season.

Where: Via webinar in the comfort of your own home

Ever Wonder If Your Child's Communication Skills Are Age Appropriate? Worried Because Your Child Is Hard To Understand By Others? Come And Learn Valuable Information About Communication Development For All Children Of Preschool Ages. The Presentation Will Review Developmental Milestones In The Areas Of Speech, Language, And Social Skills. You Will Learn About Red Flags That Potentially Indicate Communication Difficulties, And Tips To Bring Out The Best Language From Your Child.

This is an outstanding opportunity for you to learn about Speech and Language Milestones, red flags, hear real questions from viewers and answers from the experts and walk away with a plan!

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Resources and Downloads - North Shore Pediatric Therapy

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Physical Therapy, Speech Therapy, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Social Work, Dietitian & Academic Specialists (tutoring).

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Brightwheel helps us understand the importance of implementing technology into our early childhood classrooms. Brightwheel also gives us many ideas on activities on how we can bring technology into our classrooms in a safe way.

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As technology advances, so does the classroom. Technology in early childhood education was very different 10-20 years ago; teachers would interact with the tech and children would observe. Now, toddlers and preschoolers can interact with technology. Interactive media, used on smart devices such as phones, televisions, tablets, and gaming systems, give young children the ability to participate and guide themselves through learning.

Technology isn't only a staple in life, but also in education. It can be a beneficial tool that allows you to educate, engage, and interact with young learners. In this article, we'll cover why technology is important in early childhood education and effective ways to incorporate it in the classroom.

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Technology in early childhood education

Technology in early childhood education has transformed over the last 50 years. At first, televisions were used to strengthen lessons and capture the interest of students. Then, televisions would graduate to personal computers and smart technology through phones, tablets, and apps.

In early childhood education, technology can be a tool to facilitate learning. In conjunction with interactive media, it plays a large role in guiding the development of young children. It enables them to play, express themselves, and cultivate their skills in a safe, engaging way.

Still, concerns are typically raised regarding technology, interactive media, and early childhood education. Some public health organizations and child advocacy groups concerned with child development and health issues, such as obesity, have recommended that passive, non-interactive technology and screen media not be used in early childhood programs.

With parents and guardians playing a significant role in early childhood education, there are additional concerns with the passive use of screen media in the home. An example is keeping the television on and playing in the background. It can cause irregular sleep patterns, focus and attention problems, and an increase in screen time. However, the findings on the value of technology in children's development can be confusing as they're divided.

While many are likely to agree that too much screen time -the amount of time spent using a device with a screen-can be detrimental, technology, when used right, can be helpful to the educational and developmental success of young children.

Why is technology important in early childhood education

In your experience as an educator, you've likely learned that there is rarely just one way to do something; technology is a clear example of this. In the past, teachers had very few resources at their disposal. They didn't have access to much more than textbooks and props. Now, technology offers more for educators and children. Technology can give you access to more resources, innovative teaching methods, and variety as you create an active learning environment for your children.

Incorporating technology into your children's development and education plan also enables you to create lessons for multiple learning styles. Visual learners can use smart boards or tablets to draw pictures and look at other visual aids, while reading/writing learners can use the same media to absorb information or write down ideas. Music streaming platforms or audiotapes can be helpful for auditory learners. As for tactile or kinesthetic learners, these young children can learn by acting out a scene they saw in a video or using interactive media on smart technology devices.

The importance of technology in early childhood education doesn't end there. There are many associated benefits. Technology can:

Support the development of fine motor skills

Strengthen coordination and reaction time

Improve social and emotional development

Promote collaboration and relationships

Build cultural awareness

Help language development

Offer opportunities for information processing

Again, technology is a tool to facilitate learning, and when used appropriately, it can have remarkable effects on early childhood education.

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How to incorporate technology in the classroom

When introducing technology to the classroom, you have many options. You now have access to smart devices that feature apps, digital books, games, and more. With the abundance of technology, how can you manage it? How do you decide when, how much, and how often to use it?

The Department of Education lists four guiding principles for using technology:

Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning.

Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children.

Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children.

Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children.

1. Technology-when used appropriately-can be a tool for learning

Technology isn't always used for learning, but it can be. Author Lisa Guernsey of Screen Time: How Electronic Media-From Baby Videos to Educational Software-Affects Your Young Child provides guidance on how early childhood educators can determine technology use for young children. You can use the Three C's-the content, the context, and the needs of the individual child-to create parameters.

You might ask: How does this help children learn, engage, express, imagine, or explore? What kinds of social interactions (such as conversations with parents or peers) happen before, during, and after using the technology? What does this child need right now to enhance their growth and development?

Technology allows young children to engage and explore. When used appropriately, it allows them to participate actively in their education through playing and problem-solving.

2. Technology should be used to increase access to learning opportunities for all children

It's no secret that the learning materials of the past were limited. Depending on when you went through early childhood education and development, you likely had access to textbooks, library books, and possibly a few videos. With technology, the resources for today's children are virtually limitless.

The learning opportunities go beyond the words in a textbook and can introduce children to information and cultures beyond their classroom and community. Technology allows you to present diversity to young learners, for example, by exposing them to different types of people, music, and family structures.

3. Technology may be used to strengthen relationships among parents, families, early educators, and young children

The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on education demonstrated how important technology is in the classroom. If the pandemic had occurred before the turn of the century, it's impossible to guess how millions of children and early educators would have kept up with lessons. Fortunately, with greater access to technology-computers, smartphones, tablets-teachers could still teach, connect, and strengthen their relationships with children through video-chat interactions.

Additionally, technology also allows families to strengthen their relationship with their children and with you. Digital portfolios and progress reports allow you to share what lessons the children are learning, but it also allows families to be more active participants in their child's education by tracking their progress. It enables you, the educator, and families to work collaboratively to strengthen and reinforce what they learn in the classroom.

Brightwheel makes it easy to track student progress with streamlined milestone tracking and customizable portfolio templates. You can created individualized progress reports that measure each child's progress against state standards pre-loaded in the app or your program's learning framework. Easy digital sharing with families means you can continue to foster engagement and support.

A child's education is not solely left up to educators and administrators. With the help of technology, all parties-teachers, families, and administrators-can be actively aware of a child's progress and use technology and interactive media to work towards their success.

4. Technology is more effective for learning when adults and peers interact or co-view with young children

Many technological devices are designed for singular use. Computers, smartphones, and tablets are typically meant to be used by one person at a time; however, the Department of Education explains that children learn more from content when parents or early educators watch and interact with children.

Engaging with and encouraging children during and after a lesson can help solidify the information and lead to more effective learning.

It's up to you to determine how you use technology in the classroom. As long as you plan active, engaging activities, focus on content, monitor screen time, and work together, you can use technology to create a successful educational and developmental learning environment for young children.

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Examples of technology in early childhood education

Depending on their age, young children have different exposure to technology. For infants and toddlers, their experience is almost exclusively guided by their teachers, parents, and families. As they grow to preschool age, they develop more autonomy and independence. This can lead to technology acting as a creative outlet and learning resource.

There are many ways in which technology such as televisions, smartphones, and computers, and interactive media like apps and games, can create a successful classroom environment.

Use technology to introduce young children to diverse images of people and things.

Explore digital materials through shared technology time. Through activities like shared book reading, you can create opportunities to engage with young children by talking to them and introducing new vocabulary.

Incorporate technology activities to teach digital literacy skills.

Create progress reports using audio or visual files to share digital updates with families.

Use video-chat software to communicate with children and families outside the classroom.

Document children's drawings and create digital books with photos to explore digital storytelling.

Expose children to concepts like science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) by including STEAM activities in your lesson plans.

Technology creates an abundance of learning opportunities in the classroom. With its vast capabilities and your creativity, you can create countless lessons for your children.

Technology is best when it brings people together

Technology is many things. It's a video demonstrating the leaves changing from season to season. It's an interactive lesson about the difference between the letters " b " and " d ". It's an opportunity to connect with children and families outside the classroom.

Technology is a bridge that fills in the gaps of the past. Children, teachers, families, and administrators are now equipped with tools that promote safe, active learning in the classroom and beyond. As an educator, you take the lead in shaping the early childhood education and development of young learners. With technology acting as your tool, you can educate, engage, and interact with your children in new, innovative ways.

Brightwheel is the complete solution for early education providers, enabling you to streamline your center's operations and build a stand-out reputation. Brightwheel connects the most critical aspects of running your center-including sign in and out, parent communications, tuition billing, and licensing and compliance-in one easy-to-use tool, along with providing best-in-class customer support and coaching. Brightwheel is trusted by thousands of early education centers and millions of parents. Learn more at mybrightwheel.com.

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Embracing technology in early childhood education can help your children build their academic and social skills.

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Rasmussen University asks ECE teachers top best tips for classroom management. These eleven proven classroom management tips help any teacher in need who is having trouble in the classroom.

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Picture a busy classroom scene with excited children carrying on. The teacher, ready to regroup and move on to the next activity stands up and calls out, "1-2-3 little red school house!" and the children slowly but surely pick up on the cue, quiet down and wait for the teacher to speak.

Maybe you can remember your preschool teacher using this phrase or a similar approach to quiet down the classroom and get everyone's attention. At the time, you probably didn't realize you were responding to a tried-and-true classroom management technique-it just seemed like a game you played with the teacher. But now that you're exploring an early childhood education (ECE) career, classroom management takes on a whole new importance.

It's not always easy keeping a day on track when working with kids who are just figuring out the basics of how to socialize and adjust to a classroom setting. So what can ECE teachers do to help keep things running smoothly? We asked preschool teachers and ECE experts for their best classroom management tips and techniques.

11 Classroom management tips worth trying

Looking to keep an orderly preschool classroom? Consider trying the following:

1. Organize your room strategically

A preschool classroom can be quite chaotic, so the way you organize is important in that it can help ensure that effective learning is happening wherever children are stationed. There are certain tips and tricks that you can only learn from experience, according to Barbara Harvey, ECE professional and parenting educator.

She's learned to separate noisy areas of the classroom from the quiet ones. For example, the blocks and other activities should be on the opposite side of the room from the reading center.

"There should be clearly demarcated areas in the room-like reading, timeout, play, food-and rules surrounding those areas," says Adam Cole, co-director at Grant Park Academy. If the 'boundaries' of each space are clear, it facilitates the relationships in the room, Cole says. "Difficult situations occur less often and can be resolved more quickly."

2. Emanate comfort and reassurance

There is a physical environment in each classroom, but perhaps on an even more important note-there's the atmosphere you create by your tone and demeanor. Children are often very perceptive of attitude towards them. "Teachers should be warm and caring toward children who are acting upset," says Stephanie Leclair of Tiny Hoppers.

Leclair says that trying to comfort the child and reassure them that they are not alone is worth trying when a student is upset. "Every child is different, but with some children, all they really need is a warm hug to calm down." If you make yourself open to your students, they might be able to communicate why they are upset and help you solve the issue.

3. Give them tools to express their feelings

Little ones don't always know how to manage their emotions or communicate their feelings. When a child gets upset, answering a question like 'what's wrong?' can be difficult. But Cole says children don't necessarily need to communicate why they are upset if they can express their emotions creatively.

Cole encourages teachers to offer children options of song, art, movement in a quiet space set apart from the group. "Then they should be allowed to manage their feelings either by waiting in the 'safe' place until they are able to participate, or by having their feelings and being with the group anyway. Teachers can offer gentle assistance if students do not know how to manage their feelings, with the goal of continuing the flow of the day."

4. Make a plan for transitions

There will be several times throughout the day when children are transitioning from one activity or area of the room to another. It's important to have a plan for these transitions.

Harvey suggests using a countdown as part of your plan so children are ready to move on when the time comes. Announcing that you're going to countdown from 10 to one before moving on to the next activity will help children feel prepared for the transition.

Drift time can be hard for children, so having a solid plan with no gaps is definitely a must according to Cole. "It's not that teachers can't improvise or be diverted, only that there should never be a time when the teacher doesn't have an option for something to do."

5. Follow the kids from time to time

Speaking of being diverted, Cole says there are times to put the plan aside when you can tell it would be beneficial for your students.

"One time I found that all my students had abandoned my circle and had gotten interested in playing under the table. So I got under the table with them. That's where we continued class."

Whether it's teaching under a table, moving free time around or focusing on something the kids are particularly interested in that day, being flexible and matching their natural interests can make the day more interesting and exciting for them.

6. Use child-friendly labels

Keeping your room organized shouldn't entirely fall on your shoulders. Empower your students to pick up after themselves and take responsibility for their own messes.

Harvey uses labeled plastic bins to organize classroom supplies and toys. She labels the bins with pictures of each object and labels the shelf where the bin is stored with the same picture. She says this not only helps children put things away properly and teaches responsibility, but also helps hone their matching skills.

7. Refer to the routine

Consistency is important for everyone, but especially for children. If your preschoolers know their routine, they begin to have an innate sense of accountability to follow it. Even something as simple as writing the day's schedule on the board or making pictures to represent activities can help children anticipate the routine and feel more comfortable.

8. Create integrated learning environments

"A developmentally appropriate environment for a toddler or preschooler takes a holistic approach," says Elizabeth Malson, president of the Amslee Institute. Malson says dedicating spaces to auditory, visual and social/emotional development areas will help toddlers make connections between their experiences and the world around them.

"Focus on creating a space that is conducive to a child's visual, auditory and emotional development," Malson says. When children grow, they need support in all of these areas. Appealing to the toddler's sense of curiosity is a great approach, Malson says.

Integrated learning environments have individual learning centers or stations which allow children to safely explore and play, Malson explains. "At this age, it's important to keep learning centers simple so children are not overwhelmed." For example, toddlers can enjoy a literacy corner with a comfy chair and a few books.

"Sand and water tables are popular as well as a block or building center," Malson says. "Daily exercise and outdoor play is important and visiting a park is a type of learning center as well. Toddlers also enjoy dress up and craft stations."

9. Balance 'active' & 'passive' activities

Certain activities will get your students' pumped up and giddy with excitement, and others will help them mellow and calm down. Harvey recommends finding a balance and switching between the two. Trying to keep kids silent when they are bubbling over with energy will be far less productive than giving them an activity to blow off some steam.

The manner in which you organize your activities can make all of the difference in keeping your kids engaged and avoiding meltdowns.

10. Tackle ongoing issues with creativity

Most little ones will have grumpy days. But you might start to notice patterns in your classroom that represent an ongoing struggle for specific students. That's when it's time to take a step back and analyze the situation. Leclair recalls a time when she taught a student who particularly did not enjoy sensory activities.

"It made following our lesson plans challenging as we generally had several messy activities to do a day. What could we do to make things more enjoyable for this child? Could we come up with some sort of solution for him?"

Leclair says one of her fellow teachers suggested gloves. "Sure enough, the next day we brought out a big bin of goop. We asked him if he'd like to try wearing gloves before touching the goop. He thought it was a pretty cool idea, put them on and dug his hands right in. Presto! Problem solved."

11. Enjoy your job!

Kids are naturally intuitive and tend to follow the lead of those they're around. If they see you enjoying the teaching process, think of how much more likely they are to enjoy the learning process.

Teaching preschool can be full of laughter and little delights, and when children see you having fun and making the day bright, it will help them come along for the ride. While not every day is going to be sunshine and rainbows for you, putting on a good front and approaching the day with enthusiasm can lead to a positive feedback loop that might just make your day a little brighter.

Discover your own classroom management techniques

As you can see, there are so many good ideas for how to approach preschool classroom management. And when you are on the job, working with kids day after day, you might feel your intuition kicking in, helping you navigate. And of course, teacher networks are rich with helpful advice and creative solutions.

"When you hit a situation you can't handle, ask questions of experienced teachers, and take whatever works for you," Cole says. "Then forgive yourself for what didn't go well and come back the next day. The kids don't expect you to be perfect, just to be fully present."

If these tips for classroom management are giving you a few ideas on what you would do as a preschool teacher, check out " 7 Teaching Strategies to Consider for Your ECE Classroom " and keep the inspiration flowing!

The Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not accredited by the NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood Associate Degree Accreditation. Rasmussen University is not a partner of NAEYC and our programs are not sponsored or endorsed by NAEYC.
Graduates of Early Childhood Education programs at Rasmussen University are not eligible for licensure as a teacher in an elementary or secondary school. A Bachelor's degree and a state teaching license are typically required to work as a teacher in a public school and some private school settings. States, municipalities, districts or individual schools may have more stringent licensing requirements. Students must determine the licensure requirements in the state and school in which they intend to work. Childcare facilities and the states in which they are located establish qualifications for staff who work with children, and often implement guidelines regarding age, education, experience and professional development. Students must determine the licensure requirements for the state and facilities in which they work.
This program has not been approved by any state professional licensing body, and this program is not intended to lead to any state-issued professional license. For further information on professional licensing requirements, please contact the appropriate board or agency in your state of residence.

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11 Proven Classroom Management Tips for Preschool Teachers

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Picture a busy classroom scene with excited children carrying on. The teacher, ready to regroup and move on to the next activity stands up and calls out, "1-2-3 little red school house!" and the children slowly but surely pick up on the cue, quiet down and wait for the teacher to speak.

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This website allows you to find resources, digital tools, and many other tools to help support any curriculum. This website also includes activity ideas and even worksheets. You are able to find free tools or even classroom resources at a low price.

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4 million free and priced teaching resources created by teachers for instant download including lesson plans, interactive notebooks, unit plans, novel studies, worksheets, printables, quizzes, task cards, math centers, projects and more. Join over 6 million teachers on the web's most vibrant collaborative exchange.

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This amazing video explains how simple differentiating instruction is and what it really means. The video also provides example how naturally it can happen in the classroom.

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Differentiating Instruction: It’s Not as Hard as You Think