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Teaching Practices

Effective, nurturing, and responsive teaching practices and interactions are key for all learning in early childhood settings. They foster trust and emotional security; are communication and language rich; and promote critical thinking and problem-solving. They also support social, emotional, behavioral, and language development; provide supportive feedback for learning; and motivate continued effort. Teaching practices and interactions are responsive to and build on each child’s pattern of development and learning. They can be measured by the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) and other adult-child interaction tools. These observations may then be used to support professional development. Teaching practices also include how schedules and routines are carried out, how settings are managed, and how children’s challenging behaviors are addressed.

CLASS QI for Classroom Organization

Check out these resources that Head Start directors, education managers, coaches, teachers, and other education staff can use to improve teacher-child interactions in the CLASS® Classroom Organization domain.

CLASS QI for Leaders

Explore this collection of resources that program leaders can use to ensure key components of systems work together, cultivate collaboration, and foster a culture of continuous quality improvement so that children and families thrive.

Approaches to Learning, Birth to 5

This season of Teacher Time focuses on the four sub-domains of the ELOF Approaches to Learning domain. Each episode highlights teaching and learning experiences that support children’s approaches to learning in ways that are culturally and linguistically responsive and promote children’s sense of identity.

Preschool Approaches to Learning

These four Teacher Time episodes focus on supporting the four sub-domains of the ELOF Approaches to Learning domain with preschoolers and their families.

Infant/Toddler Approaches to Learning

These four Teacher Time episodes focus on supporting the four sub-domains of the ELOF Approaches to Learning domain with infants, toddlers, and their families.

Supervising Socializations

Home visits are the main vehicle to deliver comprehensive services to young children and families. Explore how twice-monthly group socializations are also an important and required part of home-based services.

The Benefits of Messy Play for Infants and Toddlers

Messy play is the active exploration of materials like water and paper. It offers rich learning experiences for infants and toddlers. Listen to this podcast for strategies to make this activity fun and manageable.