Wyoming's Coherent Path To Quality

• Pamela smiles at her 2-year-old son as she helps him get dressed. 

• Liam, a teacher of 5-year-olds, throws his head back laughing at a joke Miguel tells the class. 

• Lizette, a home-based caregiver, and educator, speaks in a soft, soothing voice with 7-month-old Kathy as she changes her diaper. 

• 3-year-old Jonathan drops his milk onto the floor. Philip, the school’s custodian, kneels down beside him and says, “Jonathan it’s ok. Accidents happen. Together, we can clean it up.” 

• Suzannah, a city council member, adds “Recently we were asked to vote on an ordinance to build a new park. Before voting, I did research to find out how community parks benefit young children.”

The Coherent Path to Quality 

The Coherent Path to Quality™, a Leading for Children framework, was developed to make quality holdable,  sharable, and achievable for all the adults in the child’s ecosystem.  

The framework defines three dimensions of program quality: relationships and interactions, the emotional and physical environment, and learning experiences. Each dimension has “simple rules” or criteria for establishing shared understanding and for ensuring all children and adults thrive. These rules are a “package” — you can’t just pick the ones you like. 

Children learn what they live. One unique feature of this framework is that it was developed with adults and children in mind. When we think of the Coherent Path to Quality, we think about its dimensions and rules from multiple viewpoints: adult with an adult, adult with child, and child with child. Simply put, what we want adults to do with and for children are the same things we should do with and for each other. 

Who This Resource Is For and How It’s Organized 

This resource was written with you in mind! While the primary audience for this resource is early educators —  teachers, directors, and home-based caregivers and educators — it’s meant to support all the adults within the child’s ecosystem. Whether you are a family member,  community leader, or kitchen manager in an early learning program, we hope this resource provides inspiration and insight and promotes a deeper understanding of your impact on the lives of children. It can be used individually as a learning and self-reflection tool or within a group to foster collaborative conversations, learning, and growth.  

We’ve organized this resource into three chapters. Each chapter will take a deeper look at one of the Dimensions of the Coherent Path to Quality and its Simple Rules using vignettes and examples from Wyoming. These exemplars consist of photos and statements that articulate the element of quality and its importance.  

Each chapter includes questions and prompts for reflection, both within the chapter and at the end. We  invite you to use them as a way to:

• Activate your curiosity and notice and identify the effectiveness of your own practice and the practice of others 
•  Serve as a catalyst for conversations with others to improve the day-to-day experiences for young children and their families 
• Nurture your own personal professional development and growth 
• Practice using the Wyoming Coherent Path to Quality to guide your decisions and practice

Simple Rule #1 

Authentic

Authentic means to be genuine in what you say and do with others. An authentic relationship is honest and real.  

Interactions are authentic when they are sincere and come from the heart. 

Authentic relationships begin with a genuine desire to get to know another person — to honor and appreciate the person’s uniqueness.  

It means you are curious about them. What are their likes and dislikes? What brings a smile to their face? What are their interests? What inspires them? You want to get to know who they are and to build a real, genuine relationship.

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of authentic relationships and interactions from Wyoming. 

Take a moment to notice this interaction between a  sister and her younger brother. Pay attention to how she leans into him and maintains warm eye contact.  Without using words, she is communicating deep care,  love, and connection in that moment.

Notice how the father and son snuggle in to read together. The father relaxes his body and holds the child close. This communicates to the child that the adult enjoys having experiences with him, making him feel valued.

Responsive means you notice and connect with actions and words that fit the person and the situation.  Interactions are responsive when you give the other person what they need at the moment (a smile, a hug,  or some assistance). Interactions that are consistently positive grow into responsive relationships. 

Children and adults thrive in responsive relationships. 

Building the foundation of successful development in childhood requires responsive relationships and supportive environments (Center on the Developing Child  Harvard University 2020). When your words and actions are responsive to the cues of others, you become trustworthy. Children feel safe and cared for when they can trust you. When children feel safe and cared for, they are  able to relax and learn

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of responsive interactions from  Wyoming. 

Notice how the father gets on his son’s eye level and holds the worm in his hand for the child to get a closer look. By responding sensitively to his son’s interest, he is building the child’s trust and confidence in self.

Simple Rule #3

Reciprocal

Reciprocal relationships are two-way. Each person is equally respected and valued. The relationship is balanced so that both people feel seen and heard. In a  reciprocal relationship or interaction, there is mutuality and reciprocity. When relationships are reciprocal there is an even exchange.  It means there is equal space and value for the thoughts and ideas of all involved. When you choose to engage in a reciprocal relationship, you shift from the traditional you-and-me way of interacting with us. This creates room for collaboration and problem solving to occur.  

Simple Rule #4

Consistent

Consistent means steady and unchanging in your behavior with others. The opposite is inconsistent,  unsteady, and erratic. When you are consistent in your relationships and interactions with children and families, you act in the same way day to day. Why is this important? Your consistent behavior makes you predictable. People know what to expect from you. You become trustworthy.  Your consistency can lead others to feel safe. 

Why are consistent positive interactions important?  The serve-and-return relationship between children and their caregivers is vital for healthy brain growth and the developmental process. (Center on the Developing Child  Harvard University n.d.) Erratic interactions can cause feelings of mistrust and fear and make it difficult for children to engage with caregivers. This greatly impedes children’s ability to learn. 

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of reciprocal relationships and interactions from Wyoming. 

Notice the mirrored effect in this photo. See how the adult holds the infant close and looks into her eyes,  smiling with complete delight. When their eyes meet the adult is communicating to her that she is seen,  loved, and cared for. The infant sees the delight in her face, which causes her delight. 

Notice the reciprocal interaction between these siblings as they make music with metal pots and pans and a wooden spoon. As they mimic each other sounds,  they create a back-and-forth musical conversation. Look at the attentiveness given to the sister by her brother as she creates a sound, and the softness in her eyes as she plays. 

Examples from Wyoming

Notice the genuine look of delight on the children’s faces as they play with the car. Think about the effectiveness of the teacher in supporting and modeling collaborative play. When children have regular opportunities to play together, they learn how to cooperate and share with each other while strengthening relationships. 

Notice how the teacher intentionally places the snow between the infants and faces them towards each other. This supports the interaction and development of social-emotional skills.  

Questions for Reflection 

In what ways do you share your interests and ideas with children and families? 

• Take a moment to think about transitions for families and children. Does your routine give space for you to welcome families and children during drop-off and pick-up? 
• Do you respond to children’s questions in real ways?  
• How do you ensure that what you say and do — how you show up with and for children — helps them to feel secure enough to express a range of emotion in your presence? How do you know they do? 
• How do you partner with the other adults in children’s lives? 

Tips from your Learning Network members to  strengthen relationships and interactions: 

• Cultivate self-awareness to guide how you interact with children and adults.  
• Use drop-off and pick-up times as opportunities to get to know families. 
• Help children understand their emotions and the emotions of others by putting words to them and saying them out loud for children to hear and begin to understand them.  
• Talk with families to individualize ways to communicate and exchange information regarding their child(ren).  
• Develop a system for exchanging information with other adults in children’s lives. Examples include: 

– Using a notebook to exchange information between families and teachers. 

– Having a designated place in each classroom to ensure all staff has access to information regarding the children in the class. 

– Establishing a text group among family members to quickly exchange or share important information.

• Allow time in your day for self-care. When your needs are met you are better able to meet the needs of children.

Simple Rule #1 

Safe

Safe means that adults and children are emotionally,  physically, and mentally protected from discomfort and danger. The environment is intentionally designed to ensure that children are visible at all times so that they can work independently and be easily supervised by adults. In a safe environment, the needs of the adults and children in the space are met.  

A safe environment tells our brains it’s ok to learn.  Safe environments open the door for learning. When you feel emotionally or physically threatened, your body’s fight or flight instinct kicks in. When this happens,  learning cannot take place. This is true for children and adults. What this means is that we must set the stage for learning to occur and regularly do a check of the emotional and physical space to ensure it is conducive for learning.  

Examples from Wyoming 

Here are some examples of safe environments from Wyoming.  

The children are able to use materials in a natural setting to draw what they see while looking at the garden table and hills around them because the adult has installed railings to create a safe outdoor space for them. 

The home-based caregiver and educator made the decision to create a safe space for children and families to experience the children’s art show during COVID. She beautifully displayed the artwork outside in an open space that’s easily seen by children and their families. This allowed the children to revisit their work and to experience pride as they safely shared with families.

Notice how the teachers have allocated ample and uncluttered space for children to move their bodies and enjoy singing and dancing together without injury.

Stories from the Field 

Here are some stories from the field. Notice moments of
respectfulness.

• Six-month-old Kara is sitting in her teacher’s lap babbling. Her tiny hands are busy touching her teacher’s hair and glasses. She’s content. Her teacher begins talking with her co-worker. When she breaks eye contact, Kara begins to cry. Looking back into Kara’s eyes, her teacher smiles and says, “I’m sorry Kara. You

didn’t like it when I began talking to someone else. You aren’t ready for our conversation to end.” Kara smiles touches her teacher’s nose and settles back down.

• Tiffany notices three-year-olds Theo and Andrew tussling over a block. She moves closer to the boys as she observes. A moment later, she hears Andrew say to Theo, “You can play with this one, I’ll go get another one.” Theo says, “Thanks,” and the boys continue to play. She walks over and says, “I saw that you both wanted the same block. For a moment, you were struggling to see who could keep it. That was a problem that you worked together to figure out. Thank you for working together to find a solution.”
• Faye, a director in a program serving three and four-year-olds, uses learning center family nights as a way to invite families into the program and partner with them to support children’s learning. “When I talked with families to hear their perspective on their children’s learning, I found that they didn’t really understand the kind of learning that was happening as their children played. I knew that if I could partner with them to help them understand all that occurs during play, they would be able to support their children’s learning during play activities at home. I want them to be learning partners with their children and us.”

Respectful environments reduce the stress of harmful interactions that impede brain development; conveying the message you are valued.

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of respectful environments from  Wyoming. 

Notice the care and decision to ensure the needs of adults are met in the environment. The soft carpet,  lamps for warm light, plant, and a throw blanket on the couch. These elements help to create a calm and comfortable space for adults. 

In this space, the children are freely using the materials in the classroom to support their imaginative and creative play. Notice how the adult has demonstrated respect for children as thinkers and owners of the environment. 

Notice the intentionality with which the teachers created a respectful experience for all of the children during their picnic. She provided a large blanket with room for everyone and their food/drink. It supports connection and encourages being together. As the children face each other there are opportunities for shared experience and communication.

Simple Rule #3

Predictable 

Predictable means that one can know what to expect or anticipate. A predictable environment can calm and soothe your senses, provide stability and reliability,  and create a sense of safety, or it can create internal chaos and overstimulate. For our purposes, we define predictable environments as those in which children and adults can relax, freely explore, participate, and think clearly. The consistency of the emotional and physical environment creates a calmness in the environment and those who are experiencing it.  

Predictable environments promote independence and decision making.  When an environment is predictable, children know what to anticipate from day to day. It means there is a predictable pattern or routine to the way things are done. This helps children to have a sense of agency by making decisions and independently navigating the space.  

Stories from the Field 

Here are some stories from the field. Notice moments of predictability.  

• Loren, a home-based caregiver, and educator talks about how she uses colors to create a predictable, calm environment. “Life is just so busy! When I think about drop-off and pick-up times, it’s important to me that children and families know that when they step into my home, it will be calm. Often times, families are rushing in the morning to get themselves and their children ready for the day. When they come in the morning, I  want them to already anticipate the calmness of our space. I use soft colors that are not overstimulating on the walls and for the materials I choose. You’ll also notice that the rugs are a nice solid color. I want the  space to say, ‘take a deep breath and slow down, it’s  ok.’ In the evenings, most families are trying to balance getting children to extracurricular activities, preparing meals, and so many other things. I hope that by offering  them a calm environment, it will help them to transition  and take a little of that with them when they leave.” 
• Lynn, a teacher of three-year-olds talks about how having a predictable environment supports self-regulation. “Each morning when children arrive, we have a  routine. I want my children to know that each day I am waiting and anticipating their arrival! The first thing I do is to greet them with a big smile and connect with them using something I know about them. For example, Noah just got a new puppy, which is why you heard me ask him what new tricks Bo has learned. “  
• Nathan, a teacher of five-year-olds, sits on the floor with his class. “Let’s think about some of the things we did and learned today. Everyone gets a turn. We want to listen to each other with our whole selves, so take a moment to think about what you want to say. Tia is  going to write your answers on the chart so we can see  them.” After each child takes a turn Nathan smiles and says, “Wow — we learned so much today! Thank you for helping me to remember. Now let’s talk about some of the things we will do tomorrow. We won’t be able to go to our playground because it’s being repaired. Hmmm… what are some other things we can do outside?” 

A  predictable environment eliminates the stress of the unknown and promotes independence and decision making; conveying the message you’re in a safe place to explore and follow your curiosity.

Simple Rule #4

Accessible 

Accessible means to be readily available and easy to be reached. Accessible environments are organized to ensure each person can easily navigate it and experience success. Accessible environments foster confidence and independence and invite exploration. The emotional environment is accessible when adults are available throughout the day to respond to the needs of children.  An accessible physical environment means each person in the space can move freely without hindrance and use all things in it with ease.  

Accessible environments are designed with the learner in mind.  Accessible environments foster independence and self-efficacy. Consideration is given to the age and development of the children, what you know of each child as an individual and the social and cultural context in which they live. Sounds familiar? It should. These considerations are parallel to the three core considerations of  Developmentally Appropriate Practice. When you design the environment with the learner in mind, you set the stage for success.  

Stories from the Field 

Here are some stories from the field. Notice moments of accessibility.  

• Alexis is a teacher of three and four-year-olds. She notices that one of her students, Chris, rarely utilizes any of the learning centers. She wonders if Chris’s leg brace makes it hard for him to sit on the floor. She sits with him at the table and says, “Chris I notice you keep looking at the block center and your eyes are getting bigger as Jessie’s structure gets taller. Would you be  interested in building blocks?” Chris nods. Alexis says,  “Would it be helpful to you if I moved the table to the  block center so you can sit and build?” As she moves the table, she says to the children in the block area,  “Chris would like to build with you, and we need to keep his leg from hurting. You can join ask Chris if you  can join him at the table or continue to build on the  floor.”  
• Monica, a teacher of infants, is changing the diaper of  10-month-old Amari. As she talks with Amari, Tahlia,  an eight-month-old, begins to cry. Monica says “Amari,  Tahlia is crying. I’m going to talk to her so she can know  that we’re here. Hi Tahlia. I can hear you, honey. I am changing Amari and will come to get you as soon as  I’m done. Let’s sing together.” She begins to sing Hello  Sunshine which is the song Tahlia’s mom taught her.  Tahlia begins to settle down and coo.  
• Sallyann notices that her children seldom use the art supplies in their playroom. She sits on the floor and realizes that supplies are on the higher portion of the shelf and out of reach. She rearranges the shelves to make sure all the supplies are within reach.  

Accessible environments are designed with the learner in mind as a collective and individually; conveying the message this space is for you — you can be successful here. 

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of accessible environments.  

Notice the way in which the environment is organized with defined areas of play. This supports children’s ability to independently navigate the space and anticipate where to find things in their environment. 

Notice the big smile on this child’s face communicating pride in some hard work as he builds a structure that’s taller than him. This kind of engagement happens when children feel safe to try new things, to take risks all the while knowing a trusted adult is nearby, and accessible to them to offer support when needed. 

Questions for Reflection

 How do you ensure children and families know what to expect in the environment? 

•  Do children have the opportunity to interact with the same children and adults each day? 
•  Take a moment to look around the environment. Can families see themselves reflected respectfully in this space? 
•  Does the environment reflect the belief that children are competent and capable learners?  
•  Does the environment ensure children’s rights are being preserved in daily activities? 

Tips to create positive emotional and physical  environments from your Learning Network  members: 

•  Get to know and use the names of children, their families, and colleagues.  
•  Invite families to share food or artifacts or anything that they would feel comfortable bringing to help have them and their families reflected in the classroom. 
•  Use soft colors in the environment to promote self-regulation for children and adults. 
•  When choosing furniture, consider the age of the children in the space.  
•  Use your policies and procedures to ensure families and staff know what to expect in the environment. 

Stories from the Field

Here are some stories from the field. Notice the ways in which the learning experiences are meaningful.  

• Mescha and Kim want to create a learning experience that invites children to strengthen the muscles in their fingers to enhance fine motor skills and encourage creativity. They decide to add play dough, cookie cutters, scissors, and paper of different textures, etc. into the manipulative center. While discussing this they wonder if all of the children have access to playdough in their home. To ensure the children could continue to explore the materials in their home, they decide to extend the experience by making homemade playdough with the children and sharing the recipe with families,  incorporating photos of the children making and using the playdough. 
• Jess, a teacher of 5-year-olds, wants to introduce children to letters. In the curriculum she was given,  there were letter charts to hang on the wall. While she understands the importance of early literacy skills, the letter charts don’t align with her philosophy about how children learn. After pondering, she decides that she will have the children create alphabet charts in the art center using letters and drawings. As the children create, she invites them to hang their pictures around the classroom. 

• Four-year-old Jacob visits the zoo with his mother.  While at the Lion exhibit, she notices that Jacob is captivated. He leans towards the glass cage and his eyes continue to follow the moves of the lion. She  kneels down and says, “Jacob your eyes are following  the lion — I can tell you’re curious about him.” Jacob nods his head. “Hmm,” says mom, “I wonder how we  can learn more about lions.” “I know,” says Jacob, “we  can read a book about them.” His mother responds,  “That’s a brilliant idea. Would you like to stop by the gift  shop to see if we can find one?” Later that evening they read a book about lions and learn together about lions’  natural habitats — the places they live. 

Meaningful learning experiences are relevant to the learner’s interest and curiosity; conveying the message nurturing your curiosity is rewarding.

Examples from Wyoming

Here are some examples of meaningful learning experiences from Wyoming. 

As the child experiences helping his grandmother make the cookies, he feels the trust she has in his ability and competence. This helps him to trust himself as he continues to grow and learn.  

Notice how she allows him to independently scoop and place the cookies on the sheet and how he is fully concentrated on his work. 

Notice how the teacher incorporated snow, a frequent part of the children’s environment. Her decision to offer the snow as a medium for exploration results in children learning in partnership. 

Simple Rule #2 

Exploratory 

Exploratory learning experiences are those that engage children in hands-on investigation and exploration of materials, ideas, and concepts. During exploratory learning experiences, children are their own best resource. They use what is familiar to them and their physical senses to figure out the questions they’ve constructed. What is this? What can I do with it? How can I use it? This curiosity and opportunity to explore is imperative in the learning process.  

Exploratory learning experiences spark curiosity, invite investigation, and nurture learning. Children are born ready to learn! Think about it. What’s the first thing an infant does when you hand them something? Put it in their mouth to explore how it feels. Toddlers often bang items to explore how they sound. That desire to actively explores follows us from infancy into adulthood if it’s nurtured. When you plan experiences that create space for creativity and support the exploration of ideas or materials, you set the stage for self-directed learning. You invite the learner to begin to ask questions and investigate to find answers. Here are a few examples 

•  What will happen if I…? Two-year-old Michael is sitting on the floor as his mother is cooking. He reaches into the cabinet and gets two pans. After looking at them, he begins to bang them together.  
•  How does this work? Lacy, a four-year-old, is playing in the science center with a scale. She furrows her brow as she notices that when she adds marbles to the left side of the scale, the right-side lifts. She’s curious and begins to try to figure out what makes that happen.  
•  Why does it work that way? Kerri, a teacher of two-year-olds, is preparing for family conferences.  Last quarter, she noticed that conferences seemed to be more effective when they were held in one of the lounge areas. She begins to wonder what it was about the environment that created a more inviting environment for families.  

Stories from the Field

Here are some stories from the field. Notice the ways in which the learning experiences are exploratory.  

• Tia, a teacher of 3-year-olds, is sitting in the middle of a small group of children telling a story. “There was an  old woman who swallowed a fly, I don’t know why she  swallowed the fly.” All the children throw their hands  up while laughing and say, “she won’t say why.” Tia puts her finger to her temple and says, “Hmmm, why and fly sound alike-they rhyme. What are some other words  that rhyme?” The children then begin to excitedly say words that rhyme.  
• Gina sits on the ground in her backyard with her toddler, Edward. A burst of wind blows sending a  cascade of leaves into the air. Edward claps and laughs as he chases them. Once the last leaf falls he says,  “Again!” Gina laughs and says, “How can we make the  leaves go up again?” Eddie grabs a handful and tosses them in the air. “You did it, you made the leaves go high in the air” she replies. “I wonder if I can do it, too.” 

Exploratory learning experiences invite the learner to experiment, invent, and create; conveying the message it’s ok to try and learn new things. 

Examples from Wyoming 

Here are some examples of exploratory learning experiences from Wyoming.  

The children love being outdoors. Notice how the home-based caregiver and educator creates an opportunity for them to explore nature around them. Their eyes are focused on the plants and trees around them.  Being able to examine nature up close sparks their curiosity and learning. 

Notice how the adults lean in together with a shared focus on the photos they’re studying. Together, they are engaging in conversations that spark each other’s curiosity and promote collective investigation leading to a shared understanding.

Notice how the home-based childcare professional created multiple opportunities for children to explore materials in the outdoor learning environment. Her use of natural materials to aesthetically display materials invite children to explore and investigate them.

Simple Rule #3

Actionable 

Actionable means the learner can easily use what was learned for a purpose. The skills and/or knowledge they learn will serve them now and in the future. Here are a few  examples of actionable learning: 

•  When Christina plays peek-a-boo with her baby, he is learning object permanence. 
•  When five-year-old Khateem is putting a puzzle together, he’s learning one to one correspondence and spatial recognition.  
•  When Samuel, an Education Coordinator, wedges a folded piece of paper under the leg of his desk to keep it stable, he is recalling balancing concepts likely learned as a young child. 

Learning should serve a purpose.  Think about a time you learned something new. Your curiosity was sparked and you enjoyed yourself. How would you describe your experience? Did it feel like it was connected to something of interest to you? Will you be able to use what you learned?  We learn by doing and strengthen learning by doing.

Stories from the Field

Here are some stories from the field. Notice the ways in which the learning experiences are actionable.  

• Four-month-old Leah is grasping for her rattle. When she moves her hand, she hears the sound it makes.  Her eyes light up as she repeats the movement again.  Noticing her excitement, her teacher Zaniah picks up a  rattle and begins to mimic Leah’s movements.  
• Miss Debbie approaches two 4-year-olds Luis and  Carson who are arguing over the use of a firetruck. She gets down on their level and facilitates a conversation offering problem-solving strategies like the use of a  timer so that both of them can have time with the fire truck.  
• 3-year-old Kisha is playing with the sorting bears.  Using her prongs, she carefully picks them up one by one. Once she’s transferred them all from the bin to the table, she sits and looks at them for a couple of minutes. Then, she leans forward and begins to group them by color.  

Actionable learning experiences invite the learner to actively construct knowledge in a way that helps them experience success; conveying the message you are smart and capable. 

Examples from Wyoming 

Here are some examples of actionable learning experiences from Wyoming.  

Notice how the teacher has engaged the children in learning that is collaborative and actionable. During this activity, they are learning mathematical concepts such as measurement and spatial relationships. 

When adults have the opportunity to engage in open-ended play, they gain a deeper understanding of the learning process and can use this to support children’s learning. Notice how this teacher has made two ramps,  one that extends straight down and another that has a bend. As she watches the red and green boxes move down the ramps, she’ll notice how they move similarly or differently. Her observations will help her decide what to do next. 

Questions for Reflection 

•  How do you support both the individual and collective interests of children? 
•  Are learning opportunities connected to children’s needs, interests, questions, or curiosities? 
•  Think of a recent learning experience you engaged in with children. In what ways did you nurture their curiosity?  
•  Are children able to use materials in the environment in various ways? 

Tips for creating optimal learning experiences from  your Learning Network members: 

•  Allow ample time for children to explore and engage with materials and follow their curiosity.  
•  Show children you respect them as learners.  For example-allowing children to label and leave materials if they aren’t done with them.  
•  Trust the process of learning.  
•  Think of lesson plans as “planning for possibilities”  to allow flexibility on the journey of discovery together.

Here are the members of your  Quality Learning Network: 

Ariana Avila 

Nikki Baldwin 

Joanne Blair 

Lauren Carlisle 

Savannah Conrad 

Kara Cossell 

Julia Eastes 

Amelia Eckerdt 

Becky Figgins

Ellie Gardner

Maureen Giordano 

Liz Goddard 

Tyler Gonzalez 

Jaclyn Klinginsmith 

Amber Merritt 

Marian Moats 

Char Norris 

Sarah Pence 

Nicole Philbin 

Theo Powers

Quentin Rinker 

Stephanie Rino 

McKenzie Samuelson 

Hannah Stanek 

Becca Steinhoff 

Rachel Swanson 

Kim Sweet 

Andrea Van Vlerah 

Jennifer Zook

References

• Baker, Amy C., Lynn A Manfred/Pettit. 2004. Relationships, the Heart of Quality Care: Creating Community Among Adults in  Early Care Settings. Washington DC:    National Association for the Education of Young Children. 

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• Judy R. Jablon, Amy Laura Dombro, Shaun Johnsen. 2011. Powerful Interactions: How to Connect with Children to Extend  Their Learning. Washington DC: NAEYC. 
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