PA Promise for Children Releases List of October Books for Kindergartners

News

October 19, 2026

PA Promise for Children Releases List of October Books for Kindergartners

PA Promise for Children has released its October list of books for kindergartners that includes eight titles across two categories.

The categories in which PA Promise for Children has organized the books are Language and Literacy Skills and Social and Emotional Development, which each have four titles.

The books on the list include:

Language and Literacy Skills

  • Pizza, Pigs and Poetry (Jack Prelutsky)
  • Is Your Mama a Llama? (Deborah Guarino)
  • Fooling Ewe (Mike Demers)
  • Fishing in Potato Salad (Othen Donald Dale Cummings)

Social and Emotional Development

  • Stars (Mary Lyn Ray)
  • Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me (Eric Carle)
  • Stephanie’s Ponytail (Robert Munsch)
  • Elmer (David McKee)

Activities 

For activities to pair with the selections, PA Promise for Children has recommended looking at the stars; discussing what might prevent one from seeing them; finding star books in Braille for a kindergartner with limited vision; and making a star book using stickers and construction paper. This activity can be paired with the books “Stars” and “Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me.”

Other social-emotional development activities include having a kindergartner draw a picture of themselves and then write a sentence about what they like about themselves, or using pre-cut shapes that your child assembles into an image. These can be paired with “Stephanie’s Ponytail” and “Elmer.”

Activities that can be paired with “Pizza, Pigs and Poetry” and “Is Your Mama a Llama?” include looking through books and magazines to find words that rhyme; talking in rhyme with your kindergartner; finding picture books or nursery rhymes that include rhyming words; and playing hand-clapping games like Pat-a-Cake and Miss-Mary-Mack. 

Other language and literacy activities include taking your kindergartner to the library and each  picking out a book. Then, compare which book is the funniest and has the best pictures. This activity can be paired with “Fooling Ewe” and “Fishing in Potato Salad.”

Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

News

September 1, 2020

Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

Are you interested in discussing topics of interest and current trends with fellow professionals in the early childhood field? Join ELRC Region 5 for their virtual Community of Practice sessions!

About

Community of Practice sessions provide early learning professionals with opportunities to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the early childhood field, and offer insight and inspiration to their fellow professionals.

Each session in December will feature a Q&A with ELRC Region 5 Quality Coaches who will answer questions about the Keystone STARS Performance Standards. The Keystone STARS program is a responsive system to improve, support, and recognize the continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania. ELRC Region 5 Quality Coaches are also able to offer support to providers who participate in the Keystone STARS program.

Available Sessions

    • Saturday, December 12: Keystone STARS Performance Standards Q & A
      10 a.m.  |  Zoom Meeting  |  Attend the Session

More Information

For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at  elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3577.

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Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

News

August 31, 2020

Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

Are you interested in discussing topics of interest and current trends with fellow professionals in the early childhood field? Join ELRC Region 5 for their virtual Community of Practice sessions!

About

Community of Practice sessions provide early learning professionals with opportunities to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the early childhood field, and offer insight and inspiration to their fellow professionals.

In October, these virtual sessions will focus on tips, how-tos, and tools for participants to navigate through Provider Self Service (PSS), where you can apply for or renew child care licensing, submit ELRC online attendance invoices, submit Keystone STARS requests, and update provider profiles; and STARS Management and Reliability Tracking (SMART), a document uploader for the Keystone STARS Designation process.

Available Sessions

    • Saturday, October 10: SMART Document Uploader, Provider Self Service & Keystone STARS Supporting Documents
      10 a.m.  |  Zoom Meetings  |  Attend the Session
    • Thursday, October 15: SMART Document Uploader, Provider Self Service & Keystone STARS Supporting Documents
      10 a.m.  | Zoom Meetings  |  Attend the Session
      1 p.m.  |  Zoom Meetings  |  Attend the Session

More Information

For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at  elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3577.

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Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

News

August 5, 2020

Virtual Community of Practice Meetings

Are you interested in discussing topics of interest and current trends with fellow professionals in the early childhood field? Join ELRC Region 5 for their virtual Community of Practice sessions!

About

Community of Practice sessions provide early learning professionals with opportunities to discuss topics of interest, current trends in the early childhood field, and offer insight and inspiration to their fellow professionals.

In August, these virtual sessions will provide an overview of using the Pennsylvania Professional Development (PD) Registry. Participants will learn how to use the PD Registry as a tool to organize staff and will receive support and clear instruction on renewal requirements for the Keystone STARS program.

Available Sessions

    • Saturday, August 8
      10 a.m.  |  Zoom Meetings  |  Register
    • Thursday, August 20
      10 a.m.  | Zoom Meetings  |  Register
      1 p.m.  |  Zoom Meetings  |  Register

More Information

Information about the meetings will be sent to participants following registration. For questions, contact ELRC Region 5 at  elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3577.

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Keystone STARS 2020 Program Survey

News

July 1, 2020

Keystone STARS 2020 Program Survey

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) invites all certified child care facilities to complete the Keystone STARS 2020 Program Survey.

About the Survey

This anonymous survey will help OCDEL to better understand how program leadership in Keystone STARS programs have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Your participation in the survey can inform how OCDEL provides support to the field moving forward.

July 10, 2020 is the deadline for submitting surveys.

More Information

The Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning supports families and their children, from prenatal through school age, by using data, research and stakeholder guidance to assure high quality services. You can learn more about OCDEL by visiting their website.

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: Encouraging Play Within Early Childhood Classrooms

News

April 27, 2020

Learning to Play, Playing to Learn: Encouraging Play Within Early Childhood Classrooms

“Play acts as a mechanism into courageous, creative, and rigorous thinking in adulthood.” (T. Bruce,., 2013)

The benefits of children’s play can be life-lasting, as long as the experiences are developmentally appropriate, positive, and engaging. This free online course focuses on children’s play and the role of play in early education settings. Participants will take part in varied individual and group activities that pertain to the definitions, developmental mechanics, and functions of play as well as new strategies for encouraging play within children’s earliest classrooms.

Course Information

    • Timeline: May 1 – 22, 2020
    • Trainers: Rachelle Duffy and Jasmine Davis
    • CKC: K2.14.C1
    • Keystone STARS Alignment: EC.3.4.1
    • CDA Subject Area: Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development.
    • Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available.

Registration

To register for this course, please visit the event registration page. All registrations must be submitted by April 29 at 5 p.m. Limited spaces are available.

More Information

For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

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Exploring the Outdoor World Through Our Senses

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Exploring the Outdoor World Through Our Senses

The outside world shapes children’s development through everyday, hands-on experiences. In this free online session, participants will explore ways to facilitate sensory experiences in outdoor play including natural materials in the outdoor environment, reusable loose parts, and classroom materials. Participants will discover the benefits of learning through the five senses and explore meaningful ways to encourage sensory learning with young children.

Course Information

    • Timeline: May 4 – 24, 2020
    • Trainer: Katie Gullone
    • CKC: K2.4C2
    • Keystone STARS Alignment: SQ. 3.4.9
    • CDA Subject Area: Planning a safe and healthy learning environment.
    • Three PQAS and Act 48 hours available.

Registration

To register for this course, please visit the event registration page. All registrations must be submitted by May 1, 2020 at 5 p.m. Limited spots are available.

More Information

For more information, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

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Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Maximum Benefit Increased

News

January 9, 2020

Rising STARS Tuition Assistance Maximum Benefit Increased

For Fiscal Year 2019-20, the maximum benefit for the Rising STARS Tuition Assistance (RSTA) program has increased to $8,000 per individual.

About

Administered by The Pennsylvania Key, the Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL)’s RSTA program helps cover a portion of tuition costs for Pennsylvania’s early childhood educators. Tuition costs net of other funding sources such as scholarships, stipends, discounts, or grants (except the Pell Grant) are used to determine the amount of assistance, with the Fiscal  Year 2019-20 maximum benefit listed as $8,000. It is recommended completed applications be submitted at least four weeks prior to the start of the course, or prior to the tuition due date, whichever is first.

More Information on Rising STARS Tuition Assistance

For eligibility requirements, the application process, and more, visit the Pennsylvania Key website.

*Information provided by PA Early Ed News

For more information for professionals, visit Trying Together’s professional development page.

CDA Renewal Amnesty Program Begins January 1, 2020

News

December 20, 2019

CDA Renewal Amnesty Program Begins January 1, 2020

For a limited time, early childhood professionals whose Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential lapsed or expired can take advantage of a CDA Renewal Amnesty program.

About

Running from January 1, 2020 to March 31, 2020, the CDA Renewal Amnesty program provides early childhood education professionals who completed their CDA but did not submit a renewal in time to keep the CDA current an opportunity to reinstate their credential.

The renewal program is eligible for Rising Stars Tuition Assistance (RSTA). Professionals interested in applying for assistance must complete their profile in the PD Registry to access the Financial Assistance tab. For more information about RSTA, visit the PA Key website.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, professionals must meet the following eligibility requirements:

All applications and payments ($125) must be submitted online by March 31, 2020.

PDOs and New CDA Cohorts

Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) is implementing statewide Professional Development Organizations (PDOs). PDOs will specialize in access to credit-bearing coursework and credentials for the early childhood education (ECE) workforce. Shippensburg University and Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) were selected as the PDOs in Pennsylvania. See a regional map.

While PDOs begin their work, The Pennsylvania Key contracted with several organizations and institutes of higher education, including Trying Together and Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) Region 5, to offer community-based cohorts so that individuals attempting to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential can complete the 120 hours of coursework and receive additional support. This opportunity is only available for 2019-20. Space in these cohorts is limited.

For more information about Trying Together and ELRC Region 5’s CDA program, contact Jan Sapotichne at jan.elrc5@alleghenycounty.us or 412.350.3604.

Learn More

To learn more about the CDA Renewal Amnesty program, visit the Council for Professional Recognition website.

*Information provided by the Pennsylvania Key

What’s It Really Worth? How to Run a Profitable Child Care Business

News

October 25, 2019

What’s It Really Worth? How to Run a Profitable Child Care Business

In this professional development course, participants will learn the basic principles of operating the business of a child care program. Strategies to maximize profits and minimize expenses, public funding sources, and STARS participation effects will be highlighted. This session is intended for program directors of centers, family child care homes, and group child care homes.

    • Course Timeline: November 11 – December 9, 2019
    • CKC: D8.4 C2, D8.2 C3, D8.7
    • Keystone STARS Alignment: LM. 2.1 / CDA:5 and 6

Four professional development hours available after completion. Limited spaces are available.

Questions

For more information on how to register, contact Jasmine Davis at 412.567.3933 or jasmine@tryingtogether.org.

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Registration

To register, complete the form below.