What About Us?

“It is almost impossible to overestimate the paramount impact of early childhood education on a student’s future success in school and beyond. When children develop a solid foundation of literacy, numeracy, and self-efficacy, their future learning soars. Ensuring every student masters these essential skills and behaviors will undoubtedly require a collaborative effort, focused on practices proven to work, and tailored to the unique developmental needs of preschool and primary grade students. That is exactly what the award-winning authors provide in this outstanding book! Built on the PLC at Work process, this resource provides complete action steps, targeted tools, and real-life examples to support early-childhood educators. Because the best intervention is prevention, investing in this book now will undoubtedly diminish the need for costly, intensive remediation later.”

“What About Us? is a treasure of information and resources for our unsung heroes—early childhood educators and administrators. Within these pages, you will find practical strategies and evidence of collaborative teams doing the work of PLCs while focusing on the specific academic and social needs of early learners. By using the strategies and processes in this book, my school has transformed from a failing school in 2015 into a thriving, successful school that was recently named a National Model PLC at Work school. This book is a must-read for all early childhood educators!”

“What About Us? accentuates the fact that using the PLC process to analyze student academic and social-emotional learning can be successful at every level, especially those essential early years we so often overlook.”

“This book is a treasure trove packed with all aspects of early childhood learning. If you have been involved in the work of a PLC for years or if you are new to the process, this is a resource your team will highlight and tab for years to come. I love how it connects to social-emotional learning, provides examples of standards-aligned student goal cards, and uses vignettes to highlight the practices of effective teams. This book will make a great impact on the early childhood community, and I can see it as a great text to use at the college level to train early childhood educators!”

“This book of immense clarity and collective inquiry provides a common-sense approach to ensure learning in early childhood. This resource is a wonderfully rich mix of possibilities and practical tools with counsel and coaching to support educators while ensuring play and promise for student success. No matter where you are on your PLC journey, this educational tool will enlighten and illuminate your learning.”

“What About Us? is perfectly named in our field, where resources for educators often overlook the unique application of PLC practices in an early learning environment. It is a valuable tool to assess and reflect on a collaborative team’s practices and identify and respond to areas for improvement. It’s also rich with knowledge and tools for administrators, coaches, and teachers to use at the younger grade levels, including consideration for specific areas critical to early learning, such as play. I’m thrilled to be able to use this resource with my early childhood and kindergarten teams!”