Anchor Early Years

05/29/2026

New skills deserve to be named out loud.

When a baby pulls herself to standing, celebrate it. When a toddler uses a word correctly for the first time, make a big deal of it. When a big kid reads their first full sentence, stop and mark the moment.

Specific recognition, naming exactly what you saw and why it matters, tells children that their effort and growth are worth noticing. That is the fuel for more growth.

05/28/2026

Are your rates based on what the market allows, your costs, and the value of what you provide? Or are they based on what you feel comfortable asking for?

Those are often very different numbers.

You provide a comprehensive, individualized, professionally run early childhood program. Meals, safety, curriculum, relationships, flexibility, and peace of mind. Setting fair rates is not greedy. It is sustainable. And a sustainable program is a better program for the children and families you serve.

When did you last review your rates?

05/27/2026

Following routines, shifting from one activity to another without a meltdown, listening and responding to simple instructions, waiting a moment before acting.

These are transition skills and they are also the social and self-regulation skills that make kindergarten feel manageable.

When we build predictable routines, give children advance notice before changes, and coach them through transitions with patience, we are building the skills they will rely on for the rest of their lives.

What transition do you see children working through right now?

05/27/2026

CTAEYC Members, it's time to vote!

Voting is now open for our 2026 Board of Directors elections! This is your chance to help shape the future of early childhood education in Connecticut.

This year's candidates are running for:
Co-President Elect
VP of Professional Learning & Quality
VP of Community Engagement & Membership
VP of Fund Development, Finance, & Sustainability
Member at Large
Cast your vote here: https://forms.gle/fPjAiBPF52quCw8L9

Voting closes June 12, 2026. Every vote counts!

Not yet a member? Visit ctaeyc.org to join Connecticut's early childhood community today.

05/26/2026

Your team is watching how you handle a difficult conversation with a parent. They are watching how you respond when something goes wrong. They are watching what you do when you are tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

You are always teaching, not just when you intend to.

What do you want your team to have learned about leadership from watching you this year? That is your real professional development question for the week.

05/25/2026

Hope your long weekend gave you something to hold onto.

Take 10 slow breaths before the week begins and with each one think about something good you have contributed to your community this year. A child who felt safer. A family who felt seen. A colleague who felt supported. A program that runs a little better because of you.

That is a life's work. Carry it into this week with pride.

05/24/2026

Join us!

05/24/2026

This new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics is a must-read for early childhood educators and families. The reminder that screens don’t replace relationships, and that the kind of media matters as much as the amount, is so relevant to the work we do every day with young children.

This is exactly why the foundational work matters. Building focus, self-regulation, and resilience happens in real moments, through real relationships. At Anchor Early Years, supporting that work is at the heart of everything we do through training, coaching, and consultation that keeps child development at the center.

What are you seeing in your programs and classrooms?

The American Academy of Pediatrics' new report on digital ecosystems makes one thing clear: today’s media is designed to capture attention and children are growing up in it.

For young kids, that matters. Their brains are still building skills like focus, self-regulation, and learning through real-world interaction.

Screens can help, but they don’t replace relationships.

Children build resilience through everyday moments: waiting, problem-solving and learning to work through small disappointments. If screens become the default, those opportunities shrink.

And it’s not just how much media kids use. It’s what kind they're watching. Fast, short-form content used alone doesn’t support development the way shared, educational content can.

Read more of our take in Beyond the Headlines: https://bit.ly/4sE61Tr

05/24/2026

🌟 FREE Virtual Workshop for Parents & Educators! 🌟

PECC is excited to bring you First 100 Words: Building a Strong Foundation for Language Development, a free Zoom workshop facilitated by pediatric speech-language pathologist Ally Soule, MA CCC-SLP!

Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or early childhood educator, this session is for you! You'll walk away with practical strategies to support early language development in children birth to age 3. 💬👶

📅 Thursday, June 25, 2026
🕡 6:30 PM Eastern
💻 Virtual via Zoom
✅ FREE and Registration Required

👉 Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/qO1enCsnRTmrpI3vXZBU8A

Spots are limited so don't wait! Tag a parent or educator who would love this. 💙

05/22/2026

Memorial Day weekend is here. Three days. Slower mornings. Less rushing.

Take the long weekend for what it actually is -- extra time with the people who matter most. Let the kids stay outside a little longer. Eat together without watching the clock. Let the day unfold without an agenda.

Young children do not need a packed itinerary. They need you, present and unhurried. That is the whole gift.

Enjoy every minute of it.

05/21/2026

The way you greet each child in the morning sets the emotional tone for their entire day.

Getting down to their level. Making eye contact. Saying their name. Noticing something specific about them. These are not small gestures. They are the foundation of the secure base that children need to take risks, try new things, and learn.

You do not need a formal lesson plan for this. You need presence and intention. That is the curriculum that matters most. What does your morning greeting communicate?