"It′s time to build a bridge between early childhood programs and the K–3 system to ensure continued success for all children. This is the ultimate how-to manual for administrators and teachers who wish to maintain and maximize the gains children make in preschool." ―Sally Wingle, Preschool Teacher Chelsea Community Preschool, MI "A great guide pointing in the right direction for starting a program. With the U.S. Department of Education′s emphasis on early childhood education and new monies available from the stimulus plan, this book is a valuable resource." ―Cindy Luna, Principal Northside ISD, San Antonio, TX A 10-step plan for linking early childhood education to the K–3 system! The national push for improving young children′s early learning experiences is no longer just about preschool. Now the focus is on strategic planning to increase achievement by reaching out to community early childhood education providers, establishing a strong PreK–3 foundation that connects early childhood education standards and goals to a K–3 system, and ensuring that young learners receive high-quality instruction before kindergarten. Drawing on more than 20 years′ success with a PreK–3 system in Washington state, the authors present a 10-step, field-tested model that demonstrates how early childhood professionals and K–12 school leaders can outline a clear implementation plan for an integrated PreK–3 system that: Identifies both families′ and children′s needs - Shares developmental information about individual learning skills and social/emotional development as children transition to kindergarten - Aligns resources, curriculum, instruction, and assessments - Anticipates challenges and celebrates successes - Invites input from superintendents, state officials, Head Start leaders, and Title I directors “A great guide pointing in the right direction to start a program for early childhood education. With the high emphasis from the U.S. Department of Education and new monies available from the stimulus plan, this book will be a valuable resource for the changes we will be experiencing in education.” -- Cindy Luna, Principal Published On: 2009-07-16 “It’s time to build a bridge between all early childhood programs and the K-3 system to ensure continued success for all of our children. This is the ultimate how-to manual for administrators and teachers who wish to maintain and maximize the gains children make in preschool.” -- Sally Wingle, Preschool Teacher Published On: 2009-07-16 "Early learning providers and school districts together can build a strong foundation and offer wonderful learning opportunities for each and every child. This book provides the tools to create enjoyable learning experiences from preschool and beyond." -- Jill Brenner, Child Development Manager Published On: 2009-08-28 Linda Sullivan-Dudzic has spent the past 30 years connecting early childhood to K-12 to the higher education system. Prior to entering the fields of speech language pathology, curriculum and instruction, special education, and Title I, she learned a great deal from her mother, Lillian Sullivan, who started one of the first quality preschool programs in the 1960’s, Nursery School, that included students with disabilities. Building on this strong early foundation, Sullivan-Dudzic continued her educational training and experience as a speech language pathologist at Kitsap Community Resources Head Start and started one of the first cooperative public school and Head Start service agreements to serve children with disabilities. Sullivan-Dudzic′s advocacy for early childhood and students with disabilities continued with her work with the public school system (birth to 12 th grade) as a special programs director, as well as her work with higher education designing and teaching college-level courses, and working with others to create a faith-based private preschool whose mission is to provide quality education to families who cannot afford preschool. Donna Gearns began her teaching career in self-contained preschool, elementary, and middle school classrooms for students with learning disabilities. As an itinerant special education teacher, she discovered the importance of building relationships with staff and directors in community preschool settings, a critical step in the process of developing a Pre-K to 3 rd Grade System. Her work in quality preschool classrooms and collaboration with committed teachers and directors allowed her the opportunity to facilitate the use of common curriculum and its implementation in community preschool settings. Donna currently is a Teacher On Special Assignment (TOSA) for Bremerton School District. In addition to working with community preschool programs, she is an Assistive Technology Specialist for students from preschool through high school. Her goal is to make a difference for children and teachers by providing resources, information and support. Donna and her husband have two sons and li