As many of you ramp up for a new program year, it’s a great time to reflect on your professional goals and aspirations. I encourage you to pause and think about how you want to grow as an early childhood educator.

From helping children cope with transitions to the power of positive words, this issue of Teaching Young Children is packed with tips from educators on engaging with young children, families, and communities in this back-to-school season. After all, as you increase your knowledge and competencies, you brighten the future of each child in your program.

To jump-start your professional development, go to NAEYC.org/resources for inspiration:

• Serious Fun: How Guided Play Extends Children’s Learning, edited by Marie L. Masterson and Holly Bohart, can give you ideas for both guiding children’s play and providing unstructured play experiences
• The March 2019 issue of Young Children provides great articles on enhancing children’s communication, equalizing opportunities to learn, and much more
• The online minicourse Classroom-Based Assessment offers information on evidence-based assessment, observation, and documentation in the classroom
• The webinar So Much More than the ABCs illustrates how language and literacy skills can be integrated into the classroom.

Onward!