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Writing for Teaching Young Children

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Thank you for your interest in writing for Teaching Young Children (TYC)! 

We rely on educational professionals like you to share your stories with NAEYC. 

Published four times a year, each issue of TYC offers the latest news and practical, research-based articles on early childhood education. Although TYC has in the past focused on preschool, we know that our readers work with or on behalf of young children from birth through age 8. Readers include teachers, family child care providers, program and school administrators, higher education faculty and students, professional development trainers, policy makers, and others.  

Before submitting your idea:

1. Browse the articles and tips on the NAEYC website.
2. Review our writing guidelines.
3. Learn more about the decision and publication process.
4. Upload your submission through Editorial Manager. After creating an account, you will see instructions for manuscript submission. You can view tutorials on the Editorial Manager website or contact the NAEYC periodicals staff at [email protected] if you need assistance.

Although we are not able to provide specific feedback on all submissions, we will contact you if your submission is a good match for the current needs of TYC. Articles selected for publication are considered a contribution to the profession; authors do not receive fees or royalties.

Writing Guidelines

Please keep the following in mind when you submit your work:

Audience

The primary audience for TYC is early childhood professionals who work for and with young children. They work in various roles, including teachers, family child care providers, program and school administrators, higher education faculty and students, and others. They are looking for information, examples, and resources to deepen their knowledge and practices. Articles in TYC are short, to the point, and easily understood by a wide range of educators. 

Writing Guidelines

TYC publishes a few different kinds of articles. We need all types for each issue of the magazine, and we have expanded our focus! We are now looking for content about the entire continuum of early childhood education, so that we can offer practical, research-informed articles for infant, toddler, preschool, and early elementary educators. 

In general, TYC does not publish content or promotional pieces that focus on (or promote) one organization's products or services as editorial content. 

We are actively looking for the following types of content:

  1. Tips: Short and to the point pieces. A submission can focus on curricular topics, and we are also seeking submissions that offer information and advice to new educators and to those who are seeking to advance in their career. Word count: 800–1,200 words. For example, see 6X. Six Ways Educators Can Honor Home Languages, 5X. Tips for Embedding Assessment into Daily Preschool Routines, and 7X. Supporting Staff Through Change.  
    We are also seeking short pieces that highlight 3 to 4 noteworthy texts for young children with a short list of associated, practical activities. For example, see Now Read This! Books that Promote Race, Identity, Agency, and Voice and Now Read This! Supporting Positive Racial Identity with Literacy-Based Math.  
  2. Full-length articles:  Descriptions of research-based practices and innovative ideas that are grounded in real-life situations. Word count: 1,000–1,500 words. For examples of the variety of topics and stories, see Creating Anti-Racist Early Childhood Spaces, Playing Around with Number Composition: Games, Stories, and Everyday Problem Solving in the Preschool Classroom, and Teachers Are My Classroom: Reflecting on My Journey from Teacher to Director.
  3. DAP in Action: Photo essays that illustrate what DAP looks like in action. Photo count: Up to 15 photos; Word count: introductory text (100-250 words), brief captions (up to 100 words each), and conclusion (100-250 words). Refer to the latest edition of NAEYC’s position statement and related resources on DAP to select a specific element of the learning environment, instruction, or interactions to capture and explain.  

A submission should include 

In addition, we encourage authors to include  

  • A list of supporting theory/research. While TYC does not include in-text citations, authors should provide a list of at least 3 sources that support the ideas in the submission. These could include a peer-reviewed journal (like Young Children, The Reading Teacher, ZERO TO THREE Journal, etc.), a practitioner book or textbook, position statements, or research-informed websites (like the Center for the Developing Child, The DREME Network, etc.). For example, see the list of resources in To Speak or Not To Speak My Language: Supporting Families’ Home Language Practices. 
  • One or two brief suggestions for how program administrators, professional development trainers, and/or higher education faculty can support educators to use ideas from the submission.


We are looking for general content and content focused on specific themes. 

TYC publishes in Spring, Fall, Summer, and Winter. Each issue has a theme, with at least 3 articles related to it. Themes reflect timely topics, trends, and thinking about early childhood education. The table below provides the themes for upcoming issues, along with the due dates for submitting articles.   

The editorial team asks that authors submit only one article at a time to be processed, reviewed, and receive a decision. Our preferred practice is to publish a particular author only once per 12-month period. Occasionally we make exceptions to best meet the needs of our readers. 

Issue Date

Theme

Submission Due Date

Summer 2025 
Educator Well-being 
Educators’ physical, psychological, and professional well-being are linked to engagement in their work, the quality of their practices, and their intentions to stay in the field. For this issue, we are seeking submissions that include real-life stories of educator well-being. We are also seeking submissions that consider the contexts in which educators are experiencing challenges/obstacles and have a voice in identifying solutions they need. Whether a submission portrays what is or isn't working, it will be helpful to explain and provide examples of the supports and approaches that will promote each and every educator's well-being. 
December 1, 2024 
Fall 2025 
Joy and Learning: Engaging and Impactful Teaching in Action 
Across the country in a range of settings, ECEs are thinking creatively about learning goals and creating engaging and impactful learning experiences for young children. This issue will highlight examples that serve both as inspiration and evidence that joyful learning supports children's development across all domains. We are looking for inspiring examples of promoting joyful, equitable learning from directors, principals, educators working in family child care settings, centers, and/or schools. Submissions can include photo essays, practical tips, or full-length articles. 
February 3, 2025 
Winter 2026 
Promoting Early Literacy Through Research-Based Practices 
Early childhood educators are being asked to implement strategies, activities, and materials based in the “science of reading.” But what does the research actually show, and how does it apply to early childhood education?  For this issue, we are seeking submissions that translate current thinking to practice. A submission could explain how current research supports what educators are already doing. Or, what the latest research shows related to new ways of promoting early literacy. A submission could examine how the latest evidence applies to teaching in birth to 5 settings and/or to teaching in K-3 settings. Note:  All submissions should reflect the latest theory/research and prioritize translation of research to practice. Submissions should broadly reflect an important aspect of the research, which is that early literacy development includes a range of components (although submissions do not need to explore all components). 
May 2, 2025 
Spring 2026 
The Preschool to Kindergarten Transition  
The transition between preschool and kindergarten is an important one—for children and families as well as educators and programs/schools. We are seeking stories of successes; that is, of "sturdy bridges" that have been established and maintained and the effective elements and processes in place. We are also seeking stories of current challenges along with possible solutions. Submissions may include practical tips and examples (e.g., 5 things I want kindergarten teachers to know, written by a preschool educator/admin; 5 things I want preschool educators to know, written by a K teacher or elementary principal). Submissions could illustrate the role of play and/or the role of DAP before, during, and after the transition to kindergarten. 
August 1, 2025 

 

Format and writing tips

  •  Content—including strategies, activities, books, and materials—must be research-based, reflect developmentally appropriate practice and advancing equity, and include ideas on how to support children and families from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.  
  • Use plain language that is straightforward and easy for readers to understand. It’s also okay for content to be funny and to have some personality.
  • Describe real-life examples and situations. 
  • Provide specific, practical tips and strategies for early childhood professionals, particularly teachers. 
  • Present information using bullets, subheadings, lists, checklists, and high-resolution photographs, if available.

Photos

If you have high-resolution photographs that go along with your content, please include them with your submission.  

Authors are responsible for seeking and maintaining written permission from parents or legal guardians to include photos of children or children's work samples. They are also responsible for seeking and maintaining written permission to include photos of adults. Permissions are needed for any recognizable person appearing in photos. In addition, if the author did not take the photos, the author must confirm that they have the right to publish the photos and that the photographer possesses the necessary model releases.

The editorial team will reach out upon acceptance to process the forms. NAEYC-approved model release forms are available from the editorial team if needed. Forms must be confirmed and provided to the editorial team before publication. Failure to do so will result in the photos being excluded from publication. 

Decision and Publication Process

Timeline:  The review and decision process for TYC takes up to 6 months from receipt of manuscript. The process is compressed for theme articles. For accepted articles, the time from acceptance to publication is on average 12–18 months for general/nontheme articles, depending on publication needs. 

Notification of decision:  We will let you know if your content is accepted for publication, if a revision is requested, or if we will not be publishing the content at this time. 

Editing:  All submissions are subject to editorial review and substantive revisions, copyediting, and design. We will share edits with you, pose queries, and ask for additional information, as needed.

Copyright and clearance requirements:  Before publication, we will provide copyright and clearance forms to ensure that NAEYC has the rights to publish the content. We also require the rights to use all photographs and videos. Photographers must obtain and maintain model releases from the subjects of the photos/videos.  

NAEYC content is copyrighted and many forms of reuse require a permissions request. For more information, please visit https://www.naeyc.org/resources/permissions.  

Submission: Upload your submission on the TYC Editorial Manager site.

NAEYC Periodicals Team

Annie Moses, PhD, Director of Periodicals/Editor in Chief
Susan Donsky, Managing Editor
Shabrayle Setliff, Associate Editor
Emily Wehby, Associate Editor 
Email: [email protected]

Interested in writing for other NAEYC publications?

Check out our author guidelines for:

 
Age: Preschool
Topics: TYC

For Authors and Photographers

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