Deb Curtis holds an MA in human development from Pacific Oaks College and has worked as an infant/toddler caregiver, preschool and school age child care teacher, CDA trainer, Head Start education coordinator, college instructor, and assistant director of a child care program.
Margie Carter holds an MA from Pacific Oaks College and has worked as a preschool, kindergarten and primary school teacher, curriculum developer, High/Scope trainer, child care director, and college instructor.
Margie and Deb first met in 1989 when Deb was working as an education coordinator for Head Start and Margie was the training coordinator for a local resource and referral agency in Seattle. They immediately discovered they shared a passion for promoting adventurous childhood experiences, voracious quests for new learning, and raising sons with a feminist consciousness. Influenced by the work of Elizabeth Jones, they attended graduate school together at Pacific Oaks College, where their twenty-year collaborative partnership began. Together, they have designed and taught college classes, worked side-by-side with classroom teachers, produced professional development videos, and co-authored seven books. In the last decade, Margie has focused her attention on working with directors to develop strong administrative systems that support reflective teaching. Deb has returned to work directly with children, putting into practice the philosophy and vision that they promote in their extensive travel across North America, Australia, and New Zealand to give presentations and consult with early childhood programs. Both are regular writers for Child Care Information Exchange and contributors to other publications.
In this era of standardization and prescription in education, Deb and Margie stand for the creative and critical thinking that leads to education for democracy. They strongly believe that high quality care and education for young children and their families requires leaders and practitioners who are able to think through the dynamics of their work with a larger purpose and vision. They encourage early educators and administrators to think big, be visionary, and take responsibility for transforming the current limitations and mediocrity in early childhood.
Designs for Living and Learning will inspire you to create magical environments that nurture children, families, and staff and support learning. Contains a multitude of practical ideas for creative indoor and outdoor spaces and materials. The book features hundreds of gorgeous full-color photographs of real child care settings for infants through schoolagers.
Read a sample chapter of this book! Adobe Reader is required. .
Inspired by the practices of Reggio Emilia, this presentation includes images of infants through school-age children from programs around the United States.
Rethink your ideas about scheduling, observation, play, materials, space, and emergent themes with these original approaches. Use the charts, assessment tools, and spaces for notes to record your progress. Lots of classroom examples and ideas to spark your creativity.
Read a sample chapter of this book! Adobe Reader is required. .
With everyday tools—scissors, torn paper, photos—and your daily observations, you can tell the story of a curriculum project, a child's development, or a field trip. This is a powerful way to let everyone know about the important work you and the children do.
Featuring nine Observation Study Sessions, The Art of Awareness offers ideas, activities, and experiences, as opposed to just a set of checklists and facts to learn. Chapters cover observing seven different aspects of children's lives as well as tips for gathering and preparing documentation. A full-color insert provides examples of documentation.
Read a sample chapter of this book! Adobe Reader is required. .
This approach to how to teach puts some of the best ideas about teaching and learning into action with innovative training tools and strategies. Helps teachers construct their own knowledge and respect their own learning style. Includes an eight-week course on child-centered curriculum planning.
Read a sample chapter of this book! Adobe Reader is required. .
Define your vision for your child care environment, focusing on five creative elements.
Redleaf Press is a division of Resources for Child Caring, a nonprofit resource and referral organization. Your purchases directly support the care and education of young children.
10 Yorkton Court, St. Paul 55117-1065
ph: 1-800-423-8309
fax: 1-800-641-0115
of this book! Adobe Reader is required. 
