“The strength of Innovations is the wonderful integration of child development principles, theory, and practice. The result is a perfect blend of grounded knowledge, practical experience, and curriculum ideas that makes this a valuable resource for early childhood teachers.”
—Child Care Information Exchange
Kay Albrecht, Ph.D. is widely known as an advocate for high quality early childhood education and development opportunities for all children. She is president of Innovations in Early Childhood Education, a consulting firm specializing in writing, management consultation, and staff development. She is the author of several instructional manuals and is the academic editor of Exchange Magazine.
Dr. Albrecht is a nationally recognized speaker and a highly sought-after consultant to early childhood programs. She is a frequent keynote speaker and has participated in conferences and seminars throughout the US and around the world, such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), University of Wisconsin at Stout Early Childhood Seminars, Southern Early Childhood Association (SECA), New Zealand Child Care Association Annual Conference, and many others. Before joining Innovations in Early Childhood Education, Kay Albrecht founded HeartsHome Early Learning Center in Houston, TX, a nationally accredited early childhood program, where she served as director for 14 years.
Kay Albrecht lives in Houston, TX.
Q: What makes Innovations different from other early childhood education programs?
Innovations isn’t an early childhood program. It is an educational consulting firm. So, to answer the question, what makes Innovations different, the relationships we form with clients makes us different. We work with them over time offering consistent, comprehensive services that fit unique and changing needs. Innovations also supports programs who use the many books I have published in their programs and program operations.
Q: Why are interactive environments so important to young children’s learning experience?
To quote T. Berry Brazelton, “Nothing good happens to children outside of warm, reciprocal relationships.” Dr. Brazelton understands that the quality of the relationship predicts so many of young children’s educational and life outcomes. Early brain development, emotional development, language development, physical development, social development, and cognitive development are all influenced by initial and ongoing relationships. This makes ensuring that families and teachers know how to initiate and sustain positive, reciprocal relationships is really job one. Everything else builds on that firm, strong foundation. One component of Innovations’ mission is to support teachers and programs in developing and maintaining such relationships.
Q: You’ve been working in the field of early childhood education for more than twenty years. How has the landscape of education changed over that time? What challenges do our children face now and in the future?
The biggest challenge to young children today is the pace of childhood. Life for little ones is so hectic for so many children.
The biggest challenge for teachers is the aggressive increase in qualifications that is not supported by parallel increases in compensation. We are asked to know more and to do more every day. Persevering in this educational/employment situation is getting harder and harder.
The biggest challenge for teacher educators is finding ways to help teachers gain the knowledge and skills they need to cope in this stage of dynamic and systematic change. Technology has changed the way educational experiences are delivered but learning is still predominantly the purview of the individual. Supporting teachers in training to become lifelong learners is a challenging, often lonely job.
Q: How has the field of education evolved over the years? How have standards impacted teaching methods? How have teachers adapted to these changes?
The biggest challenge for teachers today is the aggressive increase in qualifications that is not supported by parallel increases in compensation or clear career pathways. We are asked to know more and to do more every day. Finding committed people to persevere in this educational/employment situation is getting harder and harder. Nevertheless, early childhood teachers are enrolling in college in unprecedented numbers as they work to improve their preparedness and increase their educational credentials.
The biggest challenge for teacher educators is finding ways to help teachers gain the knowledge and skills they need to cope in this stage of dynamic and systematic change. Technology has changed the way educational experiences are delivered but learning is still predominantly the purview of the individual. Supporting teachers in training to become lifelong learners should be at the heart of all of our educational experiences.
Standards have always been a part of education and reflected in the teaching strategies we use with adults. The new ingredient is measuring teaching competence by children’s educational progress as if nothing happened to the child before he or she encountered a particular teacher and nothing will happen after that encounter. This, of course, doesn’t reflect the ecological nature of children’s learning and experience and discounts the dynamic role of development in learning. Of course, effective teachers matter to children, particularly at risk children. On the other hand, a year is a very short time in a child’s life and we have to work hard to keep one year’s experience from predicting a child’s future.
Introduction to the Innovations Infant Curriculum
Introduction to the Innovations Preschool Curriculum
Introduction to the Innovations series
Introduction to the Innovations Toddler Curriculum
Toddler Curriculum, The Comprehensive Infant Curriculum: A Self-Directed Teacher's Guide, The Comprehensive Toddler Curriculum: A Self Directed Teacher's Guide, and The Comprehensive Infant and Toddler Curriculum, Trainer's Guide. The texts are designed to be used as a pre-service model, an in-service model or an annual all-day training plan. Focusing on the development of children from birth to age three, the first book offers teacher an in-depth guide to the underlying ages and stages, theories, and best practices of the early childhood field. The self-directed manuals offer 40-plus hours of instruction on such topics as: developmental tasks; using forms to document events, progress and interactions; using anecdotal observations; creating supportive learning environments; supporting emerging literacy; and developing activities and experiences that address the needs of infants and toddlers.”
—Curriculum Review Magazine
Praise for The Comprehensive Preschool Curriculum:
“This resource is so wonderful... this (is) a very easy and appealing curriculum to use...The topics covered in this curriculum are right on for children 3 to 5 years old. It covers all the interests and issues facing preschool children in a fun and interactive way. This resource will pave the way for children to transition easily into more formal education. Bravo!”
—Jody Martin, Educational Consultant
“Comprehensive is such an apt word to describe the latest volume in the Innovations curriculum series. Blending child development theory with knowledge about best practices in classroom learning environments, observation and assessment, and parent partnerships, The Comprehensive Preschool Curriculum is an indispensable guide for preschool teachers to plan meaningful learning experiences for young children. The book will also serve as a terrific text for early childhood curriculum courses in preservice teacher education programs.”
—New Horizons