Observation: NAEYC Accredited Programs

There are three principal means of acquiring knowledge... observation of nature, reflection, and experimentation. Observation collects facts; reflection combines them; experimentation verifies the result of that combination. Denis Diderot

One of the tools to develop as an Early Childhood professional is to observe other programs, particularly programs that meet and even exceed our state licensing requirements; programs that go beyond to implement best practices for children. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest organization of early childhood professionals and has established the hallmark for Developmentally Appropriate Practice in working with young children.  Let's take a closer look at what makes quality programs for children. Here is information about NAEYC Accreditation from their website, as well as a link to search for an accredited program near you to complete your observation for your CDA Essentials course.

NAEYC Accreditation of programs for young children represents the mark of quality in early childhood education.  NAEYC Accreditation began in 1985 with the goal of providing an accrediting system that would raise the level of early childhood programs. Today, over 6,500 programs are NAEYC Accredited.

NAEYC accredited programs invest in early childhood education because they believe in the benefits to children and families.  Early childhood experiences—from birth to age 8—have an enormous impact on children’s lifelong learning and positively contribute to their health and development.  Early childhood education programs with the mark of quality benefit children with greater readiness for and success in school.

Benefits of being an NAEYC Accredited Program:

• Helps to build a stronger team of teachers, administrators, and families working together to improve quality for children. 
• Improved standards for the overall program 
• Recognition through NAEYC, including program listing on the NAEYC website in the Program Search section 
• Announcement of program’s accreditation in the NAEYC Early Learning News weekly newsletter to programs, members, media, and others. 
• Use of NAEYC Accredited logo for marketing purposes 
•  Attracts more families to enroll their children at program 

Search for an NAEYC Accredited Program near you