Gaye Gronlund is a former preschool, kindergarten and primary teacher of both regular and special education. With her classroom experience in play-based curriculum and authentic assessment, a Masters Degree from Pacific Oaks College specializing in adult learning and early childhood education, and her extensive experience as a staff development specialist, she helps others truly understand and implement best practices for young children.
She is the author of six books published by Redleaf Press (www.redleafpress.org):
Developmentally Appropriate Play: Guiding Young Children to Higher Levels
Make Early Learning Standards Come Alive: Connecting Your Practice and Curriculum to State Guidelines (co-published with NAEYC)
Focused Observations: How to Observe Children for Assessment and Curriculum Planning (coauthor, Marlyn James)
Focused Early Learning: A Planning Framework for Teaching Young Children
Focused Portfolios: A Complete Assessment for the Young Child (coauthor, Bev Engel)
Early Learning Standards and Staff Development: Best Practices in the Face of Change (coauthor, Marlyn James)
Numerous articles have appeared in Young Children, the journal for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), on topics ranging from super-hero play, best practices in primary education, portfolio assessment and academics in preschool and kindergarten classrooms.
Since 1990, clients have included:
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
State of New Mexico PreK Program and Office of Child Development
National Insittute for Early Education Research (NIEER)
West Virginia Department of School Readiness
Indiana Department of Education
South Carolina Department of Education
Illinois Resource Center and Starnet Agencies
Child Care Learning Project of Ivy Tech Colleges of Indiana
Indiana School for the Deaf
and schools and programs throughout Michigan, Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois,
Missouri, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Tennessee, South Carolina, West Virginia and Florida.