Below you will find links to organizations that focus on the education of children. 
The following organizations provide valuable resources for parents and professionals interested in strengthening young children’s education.

Academy for Education Development (AED)

Founded in 1961, AED is an independent, nonprofit organization committed to solving critical social problems in the U.S. and throughout the world through education, social marketing, research, training, policy analysis and innovative program design and management.

  • The Center for School and Community Services
    School and Community Services is committed to excellence and equity in education and to developing links between schools, families, and community-based organizations to increase educational and employment opportunities for youth across the United States.

American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

  • “Read Me a Story” Reading Checkup Guide
    Reading Is FundamentalŇ (RIFŇ) is the nation’s oldest and largest children’s literacy organization and the leader in motivating children to read.  RIF developed this Reading Checkup Guide in consultation with some of America’s leading educators and researchers. The guide is packed with practical advice about what parents and caregivers can do to nurture children’s emerging literacy skills and interest in reading.

Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA)

CIERA’s mission is to improve the reading achievement of America’s youth by generating and disseminating theoretical, empirical, and practical solutions to the learning and teaching of beginning reading. 

  • Library
    The Library contains an instructional resources section, a report series section, an archive section, a presentations section, and a products section.
  • Links
    Many educators find that our Links page is a very valuable resource, returning again and again for the latest updates. We continue to add new links all the time, and welcome your recommendations. Come back often for a comprehensive listing of up-to-date links to literacy and education resources on the net.

Child & Family Canada

Welcome to Child & Family Canada, a unique Canadian public education website.

Collaborative to Advance Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

  • Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Program Review
    Many educators adopt programs that focus on reducing problem behaviors among their students, enhancing their character, promoting their health, or developing their social competence.  To assist educators in selecting a program, CASEL is conducting a comprehensive evaluation of school-based programs (grades K-12) that promote children's social and emotional development. The purpose of the review is to provide educators, program developers, scientists, policy makers, and the general public with a description of the key components of quality SEL programs and a summary of the degree to which available programs incorporate these components.

Education Commission of the States (ECS)

  • Education Issues: Early Childhood
    ECS’ Issue site on early childhood education and care is designed to help policymakers and educators make informed choices about issues relating to young children, from how to ensure quality to how to pay for programs.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Elementary and Childhood Development

  • ReadyWeb
    ReadyWeb is a resource for parents and educators.  ReadyWeb provides a Virtual Library of the full text of documents and articles, and hyperlinks to documents and articles, on various topics related to school readiness.

Families and Work Institute (FWI)

  • MetLife Foundation Tri-Connecting Initiative
    The success of public education has become one of our country’s highest priorities in the 21st century. Employers, policymakers, families and community leaders know that education is key to future productivity and prosperity in an increasingly competitive, global and information-based economy.

Head Start

Head Start and Early Head Start are comprehensive child development programs which serve children from birth to age 5, pregnant women, and their families. They are child-focused programs and have the overall goal of increasing the school readiness of young children in low-income families.

  • Early Head Start National Resource Center
    The Early Head Start National Resource Center, operated by ZERO TO THREE in collaboration with WestEd, is responsible for coordinating the provision of and training and technical assistance to the more than 400 Early Head Start Programs across the country.  Resource Center staff work in concert with several regionally-based organizations to offer assistance in a variety of areas, including: child development, family development, community building, staff development, program administration and management. 

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

  • Early Years Are Learning Years: Make Them Count!
    A series of one-page, focused articles on topics that help parents and early childhood professionals make the critical early years the best that they can be for all children.
  • Children’s Champions
    The National Association for the Education of Young Children promotes national, state and local public policies that support a system of well-financed, high quality early childhood education programs in a range of settings, including child care centers, family child care homes, and schools.
  • Resources for Parents
    NAEYC provides resources and information for parents as guidance for choosing the best possible care and education for their children.
  • Resources in Spanish
    For easy access to NAEYC resources in Spanish...
  • Young Children International
    NAEYC introduces this section on our web site as a way to use technology to encourage information exchange and networking with and among our international colleagues.

National Association of Child Care Resources and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA)

National Education Association (NEA)

NEA is America's oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education.

  • For Educators
    References and resources for educators.
  • For Parents
    Parent involvement resources.
  • Topic Issues
    Look at issues such as bilingual education, low-performing schools, safe schools, tuition vouchers, and much more.

National Governor's Association (NGA)

  • Early Childhood
    Activities include: Building Public and Political Will for Early Childhood Care and Education, State Early Childhood Policy Leadership Forum, Evaluating Statewide Early Childhood Initiatives, and reports, issue briefs, meeting summaries, and other online documents.
  • Extra Learning Opportunities
    Extra Learning Opportunities (ELOs) provide school-age children (ages five to eighteen) with recreational, academic, and development opportunities supplementing the education provided in a typical school day. The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices is examining innovative state practices that expand and enhance ELOs and assisting states in mapping out current resources and creating a baseline for future investments in ELO programs.
  • First Three Years: Early Care and Education
    This section includes examples of early care and education research and initiatives.

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

  • Reading Research at the NICHD
    Contains reading research resources: a report of the National Reading Panel, and Child Development and Behavior Branch reading research resources.
  • Child Development and Behavior Branch (CDB)
    The Child Development and Behavior Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, supports research on psychological, psychobiological, and educational development from conception to maturity. The branch focuses on the following program areas:
  • Human Learning and Learning Disabilities
    This program has a special interest in developing and supporting research and training initiatives to increase knowledge relevant to normal and atypical development of reading, written language, and mathematics abilities throughout the life span and the development of prevention, remediation, and instructional approaches and methods to ensure robust development of reading, written language and mathematics skills at different stages of development.
  • Language, Bilingual and Biliteracy Development and Disorders
    This research program has a special interest in research to increase knowledge of language development and disorders, second language acquisition, and written language development and disorders in bilingual/multilingual children. The program also supports training in the study of these areas.
  • Early Learning and School Readiness
    This program supports research that will specify the experiences children need from birth to age eight to prepare them to learn, read, and succeed in school. In addition, the program seeks to identify early interactions with adults and peers, the early childhood education teaching methods and curricula, and comprehensive early childhood interventions that support learning and development, specifically in domains that prepare children from diverse backgrounds for kindergarten and the early grades.

National Institute on Early Childhood Development and Education

The Early Childhood Institute (ECI) sponsors comprehensive and challenging research in order to help ensure that America's young children are successful in school and beyond -- and to enhance their quality of life and that of their families. (Office of Educational Research and Improvement, US Department of Education)

  • The Early Childhood Research Working Group
    A group of representatives from approximately 30 Federal agencies that support research, data collection, and services for young children and their families.
  • National Center for Early Childhood Development and Learning
    A national early childhood research project sponsored by the US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Research and Improvement.  NCEDL focuses on enhancing the cognitive, social, & emotional development of children from birth through age eight.

The Children's Literature Web Guide

The Children's Literature Web Guide is an attempt to gather together and categorize the growing number of Internet resources related to books for Children and Young Adults.

The National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities (NICHCY)

NICHCY is the national information and referral center that provides information on disabilities and disability-related issues for families, educators, and other professionals. Our special focus is children and youth (birth to age 22).

  • General Resources
    These resource sheets will give you some basics on disabilities, and will give you the information you need to get in touch with disability-related organizations in your area.
  • State Resource Sheets
    The NICHCY State Resource Sheet for your state will help you locate organizations and agencies within your state that address disability-related issues. Included on NICHCY state sheets are: state senators, state governors, state agencies serving children and youth with disabilities, state chapters of disability organizations and parent groups, and parent training and information projects.

U.S. Department of Education

  • Guide to Education Programs
    View education programs for Early Childhood, Pre-K, Preschool, K-12, and other grade levels.
  • Pre K to 12 Topics
    Resources for those interested in such topics as afterschool programs, at-risk students, bilingual education, family involvement, choice, special education, teacher quality, and many more.