About the Authors
Meagan K. Shedd, PhD, has over 25 years of experience working with families with young children and is the director of evaluation with Food Insight Group( FIG). meagan @ foodinsightgroup. com
Avery Shedd has over six years of experience working in early childhood education and is currently a first-grade teacher.
NAEYC Accreditation
This article supports the following NAEYC Early Learning Programs standards and topics.
Standard 2: Families and Community
Engaging in Reciprocal Partnerships with Families and Fostering Community Connections
Standard 3: Curriculum
Planning and Implementing an Engaging Curriculum to Meet Meaningful Goals
Standard 4: Teaching
Teaching to Enhance Each Child’ s Development and Learning
Photographs: p. 46 © Getty Images; pp. 47, 48 courtesy of authors. Copyright © 2026 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. See permissions and reprints online at NAEYC. org / resources / permissions.
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