Teachstone Blog

3 How-To Learning Opportunities at the 2026 Interact CLASS® Summit

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 14:02:36 GMT

Gray skies and school closures are the hallmark of February for many of us, but if you’re dreaming of spring—or even just a fresh perspective—don’t miss the 11th annual InterAct CLASS^® Summit, April 27–29, 2026, in Chicago.

Applying Science of Reading Principles in Early Childhood Classrooms

Teachstone — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:23:31 GMT

Strengthening early literacy practice across classrooms is a priority for many early childhood leaders. Supporting that work includes ensuring professional learning connects meaningfully to what educators do with children each day.

Connecting CLASS® and CDA: Preparing for the Birth to Five Credential

Teachstone — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 15:15:45 GMT

The Council for Professional Recognition has introduced an exciting new opportunity for early educators: the Birth to Five CDA Credential. Designed to streamline the credentialing process for those working with multiple age groups, this new option recognizes the full continuum of early childhood - from infants to preschoolers - under one comprehensive certification.

But as CDA pathways evolve, so should your preparation. That’s where CDA with CLASS® comes in.

Cultural Perspectives of CLASS®

sarah.hadden@teachstone.com (Sarah Hadden) — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 21:46:19 GMT

We were really happy to receive an article examining the use of CLASS® in American Indian and Alaska Native Head Start Programs. And we were equally happy when lead author Jessica Barnes-Najor, a researcher at Michigan State University, agreed to speak with us. In conjunction with her work at MSU, Jessica is a co-investigator for The Tribal Early Childhood Research Center (TRC). Read below to learn more about this important research.

Learning in Nature: Easy Outdoor Strategies to Strengthen CLASS® Interactions

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 15:45:00 GMT

As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, it’s the perfect time to think about taking learning outside. I'm excited to share highlights of our recent webinar, Getting Outdoorsy with CLASS®: Going Beyond the Classroom Walls to Engage Children in Meaningful Interactions.

This session, a hit at our 2025 InterAct Summit, explored a topic central to our mission at Teachstone^®: leveraging the power of interactions to help more students thrive. Presenters Leah Zabari and Beth Simon, Program Quality Assessors with The Pennsylvania Key, shared practical ways to extend CLASS interactions into outdoor environments.

Helping Coaches Grow With the Parallel Process and CLASS®

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Fri, 05 Sep 2025 13:46:26 GMT

Fostering Coaches’ Growth with the Parallel Process and CLASS®

Too often, professional learning for coaches focuses on what they should know, without enough emphasis on how to put that knowledge into practice. In a recent webinar we hosted, the Missouri Quality Assurance team shared a powerful approach to bridging that gap: the parallel process. Using the CLASS® framework, they showed how adult-to-adult coaching interactions can model the very same meaningful strategies we want to see in classrooms.

Build Strong Family Partnerships to Impact Child Behavior

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 13:15:00 GMT

Challenging behaviors can be a major disruptor in a class setting. While there are numerous tactics that educators can employ to manage their classrooms, there is a key element outside the classroom that should not be overlooked: family involvement.

These tips and takeaways, recently shared by researchers at the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning in a webinar, cover the importance of building strong family partnerships in managing children’s behavior.

How do you get a family involved, develop a plan and goals, and follow through with that plan? It all starts from a place of connection. While the power of interaction inside the classroom plays an important role in student success, interactions with parents and family members will also help to develop growth.

A New Era for Interactions: Teachstone Launches CLASS® 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler Suite

Teachstone — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:00:00 GMT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — August 1, 2025 — Teachstone, the pioneering organization behind the CLASS® (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) framework, announces the launch of theCLASS® 2nd Edition Infant–Toddler Product Suite.

Back to School with Improved Classroom Interactions—Don’t Miss Our Weeklong Virtual Event!

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 17:31:40 GMT

Summer may be in full swing, but we know you’re already preparing for the next school year.

And we’re excited to announce a brand-new weeklong professional development event: Back to School with Meaningful Interactions, held August 18-22, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET.

Our expert-led sessions explore how the power of interactions strengthens educator-student relationships, boosts classroom efficiency and improves outcomes.

This event will cover strategies and tools you can immediately implement in your organization. Need fresh ideas for playtime with toddlers or techniques for addressing early language support with infants? Or maybe you want a proactive approach to behavior for pre-K students.

We’re covering all that and more. View the full schedule here!

Building Brains and Relationships Through Meaningful Read-Alouds

liz.savage@teachstone.com (Liz Savage) — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 16:47:38 GMT

Making the most of Read-Alouds in Early Childhood Classrooms

Read-alouds are a beloved part of early childhood education—but when used intentionally, they can become powerful tools for promoting high-quality teacher-child interactions, building emotional connections, and supporting language development.

In a recent Teachstone webinar, Michele LaCoursiere-Ferrer explored how educators can transform simple storytime moments into brain-building experiences rooted in the CLASS® framework.

If you missed it, don’t worry—we’ve gathered key strategies and takeaways below. And if you want to dive deeper, watch the recorded webinar here!