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Message in a Backpack

A young girl with a backpack walks through a door with her parent. Both are seen from behind.

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Message in a Backpack™ is a column that appears in Educating Young Children. It also appears in the archives of Teaching Young Children, which published from 2009 to 2025. Print these documents out and send them home with children as a resource for their families!

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A family outside to represent EYC Message in a Backpack.
Article
Educating Young Children
October 1, 2025

Message in a Backpack™. Sparking Playful Learning with Your Child

Children learn through play and exploration. By adopting a few approaches from your child’s early learning setting, you can spark joyful, engaged learning at home.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Michele Coulombe, Amy Fatall, Bridget Nolen
Members Only
a child and parent playing in a stream
Article

Message in a Backpack.™ Encouraging Your Child to Lead

When children have opportunities to make decisions and increase their independence, they see that their own identities are important. Here are some ways you can give your child opportunities to grow as a leader.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Andrea Laser
Members Only
a child and parent playing in a stream

Message in a Backpack.™ Encouraging Your Child to Lead

NAEYC promotes high-quality early learning for all children, birth through age 8, by connecting practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children.
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parents on the computer with their child
Article
Teaching Young Children
January 2, 2024

Message in a Backpack™. Planning a Trip? Encourage Your Child to Help

No matter where you’re going—whether running errands around town or to a big gathering far away—you can encourage your child to practice their literacy skills as you plan together.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Deborah Farmer Kris
Members Only
children reading together
Article
Teaching Young Children
July 1, 2022

Message in a Backpack™ Using Sentence Stems at Home: Tips for Families

When reading together, families can support early language and comprehension skills by offering short sentence stems, or sentence starters, to help children share what they are thinking and learning.

Authored by

Authored by: 
Michele Coulombe, Erin Zuccaro
Members Only
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