McCormick Institute for Early Childhood

BY Barbara Volpe, M.Ed. | September 20, 2021

A woman wearing glasses and a suit is smiling in front of a flag.

Sim Loh is a family partnership coordinator at Children’s Village, a nationally-accredited Keystone 4 STARS early learning and school-age enrichment program in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, serving about 350 children. She supports children and families, including non-English speaking families of immigrant status, by ensuring equitable access to education, health, employment, and legal information and resources on a day-to-day basis. She is a member of the Children First Racial Equity Early Childhood Education Provider Council, a community member representative of Philadelphia School District Multilingual Advisory Council, and a board member of Historic Philadelphia.


Sim explains, “I ensure families know their rights and educate them on ways to speak up for themselves and request for interpretation/translation services. I share families’ stories and experiences with legislators and decision-makers so that their needs are understood. Attending Leadership Connections will help me strengthen and grow my skills in all domains by interacting with and hearing from experienced leaders in different positions. With newly acquired skills, I seek to learn about the systems level while paying close attention to the accessibility and barriers of different systems and resources and their impacts on young children and their families.”

This document may be printed, photocopied, and disseminated freely with attribution. All content is the property of the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership.

Maybe you are an administrator of an early childhood program looking for new ways to build a culture of learning and initiate a conversation around best practices in your program. Or you may be a technical assistance provider working with a diverse group of administrators, wondering how to bring them together to form a community and spark dialogue around early childhood leadership. Book discussion groups could be one way of meeting your objective. For the past few years, I have organized book discussions and would like to share some lessons learned along the way.


GETTING STARTED


Having a well-thought-out plan is your first step. Here are some questions to consider before beginning a book discussion group.


Who, When, Where, and How


Who is interested in participating in a book discussion group? One way to find out is to send a short survey inquiring if there is interest in reading and discussing a book, and if so, what topics or books they might like to explore.


When will the book discussions take place? If you are an administrator of a program, will the staff participate during paid time; such as, at a meeting, lunchtime, children’s naptime, or paid time after the program closes? Do not forget to account for time allotted to read the book! If you facilitate an early childhood administrator’s group, will the book discussion be part of a regularly-scheduled meeting or held at another time?


Where will the group meet, if it will be an in-person meeting? If the group is meeting virtually, will all participants have access to a computer with virtual meeting capability and Internet access?


How will the books be paid for, and will the cost be part of your professional development budget? Is there a grant or other resource to help with the cost? Is there a local business that can be supported with the purchase of the books? If you are purchasing the book for participants, be sure to ask participants if they already have a copy or if they would prefer to check it out at their library. Keep in mind that providing a copy for each participant may reduce the pressure of needing to finish the book within their library’s loan period.


NEXT STEPS


Choose the Book


After collecting the surveys, make a list of the book titles that were submitted. If participants suggested topics to explore, you will need to find books that will address those topics. The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Redleaf Press, and Teacher’s College Press are some organizations with catalogs containing a wide variety of early childhood books. Next, create another survey with the list of books they submitted and books chosen from their suggested topics. They will need to rank order their top three selections. You now have a list of books, in order of interest, to choose for the book discussion.


Determine Questions for the Book Discussion


It is helpful to create a study guide with general or specific questions related to the book to give to the participants before they start reading. The study guide will help participants prepare and will spark group discussion. You may want to start with general questions, such as:


  • What did you already know about the topic?
  • What did you learn that was new or surprising?
  • What new questions do you have?
  • What do you want to know more about?
  • What was your favorite and least favorite idea?
  • What ideas or strategies in the book seem realistic and what challenges your thinking?
  • If you could ask the author a question, what would it be?


In addition, some books have questions at the end of the chapters, reflective questions, and activities that you may want to include in the study guide. If you choose to copy material from the book, remember to obtain permission and add a citation giving credit to the author and book at the end of the study guide.


Establish Guidelines for Interaction


When first bringing together a learning community, it is important to establish guidelines for engagement. Some guidelines are logistical and are typically developed by the organizer of the group, including establishing time for breaks, turning off or silencing electronic devices, using video cameras for face-to-face interactions when virtual, as well as muting when not speaking, etc. Other guidelines should be created by the group. One question to help participants think about guidelines for engagement would be, “What will make this learning experience successful?”


Here are a few examples of guidelines suggested by participants in some trainings I have facilitated: uphold confidentiality―what is said in the group, stays in the group; be respectful of ideas shared—no judgments; come prepared for the discussion—read material in advance; and create an environment supportive of all—provide everyone with an opportunity to speak.


Prepare the Facilitator(s)


 When members of the group take turns facilitating and managing the group discussion, they will have an opportunity to practice a leadership role. Defining the facilitator role, talking with them, and giving guidelines to help them manage a group, will ensure that they feel prepared and ready to lead the discussion group. Guidelines for the facilitator could include:


  • Build trust and safety among the group.
  • Be an active listener and encourage active listening among the group.
  • Ask a question, then let others answer first.
  • Be comfortable with silence; some people need to think before they answer.
  • Keep the discussion on track. If the conversation strays too far off-topic, bring it back.
  • Introduce a new question if it appears that interest in the question being discussed has declined.
  • Make sure everyone’s voice is being heard, and no one is being “heard too much.” You might direct a question to the “quiet person,” especially if they look like they would like to share; however, make it clear that everyone has a right to pass.
  • Remember that there is no need to get through every discussion question; let the conversation flow naturally.


Develop an Evaluation


You will want to gather feedback from the participants after the book discussion ends to gain insight into the logistics of the group discussion and better inform future discussions. I suggest including an evaluation form that creates an opportunity for participants to rate criteria as well as answer some open-ended questions. The following are some examples:


Rate the following on a scale of one to five (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = no opinion, 4 = agree, 5 = strongly agree)


  • The discussion enhanced my understanding of the topic.
  • Ideas and questions were encouraged.
  • The study guide questions were helpful.
  • The group size met my needs.
  • The length of the book discussion met my needs.
  • The amount of time provided to read the book met my needs.


 Please answer the following questions:


  • What are two lessons you learned from the book?
  • What suggestions do you have to improve the study guide?
  • Are you interested in another book discussion group?
  • If yes, would you be interested in inviting others to join the group?
  • If yes, what other topics or books would you suggest for the next book discussion?
  • Other ideas or suggestions for improvement?


FINAL THOUGHTS


One of my favorite questions is, “If you could ask the author a question, what would it be?” Recently, I was planning a third virtual book discussion for a group of technical assistance providers who have been meeting regularly. Since the author’s email address was in the book, I emailed her to share that we selected her book for our virtual book discussion group. In addition, I asked if she could give any suggestions or thought-provoking questions for our discussion and she responded with some great ideas. Then, to my surprise, she offered to join the discussion to answer questions from the participants! Authors may or may not respond to your email; however, you just might be pleasantly surprised to find out they are thrilled you have chosen their book and will share ideas for enhancing the discussion.


Book discussion groups can provide an opportunity to explore new ideas, inspire, motivate, and build relationships. There are many good early childhood books out there just waiting for a group of educators and leaders to discover and discuss!


If you are interested in learning more about professional development opportunities offered by the McCormick Center for administrators of early care and education programs and those who provide technical assistance, please contact us.

Barbara Volpe, M.Ed., is Leadership Academy Manager for the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership at National Louis University. In this role, she coordinates and facilitates leadership and quality improvement training for early childhood administrators, teachers, and technical assistance providers. Barb has over 20 years of leadership and management experience. Barb enjoys developing trainings and has made many local, statewide, and national presentations. Barb obtained her master’s degree in early childhood administration from National Louis University and her baccalaureate degree in child and family development from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

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The Ants Go Marching

By Cara Murdoch • February 16, 2026
In early childhood education and care (ECEC), we know that some of the simplest ideas can carry the biggest lessons—and many of us have been singing “The Ants Go Marching” for years without realizing it might also be a leadership guide. Ants may be tiny, but their colonies run on teamwork, communication, flexibility, and a clear sense of purpose—all things ECEC programs rely on every day. By taking a closer look at how ants work together to support their colony, early childhood leaders can discover practical and familiar ways to strengthen teamwork, value every role, and lead programs where everyone is marching in the same direction for children and families. Ants are busy creatures; they work with a purpose and know their jobs in the colony. Ants exhibit teamwork and collective effort. Ant colonies demonstrate intelligence, division of labor, communication systems, and cooperative behaviors. They can recognize and respond to the colony's needs. They overcome their challenges through trial and error, learning from their experiences, and sometimes even develop innovative strategies. In the ant colony, individual ants work together as a unit, each with a unique role that determines the colony's survival and success. The ant colony functions just like a superorganism, where the actions of each individual ant are a part of the highly efficient system that supports the whole colony. This concept of collective action is closely related to human teamwork! Ants have a lot to teach us, as we work in ECEC. teamwork Just as ants collaborate, relying on their communication and coordination to complete tasks, humans thrive when working together, as each individual brings their own unique skills and perspectives to their “colony.” Ants depend on each other. Each ant has a specialized job, and the colony relies on the cooperation and coordination of all its members to thrive and survive. Each ant’s contribution, no matter how small it may seem, is vital to the success of the colony as a whole, and the strength of the group is built on the cooperation of each individual. Similarly, in ECEC programs, teamwork — working together and helping one another —leads to better results than trying to do everything alone! When we collaborate, we pool our strengths, share our knowledge, and support each other, which can lead to more creative and efficient solutions. Each person in the program brings unique skills and perspectives, filling gaps and helping compensate for one another’s weaknesses. This shared effort allows your program to tackle tasks and achieve goals that would be difficult, if not impossible, for one individual to accomplish on their own... just like in an ant colony! Adapting to face challenges Ants are highly adaptable creatures. Have you ever watched a disrupted colony hurry to move the uncovered eggs to a protected space? They respond quickly to changes or disruptions in their environment. Their ability to quickly assess new situations and adjust their behavior will help the colony continue to function efficiently, even when the unexpected happens. Their adaptability is the key to their survival, allowing them to overcome obstacles and thrive. Early childhood programs also need to adapt to challenges. When unexpected changes occur, each person needs to be flexible and find new ways to contribute to the program's success. Just as ants adjust, programs must reassess their strengths, collaborate, and develop alternative solutions. Adaptability is essential for proper teamwork! honoring individual roles In an ant colony, different ants take on very specific roles. There are worker ants, soldier ants, and the queen ant. Each ant’s role is crucial to the success and survival of the colony, and all roles are interdependent; they work together to achieve common goals. This division of labor that exists in an ant colony can be compared to the different roles and unique talents found in an ECEC program. Just as ants rely on each other to perform specific tasks, each ECEC team member brings their own expertise and skills to the program. In a project or workplace setting, one person may excel at brainstorming creative ideas, another might be skilled at organizing tasks and managing timelines, and someone else may be particularly adept at technical skills or problem-solving. This diversity of roles within a team ensures that every aspect of a project or goal receives focused attention. In center-based programs, there are the director, teachers, kitchen staff, and other roles as needed. The diversity of roles in a program helps to ensure that the program is successful and thrives. clear purpose and goals In an ant colony, survival is the common goal. The colony’s success depends on each member performing its specific role. Their unwavering focus on the survival of the colony is connected to their success. It demonstrates the power of their collective action, driven by a clear and unified goal. ECEC programs thrive when they are aligned around a shared and clear purpose and goals. When program members understand and commit to their common goals, the well-being and growth of children and families, their efforts will become more effective and coordinated. Just as ants bring different strengths to the program, each person brings different strengths to the program. It is alignment around shared goals that enables the program to overcome challenges and succeed. When everyone in the program is clear on the goals and helps work together toward them, the whole program becomes more focused, resilient, and motivated - just as an ant colony becomes stronger when every member is working toward survival! Ants work together harmoniously to achieve their common goals; they set aside individual competition in favor of colony cooperation. Each ant focuses on its specialized task. This spirit of ant cooperation is key to the colony's survival and success, as it enables the colony to accomplish more complex tasks than any single ant could manage alone. ECEC programs can benefit from adopting a similar approach that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals over individual achievement. In an ECEC program, when members support each other and work together, they can leverage each person’s strengths to accomplish more than they could individually. Instead of competing for recognition or resources, each member can focus on the program’s success, fostering a more positive and productive environment. learning from ants Ants have so much to teach ECEC programs when it comes to cooperating and working together as an effective team. Whether it's knowing your own role and abilities, supporting each of your fellow team members, communicating clearly and effectively, being flexible, or avoiding competition, the ant colony is an excellent example of these qualities! Let your ants go marching!!! Ant Life, author unknown I am just an ant, A small life is what I live, But I have dreams for bigger things And so much more to give If only I could grow A foot or two would do I could live a life That others look up to.
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