Sue Bredekamp

Sue Bredekamp is an early childhood specialist who serves as a consultant on curriculum, teaching and professional development for state and national organizations and institutions of higher education. As director of professional development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), she developed and directed their accreditation system for early learning programs and led their work on early literacy and teacher education. Bredekamp is the primary editor of NAEYC’s highly influential publications on developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. She is also the author of an introductory textbook, “Effective Practices in Early Childhood Education: Building a Foundation” (5th ed.).

She has co-chaired the National Academies of Sciences Committee on a New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum; served on the National Research Council’s Committee on Early Childhood Mathematics, which produced a landmark report, “Mathematics Learning in Early Childhood: Paths toward Excellence and Equity”; and is the past board chair of the HighScope Educational Research Foundation. She received the Visionary Leadership Award from the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership and was named one of 11 pioneers in early childhood education by the Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes.

Bredekamp has been a visiting lecturer at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia; Monash College in Melbourne, New Zealand; the University of Alaska; and the University of Hawaii.