Ann C. Barbour

Ann C. Barbour is professor emerita of early childhood education at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). A former preschool and elementary teacher, she has over 30 years’ experience in the field of early education. At CSULA, she teaches courses in best practices and trends and issues in early education, the role of play in learning, and school-family partnerships. She has coauthored two books: Prop Box Play: 50 Themes to Inspire Dramatic Play and Portfolio Assessment: A Handbook for Preschool and Elementary Teachers, as well as numerous articles on early childhood education.

Barbour has worked with teachers, district administrators, parent representatives, and her own students in learning-at-home projects based on materials children take home from school. She also helped develop the Peabody Award-winning television series, A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa, and was content advisor for each of the 325 episodes produced in English and in Spanish. These series are designed to help parents and caregivers nurture the development and enrich the learning experiences of preschool-age children. They are broadcast daily on public television stations throughout the nation.