Come to this session to experience how cooking and learning go hand in hand. We will be exploring the many benefits that cooking has on child development and how you can easily implement a cooking component into your program. Let's instill a hunger for learning into the lives of our little ones!
This session is limited to 25 participants!
Young children are naturally creative and should be provided countless opportunities to express themselves each day. This session will explore the importance of expressive art, provide you with some easy and interesting ideas for art exploration and clearly explain the difference between art and craft.
This session will be repeated in the afternoon.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Warm, caring relationships are fundamental for children's positive growth and development. Yet children's challenging behavior can prevent adults from providing them with the nurturing environment they need. Learn effective strategies that foster children’s positive relationships, build social competence, self-regulation, coping skills, acceptance of differences, and problem-solving abilities. Evidence-based practices that enhance adult-child relationships will be shared, including listening with intention, validating and responding sensitively to children's feelings and experiences, and guiding peaceful problem-solving. These effective approaches help create a respectful, caring environment. Through this interactive workshop participants will acquire easy-to-use techniques they can readily incorporate into daily interactions that nurture children’s resilience and prosocial skills and reduce bullying and other aggressive/antisocial behavior.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Share research data and information about the importance of numeracy development for young learners. (birth to 7 years) Engage teachers in idea sharing utilizing a variety of materials that can be incorporated in daily classroom play. Brainstorm ways to share numeracy activities with families to allow parents to create learning moments at home.
Positive Discipline is a program developed by Dr. Jane Nelsen and is designed to teach young people to become responsible, respectful and resourceful members of their communities. Positive Discipline (PD) teaches important social and life skills in a manner that is deeply respectful and encouraging for both children and adults (including parents, teachers, childcare providers, youth workers, and others). PD programs can include both parent engagement/education programs and classroom management strategies for teachers and others in early education. PD addresses all aspect of the MA Preschool and Kindergarten Social and Emotional Learning and Approaches to Play and Learning Standards. PD can be utilized with students at all levels and grades including pre-teens and teens.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
While stress is a normal (and actually, necessary) part of life, high levels of chronic stress can have extremely negative impacts on a child's brain and body. This workshop will focus on the ways that stress impacts young children and offer strategies on how to combat this impact. Some of these strategies include creating and sustaining supportive relationships, a responsive environment and mindfulness techniques.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
"Watchful Eyes on the Young Learner" The talk focuses on the signs frequently seen in young children (ages two to seven years) who may struggle later with language-based learning disorders (LBLD), including dyslexia, dysgraphia, receptive and expressive language, severe inattention, etc. An overview will be provided of the domino impact a LBLD disorder can have on school-aged children and steps school professionals should consider when observing certain key signs in very young students. The talk with focus on how the brain understands, decodes and expresses (through speech or writing) what it hears or reads, and the importance of early, direct, consistent and “ gold standard” remediations. Simple in-class “tests” will be provided to help educators get a baseline before asking for a formal assessment. Finally, the critical brain research being conducted at M.I.T.’s Gabrielli Lab in conjunction with the Gaab Lab at Children’s Hospital on literacy and the young brain will be discussed.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
This training session will teach center owners/directors how to effectively market their programs using Social Media and other technology solutions. We will discuss best practices for Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Yelp, Google Adwords, and Facebook Ads.
Are you dreading your next staff meeting? Do staff spend meetings on their phone or disengaged? Want to learn how to facilitate productive fun meetings that engage all staff and produce positive results? In this workshop participants will learn meeting facilitation strategies to reach all staff.
This workshop will provide program leaders with 3 practical best practice tips to utilize learning opportunities in order to re-engage and re-energize teaching staff.
Story boxes are a way to transition story time from passive to active participation. I would like to explore different types of story boxes for different ages and populations, and how to focus on story parts, language and vocabulary development to increase understanding. Finishing with a make and take project.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
In this session we will share four or more videos of teachers engaged in mathematics activities with three and four-year-olds. This session links with Mass Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics, and the Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences, showing developmentally appropriate ways to engage young children in deep mathematical concepts, where they explain their thinking, and are provided prompts to continue engagement in the activities. Participants will have the opportunity in small groups to discuss video clips, and plan prompts that encourage Higher Order Thinking.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Participants will be encouraged to use read-aloud times to help children enhance early literacy skills by strengthening comprehension, make connections between literature and real life experiences, and expanding vocabulary. Participants will also be encouraged to look at how we can use read a-loud times to meet Common Core and Early Learning Standards. Participants will also be encouraged to be more intentional when choosing books and literature for children and how to integrate literature into other curriculum content areas.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Participants will learn the differences between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness. The importance and implications of teaching the two will be discussed. This will be a make and take workshop so that participants will have multiple practical ways of teaching both in their classrooms.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Explore how to design environments that meet the developmental needs of young children. We will identify essential elements of a quality early learning environment, and how to create interest areas that offer multiple opportunities for children to explore, discover and grow. Discussion will also include how to embed learning experiences into daily routines and schedules.
Explore nature education and how it can be applied to both indoor spaces and outdoor spaces and specifically address how to create spaces that allow for risky play and exploration in the safest way possible. Also discuss ways to introduce nature materials and Reggio inspired practices and how to choose which items to introduce.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
We will discuss three ways an after-care program thrives: by engaging its students; by helping with homework appropriately; and by providing a mix of academic, social skill, and interest-based activities. Participants will introduce themselves and discuss problems encountered in the workplace; learn specific techniques to help with homework; and play games and role play to understand children's needs.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
We’ll present a basic model of human cognition illustrating human strengths and weaknesses with 25 activities which have been described as amazing, awesome, cool, educational, endearing, insightful, fabulous, fascinating, fun, hilarious, insightful, interesting and mind-blowing to help you become a better teacher and parent. Bring these activities to your classroom, home or organization so that your students may be safer, better students and communicators.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
This workshop is designed to help Early Childhood educators assist children who are grieving. It's important to consider the child's cultural and religious background in this effort . Understanding the way children grieve (which differs from adults) and activities to do with the child to help them cope with the loss will be explained as well. Signs of depression or complicated grief will be provided to guide staff when professional help may be indicated.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
This workshop will provide educators with the importance of engaging families in their child's education. Participants will gain ideas for activities to connect school and at home. There are several hands-on activities and make it take components.
Young children are naturally creative and should be provided countless opportunities to express themselves each day. This session will explore the importance of expressive art, provide you with some easy and interesting ideas for art exploration and clearly explain the difference between art and craft.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Participants will discover the educational and holistic benefits of yoga for children through fun. interactive activities. We will explore what mindfulness is through the practice of peaceful guided medtitations and thoughtful awareness exercises. Learn techniques to renew and nourish your own spirit and how to cultivate wholeness with the little ones in your care. Participants will leave with multiple resources and experiences for their personal use and their professional toolbox to implement a yoga and peace curriculum in their classroom.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Established in 2014, the Massachusetts Legislative Task Force on the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse has recently completed a 2-year effort to provide a comprehensive set of guidelines and tools for the development of child sexual abuse prevention and intervention plans by youth-serving organizations (YSOs) in Massachusetts. YSOs include schools, YMCAs, day care centers, after school programs, faith-based and mentoring organizations, municipal sports leagues, dance and martial arts studios, etc. The session will be presented by members of the Task Force and will focus primarily on presenting the constituent elements of effective abuse prevention and intervention strategies, practices and tools; suggestions about how to combine the elements into an implementation plan that considers the needs, function and constituency of the YSO; and a 5-year plan to develop training tools and other forms of community education and outreach to increase public awareness about child sexual abuse, how to recognize its signs, minimize risk, and act on suspicions or disclosures of such abuse as a community responsibility.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Young dual language learners (DLLs) are a very diverse group with different languages, experiences, strengths, and gifts.This workshop will focus on developmentally appropriate ways to support DLLs in learning both their home language and English by building background knowledge, learning new vocabulary, and engaging in conversations. The importance of the home-school connection and strategies to communicate with families will also be discussed.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Many families are experiencing high levels of stress based on their immigration status, mental health concerns, community violence and other social determinants of health. Smart from the Start is a family support, community engagement and school readiness organization that has as its mission to prevent the academic achievement gap among young children living in the lowest income families and communities. Smart empowers parents and caregivers in under-served communities with the tools, resources and support they need to break cycles of chronic school underachievement and generational poverty. Presenters will provide information on the program model, curriculum and specific strategies for "Addressing the Stress" which families are experiencing which all providers can use with families.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Instruction on why music, singing and finger play is important in Early Childhood Education. Included is a binder with songs and props to help Educators in including music and song in their day. Guidance for non singers too. Fosters language growth with children. Educators can share the music and props with Parents to include them in activities that are learned in child care.
Learn how to set up an inviting environment and plan and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences for infants and toddlers.
This workshop addresses working with preschool students who exhibit challenging behaviors in the classroom. The workshop will engage participants in learning new strategies that can be used to support children who are struggling both socially and emotionally in the classroom. Using tools from CSEFEL along with other ideas, participants will leave with a tool box of strategies and ideas that can applied in the classroom.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Join us to gain understanding of the value of play, sensory experiences and mindfulness practice to support children who have experienced trauma. Background information about types of stress, red flags, and stress impacts will be discussed. Participants will actively engage in a variety of play experiences designed to support children's social and emotional growth. We will also explore soothing sensory materials and mindfulness as practical tools to use in daily practice.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Provides practice with Oral Language and Listening activities (e.g., The Thirty Second Conversation, The Describing Activity and others. The importance of having a “Talking Table” and Listening Center and manipulatives will be discussed with examples and resources provided.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
This session will focus on speech and language development as well as general development for children. It will also discuss executive functioning development in young children. The following topics will be discussed: Speech and language milestones and developmental stages. Strategies for modeling and encouraging speech and language acquisition. How sensory deficits impact language development and learning. Oral motor and feeding skills. Developing positive behavioral supports for all children with an extra focus on children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Executive functioning definition and development.
This session will address 'diverse learners' as defined by EEC.
Modern society relies heavily on the use of increasingly advanced technology, and as a result, many of today's children are incredibly tech-savvy. In this workshop, teachers will learn how to capitalize on the technology commonly available to them and their students, while deepening their understanding of current best educational practices surrounding classroom media use. Using current research as a guide, participants will analyze the benefits and drawbacks of incorporating such innovations as tablets, touchscreen computers, eBooks, and more into their curriculum. They will work in small groups to create an action plan for their classrooms to ensure that they are using technology appropriately and productively, and will learn how to make effective decisions about the educational value of various popular applications.
