Curriculum & Classroom Management

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Children spend a lot of time switching between activities throughout the school day.   And let's face it, sometimes we have those unplanned "opportunities to wait." What can you do with these little bits of time?  With a little preparation, you can take advantage of these time-tidbits and not only have fun, but also help the children learn along the way. Be prepared to play and sing along as we learn together!  Song lists, some lyrics & session notes will be made available. 

Authentic assessment should be an ongoing, natural part of what early childhood educators do every day. Unfortunately, many young children are assessed using standardized tests/methods that take a single picture of the child in an unfamiliar setting. In order to have a more realistic idea of a child's true understanding and abilities, we need to take a look at the whole child. All areas of a child's development and growth must be considered and regularly observed as the child interacts with familiar materials, people, and activities. Learn how to make, document, and reflect on effective observations as part of your daily routine. 

Early Childhood Literacy begins before a child is even born.  From inside the womb a baby is already listening to his mother's voice and learning the nuances of her tones and native language.  After birth, children's literacy grows exponentially; even before they can speak (expressive language), children are listening and learning (receptive language).  When children are exposed to words and language at an early age, they are better prepared to make that pivotal "speech to print" connection as they mature.  Responsive adults can incorporate literacy throughout the classroom, not just during "writing time", to help children build their literacy skills all day long.  This is not about rote memorization of the ABC's; it's about teaching children literacy using developmentally appropriate practices.  Participants will not only learn how children acquire literacy skills but will also receive a plethora of easy to implement ideas and activities for making literacy connections throughout the classroom. 

One of the easiest activities to do with children is read them a story.  Early childhood educators and parents can expand this wonderful activity and go from simply reading to children to reading with children.  Shared Reading involves children in the story and builds many skills.  With Shared Reading children will learn to:  expand their vocabulary; track print from left to right and top to bottom; start at the beginning and read to the end; build a concept of print; predict and infer; and have fun with a book.  In this workshop, participants will gain a thorough understanding of Shared Reading, learn how to create their own literacy bags, and acquire many hands-on ways to implement Shared Reading in the classroom. 

Circle Time can and should be exciting, engaging, and developmentally appropriate.  This workshop offers tips and ideas for keeping circle time fun while incorporating music, literacy, math, and science. 

Learning begins in infancy as a child acts on and processes stimuli in his environment. The knowledge a child acquires in the first few years of life sets the foundation for future learning. As early childhood professionals, we must provide each child with a safe, healthy, nurturing, and responsive environment by implementing developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) as they apply to each child’s physical and social-emotional well-being. This interactive session examines DAP and how they are reflected in a typical early childhood classroom.