Professional Development Workshops at your location (Preschools & Centers)
Family Workshops
Train-the-Trainer Seminars
Workshop Topics.
Intellectual development of children is contingent on the opportunities afforded to teachers to grow and develop. Effective training is the critical link to raising competency!!!
Bring high-quality customized training to you staff, parent group, or conference. Topics include, but are not limited to the following:
CREATIVE CURRICULUM® TOPICS INCLUDE:
Creative Curriculum® Choose from: Infant/Toddler, Preschool, or Family Child Care
Customize this training for your programs needs; you may want an overview, a day, or a full week of training on this developmentally appropriate curriculum. This training offers ECE professionals, kindergarten and primary teachers the basics for successful implementation of “Creative Curriculum®” into their programs. Participants will learn how to plan and implement based on the theories and research upon which the Creative Curriculum® is based. Find out - easy to use strategies to create a more developmentally appropriate environment – for ALL children.
Using the Toolkit: Creative Curriculum® Developmental Continuum System This training prepares teachers and child care providers to successfully use the Assessment Toolkit to assess the developmental growth of children, ages 3-5 OR birth-3. During this training, participants will learn the different components of the Assessment Toolkit. Learn data collection and data recording procedures for the Assessment Toolkit.
Study Starters (Creative Curriculum® Approach): During training, you will learn how to integrate content through meaningful, in-depth studies built on children's knowledge and interests. You will learn how to: select a good topic, follow the steps in planning a study, tie studies to curriculum goals and objectives, integrate literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, and technology into a study, document study findings, and use the Weekly Planning Form to organize materials and plan study activities. Additionally, we will discuss how to get families involved in the study! The key to implementing studies successfully is ongoing dialogue about study topics, follow-up support, and sharing ideas and strategies with colleagues.
CURRICULUM SUPPORT TOPICS INCLUDE:
Early Literacy: More Than Teaching The ABC’s (For Pre-School - 3rd Grade) Teachers will learn to set up developmentally appropriate environments and create activities through play experiences that promise to promote acquisition of early literacy skills for all children. Find out how D.A.P (Developmentally Appropriate Practice) environments teach these skills without flash cards, ditto sheets, or teacher-directed activities. This is one workshop that you do NOT want to miss!
Dramatic Play: Using it as a Teaching Tool Dramatic play (also known as fantasy play, make believe play, pretend play, imaginative play, or symbolic play) has been observed and written about for over 100 years. Come and learn about how to use this powerful form of play as a teaching tool for teaching early literacy and writing skills. The power of dramatic play is powerful when used with teacher planning and scaffolding.
Teaching Early Literacy Skills Through PLAY The seeds of literacy development are with children from (and even before!) birth. They grow and flourish when fed by language-rich environments through planned play experiences. Learning how language develops and how to create rich environments that support and inspire literacy development in the very youngest of children.
The Dance: Bonding with Infants and Toddlers in Group Settings In this seminar, participants will review and learn the how to provide a more sensitive and competent care for ALL children. Teachers will find out more about brain research and experts have to say about the first three years of life. Learn why brain research is meaningful to professional educators and parents alike. This workshop also covers the aspects of caregiving, including interactions with children, providing opportunities for learning, and working with the child's own needs and schedules.
Using Construction Play Materials To Facilitate Learning As children use construction play materials, he/she is either using sensorimotor, representational, or reflective intelligence. Find out how to use your observation skills to assess children’s construction play. Learn how to use this information to incorporate it into your program as “lessons in learning.” Find out what theory and research has to say about the importance of construction play.
Landscapes for Learning – The Great Outdoors This seminar was created for School Age Professionals, but Preschool Teachers will also benefits from this information. In this seminar participants will review and learn the how to provide learning environments in the great outdoors. We explore the research on outdoor learning and how to make your outdoor environment a landscape for learning!
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TOPICS INCLUDE:
Discipline: The Brain Smart Way There is a revolution in brain research that is informing new guidance strategies. However, there is still a significant gap between scientific research and public knowledge – between what is known about child development and what is done. Learn a comprehensive behavior management program that can change the life of your teachers, parents, and children. Positively discipline children while literally rewiring their brain chemistry in the process. This yields lasting changes in behavior, not temporary fixes.
What Do Anna Freud, Jean Piaget, & Erik Erikson Know about My Children Anyway? Participants will learn about the principles and developmental domains through hands-on learning. Teachers will examine the theories of Ann Freud, Piaget, and Erikson. Use this information to integrate the theories of child development into everyday practice.
What Does Quality Look Like? This training was born from the philosophy that is sweeping our county: on-going quality improvement has been embraced by many high quality early learning programs across the United States. Learn about self assessments for teachers, classrooms and programs. This session is designed for programs who already have a high degree of quality and are ready for more advanced training in the ECE field or are getting ready for The Qualistar Rating.
Building a Community With In Your Classroom You must not miss this workshop the benefits are endless. Come and learn how to create an environment that unites children. Help to build your students self-worth, which in turn will help to develop their own personal determination. Find out how to create service jobs for all students to contribute to the classroom community. Find out the difference between praise and encouragement – and how to use encouragement to create a classroom community.
How to Create Peaceful Classrooms (Pre-K to 3rd grade) Is “time-out” not working? If so, this is a workshop you will not want to miss. Find out how to create safe space and how to go about setting it up in your classrooms. Find out how to help children develop self-control. You will learn easy to use strategies to implement in your daily routine. Stop with the “time out” and move to “safe space” – it works!
The Language of the Teacher Using communication as a teaching tool cost us NOTHING. Yet, too often, it is neglected in ECE programs / classrooms. Find out more about the BEST resource ever – you! Learn easy to use strategies to build vocabularies and reduce problem behaviors. Adapt some of the BEST language strategies ever as your own teaching tools.
ENVIRONMENT TOPICS INCLUDE:
Purposeful Designed Learning Environments Pre-School Room Arrangement This seminar will present ideas for arranging the play environments for purposeful learning, for ALL children. Well-designed classroom environments can influence young children's comfort and success in group settings. Participants will learn how the structure of the environment can be used to build classroom community and increase motivation and self-esteem in children. Learn simple ideas to send powerful messages to children that increase their cooperation! If you have struggled with behavior problems from a group of children, the problem – might just be the environment. This is one seminar that you don’t want to miss!
Landscapes for Learning – The Great Outdoors This seminar was created for School Age Professionals, but Preschool Teachers will also benefits from this information. In this seminar participants will review and learn the how to provide learning environments in the great outdoors. We explore the research on outdoor learning and how to make your outdoor environment a landscape for learning!
Inclusive Environments (Special Needs Children) Do you have an environment that welcomes all children? Come and learn easy ways to adapt learning centers for ALL children. If you have children with special needs, your classrooms may require some modifications. These modifications often seem overwhelming for new or busy teachers, but many of the changes can be simple. Find practical ways to adjust your classrooms for children with special needs.
CHILD DEVELOPMENT TOPICS INCLUDE:
Communicating with Infants before They can Speak Using sign language to open the doors of communication, babies can tell you such things as “I’m thirsty, or “I’m hungry,” months before they are able to speak. In this workshop you will find answers to such questions as: When is the best time to begin signing with my baby? What are the benefits? What should I do if my baby signs the words incorrectly? You will also learn simple signs that you can start teaching children your first day back in the classroom.
SPECIAL NEEDS TOPICS INCLUDE:
“Oh Behave,” The ADHD Child What do we really know about “ADHD?” We examine how the medical field defines this disorder. We will also look at the good and the not-so-pretty areas of this disorder. What does it all mean for today’s children living with an ADHD diagnoses? You will also hear about how schools/programs (ECE or after school programs) can be reinvented to work for children with ADD/ADHD.
PBS: Positive Beginnings: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors “Positive Behavior Support” is a process for understanding and resolving the problem behavior of children that is based on values and empirical research. It offers an approach for developing an understanding of why the child engages in problem behavior and strategies for preventing the occurrence of problem behavior while teaching new skills. Positive behavior support offers a holistic approach that considers all factors that impact on a child and the child’s behavior. It can be used to address problem behaviors that range from aggression, tantrums, and property destruction to social withdrawal.
Inclusive Environments (Special Needs Children) Do you have an environment that welcomes all children? Come and learn easy ways to adapt learning centers for ALL children. If you have children with special needs your classrooms may require some modifications. These modifications often seem overwhelming for new or busy teachers, but many of the changes can be simple. Find practical ways to adjust your classrooms for children with special needs.
SUPPORTING FAMILES TOPICS INCLUDE:
Children have Parents? Making It Work! This workshop was written to provide early childhood educators with information on parent involvement in order to increase parent participation within programs. It includes topics such as: research, barriers, benefits and strategies.
TRAIN THE TRAINER TOPICS INCLUDE:
Design Your Training with Results! (Leverage existing in-house training capabilities and capacity through this train-the trainer workshop) This is an exceptional seminar for ALL trainers. It is one that trainers will often refer back to when designing and facilitating their own workshops. The instructor models the concepts so you can see how to put these strategies and skills into practice. If it is your first year doing training, or your 20th year training, this is one seminar that will improve your delivery of content and help you build your rapport and confidence with your audiences.
MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS INCLUDE:
Quality Early Childhood Centers: Why is quality care is important for children’s development? What are key indicators of quality ECE environments?
Safe From the Start: Learn about car seat safety, feeding, sleep / bedtime, and toy safety! Also, we will review outdoor safety guidelines.
The First Years: Discover the importance of bonding and attachment. How communication plays a crucial role in development. Learn about discipline and self-esteem in young children.
Why Early Childhood Must Matter: Discuss scientific research and methods to motivate your community to invest.
Caring for A Child with Special Needs: What to do with this news? Learn and share acceptance and empowerment techniques. Strategies to advocate for your child and how to look beyond the diagnosis. Strategies to fostering your child’s strengths.
Getting Children Ready to Learn: Learn how to establish reading routines for the youngest child. How to incorporate literacy into everyday activities.
The Job of Fatherhood: Helping dad to connect with children. Help them to build relationships when they do not live in the same house.
You will find training to accommodate all interest and skill levels. Don't see what you need? I will be glad to work with you to create training or customize any training to fit your specific needs. Please call 281.259.4949 to talk with Renee.
