2.5 professional development for leaders and directors. Fun and engaging course in which leadership will bond and learn to lean on one another as they process day to day decisions and challenges. Professionals will have a better understanding of how to foster and model healthy social skills such as greeting and bidding farewells, encouraging one another and sharing high’s and challenges. Professionals will also have a growth mindset as they look to learn and grow as a leader as well as listen to understand and see the positives in situations.

2 or 5 hour Throughout this lively course, participants will use the line dance Electric Slide to learn and grow in their understanding of language development in infancy through after school age students. Participants in each age group will understand the milestones and functional strategies they can employ daily to assist children in listening, understanding, and expressing language. Helping professionals understand and use visual schedules, sign language as well as a picture system helps all children express their wants and needs as well as commenting and answering questions for future academic success. This class strongly emphasizes inclusion best practices at every level of childcare.

2.0 hr. From babies to late talkers, children with Down syndrome or on the Autism Spectrum, early childhood professionals should know the power of nonverbal communication as well as sign language. Sign language is highly functional, and imitation of motions leads to imitation of sounds. In this interactive course, professionals will learn over 50 signs to use in the classroom to boost language as well as support visual learners with cues for the next right behavior or choice! Using sign language helps all children but especially those who are neurodiverse as they need the visual and tactile cues to know what is happening next or what directions to follow. Your teachers will love this course and even after-school teachers enjoy this class as a new fun thing to teach children and use when practicing spelling words!

2-hour class During this class teachers will be given an overview of all the domains of speech therapy. From Language, articulation, voice, pragmatics, and stuttering will be discussed. As teachers learn the overview and red flags therapist’s look for, they will be able to better identify children who need to be screened by a Speech-Language Pathologist. As professionals are more familiar with the types of speech delays, they also become an advocate for the child to be included in the childcare setting and see the need to help build friendships between children with special needs and typically developing peers.

2.0/5.0-hour class. This class should be mandatory for every leader, teacher, teaching assistant in your center! 1 in 49 children are being identified as a child on the Autism Spectrum. Your staff will not only learn how a child is diagnosed by a professional but also be able to see early the behaviors that are traditionally seen in a child on the spectrum. Through a case study of a child with ASD, the facilitator takes the “scary” that many childcare professionals feel and gives them strategies and ways to help the child succeed in the childcare setting. Early detection and consistent routines and loving professionals aid in a child reaching his full potential. This course has many video clips that help your teachers connect the content to real life in the classroom!

2.0-hour class More and more children are presenting as children with sensory needs. Many teachers think sensory bins are all there is to helping them. In this course we will delve into sensory seeking behavior, sensory defensiveness and children who have a mix of needs. While children on the spectrum may have sensory needs, so do typically developing children and children who were premature. Knowing and understanding these behaviors and how to help children get what they need reduces negative and challenging behavior. These strategies, when implemented correctly help with inclusion but also help all children in the childcare setting. Literacy and sensory bin connections and extensions for immediate classroom implementation will be shared and developed. Teachers often leave this class with behavior management tools that are powerful and truly change their classroom environments.

The Why, How and What: 2.5 hrs. Is your staff dealing with more challenging behaviors since Covid 19? Do you want them to understand Why we need to help children develop social-emotional skills? How and what to focus on when providing support and interactions that shape their future? This class is for you and every early childhood professional as well as the parents of these young children!

We will dive into the Pyramid Model of why social emotional development is a hallmark foundational skill for every child while looking at how as early childhood professionals we can build nurturing and responsive environments where children feel supported. Finally, we will get practical and discuss the top three things every teacher from birth to 5 can do to help foster social and emotional skills to create emotional intelligence and problem-solving skills. Shaping children’s behavior and responses is critical for friendship and school success!

Don’t miss part 2 of this course for a total of 5 hours of training on this topic.

From birth babies are acquiring motor skills necessary for future self-feeding, pulling up pants, buttoning, cutting, coloring, and writing! As Early Childhood professionals we know some children have amazing fine motor skills and others can’t tie their shoes until 3rd grade, but WHY? Come roll the dice and learn some fine motor development correlations and secrets Occupational therapists wish you understood. You’ll leave understanding the WHY and doing handwriting from cradle to 4k without doing handwriting! 2.5 hours

Early childhood professionals will understand how using songs, books and play offer organic opportunities to use sign language. Sign language is a visual, tactile and kinesthetic way for children to hear and understand feelings and expectations. Sign language is a useful tool for babies through 5 year olds as we seek to nurture and guide children throughout their day. 1.0 hour