Full - Day Sessions

You must register for "Part 1" in the AM and "Part 2" in the PM

Building Structures with Young Children Dorothy K. Rouille-McDevitt, M. Ed., Director, A Child’s Wonderland Preschool

This course addresses the developmental benefits of building structures with young children. Participants will explore materials and accessories, which may be used to engage children in discovery and meaningful play with the processes of building structures. This course will link concepts & activities to the new Mass STEM guidelines for Prek & MA Guidelines for Preschool Learning Experiences.

Teaching Self- Regulation to Young Children Jeanine Fitzgerald, The Fitzgerald Institute

Self-regulation is a complex set of functions that empowers individuals to understand and have control over their internal states, such as emotions, impulses, energy level, attention, and thoughts. It is the foundation for school readiness and success, today and in the future.

Working with Children with Special Diets, Allergies and Specialized Feeding Issues Michelle Campbell, IEPD

Food allergies affect 1 in 13 children in the United States; with young children being affected the most. Food allergies, food sensitivities and other feeding issues are an increasing concern for early education & care programs. Participants will be introduced to the health & safety needs of children with special dietary needs and ways to support these children and collaborate with families, health professionals and begin to develop their own individual health care plan.

Morning Sessions

Embracing Diversity: Valuing All Families Katherine Begin, ECE Consultant, Executive Director for Prevent Child Abuse Rhode Island

Diversity is more than just understanding culture and ethnicity. Diversity is about similarities and differences in children, parents, families, staff and communities. Supporting diversity in early childhood programs is about the process of helping children to feel good about themselves, their families, and their communities, and exposing children to differences, things that are unfamiliar, and experiences beyond their immediate lives.

Facilitating Rich Conversations to Promote Language and Higher Order Thinking Mary Police, Educational Consultant

This workshop will address the elements of effective conversation, and how to extend and scaffold children’s learning through conversation. We will also discuss promoting conversational skills to foster higher order thinking, and how the physical environment supports literacy and language.

How to Talk to Parents About Children with Special Needs: Building Better Communication With Parents Jill Vetstein, LICSW, MSW, and CEIS

Building better communication with parents is imperative to helping children succeed especially if you suspect developmental delays and special needs. There are always challenging situations with some parents who are not on the same page. Get a deep understanding of the reasons for disconnect between parents and teachers. Learn why some parents are defensive, dismissive, and difficult to reach. See how miscommunication can manifest problems. Gain skills to better communicate so that parents can listen and become your partner.

Incorporting the CSEEL Pyramid Model to Create a Calmer Classroom Robin Nickerson, Education/Disabilities Manager for New Bedford Head Start

This interactive workshop will present an overview of the CSEFEL Pyramid Model, and show concrete examples of use in the classroom, as well as incorporation into a socially and emotionally balanced curriculum.  Materials currently used in our classrooms will be presented, as well as handouts that can assist participants with developing their own materials and curriculum. There will be numerous opportunities for discussion, feedback and idea sharing.  This session will offer many examples and insights into how we can help children build social and emotional competence to create more positive interactions in the classroom.

Afternoon Sessions

Intentional Planning for Developmentally Appropriate Practice  Megg Thompson, Certified Behavior Consultant and Family Coach

This workshop will teach you how to plan purposeful activities for the disciplines of DAP.  It will help you plan ahead, making sure your lesson plan and activities are age appropriate and rooted in PLAY!  Learning styles/modalities, multiple intelligences, student leadership and self-esteem will be covered as it pertains to a student’s success, empowerment and positive behaviors.

Puppets are Powerful: Incorporating Puppets into you Work with Young Children  Mary Wilson, Professional Puppeteer for Pitter Patter Enterprises, Inc.

An exploration of puppet activities designed to stimulate language, literacy, sensory awareness, problem solving, self-expression, and story creation. Incorporating puppets into the MA Curriculum Frameworks and supporting the MA SE Standards will be included. Using puppetry with children birth through school-age from a developmental perspective.

Healthy Bodies/ Healthy Minds  Kathleen Runey, Training Consultant for Creative Workshops

Good health and proper nutrition are necessary for children’s growth and development - everybody knows that. But are you aware of their important connection to learning? Let’s work together to practice and share the healthy habits essential for children to learn.

The First Year of Life Jill Vetstein, LICSW, MSW, and CEIS

The First Year of Life will give you and understanding of the many developmental milestones babies achieve in their first year of life! This includes gross motor, fine motor, social emotional, cognition and language development in the first year. This training will not just show you what happens but it will dive deep into why milestones occur and what happens if they don’t. Ideas and strategies will be taught to enhance this progression of development and what to do if it does not progress.