Engaging Toddlers, with or without Special Needs, in learning and play can be enormous fun and very challenging. In this workshop we examine strategies and techniques to facilitate these youngest learners as they grow and develop.
As the foundation of all social emotional skills, helping children build strong relationships with the adults and peers around them is critical to their development. In this workshop we identify a wide range of tools that can assist children and adults in establishing and strengthen these relationships.
One of the key skills children must learn in early childhood is how to interact positively with others. In this workshop we delve into the sequencing of social skill development and a wide range of strategies that adults can use to help the children learn to successfully engage with their peers.
Why Dittos Don’t Work
Research clearly demonstrates that worksheets/dittos are not the most effective way to teach young children and yet many teachers and families still value their use as a central portion of their children's education. Why is this true? This workshop focuses on understanding the downsides of using worksheets/dittos, provides alternative teaching techniques and helping participants articulate to others why hands-on learning is much more valuable for young children.
Research has repeatedly shown that children learn better in small groups than in large groups. This workshop explores both the “why” and the “how to” of creating meaningful and effective small group activities for young children:
When working/Playing and Learning with young children, helping them move from one activity to another can be the most challenging times of the day. This workshop helps adults learn strategies to not only ease the process but make it fun and productive learning time:
One of the most valuable tools in a Teacher's Toolkit, visual supports of all sorts are explored in terms of why, when and how to use them as well as how to create visual supports for groups of children or individuals:
Explore ways to creating physically appealing learning environments that are engaging and interesting to young children, while meeting a wide range of sensory, physical and learning styles. This workshop is available in a single session or as part of a series in which the concepts are explored in greater depth.
In looking at learning from the perspective of sensory processing, before a child is ready to learn and retain new and complex concepts there are foundational needs that must be met. This workshop provides both theoretical and concrete explanations of these needs and a wide range of strategies that can be used to meet them:
Behavior is the truest form of communication. Thus, when children behave in ways that are concerning to adults or disruptive to their peers, the adults in their lives need to pay attention to the underlying message.
