Training Topics > Curriculum

Our Most Popular Assessments

Creative Curriculum®
The "Beyond" Series
The Planning Guide

Orientation and Overview of the Active Learning Series

This training offers teachers and child care providers the opportunity to examine one or more of these excellent resources that are based upon the ITERS-R and ECERS-R and serve to enhance any program. This training familiarizes participants with the books' format, planning guides and instructional activities — whether for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or children with special needs/classroom inclusion. During this training, participants will:

• Receive information on the format of the selected Active Learning book(s)
• Explore the planning guide and activities for listening, talking and social growth and suggestions for physical development and creative learning
• Be involved in instructional planning utilizing activities from the selected Active Learning book(s)

Links to Literacy

This training provides participants with an overview of and implementation strategies for the Links to Literacy program. As a research-based, theme-oriented and literature-embedded curriculum, Links to Literacy offers a framework and structure upon which teachers can provide valuable experiences for children. Those receiving the Links to Literacy training will acquire knowledge and ideas related to setting up a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate, and literacy-based program. During this training, participants will:

• Receive information on how to establish a literacy-based curriculum
• Examine the themes supporting the Links to Literacy program
• Review how to integrate other curricular topics (math, science, social studies, music, art, movement, etc.) within the literacy format
• Practice developing extensions and enhancements to the basic curriculum

Partners for Learning / Partners for a Healthy Baby

The training on either Partners for Learning or Partners for a Healthy Baby takes participants through the format, organization, and materials for each resource along with important implementation tips and strategies. During this training, participants will:

• Learn about the philosophy and purpose for the specified resource
• Explore and learn the use of the component materials for the specified resource
• Use information from the training, participants discuss and strategize implementation methods for the specified resources

Infant/Toddler Development

This course is specifically designed to cover the developmental stages and appropriate activities for children birth to three years. Know what to expect — and when to expect it; from teething to toddling, toileting to transitions. Physically and mentally a small child is developing at rapid fire pace. This course will help caregivers to be prepared for these changes and help families and children toward smooth transitions. During this training, participants will:

• Learn the developmental benchmarks for children birth through 3 years
• Learn songs, finger plays and games that promote healthy baby development
• Be provided with tips for dealing with challenging stages every baby experiences (i.e. teething, transitions, and toileting)

Developmentally Appropriate Practices

Caregivers understand the importance of designing appropriate lessons and spaces. This session is customized to address the practices that are developmentally appropriate for one specific age or an age range of young children. Using the knowledge from this session, caregivers will be able to better serve the educational and emotional needs of their children. During this training, participants will:

• Learn how DAP applies to both the age (stage) and individuality of the child
• Learn how DAP effects the classroom planning, materials and management
• Experience and understand the benefits of Developmentally Appropriate Teaching techniques

Brain-based Learning and Its Applications

Infants, toddlers and preschoolers are developing intellectually just as quickly as they are physically! This course combines information on how the young child's brain develops, the critical periods of development and important elements needed to maximize a child's learning potential. The instruction also includes techniques for practical applications for use in the classroom and home. During this training, participants will:

• Receive research of the physiology of the growing brain (stages of optimal development)
• Learn how children gather and process information for optimal development
• Understand the techniques and benefits of multi-domain (Multiple Intelligence) lesson planning

Thematic Approach to Teaching

Lesson Planning and implementation can be so much more engaging when a theme is woven throughout the child's learning experience. Lessons can incorporate literacy, art, math, science and outdoor play throughout one central theme! This course provides effective ideas and strategies to blend classroom activities into thematic units, making learning more relevant and meaningful for teachers and children. During this training, participants will:

• Participate in different brain storming or lesson mapping techniques for cross curriculum lesson planning
• Demonstrate weaving a theme throughout multiple curriculum areas
• Experience how thematic lessons can be extended outdoors and at home

Multicultural Education and Diversity

Understand, appreciate and REJOICE in our children's diversity. This course will help teachers with strategies for weaving multi-cultural and diversity experiences throughout the curriculum to enhance integration of these topics into daily instruction. When children are exposed to other cultures we broaden their scope, increase their sensitivity and create a sense of community. During this training, participants will:

• Receive an overview of our diverse populations, cultures and special needs
• Be provided with list of multicultural holidays and books to help us learn about one another
• Take home ideas for their school to enhance instruction and family relationships through celebrating the richness of our diversity

Developmentally Appropriate Environments

Avoid classroom disruptions by creating better set-ups! The criteria for developmentally appropriate environments vary from one age to another. Participants will learn to make the most out of their classroom management and instruction with this course as they explore the relationship between classroom arrangement and the developmental needs of individual children and groups of children. During this training, participants will:

• Identify what is Developmentally Appropriate for a specific age group
• Learn how spatial, material and temporal planning effect the behavior of the child
• Be given the opportunity to discuss and design classroom environments that promote positive learning experiences
• Learn best practices within any space for DAP

Typical and Atypical Development of Young Children

"Is my child developing appropriately?" "My Son walked at 12 months, is there something wrong with my 15 month old Daughter who still crawls?" "Should I worry?" These are tough questions to answer, and tougher to ask. This course will provide caregivers with some of the characteristics and developmental milestones of "typical" development. Participants will be provided with clues and cues that help identify young children with atypical development, and ways on how best to help parents, children and providers. During this training, participants will:

• Be provided with established milestones based on developmental domains
• Understand what signs/ symptoms in young children that should and should not cause concern
• Learn appropriate techniques for monitoring and communicating these concerns

Setting the Stage for Language and Literacy Development

Teachers and care givers will learn the foundation benchmarks of language and literacy development for young children. They will learn techniques to enhance that development and draw back the curtain to reveal the wonderful world of literacy. This course will provide age-appropriate activities that will build a literature-rich environment and help children fall in love with reading. During this training, participants will:

• Learn the foundation benchmarks of language and literacy development
• Learn new (and tried-and-true) language rich environment activities
• Be provided with lists of age appropriate book titles, authors and resources

Connecting Reading and Writing

It's a riddle all young children must learn to solve. "How DO these letters make words? And then make stories? How can I write my own stories?" Learn the developmental stages of the writing process for young children, what kind of classroom activities are appropriate to support each stage, and how to help children successfully make the reading-writing connection. During this training, participants will:

• Understand the reading and writing connection
• Learn how to set up reading/ listening and writing centers
• Participate in reading and writing connection activities

Math and Science Activities for Young Children

Discover new possibilities for easy, fun, and inexpensive ways of helping children explore the world of math and science through exploration and manipulation. During this informative and fun hands-on session participants get to touch, smell, taste, move, and sort to learn as the children would. During this training, participants will:

• Experience hands on exploration of Math and Science concepts
• Learn how to set up Math and Science centers
• Leave with additional inexpensive ways to expand our Math/ Science exploration

Music and Movement

Teachers and care-givers experience music and movement activities for learning, for transitions, for FUN and more! This course gets participants up and moving. Research shows that more information is retained when multiple domains are involved — singing and dancing involves all the domains of development. Educators leave with fun activities that support skills across all the domains and keep the children actively involved. During this training, participants will:

• Understand the necessity for cross domain lesson planning integration
• Learn the benefits of the Kinesthetic Approach to learning
• Learn finger plays and games that promote fun in learning!

Return To Training Topics