Quality interactions set the stage for how children experience learning and supportive relationships with teachers and their peers. How early care and education (ECE) professionals interact with children, and provide instruction within their programs, matters to children's growth and development. Research shows the importance of stimulating, focused interactions starting in infancy. Learn effective strategies to promote meaningful interactions and positive outcomes for children. (2 hours)
Throughout an early care and education (ECE) professional’s day, there is a constant stream of activity. Attention is given to guiding children as they learn, management of the environment, and management of daily stress. The development of mindful practice strategies offers a pathway for ECE professionals to maintain a healthy sense of personal well-being and balance, while also nurturing children’s development, relationships, cooperation, creative thinking, and problem solving. (2 hours)
Time-out has not been effective in helping children develop self-regulation skills. Learn ways to respond to children to help them develop emotional awareness and ways to provide calming activities for children who are upset. (1 hour)
Need new ideas and inspiration for including music in your child care program? Learn songs for the non-singer, how to make simple musical instruments, and lots of music and movement activities to do with children. (2 hours)
High quality care and learning for young children includes a well-ordered and predictable daily experience where children can feel confident and secure. This lesson explores why structure and flexibility are important in early learning environments, how to create a daily schedule that meets young children’s needs, and how to plan child-centered learning opportunities. (2 hours)
Front-line staff in school-age programs implement practices that can build a community atmosphere that encourages positive peer interactions and discourages bullying. Front-line staff create positive relationships with youth while teaching friendship, assertiveness, and conflict resolution skills. Front-line and administrative staff work together to establish clear behavior guidelines, create consistent consequences, and implement reporting and follow-through. They keep families informed and invite feedback and suggestions. (2 hours)
A lo largo de un día de cuidado y educación temprana (ECE) del profesional, hay una corriente constante de actividad. Se da atención a guiar a los niños a medida que aprenden, manejan el ambiente y manejan el estrés diario. (2 horas)
Children’s experiences matter. To promote healthy development and learning, preschoolers need access to environments and routines that are interesting, appropriate, and supportive to each child. Learn ways to create and manage effective environments and routines that work for young children. Access assessment activities to review and build on the quality of care for preschoolers. (2 hours)
Every interaction preschool professionals have with children—what they say, do, the ways they guide behaviors, and how they present themselves—has the potential to influence what and how children learn. This lesson explores developmentally-informed practices to support quality interactions and behavioral guidance with young children. Access assessment activities to review and build on the quality of care for preschoolers. (2 hours)
Teachers support children’s emotional development by helping and guiding them as children learn about how to talk about their feelings and manage their emotions. This module focuses on how teachers can support preschoolers' emotional understanding and problem solving skills. The module reviews ideas and strategies that help children talk about their feelings, understand other’s feelings, and manage strong emotions. (2 hours)
This lesson takes a step-by-step approach to helping children learn to solve their own problems. Topics include recognizing emotions, identifying methods for dealing with conflict, and techniques to use with children as they develop socially and emotionally. (2 hours)
In this lesson youth development professionals serving children from ages 5 through 18 will learn intentional communication techniques to use to create a welcoming and inclusive community of multi-age learners. Youth development professionals will also learn how to foster positive interactions among youth through teaching and practicing group limit setting, stress management, and conflict resolution skills. (2 hours)
Why is youth engagement a critical part of achieving PYD? In this module, youth development professionals and volunteers who serve children and youth ages 5-18 in OST settings will point to three components of youth engagement: youth voice, leadership opportunities, and youth-adult partnerships. They will learn how to build a program that authentically engages youth, and they will explore examples of successful youth engagement experiences. (2 hours)
This mastery module is for current administrators, and those who want to advance into an administrative role, in extended learning programs serving 5- to 18-year-olds. Administrators will explore how to direct their staff to create informal, high-quality learning environments using positive youth development principles. The module will also help program administrators guide and support staff to select and deliver age-appropriate curricula to meet the learning goals established by the program. (2 hours)
This mastery module is for current program directors or managers, and those who desire to advance into an administrative role in out-of-school time programs serving 5- to 18-year-olds. This module illustrates the range of responsibilities of program managers, including use of sound business practices; hiring and managing personnel; establishing positive relationships with families and communities; providing high quality programming; and ensuring efficient use of resources. (2 hours)
Financial literacy includes core competencies of how to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, manage resources, plan, and organize. After school programs can provide many opportunities for youth to learn and practice these core competencies. A degree in accounting or economics is not necessary for practitioners to provide activities and discuss financial topics. Many of the skills are already a part of common, daily activities in out-of-school time programs. (2 hours)
Financial literacy includes core competencies of how to communicate, make decisions, solve problems, manage resources, plan, and organize. After school programs can provide many opportunities for youth to learn and practice these core competencies. A degree in accounting or economics is not necessary for practitioners to provide activities and discuss financial topics. Many of the skills are already a part of common, daily activities in out-of-school time programs. (2 hours)
The REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed) Program is a preschool classroom curriculum program that combines social-emotional, and language and literacy curriculum components to support children's school readiness. The topics in this module include: how emotions develop in early childhood, presenting the Preschool feeling lessons, talking about feelings in the classroom, and using interactive reading to build language skills. (2 hours)
The REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed) Program is a preschool classroom curriculum program that combines social-emotional, and language and literacy curriculum components to support children's school readiness. The topics in this module include: developing self-control, presenting the Turtle Technique, helping children use “Turtle” effectively, and discussing why things happen. (2 hours)
The REDI (Research-based, Developmentally Informed) Program is a preschool classroom curriculum program that combines social-emotional, and language and literacy curriculum components to support children's school readiness. The topics in this module include: nurturing a positive classroom climate, building children’s thinking skills, motivating children to do the right thing, and using problem-solving dialogue. (2 hours)
The best environments for children are those in which each child can SEE himself, his interests, his identity, and BE himself to express those interests, concerns, thoughts and emotions. For children from military families, that includes reflections of the military-connected knowledge and experiences that they bring to child care. Explore why and how early childhood professionals can intentionally and effectively respect and reflect children’s military-connectedness in their programs. (2 hours)
Supporting children’s social and emotional development is key to school readiness and overall healthy growth and development. This lesson introduces evidence-based emotional literacy practices for use with infants and toddlers suggested by the Pyramid Model and resources from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). (2 hours)
Supporting children’s social and emotional development is key to school readiness and overall healthy growth and development. This lesson introduces evidence-based emotional literacy practices for use with preschoolers suggested by the Pyramid Model and resources from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). (2 hours)
What does the term “school readiness” mean or not mean for young children? Early care and education professionals can support young children’s development and learning from infancy through preschool age to give children a strong foundation for success as they enter kindergarten. (2 hours)
In this course, learn how to make school-age learning spaces work well. Review quality space criteria. Reflect on and analyze current OST space and offerings. Gain confidence to design spaces, different from school, that are flexible and reflect the youth’s voice, spaces that appeal to a diverse range of youth, spaces that spark interest and invite engagement. Adjust environmental elements to accommodate youth with a range of sensitivities. (2 hours)
School-age professionals influence children through the relationships they develop and the experiences they provide. Learn to create a menu of learning possibilities that is different from school and reflects the youth’s voice. Explore strategies to scaffold for a wide range of participants. Reflect on the quality criteria and compare those indicators to the experiences you offer. Take away vetted ideas, meaningful curriculum options to enhance your OST school-year programming plan. (2 hours)
STEAM—Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math are all important components of a quality preschool program. Providers will learn best practice strategies for implementing these early investigative and expressive experiences in order to make preschool exciting and to prepare children for elementary school tasks. View practical examples from preschool practitioners. This lesson includes many programming tips and curriculum ideas. (2 hours)
Child care providers have an important role in helping children learn from dramatic play. They help children’s learning in two ways: by how they set up the dramatic play area and by the way they talk with children about their play. Learn why dramatic play is important to a child’s social and emotional development and how providers can encourage and expand on dramatic play in their child care program. (2 hours)
This lesson takes a developmental look at facilitating children’s play from infants through preschoolers. Learn whether an adult should step in and play with the children or step back and observe children playing. Play problems (exclusion, lack of sharing) seem to be important areas of concern for many child care practitioners and the lesson will focus on how practitioners can handle these problems with young children. (2 hours)
The real goal of circle time is far more than teaching children to sit and listen — it is to help children join together and form a community. Learn what makes circle and group times successful. This lesson offers tips and ideas for gathering children together and keeping them involved. (2 hours)
