Alliance for Kids

Thanks to all participants, workshop presenters, volunteers and staff for doing such a fabulous job at the conference! It was a great success because of you all!

Get the conference brochure here!

"The Real A, B C's of Early Literacy"

•  April 14th, 2012 at Pikes Peak Community College: 5675 S. Academy Blvd.
  Colorado Springs, CO 80906 
• The Keynote Address will be given by Dr. Billie Enz
• 6.25 clock hourS of training will be awarded and Light breakfast and box lunch will be provided

Workshop Session I: 10:15 a.m.  to 12:00 p.m.

1. Born to Read: Kindergarten Readiness Begins at Birth
       Trainer: Nancy Maday, Jean Bishop, Stacy Smith, Evan Kendrick
Getting ready to read begins at birth!  Using the new “Every Child Ready to Read” library initiative, discover how YOU can share fun literacy ideas and activities with the important parents and children in your life.  Learn about fabulous new picture books as we talk, sing, read, write, and play our way around the room.  You’ll take home a list of great new books, as well as simple and inexpensive literature enhancements and activities. From babies to preschoolers, early literacy begins with you!

2. The Qualistar Rating Journey: A Team Approach
Trainer: Maria Leyba, Bachelors, Quality Rating Specialist
This session will highlight the importance of teamwork and will assist staff and administration in establishing common goals for embarking upon their quality improvement journey. Participants will gain an overview of the five components of the Qualistar Rating; particular attention will be paid to the Learning Environment component and what will occur during a classroom observation. Additionally, this session will help participants gain an understanding of how to use the documentation received through participating in the Rating process, namely the Quality Performance Profile (QPP).

3. Movin’ and Groovin’ with Infants and Toddlers
Trainers:  Norma Brough, PT
Learn fun and easy strategies for getting the infants and toddlers in your care off to a “smart start.” Explore a variety of ways to enhance the development of motor skills and language using simple activities, toys, and everyday objects. Common areas of concern with motor development will also be presented. Other topics include: transitions, sensory motor issues and Child Find referrals.

4. Learn and Play with Words all Day
Trainer: Kathy Villere, MA, CCC-SLP, Language First Speech/Language Pathologist and Early Childhood Literacy Consultant
Building early literacy involves more than just learning letters and sounds. Learning about sounds and words builds the strongest foundation for learning to read and write. Make every moment of the preschool day an opportunity to learn about sounds and words. Blend vocabulary and oral language development, and phonological awareness into your daily routines. Build word and sound awareness playfully while counting syllables, imitating sentences, counting words in sentences, rhyming and learning onset-rime.

5. Conflict Resolution with Children
Trainer:  Janet Humphryes, Masters Early Childhood Education, BS Behavioral Science,  Head Start Early Childhood Specialist         
This session will focus on how children’s social/emotional development and well-being in the moment impacts their ability to resolve conflict.  Learning a simple process for guiding children in finding solutions to their conflicts will also be a focus of this session.  Participants will have an opportunity to practice the solution discovery process, and produce an action plan for supporting children’s abilities to resolve their conflicts.

6. Literacy—A Tool for Preventing Substance Abuse
Trainer:  Jennifer West, BA
There are many factors in early life that contribute to substance abuse later in life.  Ms. West will explore the ways that literacy activities can help to decrease the risk factors of that abuse.  Other factors that can decrease potential use will be discussed as well.

7. Emotional Literacy
Trainer: Christine Cerbana, Masters Comparative Pathology , BS Genetics, CFERT Project Director
One of the first steps to developing emotional intelligence is to improve emotional literacy.  This workshop will define emotional literacy and its relationship to emotional intelligence, empathy and learning, and make the case for its development in children.

8. All The World’s a Stage:  Teaching Language and Literacy Skills through Drama
Trainer: Dr. Billie Enz, Ph.D. Elementary Education
Human brains love story – in fact our memories will retain information told in story and song easier than any other informational format.   Storybooks also provide the most efficient way for children to learn new vocabulary.  This highly interactive session demonstrates how teachers can increase children’s vocabulary and fluency by implementing Storybook Theater in to their classroom environment.  Session will feature engaging stories, simple prop ideas, creative and cheap puppets.  Ideas for story extensions through segment-plot writing will also be shared. 

Workshop Session II : 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

1. Health Rules and Regulations for Early Educators?  Why the environment makes a difference.          
Trainer:  Mary Utsler, Health Inspector/RNs Specialist                                                                                                                                              An overview of the rules and regulations for child care facilities how the regulations help provide a safe learning environment.     We will discuss ways to be compliant that are not overly time consuming and give tips on how to comply with regulations that may be new to providers.  

2. Signing Time: Using ASL to Enhance Literacy
Trainer:  Cathy Meekins, Advanced STA Instructor
Come discuss the benefits of using American Sign Language for Literacy enhancement. We will be exploring research based benefits of using ASL in an early childhood classroom, and practicing adding ASL signs to familiar finger plays, rhymes, and maybe learn a new song or two. You will leave with free resources to assist you in integrating ASL into your existing routine and information to provide research based information to the parents of the children in your care.

3. The Pyramid Model: An Overview
Trainer:  Melissa Caron, Social Worker
This session will provide an overview of the Pyramid Model, research based strategies and resources from the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning (CSEFEL),  focusing on the social emotional development and school readiness of young children. We will review the levels of the Pyramid to include building positive relationships, designing responsive environments and routines, and nurturing friendship and play skills. This model also teaches participants how to write and execute behavior support plans and manage challenging behavior in the classrooms.

4. Cedar Springs Hospital’s Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) In-Patient Services for Children and their Families - An Overview of the Daniel Hughes Method  
Trainers:  Karen Teel, Lead Community Liaison and a RAD Therapist 
Children with serious psychological problems secondary to histories of abuse, neglect, and/or multiple placements provide a serious challenge to parents and therapists.  For the past 20 years Dr. Daniel Hughes has specialized in the treatment of children who manifest serious deficits in their emotional, cognitive, and behavioral development, and at the same time demonstrate considerable difficulty establishing and maintaining secure attachment relationships. Dr Hughes approach is family based and focused on facilitating the child's ability to establish a secure attachment with his/her caregivers. Developmental attachment theory and research is the primary model for relationship development and trauma resolution.  Cedar Springs Connections unit uses the Daniel Hughes approach to actively communicate empathy and acceptance of the individual child while providing him/her with the comforting and containment needed to explore and resolve past trauma and shame-related experiences. 

5. Improving the Options: Natural Strategies that Work with Families
Trainer:  Deborah Palarino, MS
Working with parents may sometimes not be easy, but it is always worth the effort. The characteristics that make us good with children can also help us in our work with parents. This workshop will focus on the most common challenges that plague the teacher/parent relationship and practical ways to overcome them. Participants will explore roadblocks, and add more tools to build strong and supportive relationships.              

6. Child Initiated Curriculum: A Developmental Approach                
Trainer:  Janet Humphryes, Masters Early Childhood Education, BS Behavioral Science,  Head Start Early Childhood Specialist         
This session will focus on what a child-initiated curriculum is and how child-initiated activities can be simply incorporated into everyday routines and practices.  We will also review a few critical aspects of age birth to six development and how child-initiated practices are responsive to that development.  Participants will produce an action plan for integrating child-initiated activities into their practice.

7. All The World’s a Stage:  Teaching Language and Literacy Skills through Drama
Trainer: Dr. Billie Enz, Ph.D. Elementary Education
Human brains love story – in fact our memories will retain information told in story and song easier than any other informational format.   Storybooks also provide the most efficient way for children to learn new vocabulary.  This highly interactive session demonstrates how teachers can increase children’s vocabulary and fluency by implementing Storybook Theater in to their classroom environment.  Session will feature engaging stories, simple prop ideas, creative and cheap puppets.  Ideas for story extensions through segment-plot writing will also be shared.

8. Children Learn Literacy Through Play
Trainer:  Karen Kirshenbaum, Doctorate of Education
              Ruby Belton, Masters, ECE
This workshop deals with children learning through play and applying knowledge to new situations by actually doing. The participants will enjoy demonstrating literary strategies that can be used with young children for understanding basic literacy concepts.

Workshop Session III : 2:45 p.m.  to 4:15 p.m.

 1. Sanitize or Disinfect? What’s the Difference?       
Trainer:  Marion Richmond-Haygood, Health Inspector/RN
Come learn the ABC’s of one of the most misunderstood aspects of childcare, not to mention our own homes. In this class we will break it down, provide some prompts to help you remember, explain which products work best based on the situation, address the ‘are we cleaning too much?’ theory, and do some experiential demonstrations. When you leave this class you will definitely understand why the two are so different and when to use each.

2. Just How Important is Attachment to Children’s School Readiness?
Trainer: Michelle Bender, Bachelors, Master’s Certification, Educational Leadership in ECE
Discover how a healthy attachment early in life wires the brain and prepares children for later academic success.

3. Brain Gym Activities
Trainer:  Janet Humphryes, Masters Early Childhood Education, BS Behavioral Science,  Head Start Early Childhood Specialist         
Brain Gym® involves a series of quick, fun and energizing activities that are effective in preparing any learner for specific thinking and coordination skills.  During this session, we will review some of the basic movements that contribute to calm, focused, creative, learning environments.  Participants will learn and practice the movements to experience the effects themselves and create an action plan for incorporating Brain gym activities into everyday practice.

4. Dual Language Learners and Challenging  Behaviors
Trainer: Melanie Rush, Bachelors
Do you have children with challenging behavior? Is it due to dual language or other reasons? Teacher insight and positive parent relationships is necessary, and getting to the root of the problem is sometimes the toughest part in managing behavior. This workshop will give you techniques and tips for overall classroom strategies and family cooperation to assist in making the childcare stting a safe and happy place.

5. The Role of Meaningful Experiences in Supporting Early Language and Literacy
Trainer: Deana Hunt, Bachelors, CR&R Executive Director
When teachers of young children support early language and literacy through meaningful experiences they give children the confidence, competence, and motivation to learn.

6. Kindergarten Readiness: Preparing Preschoolers for Elementary School
Trainers:  Karen Kirshenbaum, Doctorate of Education
          Ruby Belton, Masters, ECE
Come learn developmentally appropriate practices for preparing preschoolers for kindergarten. The Colorado Building Blocks Standards in Kindergarten Readiness. Question and Answer discussion and handout will be provided.

7. Early Childhood Specialist and Service Intensity Instrument
Trainer: AspenPointe Staff
The presentation will discuss the role of the early childhood specialist position (ECS) and will include information about how the community supports delivered by the ECS work in collaboration with childcare staff to grow and develop the social-emotional health of children.

8. Classroom Management Strategies
Trainer: Michelle Sears-Ward, Bachelors in ECE.
Strategies to use in an ECE classroom for better classroom management.