Duration: 2 hours

What is heuristic play? What are treasure baskets? How does this style of learning positively impact infants and toddler development?

Heuristic play is any approach to problem solving, learning, or discovery that employs a practical method. It’s not guaranteed to be optimal, perfect, logical, or rational, but instead sufficient for reaching an immediate goal. It is learning by trial and error.

Heuristic play theory was developed by Elinor Goldschmied in the 1990’s. She realized that babies often prefer to play with ordinary objects rather than toys. Treasure baskets are built specifically for non-mobile infants who can comfortably sit. Children who are walking, and up to that age of three are engaged with “islands” of interesting, purposeful materials set up around a classroom.

Adults can easily observe the young child’s thinking while interacting with these learning tools. Heuristic play emphasizes what infants and toddlers can do rather than what they are unable to do.

Facilitators will lead participants in discussion to create an awareness and understanding of heuristic play and how it impacts infants and toddlers as well as the child care profession.

Duration: 2 hours

A child's brain undergoes an amazing period of development from birth to three—producing more than a million neural connections each second. The development of the brain is influenced by many factors, including a child’s relationships, experiences and environment.

This workshop explores how the human brain grows and how early experiences in the first three years of life can dramatically shape and support brain development. Facilitators will challenge Educators to identify the crucial role they play in nurturing healthy brain development, answer frequently asked questions and lead participants in some fun “brain-building” activities that can be immediately implemented with the children in their programs.

Duration: 2 hours

As we look at developmental milestones it is important to reflect on our own practice and how it impacts the healthy development of children. Both timing and sequence of development can vary among children and within cultures. When thinking about expected patterns of growth and development many factors must be considered as milestones are only approximations.

This interactive workshop will focus specifically on infants and toddlers exploring key areas of growth and development. It will touch on recent brain research and how ELCC professionals can use this research to enhance and support children’s development and inform their own practices.

Making the Connection with Infant and Toddler Years (ages 0-3)

Developing age and stage appropriate practices and making meaningfully connections with children is at the core of being an exceptional early learning educator. Grounded in current research on child development and the knowledge base about how children develop at various stages the concept is not difficult however, the principles can be misunderstood.

This series explores Early Childhood Educator practice in early learning programs caring for children from birth through 3 years of age. It encourages participants to engage in self-reflection on their understanding of core concepts and implementation in everyday practice.

Duration: 2 hours

Positive relationships are essential for learning and development, development of personal responsibility, and the capacity for self-regulation and constructive interactions with others. Children who see themselves as cared about and connected are more likely to feel secure, thrive physically, get along with others, learn well, and feel like part of a community (NAEYC position statement). Participants will reflect on and assess their role and practice in the development of healthy relationships, they will examine how they connect with children; do or fail to do on an everyday basis.

Duration: 2 hours

It is critical that early childhood educators as well as children feel comfortable in their environment. This workshop explores ways to ensure infant and toddler environments have comfortable play spaces that are developmentally appropriate for the ages of the children in the room.

Duration: 4 hours

When caregivers support infant and toddler play, children develop the skills to stay interested in an object or activity for an increased period of time. Babies need to explore their own bodies while toddlers require the freedom to move and explore the environment around them.  This workshop challenges participants to examine their understanding of developmentally appropriate exploration and play and how to implement DAP in the children’s daily activities and experiences.

Duration: 4 hours

Daily routines, time schedules and transitions need to be flexible and adapted to meet the children’s individual needs. Children also need predictability therefore there must also be a sequence to the day. Participants will assess their current routines, schedules and transitions and explore strategies which allow for more flexible and adaptive practices.

Duration: 2 hours

Early childhood educators and parents must work together when making decisions about how best to support children's development and learning and how to handle problems as they arise. Through self-reflection participants will examine their own practice and explore effective ways to develop positive reciprocal relationships with families which maximize good outcomes for children.

Duration: 2 hours

Learning begins on the first day of life. Educators are discovering more about how infants and toddlers develop emotionally and intellectually.

Piaget spent year meticulously observing his own three children and determined that very young children already knew much more about the world than anyone would have thought. With that knowledge, we can enhance environments and provide better learning opportunities to infants and toddlers in our care.

Facilitators will lead participants in the discussion to create an awareness and understanding that infants and toddlers are mighty learners and attain insight into how their brains work.

Duration: 2 hours

Why do toddlers bite? How can we as educators give them guidance and tools to deal with their big emotions? By diving into child development, temperament, environment as well as speech and language, we can assemble tools to deal with this behaviour that is very distressing for children, educators and parents.

Facilitators will lead participants in the discussion to create an awareness and understanding of what prompts biting. Participants will train to use tools that evaluate the child’s behaviour and to develop strategies that will bring peace back to the classroom.