Early Childhood Conference

Girl laying on her stomach reading a book outside with her friends.

 Registration is Closed at this time.   

Join us for the Our Youngest Learners virtual conference, designed to meet your active lifestyle and keep you engaged in learning. This Zoom conference aims to help you form a close relationship with infants and toddlers, which is essential for their healthy development in the early years. You'll get to enjoy hands-on activities that are not only for you but also for the children you care for. The cost of the conference is $15.00. So, are you ready to stretch your mind and connect with our youngest learners?

These classes are accepted in Nebraska, Iowa, Georgia and South Dakota.

View Frequently Asked Questions

Conference Schedule (4 hrs)

Saturday, February 24, 2024

All 4 classes on February 24 are required

8:00 AM to 9:00 AM CST

Wonderful World of Infants and Toddlers

Infants and toddlers are delightful little people. Understanding the developmental sequence is essential for providing care and planning activities. Resources for working with infants and toddlers are also useful for creating quality programs for infants and toddlers.

Class Objective: 
  • Review the developmental stages of infants and toddlers
  • List a variety of resources to use in an early childhood program (homes and centers)
  • Find items in their own home/program to enhance development/learning
Instructor
Penny Gildea Portrait.
Penny Gildea

9:10 AM to 10:10 AM CST

Mindfully Feeding Infants and Toddlers

Food is so much more than just fuel. Having mindful mealtime routines not only builds strong relationships with people, but also a healthy relationship with food. Learn some tips for starting healthy eating habits early.

Class Objective: 
  • Understanding parenting, feeding, and child temperament styles.
  • Define and experience mindfulness and use mindfulness to build competent eaters.
Instructor
Courtney Aldrich Portrait.
Courtney Aldrich

10:20 AM to 11:20 AM CST

The Montessori Infant

What does it mean to practice Montessori? Let's talk about the Montessori philosophy and how it is used with children from birth to 18 months. We'll take a look at development and materials as well!

Class Objective: 
  • Learn about the Montessori Philosophy.
  • Learn about the development of the infant and what Montessori material to provide.
Instructor
Lisa Gammel Portrait.
Lisa Gammel

11:30 AM to 12:30 PM CST

Understanding a Toddler's World

Toddlerhood can be a difficult time to navigate. From tantrums to biting, toddler behaviors can be frustrating! This program will focus on helping you decode what's going on in a toddler's world by learning more about typical social emotional skills that develop during toddlerhood and how to help support toddlers in learning these crucial skills.

Class Objective: 
  • Identify the four developmental stages of self-control.
  • Learn how to help toddlers learn to manage their feelings, and develop strategies for reducing tantrums, biting and other challenging behaviors.
Instructor
Carrie Shrier Portrait.
Carrie Shrier

Homework (2 hrs)

Optional

Conference Follow-Up

Monday, March 25, 2024

2 hours Optional

6:30 PM to 8:30 PM CDT

Infant and Toddler AND What to do When There is a Concern

Infants and toddlers are delightful little people. There are times when a caregiver/parent may be concerned about the development of the child. Where does a caregiver/parent go when they have concerns. Resources and ideas for working with infants and toddlers are included in this workshop.

Class Objective: 
  • Review the developmental stages of infant and toddler development
  • List a variety of resources to use when you are concerned about a young child
  • Preview multiple ideas on typical household materials used to compliment all levels of development/learning
  • Find items in their own/home/program to enhance development/learning
Instructor
Penny Gildea Portrait.
Penny Gildea

View Frequently Asked Questions

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