Play is the work of children! In this seminar, teachers learn about the benefits of play and how it helps children develop cognitively, socially and physically. Through hands on activities, videos and discussions, they learn about and experience different forms of play such as object play, block play and locomotor play.

Dramatic play is spotlighted as well especially in connection to reading aloud. Teachers many roles in guiding and supporting play are explored - from setting the stage by creating an engaging environment where children will feel motivated, to being a play buddy where they engage in play themselves to support children’s curiosity, creativity and language development. Several strategies for preventing or responding to playtime challenges are also discussed.

Highlighting the teachers’ central role in the emotional life of their classrooms, participants will learn how to create a Classroom Culture that promotes kindness, dignity, and mutual respect.

Teachers are encouraged to plan, model, practice, and reflect upon the language they and their children use as well as their procedures. They will learn how to plan mini-lessons that establish the routines and rituals needed to make learning successful and fun.

Participants will also look closely at creating responsibilities to form guidelines and structure for the classroom. They will discuss how responsibilities should be established with children giving them a sense of ownership and empowerment. 

Strengthening children’s speaking and listening skills is one crucial pathway for later success in school. High quality talk, with its emphasis on robust vocabulary, rich conversations and positive interactions characterizes classrooms where children’s oral language skills thrive.

In this seminar, teachers learn about the components of children’s oral language development and how to assess, record, and support children in growing these skills. Through the use of readings, videos, and hands-on activities, participants will better understand the power of talk, develop strategies to promote language and communication skills, and consider ways to partner with families to share this information.

Participants will discover the characteristics and importance of building a culture of literacy in their classroom, one in which a love of books and reading aloud are valued. This training will emphasize using quality children’s books for read alouds and will allow participants to dive deeply into the before-during-after structure of an intentional read aloud lesson. 

Engaging children in read alouds while focusing on explicitly addressing comprehension, vocabulary, phonemic awareness and phonics skills will be highlighted. They will examine video examples and have time to plan lessons.

Learn more about our Pre-K Professional Development, teacher training, workshops, and seminars today. Speak with a member of our Blueprint Team and learn how to brings expert workforce development to your center today.