Alberta Resource Center for Quality Enhancement

This interactive workshop focuses on a critical component of quality child care- the PLAY.  This introductory session looks at: why play is important for optimal child development outcomes; current research and trends; practical suggestions for enhancing play environments. Beginner Level Workshop.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 1, 2, 3, 4 a

This workshop focuses on the affects of positive play experiences on the development of a child’s brain.  This interactive workshop gives concrete ideas to implement to support healthy brain development with young children.

Available July 2009: Children have a natural curiosity about the world around them, we as caregivers have the opportunity to be children’s first introduction to many natural and scientific concepts.   This workshop focus on the early childhood professional’s role in supporting science through interactions, materials and interest based planning.

Building on Children’s Interests - Intentional vs. Accidental. Emergent Curriculum is about:

• planning and then letting go
• responding to the interests and preferences of everyone in the room, including the professionals and the families
• celebrating the children
• enjoying the role you play with the children, the program, the families and the community.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2, 3 and 7

How can I plan to meet the individual developmental needs, abilities, and interests of the children in my care? This three hour workshop helps early learning and care professionals that work with infants and toddlers to identify interests and build a
curriculum that is bases on the expressed interests of the children in their care. This information takes a look at how the caregiver’s relationship with the children is part of the curriculum and how to document and preserve evidence of growth of
very young children.

This interactive workshop will explore the stages of Social Skill development in young children and offer strategies for encouraging and supporting goals with Social Skill development in Early Learning and Care settings.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 1, 2 and 3

This interactive workshop will focus on creating fun yet challenging outdoor activity experiences and provide practical ideas that can be used to extend formal program planning in outdoor play experiences.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 3

Explore a variety of strategies to ensure that transitions become an unhurried, less stressful learning adventure.  In this two hour interactive workshop, participants will explore a variety of strategies to ensure that transitions become an unhurried, learning experience.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 1, 2 and 3

Have you ever wondered what to do with Spiderman or the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the dramatic play area? This workshop will focus on how to use these intrinsic interests and self assigned roles of the children to give concrete learning to moral development such as honor justice, mercy and other values of human interactions. This workshop will support advanced early childhood professionals in their progression toward providing optimum learning and care for young children.

The workshop directly addresses accreditation standards 1 through 3.

The “Handle with Care” practitioner workshop is designed to help participants develop a mental health promotion mindset in their child care work and assist them in implementing appropriate strategies in the child care setting. The focus is on:

1. Creating a mental health promotion mindset
2. Understanding how social-emotional development, family and community connections and practitioner well-being are important contributors to promoting children’s mental health.
3. Linking new information with familiar information
4. Recognizing positive practices as well as challenges and barriers
5. Adapting mental health promotion practices to particular community and centre situations encountered by practitioners.

Explore guidelines for arranging play space both indoors and out aimed at enhancing play and effective adult supervision.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 1 and 3

Available July ‘09 - This workshop combines theory on how a child’s brain understands the world around them according to groupings and patterns which provide the bases for more advanced math skills.  The participants will engaged in hands-on activities and brainstorming related to how to use everyday routine and materials to support math skills.

Effective Strategies for Challenging Behaviours in Early Childhood Environments. (Note: This is a three part session delivered in (3), three hour units)

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2 and 4

Bringing physical activity back into children’s play.  This workshop was created in partnerships with Canadian Child Care Federation and focuses on the value of active play in the development of children.

Participants will review areas of development enhanced through sand and water play. They will become familiar with requirements of ITERS and ECERS as they relate to sand and water play.  Participants will explore creative materials and props to use with sand and water.  Participants will discover other mediums and substitutes for sand and water. Participants will be provided with criteria for evaluating sand and water experiences.

Beginner Level Workshop.

Building a case for effective observation, keeping anecdotal records and creating child development profiles.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2 and 3

Based on the book “Beautiful Stuff” (Topal & Gandini, 1999) this hands-on workshop supports strategies and ideas to implement open-ended art with young children.  It supports that open-ended art supports exploration, choice and problem solving opportunities. There are no right or wrong ways of creating artwork. Samples or models are not provided.  Children are provided with the materials and what they choose to create it up to them.

Click Here to Download the Material List

This beginner workshop supports the theory and practice related to planning based on the observed needs of the children. Practical strategies and supporting documentations sheets help to support the new professional in our field.

This interactive workshop is a follow up to the Caregiver Interaction Scale focusing on techniques and strategies for front line professionals enhancing quality child care – Adult/Child Interactions.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2 and 3

Participants will gain an understanding of the philosophy of Resources for Infant Educators (R.I.E.) as well as practical ways of implementing it in their programs.   The philosophy of R.I.E. offers knowledge of Developmentally Appropriate Practice for caregivers of infants and toddlers. Your days with infants and toddlers will be easier and more rewarding when you can truly honour yourself and the child during your interactions.  The philosophy of R.I.E. is respect and realism.  Infants and toddlers will develop high self-esteem as they are encouraged to grow and mature in calm, empowering atmosphere.   In addressing needs and supporting active independence, the child’s abilities will be nurtured. Methods for learning will include videos, discussions and a demonstration of visiting children and parents.

(This workshop is subject to presenter availability and travel expenses.)

Building Resiliency in Young Children.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2 and 3

Introduction of Plan, Do, Review programming and Child Portfolios. This workshop looks at a variety of documentation strategies that as a professional validate the immense learning that is happens for young children by recording the individual growth of each child.

Relates to Accreditation Standards: 2, 3 and 5 – Revised March 09
(Note – this is intended to follow Emergent Curriculum  PT.1)

This workshop is designed to support professionals in gaining a deeper understanding of the way in which young children develop language and literacy skills. Learn about environmental influences that affect children’s language and literacy development. Reflect on how to enhance practice in support of children’s language and literacy skills. Consider ways to work in partnership with families to support this development. Review types of evidence of best practice on this theme for the accreditation process.

Come get a feel for the concept of using sign langue with pre-verbal children. Every child’s optimal development is promoted in an inclusive early learning and care environment can be enhanced by adding this skill to your repertoire of options to use with children of all abilities. ARCQE is please to support Tiny Hands Talk director and founder, Jenny McConnell.

Relates to Accreditation Standard 3
(This workshop is subject to presenter availability and travel expenses)

Available August ‘09 - How does screen time affect children from birth to five?  Are we conscious about what the media we use is teaching children?  In this workshops the participants with get an opportunity to reflect on their own values related to media and look at ways of including developmentally appropriate media experiences for young children.

Participants will explore the guiding principles that support cultural diversity in programs for young children, examine their own values, and become familiar with the Consciousness Continuum model – one that encourages participants to become “unconsciously competent.” Participants will have the opportunity to examine concrete ways to weave culture sensitivities into the child’s play environment so that each child and his/her family see themselves reflected in the program.