Session Topics

Workshops are hands-on, practical, highly interactive, and based on sound principles of adult learning theory. Participants are given ample opportunity to explore, discover, discuss, and reflect on the concepts that have been presented.

Our services focus on helping programs understand and implement our four curriculum models. Our most requested programs are 3- to 5- day workshops, but we also offer 9-day and customized programs. Please read our sample professional development objectives for each of our seminars.

Start setting up an on-site professional development session now by completing our online On-Site Professional Development Assessment Form or call Customer Solutions at 800-637-3652.

LearningGames On-Site Session Description

The Creative Curriculum® LearningGames® are a series of 200 award-winning activities that are organized in 5 booklets for children from birth to age 5. This training will show participants how to use specific strategies to use LearningGames in the classroom and to help families promote and extend learning through play. Participants will learn how to engage in research-based everyday caregiving routines that help children develop the skills needed for promoting future school success. Participants will learn about the use of LearningGames in classrooms, family child care homes, home visits, and/or parent groups.

During this session participants will become familiar with the LearningGames activities and learn how to select and use the right game at the right time. The trainer will involve the audience in using LearningGames to help plan activities for children based on their ongoing observations and by speaking with families about their child's activities. Participants will observe and discuss short video clips of LearningGames and will role play selected games. The trainer will show how to link these everyday caregiving routines to initial developmental screenings and ongoing assessments. LearningGames are arranged to reflect typical patterns of child development in the four areas: social-emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. Participants will be able to note how the four categories are closely related, often overlap, and how development in one area affects and is influenced by development in all the other areas. Early childhood professionals will be able to discuss child development with families based on the four developmental areas and share how each game will address growth of children in each area.

Professional Development Objectives for The Creative Curriculum® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos

Participants will leave the session able to

  • understand the effects of high-quality care on development
  • define curriculum for infants and toddlers
  • define the role of the early childhood professional
  • know infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds
  • build relationships with children
  • build partnerships with families
  • observe the world through children's eyes
  • plan for each child and for the group
  • create a welcoming environment
  • keep infants, toddlers, and twos safe and healthy
  • promote children's learning through routines
  • promote children's learning through activities
  • plan and evaluate the curriculum (meet individual and programmatic needs)

Professional Development Objectives for The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool

Participants will leave the session able to

  • design an engaging and interesting classroom environment that sets the stage for learning and encourages pro-social behavior
  • address literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and technology appropriately in their preschool classrooms
  • develop studies that integrate content and engage children in meaningful learning
  • use a variety of instructional strategies and interact with and respond to children to guide their learning
  • create manageable systems for observing children and use The Creative Curriculum® Developmental Continuum Assessment System to assess each child's development
  • able to plan for individual children, small groups, and the whole class by using information from the Developmental Continuum
  • develop partnerships with families to support children's learning

Professional Development Objectives for The Creative Curriculum® for Family Child Care

Participants will leave the session able to

  • understand how young children learn
  • understand the role of the early childhood professional
  • use the home and surroundings as a learning environment
  • use appropriate health and safety practices
  • promote learning through activities
  • guide children's behavior
  • articulate the value of family child care for children and families
  • build relationships with families and involve them as partners
  • develop positive self-esteem (for providers as well as children)
  • manage the day through schedules and routines
  • consider new ways to meet the needs of their own families
  • develop a family child care network (connect with other providers)
  • use community resources

Professional Development Objectives for The Creative Curriculum® Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5 Assessment System

Participants will leave the session able to

  • use The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5 to follow the developmental steps 3- to 5-year-olds take as they progress toward each curriculum objective
  • set up meaningful and practical systems for observing children and documenting progress
  • integrate literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and technology throughout all of the interest areas in The Creative Curriculum® preschool classroom
  • plan for individual children, small groups, and the whole class by using information from the Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5
  • understand the different applications of the paper-based Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment Toolkit for Ages 3-5 and the computer-based assessment and reporting tools offered by Teaching Strategies