| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Wednesday, January 26, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Wednesday, February 02, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Thursday, February 10, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Wednesday, February 23, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Wednesday, March 02, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
| Wednesday, March 16, 2022 | 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM |
Target audience: pre- k to Gr 3 teachers, teaching assistants/aides, BEd elementary route students, parent councils … they are our partners!
January 26, 2022: Setting the stage, laying the groundwork
This setting introduces data indicating our youngest learners were already behind in reaching accepted developmental benchmarks for early language, literacy and numeracy learning. COVID has had additional negative impact. 5 domains of early development are highlighted, along with 5 dimensions of teaching practices evolving from research studies that can make a difference in accelerating young children’s learning.
February 2, 2022: Didactic Materials: Books, Blocks, Board games, Buttons (and more)
Materials are ‘just stuff’ until they are put to some pedagogical end. Nevertheless, the ‘right stuff’ makes a difference if strategically chosen and put to work. Books, blocks, board games and buttons lay the foundations for language, literacy and numeracy learning to come.
February 10, 2022: Dialogic talk
Adult interactions, especially talk, advances children’s language and cognitive development. Find out specifically what types and patterns of teacher talk are the key to closing the language gap among our youngest learners.
Feburary 23, 2022: Task Design
Quality work for young learners involves careful attention to task design. In this workshop we look at the features of a good task, and how to sequence and link tasks so they build, recycle, and transform concept and language information. This ensures deep processing leading to robust learning and retention.
March 2, 2022: Culturally Responsive Teaching
The Canadian demographic landscape is increasingly diverse. This workshop underscores the idea that the home-school connection is central to children’s identity affirmation. What they bring to the school learning context provides a strong platform for purposeful, playful engagement in developing language, literacy and numeracy.
March 16, 2022: Assessment through play
Get ideas of how play based learning, and interactions between materials and teacher talk affords a window into young children’s language, literacy and numeracy development. Knowing what to look for and using these data are central to planning for ongoing progress in children’s early learning: rubrics, benchmarks, illustrative exemplars using materials you have for engaging young learners.