2023 SESSION SCHEDULE

8:30 am – 10:00 am

Cómo HighScope promueve las funciones ejecutivas del cerebro en los niños

MONICA INESTA, Director, HighScope Mexico

[Seminar 1]

In this workshop, participants will learn what executive functions are and how they show up in children. Understanding executive function is essential for supporting children’s brain development. Participants will discuss factors that put children at risk and what adults can do to promote cognitive development. Participants will learn how the HighScope daily routine is an ideal structure to develop young children’s executive function skills to the fullest.

This is Your Child’s Brain on Praise: The Negative Impact of Praise on the Preschool Brain

RACHEL ELLEN BURNS, Early Childhood Consultant, Wayne RESA

[Conference Room E]

This session will define praise and encouragement, explore their differences, and discuss the negative impact of using praise rather than encouragement on preschool age children’s confidence and intrinsic motivation. We will also explore the long-lasting negative impact that using praise can have on the brain.

Adult Support at Small-Group Time: Are you Helping or Hindering Your Small-Group Time Success?

DANIELLE WIENER, Director, Gretchen’s House

Co-presenter: Shannon Peitz

[Conference Room H]

Explore what adult support best practice is for creating engaging and fun small group times. Explore the HighScope® small group time checklist; why the 5 ingredients for active learning are important to small groups; and how to plan for active small group times.

I Can Problem-Solve!

BETH O’CONNOR, Co-director, The Family Connection of St. Joseph County Inc.

[Conference Room F]

Using an active learning, strengths-based approach, we can scaffold older infants, toddlers, and two-year-olds as they learn to resolve social conflict. HighScope’s six-step process of social conflict resolution offers a clear roadmap. Come reflect on, practice, and share strategies to move ourselves and our children forward in becoming effective problem solvers who can grow in the community and see themselves as the capable human beings they are.

Building Reionships and Engaging Families With COR Advantage

ALICIA OLDHAM, Education Specialist, Starfish Family Services

[Conference Room C]

Engaging families in a child care setting can be among the most rewarding actions that a teacher takes. Partnering with families can make a positive difference in a child’s life. We know how to use COR to create activities to engage children and foster relationships in the classroom. Can it be done with families? In this workshop, we will explore ways to utilize the HighScope Curriculum to engage and build partnerships with families.

My Home Visit Tool Box

LOWLETTE EVANS, Field Consultant, LP Early Childhood Field Consultant, LLC [Conference Room D]

This workshop is designed to provide teachers with the basic tools needed to conduct a successful home visit. In all Head Start programs, teachers are required to conduct two home visits per year for each child enrolled in their classroom. Home visits can be very challenging — some teachers are afraid of their surroundings or are not sure what information to share with parents, while some parents don’t want teachers in homes, among other concerns. This workshop will share techniques and strategies to help your home visits go a little smoother whether you are conducting the home visit in person or over Zoom.

How Was My Child’s Day? Using Empathy to Improve Communication

HEIDI MCFADDEN, Executive Director, Gretchen’s House Co-presenter: Brad Guoan [Conference Room A]

Children benefit from positive relationships between families and school, and we know that positive communication builds strong relationships. When teachers use empathy as the basis for their interactions, relationships improve and flourish. This session will provide practical strategies to incorporate empathy into their everyday conversations with families and coworkers.

Parent Readers Make Children Leaders

KAREN KAY RUSH, Field Consultant, HighScope [Conference Room B]

Parents are chidren’s first teachers. This session will provide participants with activities to help parents engage with their children while learning and loving the gift of reading.

FRIDAY, MAY 12, 2023 2023 SESSION SCHEDULE

What’s That Feeling: Recognizing and Acknowledging Infants’ and Toddlers’ Big Emotions

DANIELLE GRIMALDO, Early Childhood Specialist, HighScope [Auditorium 2]

Happy, sad, tired, angry. Infants and toddlers experience many emotions throughout the day. In this session, we will examine some of the reasons behind children’s big emotions and discuss why it is important to acknowledge children’s feelings. Participants will learn strategies for acknowledging emotions that can be used in the classroom.

The Conversation Matters: Building Executive Functioning Skills During Planning and Recall Time

HOLLY DELGADO, Program Director, University of Michigan, Health System Children’s Center [Elizabeth Ann Room]

Like other parts of the HighScope daily routine, planning and recall time should be individualized to meet the developmental needs of children. We often focus on engagement strategies when lesson planning for these times of day; however, conversation matters more when using planning and recall time as a springboard for executive function skill development. This session will help teachers implement support strategies to individualize planning and recall time conversations based on children’s developmental levels.

Leveraging Practitioner Experience as a Researcher: Experiences From Implementation Research During the Pandemic

MADELINE CHIMKA, Research Associate, HighScope

Co-presenters: Karen Murillo, Ashley Hoy, Kenneth Sherman [Conference Room G]

In 2016, HighScope was awarded a five-year Investing in Innovation grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support self-regulation development for preschool and kindergarten children in underfunded communities. During this session, HighScope research team members will discuss their experience conducting this research during the pandemic, including how the team adapted to continue supporting teachers and children, what was learned from teachers’ experiences during the pandemic, and policy recommendations that support both research and practice.

10:30 am – 12:00 pm

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

VICTTORIA JIMERSON, CEO AND Program Director

Gems of Jackson Child Care & Education Center [Roy E. Wilbanks Ballroom]

PRE-RECORDED SESSIONS AVAILABLE THROUGH JUNE 30, 2023

Trauma-Informed Teaching in Early Childhood Classrooms

DENA-ANN FEBUS, Franklin Township Public Schools

Take the Bubble Out of Your Mouth: How to be an Advocate for Your Children, Your Colleagues, and Yourself

COLLEEN SCHMIT, Four Monkeys Press

Building Equitable Behavior Guidance Policies: One Coaching Team’s Approach to Policy Development

POLLY SCHMITT, HighScope Field Consultant

Creativity and Expressive Arts With Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers at Metropolitan State University of Denver

BRANDON GILBERT, Metropolitan State University of Denver

SEL for Early Childhood Education: A Priority for Preschools Post-Pandemic

SHRUTI NAGAR, Active Learners Community

Intentional Interactions With Adults in Early Childhood

ANNETTE JACKSON, LINDSAY THURMOND, Northside Independent School District

Visual Supports in the Early Childhood Classroom

ANNETTE JACKSON, Northside Independent School District

Literature for Littles: Accommodating for All Learners

LINDSAY THURMOND, NICOLE GREEN, Northside Independent School District

Plan-Do-Review®… Outside!

RACHEL FRANZ, Twig & Thread Consulting

Creating a Community of Problem Solvers

GABRIELLE DELOACH, Kodo Kids

Finding the Math in Art

JACQUI GROSS, Jersey City Public Schools

Strengthening Connections to the Outdoors!

LISA SHORTALL, Family Day Care Services

You Shouldn’t Do That! Help Preschoolers Understand and Participate in the Process of Creating and Following Rules

KRISHNA MURILLO, HighScope Mexico/

Kansai Gaidai University

¡No hagas eso! Ayudar a los niños en edad preescolar a comprender y participar en el proceso de creación y cumplimiento de normas. ESPAÑOL

KRISHNA MURILLO, HighScope Mexico/ Kansai Gaidai University

Preschool Children’s use of Screens Before and After the Pandemic: Informing Practice, Setting Limits, and Offering Alternatives

CHRISTINA MIRTES, Eastern Michigan University

Involving Preschool Educators in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) Process for Young Children With Exceptionalities

JESSICA GRIMONE-HOPKINS, Eastern Michigan University

Supporting the HighScope Goals for Young Children: A Partnership Journey of the Implementation of the HighScope Pedagogy Between Adults and Young Children

ELAINE STERRITT, SHARON HARVEY, HighScope Ireland

Supportive Climates in Preschool Classrooms

GISELLE CRUZ, NATALIE SKALSKI, Starfish Family Services

Divergent Thinking in the Preschool Classroom: Using Play Materials in New Ways to Bridge Gaps in Child Development Since the Pandemic

CHRISTINA MIRTES, JESSICA GRIMONE-HOPKINS, Eastern Michigan University

Plan-Do-Review® With Older Toddlers

BETH PIERSON, HighScope

Meaningful and Messy Activities with Infants and Toddlers

KJ JOHNSON, HighScope

Treasure Baskets

KRISHNA MURILLO, HighScope Mexico/ Kansai Gaidai University

Benefits of Being Outside with Infants and Toddlers

JAMIE SHELL, 4C for Children and HighScope