2023 Infant Toddler Conference

2023 Infant Toddler Conference November 10, 2023

Riverfront Conference Center 1 Riverfront Plaza, Flint

Schedule 8:00am

Registration, Exhibits, Fingerprinting (pre-registered) Lobby

8:45-10:00am

Keynote: Nurturing Relationships and Belonging within the Infant Toddler Field Expo Center

Danie Rice, LMSW, IMH-E®, PhD Candidate

Together, we’ll explore the experiences and needs of both very young children and educators in the early childhood field across Michigan. We will lift up voices and stories of infant/toddler educators who are the forefront of supporting young children’s mental health. Ways to nurture emotional well-being and mental health within the classroom will be explored. Danie has been working to ensure professionals in the field feel supported, valued, empowered, heard and seen and will lift up that message throughout the presentation. We’ll explore ways that center directors and staff can co-create a nurturing and inclusive work environment so that providers feel rejuvenated and inspired to continue the important work with infants and toddlers.

In Person only

10:15am-11:30am Breakout Sessions The Importance of Music and Movement in Early Childhood with Zumbini Expo Center Caitlin Basler, Zumbini

Music and movement are powerful tools that can be used both in home and in the classroom! In this interactive workshop, we'll learn about the cognitive, social, emotional and physical development that occurs when using music and movement in your curriculum.

In Person only

Take Me Outside! The Importance of Outside Time and Engaging Play Spaces for Infants and Toddlers Suites A & H Shannon Lockhart, HighScope Foundation

The benefits of being outdoors are overwhelmingly positive. It affects every aspect of infant-toddler learning and physical development. In this session, participants will learn the importance of outside time for infants and toddlers and how to actively support their outdoor explorations as well as plan for more engaging play spaces.

In Person only

Individual Responses: Determining the Meaning of Infant Toddler Challenging Behaviors Suites B/C/G/F Meagan Guindon, Great Start to Quality UP Resource Center & Brooke Javurek This session will explore challenging behavior in infants and toddlers; and how caregivers can work to understand why these behaviors happen. Using Pyramid Model strategies, we will discuss how to gather information to respond individually to each child, and prevent challenging behavior.

In Person only

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Schedule, cont.

10:15am-11:30am Breakout Sessions (cont.)

How Children Develop Suites D & E Courtney Aldrich, Michigan State University Extension

Knowing about child development gives parents and caregivers the skills to best nurture children and identify potential developmental delays. In this workshop, participants will explore active learning, child development domains, and characteristics of typical development birth-5. This workshop will also explore techniques for observing children and the unique characteristics of multi-age care settings.

In Person and On Demand

Literacy Essentials B-3: Writing Boardrooms A-C Sandra Weyer, The Order of the Fishermen Ministry Head Start

Learning to write is an essential skill that begins in our infant and toddler classrooms. Come join us as we delve deeper into how we, as infant and toddler teachers, can promote writing skills in our classrooms and by doing so support language development and emergent literacy.

In Person only

11:30am - 12:30pm Lunch Expo Center 11:30am - 12:30pm Exhibits & Fingerprinting (pre-registered) Lobby 12:30-1:45pm

Breakout Sessions MAIMH Endorsement Workshop Expo Center Joni Zieldorff & Candace Moss, Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health

The Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health (MI-AIMH) works to equip and support professionals across Michigan who serve infants, young children and their families through specialized in-service training and Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive, Relationship-focused Practice Promoting Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health®. Learn more about the endorsement process and discover which endorsement category is right for you.

In Person and On Demand

Active Supervision in Early Childhood Suites A & H Shinia Malloy, The Order of the Fishermen Ministry Head Start

In this course participants will discuss strategies to create a culture of safety in the classroom.

Participants will grow an understanding of their role in supporting children to explore their environments safely. Participants will reflect on their current supervision practices and create a Zoning Chart to ensure no children is left unattended at any time throughout the day.

In Person only

When Push Comes to Shove - Conflict Resolution with Infants and Toddlers Suites B/C/G/F

Jade Teachey, Gretchen’s House Child Care & Kelly Lessard, Gretchen’s House Child Care

As infants and toddlers start to develop the ability to regulate themselves, they often express intense emotions during conflict. Explore HighScope's six steps to problem-solving that can help children grow as independent, confident, problem-solvers.

In Person only

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Schedule, cont.

12:30-1:45pm

Breakout Sessions (cont.)

Infant and Toddlers Learning Two Languages Suites D & E

Dr. Jolene Andriaschko, United Way for Southeastern Michigan

In this session you will learn about the foundations for supporting multilingual learners. How children develop first and second languages will be discussed. The presentation will be through an asset-based lens of the strengths that multilanguage learners possess and how teachers and caregivers can grow upon those strengths. Additional topics to be covered are how to set up your classroom to support multilingual learners, making connections between home language and culture and engaging multilanguage learners through music and movement.

In Person only

Everyday Opportunities for Math Boardrooms A-C Bonnie Bonifield, Child Care Network & Heather Lucas, Michigan Department of Education

Children are born knowers and doers of math. What does math have in common with putting your blanket away after a nap? Everything! Join us to discover how you can support children's math learning through daily routines and activities when they're with you - and when they're at home!

In Person only

1:45-2:30pm

Snack break & Exhibits Lobby

2:30-3:45pm

Breakout Sessions Give Them A Hand; Assisting in Fine Motor Development Expo Center

Teresa Kozakiewicz, Saginaw Intermediate School District

Participants will learn ways to assist infants and toddlers fine motor skills. We will touch base on age appropriate milestones and which materials can be utilized to encourage reaching, grasp, grip.

In Person and On Demand

Promoting and Supporting Inclusive Care of Infants and Toddlers Suites A & H Kris Kasperski, Clinton County RESA, & Brenda Woods

This session provides information and resources on creating a climate of individualized support to meet high expectations for children with disabilities in infant and toddler education programs. An introduction to free online inclusion modules, which are available to promote and support high-quality inclusive care, will also be provided in this session.

In Person only

Supporting Toddler’s Early Math and Science Skills Through Active Learning Experiences Suites B/C/G/F Carolyn Miller, Mott Community College

Toddlers are naturally curious and drawn to open-ended materials that they can actively engage with.

Come see how to create different learning experiences that will encourage inquiry and enhance early math and science skills.

In Person only

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Schedule, cont.

2:30-3:45pm

Breakout Sessions (cont.)

How to Succeed and Communicate Effectively with the Most Challenging Personalities– How to Get Along When You Don’t Get Along Suites D & E Beth Kohler, Special Education Mediation Services

True family and school collaboration is what we all strive to accomplish, but sometimes personalities and disagreements over how best to educate children create roadblocks to our success. How do you rebuild a trusting relationship when that trust has been broken? What are the most common barriers to collaboration? What is our role, and how do we move forward successfully? While this presentation has been created with school/family relationships in mind, the principals extend beyond to all relationships.

In Person and On-Demand

Referring Children to Early Intervention in Child Care Settings Boardrooms A-C

Jennifer Koenigsknecht, Clinton County RESA-Early On Michigan & Jeanne Hansas, Public Awareness Specialist

Do you know what to do if a child in your care is not meeting their developmental milestones or has a pre-existing health condition? Early On Michigan offers early intervention services for families who have infants and toddlers, birth to three years of age, with developmental delay(s) and/or disabilities.

This session will allow you to learn helpful tips and language to discuss developmental concerns with parents/caregivers, and teach you how to partner so that children are supported, safe and meaningfully included in child care settings.

In Person only

On-Demand Only Love of Literacy Kassi Kincaid, Book Days

This training will inspire a love of literacy in children by equipping early childhood educators and parents with the tools to bring classic children's books to life through an event called Book Days: an event combining a theatrical experience with themed activities. The characters and plots are lifted off the pages and create physical elements that the children experience through multiple senses.

On Demand Only

Supporting Social and Emotional Development Tashona Fair, The Order of the Fishermen Ministry Head Start-EHS CCP

Together we will explore the stages of social and emotional development for infants and toddlers. We will discuss how to foster and support the development of social and emotional skills and provide tips and techniques regarding self-regulation. Bringing it all together, we'll dive into the correlation between social and emotional development and the behaviors we see in the classroom.

On Demand Only

Raising the COVID Generation: The Top 5 Executive Functioning Skills for Recovering Lost Milestones and Becoming Kindergarten Ready Cara Tyrrell, Core4Parenting Explore studies indicating learning outcomes of the Pandemic on kids born between 2017-2021. Define four key indicators of Kindergarten readiness, identify 5 executive functioning skills that develop readiness areas, and practice classroom management scenarios to overcome challenges.

On Demand Only

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On Demand Only, cont.

I’m Trying to be Okay: Learning Emotional Development

Rose Pardiac, Development Centers

Emotions begin to show in infancy and develop through childhood. Young children experience a lot of new emotions and feelings that they don't understand nor know how to explain or regulate. We're going to learn what stress is and looks like for infants and toddlers, strategies to encourage emotional development and correlation between self-regulation and school readiness.

On Demand Only

Wear Your C.A.P.E. Nicole Powers

This session focuses on difficult behaviors and how to handle and plan for those tough situations in the classroom and in the center as a whole. The content expresses the importance of finding your calm as an educator and never defining the child by the difficult behavior. All behavior is communication and being the calm you want to see is imperative for children in your class to find theirs. This session is a practical path to diffusing those difficult behaviors short term as well as long term and ultimately changing the perception of those challenging behaviors.

On Demand Only

Creating a Climate of Trust with Infants and Toddlers Danielle Grimaldo, HighScope

Establishing trust in the classroom and helping infants and toddlers build positive relationships with others supports children’s development and sets they up for future success. So how do caregivers create this climate of trust? What techniques can be used with the youngest of children? In this session we will look at the stages of attachment and provide strategies caregivers can use to build trust with the infants and toddlers in their care.

On Demand Only

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Save the Date for these upcoming Michigan AEYC Conferences and Events!

Super(em)power Kids: Training & Networking Event, Kalamazoo- January 25, 2024 Michigan AEYC Administrator Institute, location TBD- February, 2024 Michigan AEYC Annual Early Childhood Conference, Grand Rapids - April 18-20, 2024 Michigan AEYC 2024 Infant Toddler Conference, Dearborn - November 15, 2024

Visit the Michigan AEYC Events Calendar for all upcoming training and events at www.miaeyc.org.

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