A Fabulous NY State Early Childhood Conference for NYSAEYC 2015!

I’m back from a great conference at Turning Stone Resort in New York for the NYSAEYC meeting. It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet and work with this dedicated group of early childhood educators and their leaders!

I learned that NY has the largest state NAEYC affiliate in the US, and what an amazing group they are! During my keynote, they listened intently, laughed out loud, waved their hands, and sang in harmony. It was an inspiring and interactive time for all of us.

I am reminded that early childhood professionals are a great group of people who celebrate the capabilities of young children and work diligently to provide meaningful experiences every day.

Our breakout session focused on the Core of Literacy: oral language development. Young children are in a critical period of language development, and early childhood teachers can have a positive impact on this area of development by providing real experiences that are filled with interactive conversations.

Most early childhood teachers enjoy talking and sharing their ideas, but it is important to remember that conversations include listening to the children’s’ ideas and responding to them. Effective communication, one of the 4C’s skills for the 21st century, includes both expressing (talking) and receiving (listening) language.

Keep up the great work NYSAEYC! Together we can do great things for young children.