Early Childhood Keynotes
I have created several keynotes and sessions that might meet your specific needs. I am also happy to build a customized topic of your interest or helpful to your participants, events, or group. For more information, contact me HERE.
Sample Keynote Video
Keynote Topics
Harmonizing Literacy: Music’s Role in Early Childhood Development (NEW SESSION)
Listening and making music lights up in the brain, making neural connections throughout the entire brain of the young child. In this session, we will investigate the variety of genres that can be experienced with young children and encourage their interactions with music.
These music opportunities can be combined with literacy through stories, songs, and movement. This combination will provide new avenues to enrich young children’s learning by providing them with possibilities to express themselves in unique and powerful ways. By harmonizing music and literacy, we’ll foster holistic development in children within an interactive and enriching learning environment.
Playful Beginnings: Exploring the Key Learning Component for Young Children
Young children are active learners who need meaningful, play opportunities to gain understanding of their world. However, many current studies indicate that young children are spending less time in play and suffering with negative consequences labeled as “play deficit.” Examine how play experiences provide opportunities for social-emotional expression, making choices, have interactive conversations, and learn to work with others. Investigate how language, collaboration, persistence, and empathy are developed as young children participate in engaged play. Discover how playing with ideas and materials can nurture creative thinkers and problem solvers. Explore play environments that provide intriguing possibilities that support and challenge young children’s growing capabilities.
Rediscovering Joy: Embracing the Whole Child
We have focused on Literacy, STEAM, and skills that can be tested to measure learning. Now it is time to put all the pieces back together and focus on integrating these areas into early childhood programs and adding the missing components including: focused conversations, “active” ways of learning, small groups, physical activity, and the Arts. Discover how an early childhood program can consider the entire child as well as individual strengths, while supporting young children’s way of learning. This holistic learning environment will provide a strong foundation for young children’s learning, encourage their development, and enhance their opportunity for progress.
Meeting the Challenge of the 21st Century: Nurturing Young Children to be Creative Communicators, Collaborators, and Critical Thinkers
The young children in your classroom today are living in a very different world. It is filled with new challenges, advanced technology, innovative jobs, and new responsibilities that we have never heard of today. How can we help and prepare children for these challenges, expanded opportunities, and innovative ways of solving problems? Explore how to enrich your environment, inspire children’s unique ideas, and value their amazing creations. Both you and your children will benefit from these enriched possibilities that will occur when you integrate the 4C’s into your fabulous classroom.
Supporting Language Development: Cultivating Growth Through Conversations and Literacy Connections in Early Childhood
The first five years of a child’s life are a critical time for language to develop. This period provides “a window of opportunity” that will impact young children now and throughout their lives. How can you create a place where language is encouraged, conversations are supported, and books, stories, and songs are interwoven into meaningful language experiences? How can questions be posed, vocabularies expanded, and new experiences be included that will inspire language growth? A language-rich environment with responsive caregivers will inspire and expand language development.
Unlocking Creativity: Designing Dynamic Learning Environments for Young Children
The classroom environment holds significant influence over the learning journey of young children. In today’s rapidly evolving world, cultivating creativity and independent thinking is paramount. Classrooms can be thoughtfully arranged to offer varied learning experiences—through visual aids, hands-on experiences, verbal exchanges, musical engagements, and interactive activities. Explore how a well-designed environment fosters problem-solving skills, ignites creativity, supports project implementation, and encourages collaborative endeavors. Delve into the realm of unique materials, which can stimulate innovative thinking. Discover strategies to nurture children’s ideas, pose insightful questions, and foster a culture of appreciation for their creations.
Harnessing the Power of Small Groups: Unleashing Learning Potential
In a small group, children can make choices, follow their interest, and collaborate with others. These groups provide a safe environment for a child to interact, express ideas, try out roles, build confidence, and practice social skills. How can you design, equip, manage, and enrich spaces to support independent learning and responsible behavior? Investigate choice time and see how these areas can enhance language development, problem solving, social competencies, and expand curiosity.
The Powerful Connection of Storytelling and Retelling
Stories provide a strong personal connection between learning, language, story structure, and comprehension. Stories told strengthen relationships, build moral understanding, and provide an avenue for personal expression. In both telling and retelling stories, there is the opportunity to enhance the development of these abilities. Investigate how storytelling can work with young children, how creativity can be enhanced, and how opportunities for communication and collaboration can be included. A child’s retelling of the story supports thinking critically about the story content, characters, events, and their personal interpretations. The session will inspire you to collect new, appropriate stories to tell your young children and encounter ways to invite them to retell their stories!
Smiles and Connections: Cherishing Heartwarming Moments with Young Children
(Suggested for Closing Session)
When we work with young children, there are many instances that make us laugh and bring us joy. These special moments can provide a stress break, a shared fun moment, and build positive relationships. These happenings can also help us understand children’s development, how they think, and what they find amusing. Join in the fun while learning about the amazing abilities of young children. Let’s celebrate the humor and the positive interactions with young children that occur every day!
Celebrating Those Who Bring the Light to Young Children
(Suggested for Closing Session)
This keynote is a tribute to all early childhood educators and caregivers who tirelessly dedicate their lives to focus on young children and their families. These amazing people build positive relationships with young children who are about to navigate the world; listen, respond, and communicate intentionally and attentively; design and maintain a calm and stimulating environment for learning; and nurture curious and creative children to build their confidence to solve problems. These excellent teachers and caregivers contribute as facilitators for young children to find their “light.” We will investigate how quality early experiences impact children’s development and their future. Together let us celebrate the amazing mentorship and discover how young children learn with them.