Head to Toe: Academy of Professional Early Childhood Practice

This year, Chicago Metro AEYC is proud to announce that, in addition to over 50 workshops covering 4 relevant topic areas at the Head to Toe Infant-Toddler Conference, we are also introducing The Academy of Professional Early Childhood Practice. Participants will have a choice as to how they receive their professional development. They can choose to focus on one area of concentration all day long in the Academy or piece together a day of electives from the 50 different workshop sessions.

The Academy offers focused trainings to both administrators and classroom staff to support and improve the services provided to children and families. Participants will receive an integrated model of theory, research, and classroom/center practice in an intimate and interactive environment from leading experts in the field.

Each area of concentration has articulated learning objectives and outcomes and participants will receive materials in advance to read and review prior to meeting. A least one follow-up session will be scheduled to determine how practice has changed, to answer questions and to problem-solve.

Pre-registration is required and each of the trainings is limited to 20 attendees.

The following areas of concentration are being offered for the Academy at the Head to Toe Conference:

 

 

To register for Head to Toe: Academy of Professional Early Childhood Practice and select your area of concentration, please call the office at 312-427-5399. You can also register online for the Academy.

 

Orientation to Caring for Infants (Ages 0-1)

Topics covered: Infant development, diapering, and feeding strategies to develop language, signing with children, working successfully with parents, curriculum and assessment. The sessions are interactive and will provide multiple opportunities for participants to ask questions, practice new techniques and tie research to practice.

Training objectives: Participants will have a better understanding of development, the connection between research, curriculum and practice, how signing enhances communication and building parent-center relationships.
Back to top

 

Orientation to Caring for Toddlers (Ages 1-2)

Topics covered: Toddler development, diapering, toileting and feeding strategies to develop language, signing with children, working successfully with parents, curriculum and assessment. The sessions are interactive and will provide multiple opportunities for participants to ask questions, practice new techniques and tie research to practice.

Training objectives: Participants will have a better understanding of development, the connection between research, curriculum and practice, how signing enhances communication and building parent-center relationships.
Back to top

 

Orientation to Caring for Twos (Ages 2-3)

Topics covered: Twos development, diapering, toileting and feeding strategies to develop language, signing with children, working successfully with parents, curriculum and assessment. The sessions are interactive and will provide multiple opportunities for participants to ask questions, practice new techniques and tie research to practice.

Training objectives: Participants will have a better understanding of development, the connection between research, curriculum and practice, how signing enhances communication and building parent-center relationships.
Back to top

 

Working in a Mixed-Age Program

Topics covered: child development, research supporting continuous care, room set-up, language development/signing, working successfully with parents, curriculum and assessment. The sessions are interactive and will provide multiple opportunities for participants to ask questions, practice new techniques and tie research to practice.

Training objectives: participants will have a better understanding of development, the connection between research and continuous care, curriculum and practice, enhanced communication styles and building parent-center relationships.
Back to top

 

El cuidar para los niños y dos de los infantes

Caring for Infants, Toddlers, Twos en espanol. One workshop covering these three age groups. Topics covered are same as described above.
Back to top

 

Business Strategies for the Owner/Director

Topics covered: developing a marketing plan, budgeting in tight times, developing data programs for tracking expenses and identifying other funding sources. The sessions are interactive and participants will develop a preliminary marketing plan, work on budgets, practice using spreadsheets and receive resources for expanding funding.

Training objectives: participants will understand the importance of marketing, how to develop spread sheets, budgeting appropriately, identifying funding sources.
Back to top

 

Family Child Care: A Day of Learning

Topics covered: Accreditation and QRS, why FCC providers should be accredited, connection to QRS, process for NAFCC accreditation.
Back to top