Professional Training...Guaranteed!

What's New for Fall 2023? Updates to Buttercups and Fireflies Curricula
(1.5 hours)

If you are already using Buttercups and Fireflies, watch for a quick overview of the changes you will find in each curriculum for this school year. We go through the new displays, curriculum updates, review best practices for classroom set-up and routines, and more. Plus, we share how you can find and access exciting supplements that are FREE on our website.

View recording

Print certificate

Buttercups 101: Implementing Curriculum with Infants and Toddlers
(1.5 hours)

Learn how to successfully implement our Buttercups Curriculum with children ages 0-3 years old. This session walks you through kit contents and shows you how to get the most from each 2-month program. We cover best practices for classroom set-up, share tips on how to save planning time, plus demonstrate how to individualize instruction for children. Finally, we show you how to access FREE supplemental resources on our website.

View recording

Print certificate

Fireflies 101: Implementing Curriculum with 3-5 Year Old Children
(1.5 hours)

Learn how to successfully implement our Fireflies Curriculum with children ages 3-5 years old. This session walks you through kit contents and shows you how to get the most from each monthly program. We share tips on how to set up learning centers, schedule your day, individualize activities, and more. Finally, we show you how to access FREE supplemental resources on our website.

View recording

Print certificate

For the Littlest Learners: Buttercups Babies Infant Packs
(1 hour)

Our infant packs are filled with activities for babies ages 3-12 months. See what is included in each pack and learn how to effectively implement the content. Guidance on how to best plan for activities, utilize repetition, and document skills are covered. Buttercups Babies can supplement other FunShine curriculum or be used on its own. We show you how!

View recording

Print certificate

Take the Stress out of Assess! Measuring Child Progress with FunShine Curricula Tools (1.5 hours)

Carefully monitoring children's progress informs lesson planning and enhances parent communication. We help you streamline assessment by using the Observation Tips in each Curriculum Guide, introduce you to our printed Child Progress Reports, and discuss best practices for the process. We also show you how to utilize supplemental FREE time-saving resources found on our website. Finally, we give you a quick update of features in FunShine Digital that can be combined with our printed curricula to easily build an electronic file for each child, using your individual state standards for measurement. We have some great ways to save you time and stress!

View recording

Print certificate

Learning to Write with Discovery Journals
(1 hour)

This webinar describes practices that support children’s emergent writing skills by looking closely at one of our newest curriculum components—Discovery Journals. Learn more about why we introduced Discovery Journals and how they benefit children. We share the research behind emergent writing, ways to use Discovery Journals with children throughout the month, strategies for supporting writing beyond journaling, and how to communicate with families about children’s writing skills.

View recording

Print certificate

Overview of Back-to-School Updates from HiMama’s Founder and CTO 
(1 hour)

Alana Frome, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of HiMama, shares our new, industry-leading product offerings launched in fall 2023! From critical updates to Billing, Registration and Subsidy features, embedded FunShine Curriculum and Lesson Planning Tools, Family feedback prompts, Teacher appreciation (and much more), we’ve got you covered.

View recording

Print certificate

Using FunShine Digital in HiMama: Lesson Plans are Just a Click Away!
(1.5 hours)

Learn how to engage children, plus save time and money by utilizing high-quality FunShine Digital curricula, within the convenience of the HiMama app! We show you how to quickly create state-approved monthly lesson plans and discover a variety of ways to customize activities. Our experienced guidance ensures that you offer children and families a wonderful learning experience.

View recording

Print certificate

FunShine Digital: Strategies for Success from Basic to Advanced
(1.5 hours)

Creating lesson plans in FunShine Digital has never been easier! We show you how to use our planned daily lessons or how to search our database of over 30,000 activities and 150 themes to build your own. Learn to edit activities to individualize for each child, plus load all lessons and activities with your state standards automatically attached. A quick introduction to NEW documentation and assessment features is included. Whether you’ve been using FunShine Digital for a year or this is your first time to see it, we have NEW time and cost-saving features everyone will appreciate!

View recording

Print certificate

The Teacher's Guide to Individualizing Instruction with FunShine Digital
(1.5 hours)

Have you ever wondered what you’re supposed to do after you assess a child? You gather the data, share it with parents, but then what? We show you how individualization is an integral part of the authentic assessment process. We demonstrate how you can get the most out of your FunShine Digital access by utilizing the Search and Edit Activity features in the Calendar. We share strategies to add individualization for children to your calendar and tips for keeping documentation.

View recording

Print certificate

Introduction to Digital Assessment and Portfolios in FunShine Digital
(1.5 hours)

Digital assessments and portfolios for each child can be created in FunShine Digital. We teach you to set up classrooms, add child and parent information, and document real-time digital assessments. We demonstrate the different kinds of reports available, as well as the digital progress reports that can be shared with parents. Direct connections between your state standards, curriculum, and assessments will truly simplify your day.

View recording

Print certificate

Digital Assessment Tutorials
Step 1: Learn How to Set Up Lesson Plans, Classrooms, and Teachers
(1 hour)

This workshop walks you through the start of simplified lesson planning and assessment. Once your account is ready to go, you can set up a classroom(s) with children and teachers. We show you how to find and select your state standards, load and modify lesson plans, and identify specific activities for assessment. Finally, you will see how to begin the assessment process within each activity.

View recording

Print certificate

Step 2: Learn How to Record Observations and Build Progress Reports
(1 hour)

Once classrooms and lesson plans are set up, you can begin to record observations! First, we quickly review setting up your account so lesson plans always default to the state standards you select. Then, we teach you how to select activities for assessment, record observations directly from those activities, upload pictures and videos, and save everything in a permanent record for each child. Finally, you will learn how to easily download Progress Reports.

View recording

Print certificate

Digital Lesson Plans - Brief Tutorials

Need quick assistance? Watch our videos with a tutorial on a specific feature. Includes creating your lesson plans, moving activities, adding State Standards, editing activities, creating your own activities and themes, and more.

Watch on YouTube

The Magic of Engaged Parents with HiMama: Create a Win for Everyone! 
(1.5 hours)

Research has shown that when parents are fully engaged as a partner in caring for a child, everyone benefits! This workshop examines the journey of building engagement, introduces 5 basic elements of successful relationships with families, and demonstrates how to extend learning into the home. Powerful tools, plus examples of doing this within the HiMama App are shared.

View recording

Print certificate

Connecting All Domains: Learning Stations in Action 
(1.5 hours)

Learning stations are so much more than free time for children. Implementing learning stations daily in ECE settings provides children with highly anticipated opportunities to choose, explore, and socialize during child-driven blocks of time. Learn the benefits of incorporating learning stations into your daily routine, receive scheduling tips and station ideas, and discover how learning stations support each learning domain.

View recording

Print certificate

Developing Handwriting in the Early Years  
(1.5 hours)

Most early learning standards include language that describes developmental milestones related to handwriting. At the toddler level, children often begin making random marks, such as dots or scribbles. By preschool, children’s marks become discernible as lines, shapes, and even letters. Though elements of handwriting are touched upon in our learning standards, it is rarely a topic in professional development. During this session, we compare how handwriting is taught to how handwriting is learned, talk about best practices for developing handwriting skills, and highlight activities in FunShine’s curricula that support children’s fine motor development.

View recording

Print certificate

A Multisensory Approach to Developing Literacy Skills
(1.5 hours)

Studies show that about 5% of children have trouble learning to read in the early elementary years. Schools across the country are training teachers to take a multisensory approach to teaching reading that gives children the tools they need to read on or above level with their peers. Fortunately, the early childhood years are full of multisensory experiences. Join us as we share how implementing a multisensory approach to literacy skills can help lay a solid foundation for literacy development in later years.

View recording

Print certificate

10 Things You Can Do to Prep Your Environment for Literacy Success
(1 hour)

You’ve labeled cubbies, carpet squares, and special areas in your environment. But what else can you do to set up your classroom to promote literacy? We share 10 tips to prep your environment for literacy success, with lots of ideas that can be implemented immediately!

View recording

Print certificate

From Product Art to Process Art: FunShine’s Approach 
(3 hours)

What children create and how they create is a hot topic in early childhood education. In this two-part course, we define product art and process art, identify the benefits and challenges of both approaches, and engage in hands-on learning with projects from Buttercups and Fireflies. This session helps you define your own approach to teaching art, understand basics of how different approaches to art support child development, and offer insight into the arc of art project development at FunShine throughout the curriculum year.

Part 1: View recording

Part 2: View recording

Print certificates

Finding Time for Art with Infants and How to Do It
(1 hour)

Can babies do art? Yes! Infancy is a period of rapid growth that involves children engaging in sensory play and learning about their environments. Art for infants is about safe hands-on exploration. In this session, we will talk about what art with infants “looks like,” address safety issues around doing art with infants, and how to help families understand the benefits of process art with our youngest learners.

View recording

Print certificate

Learning Outside for Every Season 
(1.5 hours)

Create fresh context for learning by taking lessons and activities outdoors. Children experience a multitude of benefits when engaged in outside learning. While this teaching practice may be common in warmer months, it can be challenging to continue throughout the year in less ideal weather. You will be provided with outdoor activities for each season, encompassing a variety of learning domains. Discussions will also include essential safety tips, suggestions for smooth and efficient outdoor-to-indoor transitions, and communication between your setting and children’s homes. 

View recording

Print certificate

Discovering Science in FunShine Curricula 
(1.5 hours)

Infants are born with natural curiosity and the propensity to explore using their senses. As children grow, their developing ability to reason and remember helps them continue to make sense of the world. This session explores how FunShine writers create experiences that connect the science domain to all other learning domains, moving children from sensory experiences to full-fledged experimentation using the scientific inquiry process. Receive tips for creating open-ended and higher-order questions, developing scientific vocabulary, and more.

View recording

Print certificate

Bringing Math Concepts to Life in Everyday Experiences
(1.5 hours)

What do taking attendance, filling a calendar, sharing snacks, and sorting blocks have in common? They are all math skills that preschoolers encounter every day! Join us as we uncover the hidden “math” opportunities in daily experiences. We’ll share simple strategies to include math and math language during each part of your daily routine.

View recording

Print certificate

Creating a STREAM-Focused Classroom
(1.5 hours)

Research shows that children demonstrate readiness to engage in science, technology, reading/writing, engineering, art, and math (STREAM) learning at a very young age. Learn what STEM/STREAM is all about in this webinar and why it is so important to build into your early childhood program. Then, we will show you exactly where they are featured in the Buttercups, Fireflies, and FunShine Digital curricula. A sharing session will follow the workshop for attendees to contribute ideas on how they have successfully implemented STREAM content.

View recording

Print certificate

Catering to Multiple Intelligences in Your ECE Classroom 
(1.5 hours)

Children learn in a variety of ways and tend to gravitate toward activities that capitalize on their strengths. FunShine Curricula helps teachers address all learning domains which supports Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligences. We explore the MI theory, the VAKT multisensory approach, and learn how these are embedded in your FunShine lesson plans and easily incorporated into your classroom each day. 

View recording

Print certificate

Supporting Dual Language Learners and Families 
(1.5 hours)

Learn how to create a supportive learning environment for Dual Language Learners and establish healthy communication with their families. As diversity increases, providers and teachers aim to create an inclusive learning community. In this session, we discuss ways in which you may support Dual Language Learners through environmental enrichment and differentiated instruction. You will also be provided with tips on fostering communication with caretakers for whom English is not a primary language.

View recording

Print certificate

The Inclusive Classroom: Easy Adaptations for Supporting All Learners 
(1.5 hours)

Early childhood educators know that an intentionally designed learning environment can support all types of learners by drawing upon children’s unique strengths, personalities, and interests. Putting this into practice, however, can feel cumbersome. Educators often feel they need special materials or even more training to support children with disabilities. While special materials and training are sometimes necessary, educators often have everything they need to implement an inclusive setting right at their fingertips. In this session, we talk about activities that you can utilize to support all learners. Special attention will be given to organizing your environment and choosing materials.

View recording

Print certificate

Mindful Moments in the ECE Classroom
(1 hour)

How can you bring mindfulness into your ECE classroom? Mindfulness is defined as being fully aware of thoughts, feelings, and actions. Young children are just beginning to develop an awareness of their own concepts and emotions, and healthy expression takes practice! We explore a variety of multi-sensory mindfulness techniques for young children, with tips on how to incorporate small mindful moments into daily routines.

View recording

Print certificate

Fierce Conversation: Building More Effective Communication With Your Staff
(1 hour)

How many times have you heard from your staff or colleagues that “communication” is a problem? Yet – we have more ways to communicate with co-workers than ever before! As our work environments have evolved with time-saving tools such as email, chats, Zoom meetings, and more – we sometimes have become less thoughtful about the manner in which we communicate. The “Seven Steps of a Fierce Conversation” can help us execute our most difficult, important discussions. Attendees learn a framework to assist with the implementation of this process. Passion, integrity, and collaboration are at the heart of every Fierce Conversation!

View recording

Print certificate

How to Make the Most of Reading Experiences with Interactive Story Time
(1.5 hours)

Join us as we explore research that supports language and literacy development through interactive read-aloud experiences. The session will also focus on ideas for promoting early literacy development in ten language/literacy areas. We will share how to develop a basic scope and sequence of skills based on your state standards to ensure interactive reading experiences progress throughout the year to help prepare children for kindergarten.

View recording

Print certificate

Wonders of the Weather: Engaging Children in Meaningful Investigations
(1 hour)

It goes without saying that the weather impacts us every day. Aside from dictating what we wear and our moods, exploring the weather opens children up to endless possibilities for learning. In this one-hour session, we will take a look at how weather impacts children’s daily lives and what they’re expected to know and understand about weather developmentally. We’ll talk about Weather Displays—what they are, how they work, where to keep them, and if/when they’re needed. Ideas for investigating the weather across the learning domains will be shared.

View recording

Print certificate

You, Me, We: Five Strategies for Addressing Diversity in the ECE Classroom
(1 hour)

Our world is diverse, and it continues to grow and change at a rapid rate. Over the last several years, the early childhood profession has placed significant emphasis on developing programs that reflect the diversity of the children they serve and the population at large. For everyday educators and providers, knowing how to address diversity in your setting can be challenging. In this one-hour session, we will focus on five strategies to support you in planning activities and creating environments that welcome and reflect the cultures and perspectives of the children in your care.

View recording

Print certificate