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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 includes an overview of kit contents, best practices for classroom set-up, tips to save planning time, how to individualize instruction for children, and how to access free supplemental resources.

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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 includes an overview of kit contents, as well as tips on how to set up learning centers, schedule your day, individualize activities, and more. Plus, we'll show you how to access free supplemental resources.

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

Our infant packs are filled with activities for babies ages 3-12 months! Select from among 3 themes to nurture learning with hands-on exploration, engage in meaningful interactions that support infant development, and build skills through play that includes singing, reading, creating, and moving. 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.

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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 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.

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

We show you the simplicity of utilizing pre-planned, digital curricula as the foundation for your weekly lesson plans! Learn to customize your digital activities with your state standards, adding notes and individualization strategies, and creating your own activities. We also show you how you can quickly build multiage lesson plans to cater to the unique ages of children in your setting.

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New Assessment Tools
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Individualizing Made Easy
Part 1: What is it and Why Should I Do it?
(1.5 hours)

Have you ever wondered what you’re supposed to do after you assess a child? You gather the data, and share it with parents, but then what? In this two-part series, we show you how individualization helps you meet the needs of all learners as an integral part of the authentic assessment process. Individualized instruction is a common phrase in early education, but what does it mean? Who needs it and why is it necessary? This first webinar dives into these topics and we conclude by sharing four strategies to help you individualize as you create your lesson plans each week.

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Part 2: Three Scenarios with Teacher Tips for Success
(1.5 hours)

This webinar takes a closer look at how using FunShine Digital can help you meet the needs of all children through individualization. We closely examine 3 scenarios where a teacher uses the customizing features of FunShine Digital to help plan, document, and implement strategies to build on a child's strengths and interests to promote skill growth and success.

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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. 

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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. 

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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. Providers and teachers aim to create an inclusive learning community as diversity increases. 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. 

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Answers to the 3 Most FAQs about Learning Stations
(1.5 hours)

What if we asked you how often you utilize learning stations in your classroom? Would you answer daily, a few times per week, or rarely? Now consider the reasons for your answer. Using learning stations with littles is no simple task, and we’ve got some tricks to share to make the process easier! Discover the top three questions we encounter regarding learning stations, and learn how to overcome common obstacles to make station time a highly-anticipated, brilliant success.

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The Magic of Engaged Parents: How to 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. Tools and examples are shared.

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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 teach 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. We share how implementing a multisensory approach to literacy skills can help lay a solid foundation for literacy development in later years.

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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 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.

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

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

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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 show you exactly where they are featured in the Buttercups, Fireflies, and FunShine Digital curricula.

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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!

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

We explore research that supports language and literacy development through interactive read-aloud experiences. The session also focuses on ideas for promoting early literacy development in ten language/literacy areas. We 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.

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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 look at how weather impacts children’s daily lives and what they’re expected to know and understand about weather developmentally. We discuss 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 are shared.

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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 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.

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