LITTLE BUSY BODIES!

Active Learning for Infants & Toddlers

GET YOUR MOTOR RUNNING!

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DESCRIPTION:
Young children are on the move! Early movement experiences help children connect with others and form strong relationships, promote physical development and build their intellectual skills, communication and self-confidence. Learn how to put into practice ideas and movement activities for children ages 6 months to 3 years old. Infant and toddler caregivers are involved with one of the most amazing and rapidly developing times of a child's life!

OBJECTIVES/LEARNING OUTCOMES:

  • Discover how early movement experiences are critical to optimal brain development
  • Understand and identify physical activity guidelines for infants and toddlers
  • Learn how to provide sensory-motor experiences and basic gross motor activities
  • Plan learning experiences that promote physical, cognitive, and social/emotional development and language and literacy skills in young children
  • Establish a learning environment that provides learning experiences that meet the individual capabilities and interests of each child

BENEFIT TO CONFEREES & CHILDREN:
Conferees will "learn by playing" as they participate in the games and activities shared. In this workshop teachers will explore songs and activities that maximize the use of rhymes, action-words, and movement and be able to connect this to brain development and sensory motor development. Participants will come away with many hands-on strategies that they can implement immediately into their program.

SUMMARY:
Recent brain research makes clear how important the first three years of life are for learning. During this period, children's brains are being "wired" into patterns for emotional, social, physical, and cognitive development. The knowledge young children construct during the first three years of life forms the basis for later learning, including that for "academic" subjects such as mathematical reasoning and literacy skills. Infants and toddlers are active designers of their own curriculum experiences as they explore their environment, and their playful interactions with that environment are the medium through which they make sense of their world. They learn from their own experiences, trial and error, repetition, and imitation. Teachers can guide and encourage children's learning by ensuring that the environment is emotionally appropriate; invites play, active exploration and movement by children; and supports a broad array of experiences. A reliable framework of routines, together with a stimulating choice of activities and materials, facilitates children's learning. Young children are motivated to learn and the curriculum must address physical, social-emotional, and cognitive needs. This workshop will address infant and toddler curriculum based on these basic principles of development and learning for the very young child. It will focus on play as the basis for curriculum at this age level.

AUDIO/VISUAL:
Wireless lavaliere microphone (if large group)
Power for iPod and speaker system

FORMAT:
Active Involvement/Movement
Lecture/Demonstration