Lillio Academy: Course Catalog
Lillio Academy offers high-quality, self-paced professional development courses designed to support early childhood educators at every stage of their career. Developed by experienced educators, our courses provide research-based strategies and practical tools you can apply immediately in your classroom.
All courses are IACET-accredited and CDA-aligned, so the hours you earn can contribute toward CDA accreditation and renewal. With flexible, on-demand learning available anywhere and anytime, you can progress at your own pace, track your achievements, and manage certificates with ease.
Whether you’re looking to build new skills, deepen your knowledge, or connect with a community of fellow educators, Lillio Academy offers a wide range of courses to fit your schedule and professional goals.
Lillio Academy Courses — by Category (Title | Duration | CEUs)
Child Development & Learning
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Theories of Child Development | 3h | 0.3 CEUs Lillio |
| Play: How Children Learn | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Let’s Get Moving: Motor Development | 2h | 0.2 CEUs Lillio |
| Early Childhood Socialization: Social Development | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| How Children Think: Cognitive Development | 3h | 0.3 CEUs Lillio |
| Look Who’s Talking: Language Development | 2h | 0.2 CEUs Lillio |
| Supporting Dual Language Learners | 2h | 0.2 CEUs Lillio |
| Feeling Your Feelings: Emotional Development | 2h | 0.2 CEUs Lillio |
| Knowing Right from Wrong: Moral Development | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Nurturing Early Language Development in Early Education | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Multilingual Learners: Creating a Foundation for Success | 1 h | 0.1 CEUs |
| The Science of Reading: An Introduction for Early Childhood Educators | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Cultivating Emotional Regulation | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| The Five Senses: Perceptual Development | 2h | 0.2 CEUs |
Classroom Environment & Instruction
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Environment as the Third Teacher | 2h | 0.2 CEUs Lillio |
| Arts in Education: Making Art Meaningful | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| STEM Learning Part 1: Science & Tech in Early Years | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| STEM Learning Part 2: Engineering & Mathematics in the Early Years | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| Caring Classrooms: Creating Safe Learning Environments | 1h | 0.1CEUs |
| Unpacking Inquiry-Based Learning in the Early Childhood Setting | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| Optimal Environments for Infant Development | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| Nutrition | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Teaching for All: Inclusive Teaching Practices | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Caring and Teaching After COVID | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Understanding Autism: Practical Tips for Daily Support in the Early Childhood Space | 2.5h | 0.25 CEUs |
| What is Curriculum? | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Connecting Research to Practice: Caring for Preschoolers | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| Connecting Research to Practice: Caring for Infants and Toddlers | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| School Age Care: Activities | 2h | 0.2 CEUs |
| Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Education | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
Social-Emotional & Behavior
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Promoting Empathy & Prosocial Behavior | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Challenging Behaviors: Infants & Toddlers | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Challenging Behaviors: Preschoolers & PreK | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Microaggressions in Early Childhood | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Building Healthy Attachments with Children | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
| BFF! Understanding Children’s Friendships | 2h | 0.2 CEUs |
Observation / Documentation / Assessment
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Foundations of Documentation | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Documenting Infant Development: 0–6 Months | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Documenting Infant Development: 6–12 Months | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Connecting Meaningful Classroom Experiences to Early Learning Standards | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Validating Play-Based Learning Curriculum | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Creating and Implementing Individualized Program Plans | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Using Assessments as a Planning Tool in the Early Education Space | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Introduction to Observation in Early Childhood Setting | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
Family & Professional Partnerships
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Talking to Families about Development Concerns | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Tackling Challenging Conversations | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| The Value of Professional Development | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Building Partnerships with Families | 2h | 0.2 CEUs |
Program Leadership & Management
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Modernizing Your Center | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Maximizing Staff Meetings in Early Childhood Education | 1 h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Ways to Support Staff Mental Health | 1 h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Family Handbooks and Policies for the 21st Century | 1 h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Creating & Implementing A Staff Handbook and Policies | 1 h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Staff Retention for Administrators | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Managing Burnout in Early Childhood Care Settings | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom for Administrators | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Mandate Reporting: Signs of Abuse and Reporting Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Empowering and Supporting Educators to Succeed | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| The Value of Professional Development | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
| Early Childhood Education Centers: Marketing for Growth | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs |
Infant Care & Routines
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Infant Care: Sleep | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Infant Care: Feeding | 1.5h | 0.15 CEUs Lillio |
| Infant Care: Diapering | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
| Bringing Quality to the Diapering Experience | 1h | 0.1 CEUs |
Outdoor & Seasonal Learning
| Course Title | Duration | CEUs |
| Learning Outside for Every Season | 1h | 0.1 CEUs Lillio |
Description/LOs: Lillio Academy Courses
| Child Development & Learning | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Theories of Child Development | Gain an understanding of development and how it applies to early childhood education.Explore the four significant developmental domains.Discover the principles of life-span development. Understand the relationship between continuity and discontinuity.Discover the relationship between stability and change.Explore the nature vs. nurture debate.Describe the psychosocial theory.Discover behaviourism and social learning theory.Explore the ecological model.Explore Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development Understand key concepts of Piagetian theory and their implications on education today.Explore the Vygotskian theory.Define the zone of proximal development and scaffolding | This course aims to provide professionals in the field of Early Childhood Education with a brief but comprehensive review of the core theories of child development that underpin childcare and education. Theories of development provide the pillars for curriculum development, definitions of childhood, and the language that guides and informs our interactions with children. Having a strong grasp of developmental theories helps educators and caregivers better understand, teach, and interact with children. This course will review important definitions in the field of early childhood that will frequently appear in later courses. |
| Play: How Children Learn | Define various forms of play – structured and unstructuredIdentify different types of playExplore play-based learning programsDescribe the continuum of play-based learningDiscover the function of play in the classroomUnderstand the role of the teacher in play-based learningDiscover the benefits of play in each developmental domain for early childhoodIdentify key components of a playful mindsetExplore how to support families and caregivers in cultivating playful moments at home | Play is a defining feature of humankind. All individuals, regardless of culture, geography, or age, engage in play. Play is a fundamental tool children use to learn, grow, and create. Early childhood caregivers and educators are responsible for supporting the healthy development of children, and what better way to do that than through a play-based learning approach? This course will provide the necessary tools to develop a playful teaching mindset and create a playful classroom environment. Understanding how to identify playful moments and craft playful opportunities will strengthen the relationships you have with children and the community you have created in your classroom. |
| Let’s Get Moving: Motor Development | Differentiate between muscular, temporal, environmental, and functional aspects of movement.Be able to describe the phases of motor development.Understand the various movement categories.Identify fine motor skills.List activities to support fine motor development.Identify gross motor skills.List activities to support gross motor development. | Childhood is characterized by a period of rapid growth, in which the child begins to operate independently from their primary caregiver. Motor development represents a growing sense of autonomy and agency for children as they physically explore their worlds. The development of motor skills emphasizes the interaction between biological processes and environmental conditions. The Early Years Education setting is designed to support children as they learn to move about on their own and engage in everyday activities such as eating, dressing, going to the bathroom, and playing. Having a solid understanding of the workings of motor development will equip teachers with the tools needed to spot developmental delays and encourage the development of fine and gross motor skills. This particular course will be focused on typical motor development. |
| Early Childhood Socialization: Social Development | Define socialization and group socialization theoryUnderstand the theory of mind and Selman’s model of perspective-takingIdentify the development of peer interactionsRecognize the relationship between socio-dramatic play and the theory of mind | Humans are fundamentally a social species, meaning social development is crucial for healthy functioning. Social development refers to the ways children learn to interact with those around them and is directly related to cognitive, language, and emotional development. A child’s ability to interact with others healthily and positively has immediate and long-lasting effects, from feeling safe and secure as an infant to learning new words as a toddler to developing friendships as a child to successfully navigating school as an adolescent. By understanding how infants learn to differentiate themselves from others and how children predict the thoughts, feelings, and desires of others through a theory of mind, educators can engage in more effective teaching practices. The everyday experiences children have with educators are fundamental to a child’s developing social skill set. Educators model healthy social interaction, provide opportunities for peer engagement, and strengthen children’s social skills. This course provides educators with the tools to transform their classrooms with social-emotional learning and facilitate the construction of healthy social interactions for children. This course focuses on typical social development. |
| How Children Think: Cognitive Development | Understand the processes of cognition, including information processing theory, sensory register, working memory, and long-term memory. Identify various aspects of attention, including sustained, selective, and flexible attention.Discover activities to increase focus and attention.Understand memory processes, including memory retrieval and memory strategies.Explore activities and teaching practices that support and enhance memory.Describe metacognition and how it structures children’s thinking.Consider activities that strengthen children’s metacognitive skills.Understand how children learn to problem-solve.Explore activities to support problem-solving growth. | Cognition refers to the thought processes and mental activities we use to acquire new information and organize the knowledge we already possess. Early childhood involves learning new cognitive skills and increasing our cognitive capacity. Children’s cognitive skills help them learn, adapt to new situations, understand their physical and social environments, and play. Cognitive development is interconnected with motor, perceptual, and social development. This course explores specific cognitive functions that develop in early childhood and are essential for healthy learning and play. These include attention, memory, metacognition, and problem-solving. In preparation for kindergarten, early childhood educators are tasked with ensuring school readiness. Assessment and academic attainment are directly related to cognitive skill development. Having a comprehensive understanding of cognitive development helps educators create developmentally appropriate activities that encourage cognitive growth and future academic success. This course focuses on typical cognitive development. |
| Look Who’s Talking: Language Development | Understand how best to support language development at each stageDifferentiate between different theories of language developmentIdentify the key concepts involved in phonological developmentDescribe the course of semantic development, including fast mappingDescribe the course of grammatical development, including bootstrapping | From birth, children begin to communicate and while there are many forms of communication children engage in, this course focuses on the development of spoken language. In order to be a successful communicator, children learn to perform four separate tasks. First, children experiment with the production of sounds that will make up words and convey meaning. Second, they learn the meaning behind the words produced. Third, children learn to string words together in grammatically appropriate ways. And finally, children learn to use language to communicate with others. Each of these aspects of language development will be explored in this course, as well as useful strategies for supporting learning at each stage. It is common for children to enter a center speaking a home language that differs from the center’s language. This course will also provide strategies for supporting the development of dual language learners. Understanding how to listen to children as they begin to experiment with spoken communication is essential to creating a healthy, supportive learning environment. Implementing the best strategies for language acquisition and engaging in supportive dialogue with children will ensure your classroom incites conversation, supports collaboration, and encourages exploration. This course focuses on typical language development. |
| Supporting Dual Language Learners | Understand the challenges associated with teaching dual language learnersUnderstand how to teach English explicitlyDifferentiate between receptive and expressive and social and academic languagesList effective teaching techniques for dual language learnersList effective strategies for supporting the families of dual language learnersDescribe the steps to planning an explicit curriculum for dual language learners | The term dual-language learner describes a child who is learning two or more languages simultaneously. In the context of this course, those languages include English and a home language. In supporting dual-language learners, it is essential that both languages are respected and well-understood. English is the practical language needed to navigate the educational settings of North America. The home language is the “emotional language needed for maintaining family relationships, values, and traditions” (Passe, 2012). North American childcare centers and classrooms have become increasingly diverse, with children bringing culturally rich backgrounds to the educational space. Educators are often faced with the difficult challenge of determining the best ways to teach dual-language learners and the most effective means to communicate with and support the families of dual-language learners. This course aims to provide educators with the tools and pedagogical approaches to supporting dual-language learners in achieving social and academic success in English. |
| Feeling Your Feelings: Emotional Development | Discover the emotional development milestones and emotional needs of childrenExplain concepts such as social referencing, emotional display rules, and theory of mindDescribe the developmental course of emotion co-regulation, emotion understanding, and emotion regulationDefine emotional intelligence and understand how to apply the RULER method to classroom activities Explore emotional learning and ways to engage and support children in developing their emotional intelligence | Emotions colour our experiences and are the earliest communicators children have. At the most basic level, emotions inform behaviour and stimulate a person to act in a way that helps them attain a goal. This applies to everything from avoiding a detested vegetable to sharing a favourite toy. In this interactive course, we will explore the processes that cause emotions to support and interfere with a child’s functioning, as well as how emotions can guide social and cognitive behaviour. Understanding how to read children’s emotions at the earliest stages will assist in classroom management and instruction. Broadening our view of emotional expression and regulation will help educators become more responsive and help children become better communicators. Classrooms that place emotions at the forefront through emotional language, emotion identification, and safe spaces for emotional expression can increase children’s classroom engagement, improve learning, and reduce educator burden. Increasing children’s emotional intelligence through emotional learning will help children better understand themselves and those around them. This course focuses on typical emotional development. |
| Knowing Right from Wrong: Moral Development | Identify inductive discipline strategies Describe theories of moral development proposed by Piaget and KohlbergList self-conscious moral emotions and discover their implications for moral developmentDefine moral understanding, moral reasoning, and moral behavior Identity strategies for supporting moral development | Part of the childhood experience is learning the difference between right and wrong and good and bad behavior. This distinction is what is known as morality. Morality operates at both the societal and individual level. Our social and cultural context determines what is regarded as moral or proper behavior. While at the same time, morality is an individual quality embedded into the child’s personal psychology. Children internalize the rules of behavior provided by adults and apply these rules to their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. There are a number of ways in which educators can support children’s moral development and increase their prosocial behaviors. The aim of this course is to provide educators with an understanding of moral development and strategies to promote moral understanding and moral behavior. Every child has the capacity to learn the social conventions of a culture and behave appropriately; supporting children through this process is an essential component of early childhood education. This course focuses on typical moral development. |
| Nurturing Early Language Development in Early Education | Identify the stages of language development in early childhoodDescribe why understanding the stages of language development is importantUnderstand ways educators can be intentional about supporting children’s language development | From birth, children start to learn that communication is a means to an end. Infants become aware of sounds as a way to communicate their needs, while toddlers use simple sentences. Preschoolers use more complex vocabulary based on their development of language. Children will move through several stages of language development, and this course is designed to highlight those stages of language development while providing ways educators can be intentional in their classrooms to encourage the growth and development of a child’s language. |
| Multilingual Learners: Creating a Foundation for Success | Define “asset-based approach” and its implications for multilingual learners Understand immigration policies unique to the early childcare setting Identify strategies for engaging families of multilingual learnersIdentify strategies for supporting multilingual learners in the classroomUnderstand the six stages of language acquisition and their implications for teaching and learning | As early childcare centers and classrooms become increasingly diverse and serve greater numbers of children speaking multiple languages, educators need to understand best practices in supporting multilingual learners and their families. This course aims to support educators in understanding best practices by utilizing an asset-based approach, which views the diversity that every child brings to a learning environment as a strength. Throughout this interactive course, educators will be introduced to a variety of resources to support multilingual learners at every level, from knowing pertinent immigration policies, to how to set up their learning environments and teaching strategies, to the stages of language acquisition. Such resources will ensure that early learning centers are setting up a strong foundation for multilingual learners. |
| The Science of Reading: An Introduction for Early Childhood Educators | Understand how the brain develops the ability to read Define the stages of reading developmentLearn about literacy milestones and ways to support the reading brain in the classroomDevelop strategies for supporting children’s literacy development | Young children actively engage in developing their language and literacy skills as they grow. Early childhood educators play a crucial role in supporting this development by modeling appropriate language through interactions with children and their families. Through expression and responsiveness, children learn about the world around them and create a foundation for their reading brain. A child’s reading brain starts to develop in utero, and educators play a critical role in supporting children to develop their reading brain through a variety of experiences and connections to words, sounds, and communication. This course aims to help educators understand the importance of the science of reading, the stages of its developmental impact, and how to support a child’s reading development in the classroom. |
| Cultivating Emotional Regulation | Define emotion regulation, co-regulation, and self-regulationExplain the stimulus-response gapList ways to assist in self-regulationList and describe emotion regulation skillsIdentify ways to support children with emotion dysregulation | Emotions have the potential to organize or disrupt our daily functioning. The extent to which our emotions can overwhelm us is determined by the individual’s capacity to regulate their emotions. Emotion regulation includes the internal and external processes responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and modifying emotional reactions. To begin with, infants require the support of caregivers to co-regulate their emotions. Children then internalize these co-regulation efforts as they learn to self-regulate. The primary role of educators is to teach children how to understand their emotions and regulate them according to the situation. This course aims to provide educators with the tools for cultivating emotion regulation in children and teaching appropriate coping strategies for the educational context. We will also explore emotion dysregulation and its relationship to challenging behaviors. Supporting children with emotion dysregulation takes patience and persistence. This course will provide strategies for co-regulation and helping children move towards independence. |
| The Five Senses: Perceptual Development | Understand the distinction between perception and sensation.Describe how development occurs in each of the five senses.Identify factors related to hypersensitivity in all areas of perception.Identify strategies for supporting children with perceptual hypersensitivity.List activities to support perceptual development. | Infants were initially described as being confronted with a world that was a “blooming, buzzing confusion” (William James, 1890). However, research has shown that infants are born equipped with the abilities needed to make sense of the world and its sensations. This course explores how children develop a sense of taste, touch, smell, hearing, and sight. Perceptual abilities are essential for a child to interact with the physical and social world and are directly related to the development of motor, social, and cognitive skills. The early childhood classroom should be a space where children explore and experiment with new sensations. Understanding perceptual development will allow educators to better support children’s sensation exploration and teach children how to read environmental cues using a number of perceptual abilities. This particular course will focus on typical perceptual development. |
| Classroom Environment & Instruction | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Environment as the Third Teacher | Understand the role of the environment in child learning and development.Describe the eight principles of environmental design.Identify the various ways environments speak to children.List the essential aspects of creating a supportive learning environment. | The first teacher – the parent – guides children through the development process by providing consistent support. The second teacher – the educator – supports children’s development by engaging them in meaningful work and introducing new learning experiences. The third teacher is a flexible and adaptable environment that responds to and supports the needs of teachers and children. The concept of the third teacher is inspired by Reggio Emilia’s practices that challenge educators to see children as competent and capable learners who have an immediate impact on their environment. The environment where learning occurs plays a central role in making learning meaningful and shaping a child’s identity. The environment should assist educators in teaching, encouraging healthy development, and communicating a sense of community. To foster such an environment, educators need to reimagine the environment as not simply a space in which learning occurs but as an active resource to extend learning, build curiosity, and structure children’s thinking. |
| Arts in Education: Making Art Meaningful | Understand the importance of the Arts for a child’s development and how to overcome the trepidations of introducing arts intocurriculumUnderstand the idea of the hidden curriculum and how to integrate the Arts into lesson planningLearn how to incorporate Visual Arts, Music, and Drama into lessons by using sample activitiesIdentify ways to make the arts accessible in your centerUnderstand equitable teaching practices versus equal teaching practicesIdentify and navigate barriers to Arts Education | The Arts are often the first place we see budget cuts take place. With a lack of resources in the Arts students often have less exposure to their creative selves. Integrating the Arts into all types of lessons not only aids learners to perceive knowledge through a new lens but also allows for the Arts to gain significance through more traditional academic mediums. In this course we will explore the concept of the ‘hidden curriculum’ and Incorporating Aporia’s into teaching strategies; an approach Patrick Finessey investigates in his research. Finessey (2018) notes the importance of allowing there to be doubt in one’s teaching, being in a state of perplexity, or aporia, allows for the confrontation of the unknown. “Creative teaching is a form of improvisational performance” (Lehtonen et al., 2016), using roleplay to evoke thought is one of many ways the arts can be integrated into all subject matter. We will explore activities for Visual Arts, Music, and Drama that encourage integrating these creative media into learning and instruction for all subject matter, across all ages. |
| STEM Learning Part 1: Science & Tech in Early Years | Basic Understanding of what STEM is.Build confidence in teaching STEM-related activities & lessons.Awareness of barriers to learning/ practicing STEM.Knowledge of Science and Technology Methods & Activities to incorporate into lessons | This is part one of two courses exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the early years. The exploration of Science and Technology activities and methods will enhance confidence in planning and teaching STEM lessons. “Innately curious, infants and toddlers love to explore, investigate, and discover—making the earliest years a perfect time to begin teaching the foundations of STEM” ( Barbre, 2017). There are many organic moments in a young child’s life that allow for the introduction of science and technology concepts. If a child asks why it rains, for instance, this is a naturally occurring opportunity to investigate clouds, rain cycles, weather predictors etc. As an educator beginning to explore STEM lessons, there are some important barriers that need to be discussed; such as equitable access to STEM education, and gender stigmas faced by girls wanting to enter STEM fields. “Although just over half of school students taking A-Level science are female (REF), the representation of women in STEM decreases as you look higher up the STEM career ladder” (S. T. E. M., 2020). It is important to understand the barriers to any discipline that is incorporated into a curriculum, this understanding can help frame the lessons in a meaningful way. |
| STEM Learning Part 2: Engineering & Mathematics in the Early Years | Build confidence in teaching STEM-related activities & lessons.Knowledge of Engineering & Mathematical Methods & Activities to incorporate into lessonsBe able to see topics in a multi-disciplinary manner.Understand how to use the environment to enhance STEM learning. | This is part two of two courses exploring STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) in the early years. “Engineering is an important part of STEM. What is engineering in kindergarten, preschool, and first grade? Well, it’s putting together simple structures and other items and in the process learning about the science behind them. Essentially, it’s a whole lot of doing!” (Engineering Activities for Kids, 2022). The exploration of Engineering and Mathematical activities and methods will enhance confidence in planning and teaching STEM lessons. As children engage with the world around them they do not encounter it box by box, they encounter the entire world at once. Similarly, the integration of STEM into lesson planning aims to see learning from a big-picture picture perspective rather than bit by bit. “Learning about the material world of course is also learning about STEM. STEM is about questions that can be explored scientifically; or about technological problems that can be solved through engineering and design” (Grovemeijer. Et al., 2016). One of the greatest mediums for STEM education is the natural environment. Finding ways to naturally Introducing STEM into the curriculum is beneficial not only in enhancing the content but also in engaging students’ interest. Allowing students to find a topic helps them feel more ownership over the outcome of the discussion, this is true from a very young age! This course aims to build the confidence of educators when teaching STEM and teach them how to effectively incorporate engineering and mathematics activities into their classrooms. |
| Caring Classrooms: Creating Safe Learning Environments | Define a safe classroom environment and its physical and emotional aspects.Detail what makes a learning environment physically safe and emotionally safe.List the various impacts a safe and caring learning environment has on children’s learning and development.Describe how a safe learning environment supports teaching, caring, and instruction.Identify the various ways to ensure physical and emotional safety in the learning environment.Describe how relationship-building informs a safe and caring learning environment.Identify potential new ways and strategies to make classrooms safer for children. | In this interactive course, we will be diving into how a safe learning environment fosters children’s physical safety in the classroom and their social and emotional safety. This course considers and unpacks the question, “What is a safe learning environment,” addressing and then moving beyond simply following safety protocols, state regulations, requirements, and other standards. This course aims to gain an understanding of the physical and emotional aspects of safety in early childcare settings, learn about the impacts a safe classroom has on teaching, learning, and early childhood care, and explore the various ways to foster safety in the learning environment. Teachers, educators, and administrators will have a better understanding of the complexity of classroom safety in its physical and emotional aspects, the impact a safe learning environment has on children’s learning and development, and how classroom instruction, care, and other daily decisions ensure and foster children’s physical and emotional safety. |
| Unpacking Inquiry-Based Learning in the Early Childhood Setting | Define and understand what inquiry-based learning is and how it applies to the early childhood setting. Explore why educators choose to teach through the lens of inquiry and understand its benefits.Differentiate ways to use inquiry-based learning within the curriculum. Develop a plan for using inquiry-based learning to inform observation and assessment. | Children are naturally curious and attentive observers; they explore and form ideas about the world around them daily. As children grow, they want to learn more, ask questions, and become investigators in their learning. Through these investigations, children grow their decision-making, planning, and problem-solving skills, as well as collaborate with peers. Inquiry-based learning can foster children’s confidence and promote flexible thinking. This course is designed to help educators better understand what inquiry-based learning is, its benefits, strategies for how to apply it in the early childhood setting, and how inquiry-based learning can inform observation and assessment. |
| Optimal Environments for Infant Development | Understand the importance of infant stimulationExplore ways to create developmentally supportive environments, emotionally supportive environments, and safe and healthy environments for infantsIdentify common accidents in childcare centers that correspond to developmental stagesList ways to ensure your center is properly babyproofedConsider the benefits of infant-child interactionsExplore ways to facilitate infant-child interactions | The quality of the care environment has a significant effect on brain-building and healthy development in infants. Optimal environments for infants support healthy attachments with caring and responsive adults and help infants feel safe to explore, learn, and grow. Central to creating optimal environments for infant development is stimulation. The amount of stimulation an infant receives directly affects the number of electrical connections formed in the brain, which enhances curiosity, attentiveness, concentration, and a love of learning. An important consideration when employing developmentally-appropriate stimulation is ensuring that the environment is safe and supportive. Environments should be babyproofed, not children. Children’s care-free exploration enhances development and should not be restricted. This requires childcare providers to create spaces that can support safe risk-taking and healthy interactions between infants and children. Many benefits come with allowing children to interact with infants for both the child and the infant. The aim of this course is to highlight the many ways to support infant development using environments and relationships, including those that form with other children. |
| Nutrition | Describe nutrition in early childhood and the ways children learn about it.Identify why nutrition is so important in early childhood.Identify ways to teach children about nutrition and establish a responsive, positive eating environment in the classroom.Explore how and why meals and snack times are important learning opportunities. Identify various ways to encourage healthy eating and healthy habits.Describe why a positive eating environment is a part of developmentally appropriate practices. | Nutrition is a critical part of children’s physical health and development, but it also impacts children’s overall learning and development. This interactive course details all that is involved for children’s nutrition in early childhood education settings, how and why nutrition is a key part of developmentally appropriate practice, and how nutrition influences children’s learning and development. Teachers will explore a variety of best practices and strategies for ensuring healthy eating in the classroom and in supporting children’s healthy habits now and later. |
| Teaching for All: Inclusive Teaching Practices | Define inclusivity and what it means for how we approach working with young children.Explain how to create an inclusive learning environmentUtilize inclusive teaching strategiesDemonstrate inclusive teaching practicesDevelop an understanding of how to implement Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. | In the context of education, “inclusion” is often associated with the practice of including children with disabilities in typical classrooms. While this definition is true, it is only partially true and ignores the multiple identities and characteristics which affect a child’s school experience and achievement. In this interactive course, we aim to explore a vision of inclusion that goes beyond issues of disability to attend to all the differences children bring with them to the educational context. These include differences in race, ethnicity, language, family composition, gender, religion, body size, sexual orientation, dis/ability, social class, and more. It is within the education system that children learn about who matters in the world and what labels they carry with them. As educators, it is our responsibility to break down the barriers between children and create an accepting, open community that supports the learning of all children. This course will provide strategies that cross “categories” of children, ensuring that individual needs are met within the context of a shared community. |
| Caring and Teaching After COVID | Describe the impact stress and trauma can have on children.Identify different protective factors that help children recover and heal from stress and trauma. List various strategies for prioritizing social and emotional learning in the learning environment.Identify examples of positive behavior supports around social and emotional learning.Describe why a “yes” environment can be a powerful healing tool in the classroom. Describe why relationship-building with children is also relationship-building with their families.Identify best practices when building relationships and partnerships with families. | Teachers and educators are healing and recovering from the many disruptions, uncertainties, stress, and trauma from COVID in their professional and personal lives. The children and families they support and work with are also recovering and healing. This interactive course is designed to explore the research around trauma and recovery and their connections to the challenges teachers are facing post-COVID; detail the “why” behind the importance of children’s social and emotional learning and relationship-building now more than ever; and help teachers in moving forward and partnering with families. |
| Understanding Autism: Practical Tips for Daily Support in the Early Childhood Space | Define Autism and identify its signs and symptomsExplain the process of being diagnosed with Autism Learn ways to support children with Autism Learn ways to support families of children with AutismLearn practical tips to use in the early childhood classroom to support children with Autism Develop an awareness of the language used within the Autism community | Autism is a lifelong, neurological, and developmental condition that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. Early Childhood educators play a key role in helping children with Autism learn, grow, and develop while supporting families as they navigate the process of diagnosis and living with a child who has Autism. This course aims to help educators understand the signs and symptoms and learn practical tips to use in the classroom while building better awareness of the Autism community. Educators will learn ways to support both children who have Autism and their families. |
| What is Curriculum? | Define curriculum and the multiple learning processes it encompassesList the various components of curriculum planningDescribe the three models of curriculum designDescribe how to merge a planned curriculum with emergent learningIdentify ways to individualize instructionDemonstrate the four steps of developing or selecting a curriculum | Despite the widespread use of the term “curriculum” in the educational space, the question of “What is curriculum?” is not easy to answer. Ask 10 different professionals in early childhood education “What is curriculum?,” and you might get 10 different answers that range from state/provincial learning standards to lesson planning and teaching strategies. In this interactive course, we will explore ways to gain an understanding of the meaning of curriculum, look at ways to plan a curriculum, and explore ways to implement curriculum that are effective and engaging. If the overarching goal of early childhood education is to provide young children with access to knowledge and support their overall development, then the curriculum is the framework that dictates how this is done and what knowledge children have access to. For administrators and educators, having a strong grasp of the various components of curriculum will strengthen their relationships with content, children, and communities. |
| Connecting Research to Practice: Caring for Preschoolers | Gain an understanding of the current research influencing the early education space Discover ways to take research to practice Understand the ethical framework that supports educators in applying best practicesIdentify ways to help families connect research to learning happening at home | As toddlers grow into preschoolers, educators continue to support their development with appropriate activities. There is a strong emphasis on preparing preschoolers for kindergarten, but it’s important to remember to allow children to practice self-regulation skills and engage in play. Research indicates that a balance of structured learning and open-ended play is beneficial for preschoolers, allowing them to thrive while fostering creativity and learning through play. This course aims to help educators better understand how to apply research in a developmentally appropriate manner, thereby aiding the growth and development of preschoolers in their classrooms. |
| Connecting Research to Practice: Caring for Infants and Toddlers | Gain a better understanding of the current research influencing the early education space Analyze how the research is impacting the infant classroom Analyze how the research is impacting the toddler classroom Understand the ethical framework that supports educators in applying best practicesIdentify ways to help families connect research to learning happening at home | Educators often focus on what infants and toddlers are learning, but it’s important to understand how they learn too. As infants grow into toddlers, it’s important to consider learning in the context of relationships. Their engagement in learning changes, and they develop new skills. Play is crucial, as it encourages curiosity and creativity while fostering self-regulation skills. Children are naturally curious, and educators play a key role in providing hands-on learning and exploration of the world around them. In this course, educators will gain a better understanding of how to apply research in a developmentally appropriate way for their classroom. |
| School Age Care: Activities | Build confidence in planning meaningful activities for students aged 9-13. Provide a basic tool kit of activities to introduce in your program. Knowledge & understanding of approaches to ‘senior’ school-aged care | This course is intended to provide educators with a basic tool kit of activities and approaches to school-aged care, focusing on children aged 9-13 years (also commonly referred to as the 10+ group or class). As children grow older, they are often seen as less in need of care and structured play; however, this is not necessarily the case. Michelle Seligson notes that “ Self-care arrangements do not meet the developmental needs of some school-age children. As these children navigate the passage from early childhood to adolescence, they need opportunities to make friends, play, develop skills and initiative, see products through to completion, and receive attention and appreciation from caring adults”(Seligson, 1991). As students come to the end of their school-age experience, they still need diverse learning opportunities that can be provided by before and after-school care. This is where you -the educator- come in! This course will explore physical activities, cognitive & language activities, sensory activities, and group activities geared toward children 9-13 years old. There will be examples of activities as well as explanations of the approaches to programming that are most effective in creating meaningful learning experiences for this age group. Ideally, this course will leave the learner with confidence in applying these activities and approaches in the classroom and curiosity to continue exploring activities that enhance the experience of ‘senior’ school-age students! |
| Children’s Rights in Early Childhood Education | Understand the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the four general principles as outlined for all children.Understand the importance of honouring children’s rights in the early years through modelling consent and validating emotions, and its impact on a child’s overall developmentIdentify 4 strategies for putting rights into practice and empowering children in an early childhood classroomList the essential ways children can be active participants in their rights | Honouring and empowering children’s rights in early childhood education is crucial in providing a healthy development in the first 5 years of life. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) was adopted in 1989 and is a legally binding international agreement setting out the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of every child. Central to this convention is that every child has basic fundamental rights. Understanding the UNCRC is the first step for educators in creating a rights-respecting classroom for children. It is the backbone for truly understanding how to create meaningful learning opportunities for children that will allow them to actively participate and safely share their own perspectives in the classroom. In the early years, modelling and empowering rights start from infancy and set the foundation for healthy and supportive relationships, empathy development, self-confidence, and awareness of consent and bodily autonomy. Children who grow up understanding their rights and the rights of others will develop a deep understanding of how to interact with others, respect boundaries, advocate for themselves and know that their voice matters. |
| Social-Emotional & Behavior | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Promoting Empathy & Prosocial Behavior | Define and identify the stages of empathy development in early childhoodUnderstand the developmental trajectories and milestones of prosocial behaviorList ways to support empathy and prosocial behaviorDescribe strategies for teaching compassion Identify the benefits of using literature to promote prosocial behavior | Sharing, helping, cooperating, and responding to the needs of others are important skills children begin to develop in early childhood. Demonstrating empathy and strong prosocial behavior can help children navigate social situations, make friends, and get the most out of the learning environment. Empathy and prosocial skills develop during play, peer interactions, and teacher-student relationships. It is important that children learn how to work well with others, understand another perspective, and support others in the classroom. Through play and classroom activities, ECEs can help develop these skills and promote their use in the center. In order to fully capture the importance of empathy and prosocial behaviors in early childhood, we must understand the development, characteristics, and occurrences of each. Creating a space that promotes empathy and prosocial behavior will positively impact children’s social and emotional development. |
| Challenging Behaviors: Infants & Toddlers | Define challenging behaviors.Describe challenging behaviors in infants and toddlers.Detail the different skills and understandings involved in the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers.List the various behaviors of infants and toddlers that are forms of communication and describe their possible function or purpose.Describe why knowing and understanding children’s social and emotional development is so important when focusing on challenging behaviors.Identify best practices in the learning environment for challenging behaviors.List preventative, proactive strategies for challenging behaviors. Describe why mindfulness is a critical best practice for challenging behaviors. | In this interactive course, challenging behaviors often disrupt and get in the way of teaching and learning in infant and toddler learning environments. These behaviors can negatively impact teaching and caregiving and make relationship-building between teachers and children difficult. This course is designed to give educators a better understanding of the “why” behind children’s behaviors and to help them use this knowledge to inform their teaching and care, even in the most challenging of circumstances. |
| Challenging Behaviors: Preschoolers & PreK | Define challenging behaviors.Describe challenging behaviors in preschool and prekindergarten children.Detail the different skills and understandings involved in the social and emotional development of preschool and prekindergarten children.List the various behaviors of preschool and prekindergarten children that are forms of communication and describe their possible function or purpose. Describe why knowing and understanding children’s social and emotional development is so important when focusing on challenging behaviors.Identify best practices in the learning environment for challenging behaviors.List preventative, proactive strategies for challenging behaviors. Describe why mindfulness is a critical best practice for challenging behaviors | In this interactive course, Challenging behaviors often disrupt and get in the way of teaching and learning in preschool and prekindergarten learning environments. These behaviors can negatively impact teaching and caregiving and make relationship-building between teachers and children difficult. This course is designed to give educators a better understanding of the “why” behind children’s behaviors and to help them use this knowledge to inform their teaching and care, even in the most challenging of circumstances. |
| Microaggressions in Early Childhood | Learn about the history and meaning of microaggressions and who they affectDescribe the different types of microaggressionsUnderstand the impacts of microaggressionsKnowing how to respond to microaggressions | Microaggressions are subtle statements or actions that discriminate against minority groups. They can happen with or without harmful intent but are usually a product of our implicit biases. The effects of microaggressions are cumulative and can have lasting impacts on the victims. It is the subtleness of microaggressions that can make them hard to spot, making it important to learn what causes them and how to identify them. It is important to understand how microaggressions can be psychologically harmful for ourselves and the people we work with. This is especially true for the field of early childhood, where educators are working with many other educators, children, families, and support workers who may be members of various minority and racialized groups. Learning how to identify microaggressions is the first step in learning how to stop them. |
| Building Healthy Attachments with Children | Define theories such as attachment, temperament, transitional objects, and goodness of fitUnderstand the relationship between attachment and developmentDescribe the relationship children have with attachment objects Identify the types of temperamentExplore methods to improve your relationship with children with difficult temperaments. | Infants are born with limited sensory and motor abilities and few cognitive skills. Over the course of human evolution, infants have developed an innate set of behaviors that drive them to create attachment styles and remain physically close to caregivers. Infants use caregivers as a source of comfort when they are distressed, as well as a safe base from which to explore their environments. Children with healthy attachments to their caregivers show improved emotional, cognitive, and social development. A child’s attachment extends to those they spend a great deal of time with, including educators and childcare providers. Research shows that infants may only need to feel secure with one caregiver to reap the benefits of healthy attachment. Knowing how to build healthy attachments with children will help you establish safe environments for children’s learning. Children’s attachment styles can extend to material objects and are informed by their temperament. Working in accordance with a child’s temperament can enrich the relationships you establish with children. In this interactive course is to understand the foundations of attachment theory and how to strengthen the relationships you have with children and develop the skills to work with children with difficult temperaments. |
| BFF! Understanding Children’s Friendships | Identify the defining features of friendships Discover how friendships developList the developmental benefits of friendshipsDefine exclusion, rejection, loneliness, and bullyingIdentify strategies for overcoming feelings of loneliness, exclusion, and rejectionUnderstand the role imaginary friends play in children’s social developmentIdentify effective and strategic approaches for encouraging and assisting children in making friends | We all have friends; many of us are still friends with people from our childhoods. Friendships are an important resource for navigating the social world. As children enter early childcare centers and gain more independence, they will extend the time they spend with caregivers and siblings to time spent with peers. Through social interactions with peers, children develop friendships, directly impacting their social, emotional, and cognitive development. Friendships provide important opportunities for playing, practicing self-regulation, and developing empathy. How children generate and maintain friendships changes as they age. Childhood friendships represent the beginnings of intimacy and social appreciation. Understanding how children make friends, even imaginary friends, will assist early childhood educators in fostering and encouraging healthy friendships. This course will provide the tools for ECEs to help children make friends, counteract loneliness and rejection, and reduce instances of bullying and peer pressure. |
| Observation / Documentation / Assessment | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Foundations of Documentation | Define documentation and its purposes, and evaluate current practices in documentation.Identify various audiences for documentation, as well as features that would be of most interest to specific audiences.Describe the essential building blocks of a piece and/or panel of documentation.Understand how documentation can be used for reflection and planning. | Documenting children’s learning is an integral piece of quality early childhood practice. It serves multiple purposes and among its foremost are to 1) invite children into reflection on the events that make up their lives in school, 2) provide educators with deeper insights into the unfolding lives, learning, and interests of the children in their care (in order to both facilitate further planning and bolster their “image of the child”), and 3) to illustrate and illuminate for parents, caregivers, administrators, and other invested adults, the beauty, depth, and nuance of childhood. In order to document with intention, educators must become familiar with these purposes of documentation and begin to understand how they can embark upon the journey of documenting children’s work and life with intention. |
| Documenting Infant Development: 0–6 Months | Understand how to communicate developmental milestones to families sensitivelyDescribe documentation as “progress rather than timing”Identify and support the developmental milestones of 0-2 monthsIdentify and support the developmental milestones of 3-4 monthsIdentify and support the developmental milestones of 5-6 months | We see the most observable developmental changes in the first six months of life. Families place a great deal of trust in the hands of educators when they bring their young infants to childcare. Educators must respect the parenting styles and cultural differences of families and document developmental milestones. Documenting developmental milestones at this age can help create a record of progress to alleviate any parental concerns and determine when an infant is ready to move on to new activities and spaces. At a glance, the first months consist of smiling, watching, reaching, and sitting. The infant is beginning to explore their worlds and develop critical social relationships with caregivers. This course aims to provide educators with an overview of the observable and recordable growth moments of infants between 0-6 months of age. In addition to milestones, educators will learn about activities designed to encourage motor, cognitive, language, and socio-emotional development at each stage of development. This course focuses on typical development. |
| Documenting Infant Development: 6–12 Months | Understand the sources of developmental differences in timing Identify and support the developmental milestones of 6-9 monthsIdentify and support the developmental milestones of 9-12 monthsList the symptoms and remedies for teething | Growth drastically accelerates at the sixth-month mark of development, and the infant’s unique personality begins to solidify. The first year of life includes a number of firsts in the child’s life and it can be a challenging time for families to be separated from their children while they are in childcare. It is important for educators to be sensitive to the transitions of both infants and their families. Through documentation, educators can ensure families don’t miss out on any developmental achievements and effectively assess the infant’s progression. At a glance, the second six months consist of first words, thumb-forefinger pickups, crawling, cruising, and walking. The infant extends their interests beyond caregivers and eagerly interacts with their environment. We also see the emergence of teeth and the pain, excitement, and advantages of this development. In this interactive course, the aim is to provide educators with an overview of the observable and recordable growth moments of infants between 6-12 months of age. In addition to milestones, educators will learn about activities designed to encourage motor, cognitive, language, and social-emotional growth at each stage of development. This course focuses on typical development. |
| Connecting Meaningful Classroom Experiences to Early Learning Standards | Discover the origins of standards-based learning in early childhood education.Deconstruct the basic components of early learning standards.Compare components of early learning standards from several states.Identify similarities between early learning standards across North America.Define and differentiate early learning standards and curriculum. Understand how to use early learning standards to guide creating and implementing developmentally appropriate learning activities.Connect early learning standards, curriculum, assessment, and individualization strategies. | Early learning standards provide a blueprint for developmentally appropriate classroom experiences and assessment opportunities for our littlest learners. Regularly addressing and assessing these standards is a requirement in many childcare settings. This course considers the origin of standards-based learning in ECE, the components that make up early learning standards, and how early learning standards guide curriculum development, assessment, and inform individualization strategies. In this interactive course, the aim is to help teachers make connections and develop a deeper understanding of how to utilize state standards as a foundational tool for planning developmentally appropriate learning opportunities. Teachers and administrators will discover similarities between sets of early learning standards across North America and the link between research-based learning standards and developmentally appropriate curricula. Participants will recognize that utilizing and observing learning standards daily builds understanding of how a child is developing, provides a framework for communicating child growth and development with families, and creates a solid foundation upon which all learning is built within a childcare facility. |
| Validating Play-Based Learning Curriculum | Define and explore a play-based learning curriculum. Understand how to successfully implement play-based learning in the classroom.Identify and explore the benefits of play-based learning curriculum in early childhood.Describe the role of an educator in play-based learning to facilitate learning. Compile ways to communicate play-based learning with families. | The term “play-based learning” can alarm some families. The notion that play is for home, and learning is for school has been the foundation of the separation of the two environments for ages. “Newer research has shown that play-based learning can be more effective than direct instruction at improving outcomes for early learners” (Boryga, 2022). More centers are making the switch to a play-based learning curriculum and pedagogy, understanding the benefits it has for all young learners. In this course, educators will define and build an understanding of play-based learning curriculum. This course is designed to support educators with ways to successfully implement play-based learning in their classrooms and how to communicate the importance of play with families. |
| Creating and Implementing Individualized Program Plans | Define Individualized Program Plan, as well as other types of learning plans, and why educators use them. Explore the process for creating Individualized Program Plans. Identify ways to incorporate Individualized Program Plans into lesson planning.Discover ways to implement Individualized Program Plans successfully within the early childhood setting. Explain the importance of collaborating with families to create Individualized Program Plans and discover useful methods for communicating. | Individual Program Plans (IPPs) or Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are “a written commitment to ensure appropriate planning for children both with and without unique learning needs” (Canadian Rockies Public School, n.d.). While parents and guardians are important members of the process, they don’t always know the methods, tools, and support services required to help their children thrive in a learning environment. Individual Program Plans can be intimidating for educators and families, but they shouldn’t be. Many children, with and outside of a diagnosis, can benefit from an IPP. This course is designed to offer educators an understanding of what Individual Program Plans are, why educators use them, how to create them, and how to support families through the process. Moreover, it will define different types of plans referred to throughout education communities, including IPP and IEP, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and 504 Plan. By the end of this course, educators will acquire the language and skills needed to develop IPPs, incorporate them into their teaching and classroom environment, and use them as resources to elevate partnerships with families. |
| Using Assessments as a Planning Tool in the Early Education Space | Define and understand the importance of early childhood assessments Connect observations and assessments to curriculum planning Understand ways educators can use assessments to help monitor progress Learn how to communicate with families about assessments and the role they play in supporting their child’s development | In early childhood education, educators are consistently working to observe and document each child’s learning to support their strengths and weaknesses and continue providing opportunities for meaningful learning. When educators couple observations with assessments, it provides them with a rich understanding of how to plan experiences and activities that address children’s needs and interests. In this course, educators will define and understand the importance of assessment in early childhood and connect how assessments inform developing activities and experiences to meet every child’s needs and development. |
| Introduction to Observation in Early Childhood Setting | Define what observations are and why educators engage in observations.Explore the different types of observation methods.Identify different types of behavior and actions to track using observation.Differentiate observations from assessment and learn how observation informs assessment. Explore how to use observation to inform curriculum planning and the classroom environment.Understand the importance of sharing observations with families and discover useful methods for sharing. | Observations are a critical part of every early childhood educator’s day-to-day life. Observations are often viewed as a daunting task, yet they yield strong results. Observations lead educators to a place of reflection that allows them to assess a child’s skill level, developmental stage, and what they should be planning towards to help scaffold a supportive learning environment. Observations can provide educators with information about how a child reacts to a new situation, interacts with their peers, and their thinking processes. Observations can also be a tool for educators to connect with families and create strong working relationships. This interactive course is designed to help educators better understand the basis for observations, why they are used, and when and how they are used. This course will help educators discover effective methods of observation and how to connect meaningful observations to the learning environment. |
| Family & Professional Partnerships | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Talking to Families about Development Concerns | Understand how to identify and track developmental delays.Understand ways to prepare for difficult conversations with families about their children’s development.Utilize various strategies to facilitate challenging conversations about child development with families.Identify and share resources with families to support them in taking next steps to find intervention or services for their children.Understand how to maintain conversation with and foster relationships with families who are unwilling to seek support or are not receptive to hearing the information provided. | Early childhood educators have the opportunity to observe, assess, and reflect on children’s developmental milestones daily through the process of documentation in their classrooms. They also have the educational background and the practical skills to be able to identify if a child is meeting developmental milestones for their age group. If a child displays potentially delayed developmental capabilities, it is important to speak to the parents or guardians about these concerns so proper intervention can take place to ensure the child is properly supported. These types of conversations can be difficult to have because parents/guardians could become defensive or be sensitive to the topic of their child having atypical development. It is extremely important to feel prepared and confident before approaching families. |
| Tackling Challenging Conversations | Understand difficult conversations and situate them within a framework that views difficulty as more of a matter of our own perspective than of the conversation itself. Explore the “Acknowledge, Frame, Support” framework for difficult conversations. Discuss difficult conversations with families/caregivers (e.g., about children’s needs, ways of interacting with children, identity, etc.) and explore ways to facilitate these conversations using the AFS framework.Describe potentially difficult conversations with co-workers and staff and explore ways that these can be embraced with sensitivity and an attitude of openness. | Challenging conversations are part and parcel of the life of an early childhood educator, whether your role is a classroom teacher, center director or supervisor, or any of the myriad roles in between. When we think about conversations that are challenging, we can often separate them into a few domains: conversations with families and caregivers, conversations with co-workers and staff, and conversations with children. While each of these conversations requires a different approach and perspective, we can incorporate similar principles to guide us through navigating them. When we learn that difficult conversations are less about avoiding conflict and more about clarifying perspective and unifying goals, we can envision early childhood contexts that are constructive, rooted in dialogue, and promote both honesty and transparency. |
| The Value of Professional Development | Define professional developmentDescribe the four functions of professional developmentIdentify similarities and differences between formal and informal professional developmentExplain the three components of professional developmentIdentify the seven elements of effective professional developmentDescribe the benefits of professional development at the center, staff, and child levels. | High-quality childcare and education is not an accident; it is the result of study, reflection, practice, and hard work. The most crucial factors for determining the quality of childcare are the abilities of the staff and administration. Continual professional development leads to better training, improved school leadership, staff retention, and higher child achievements. Professional development refers to the experiences that promote the education, training, and development opportunities for early childhood practitioners who work with young children and their families. The quality of a center is a reflection of the professional development and training of caregivers and teachers. This course aims to demonstrate the impact staff training has on child development and center management and the steps to providing effective professional development for your staff. Over the decades, new reform, innovative pedagogy, and changing workplace requirements have created an increasing need to enhance ECE professional competence, which requires continuous learning and the support of directors and center owners. |
| Building Partnerships with Families | Build an understanding of “why” families select childcare and the factors that influence their decision-making.Describe why developing family partnerships is crucial to supporting successful outcomes for children.Identify and understand how cultural perspectives influence relationships.Define “strengths-based approach” and how it informs establishing strong educator-family partnerships.Identify the foundational components of a strong family-educator partnership. Compile and describe strategies that strengthen home-school connections.Understand the relationship between strong family partnerships and reflective practice.Identify tools and prompts for engaging families in reflective practice. | Developing partnerships with families is an important responsibility for early childhood educators. Educators know that families are a child’s first teacher, and a child’s learning and healthy development are contingent upon strong family-educator relationships. Each family and educator brings their own unique needs, beliefs, and values to the learning environment, and educators must learn to work collaboratively with families to develop learning goals that best support outcomes for each child. In this interactive course, we will identify the qualities of strong family-educator relationships, specifically how to engage families using a strengths-based approach. We will also identify strategies that support strengthening home-school connections, as well as ways to engage families in reflective practice to support continued involvement and dialogue. Together, families and educators can nurture children’s social-emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. |
| Program Leadership & Management | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Modernizing Your Center | Understand significant evolutions in society that have shaped childcare todayList the definitions of a modern childcare centerIdentify the steps needed to digitalize your centerUnderstand what the modern family is looking for in childcareIdentify the benefits of technology for staffDescribe the processes involved in using technology as a teaching tool | While not always an overtly visible aspect of the daily workings of society, childcare is an essential part of a thriving economy and modern nation. With an increasing rise in women in the workforce, dual-income families, and an understanding of the importance of early childhood education, the demand for childcare and the responsibilities of educators have risen. The childcare center has continually evolved with technological innovations (such as smartphones) and cultural changes (such as the women’s movement). This course aims to explore the evolution of childcare in North America over the last hundred years and take a look at the steps that can be taken today to meet the expectations of staff, families, and children in our modern digital age. Technological devices and programs can increase the organization, accessibility, and accountability of staff and families while improving the learning achievements of children. This course guides introducing digital programs to staff, transitioning families to digital communication, and utilizing technology in the learning environment. The modern childcare center is one that grows and responds to the changing needs of families and the changing landscape of society. |
| Maximizing Staff Meetings in Early Childhood Education | Understand the benefits of having staff meetings. Explore ways to build meaningful relationships with staff.Discover the essential components of a successful and productive staff meeting. | Staff meetings are an integral part of the running of a childcare center. Connecting at staff meetings about ongoing issues, new policies, or celebrating successes is extremely important. Directors want to make sure they are creating an inclusive environment for their educators while having productive conversations during these meetings. Throughout this course, we are going to cover the benefits of having staff meetings, how to build meaningful relationships with staff, and how to set the tone for successful and productive staff meetings. This course aims to give you key takeaways for your toolbox so you can be an effective leader and create an inclusive environment for your staff. |
| Ways to Support Staff Mental Health | Define the mental health challenges early childhood educators faceBuild an understanding of the impacts negative mental health has on the classroomLearn practical tips for promoting work-life balance Discover ways to support staff mental health and appreciation | Every center director always has two things on top of mind: the health and well-being of the children under the center’s care and the safety and well-being of the staff they employ. When staff members are encouraged to focus on their own mental and physical health, not only do they benefit, but the care they provide for children grows, and the center profits. This is easier said than done in today’s work climate, where centers are facing staff shortages. Educators are working harder than ever and play a significant role in supporting children’s growth and development. When educators display depressive symptoms, children may react to and learn from the mood, resulting in poor self-regulation. This course is designed to help directors better understand the importance of the impacts that staff mental health has on an early childhood classroom while providing them with ways to support educators as they navigate mental health challenges. |
| Family Handbooks and Policies for the 21st Century | Define the purpose of a family handbook and why early childhood centers use them. Compile and identify the different areas to include in a family handbook. Build a plan to revise your current family handbook. Explore approaches that promote family engagement when putting your handbook into practice.Understand the importance of sharing family handbooks with families and useful methods for sharing. | Family handbooks are a staple of onboarding a new family to an early childhood center. Family handbooks not only provide families with important information about the inner workings of the center, the center’s mission and philosophy, curriculum choices, and health and safety procedures, but they also help define the role families play as part of their child’s learning and development. This course is designed to build an understanding of why centers have family handbooks and what is included in them. This course will help directors understand the benefits of keeping family handbooks up to date as well as methods for sharing this important information with families. |
| Creating & Implementing A Staff Handbook and Policies | Define Individualized Program Plan, as well as other types of learning plans, and why educators use them. Explore the process for creating Individualized Program Plans. Identify ways to incorporate Individualized Program Plans into lesson planning.Discover ways to implement Individualized Program Plans successfully within the early childhood setting. Explain the importance of collaborating with families to create Individualized Program Plans and discover useful methods for communicating. | Individual Program Plans (IPPs) or Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) are “a written commitment to ensure appropriate planning for children both with and without unique learning needs” (Canadian Rockies Public School, n.d.). While parents and guardians are important members of the process, they don’t always know the methods, tools, and support services required to help their children thrive in a learning environment. Individual Program Plans can be intimidating for educators and families, but they shouldn’t be. Many children, with and outside of a diagnosis, can benefit from an IPP. This course is designed to offer educators an understanding of what Individual Program Plans are, why educators use them, how to create them, and how to support families through the process. Moreover, it will define different types of plans referred to throughout education communities, including IPP and IEP, Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), and 504 Plan. By the end of this course, educators will acquire the language and skills needed to develop IPPs, incorporate them into their teaching and classroom environment, and use them as resources to elevate partnerships with families. |
| Staff Retention for Administrators | Identify the reasons for increased staff turnover rates.Describe why these rates are on the rise and how this affects teaching and learning. Describe why staff retention is so important for children’s learning and development. List the positive impacts staff retention has for children, their families, and program staff.List out strategies for ensuring staff retention.Describe ways to support staff retention that can be implemented now.Identify potential future best practices to begin to work towards. | Staff turnover rates for early childhood educators are on the rise, and staff retention is not only a growing concern but a major challenge for ensuring high-quality teaching and care. This interactive course provides a quick overview of the factors contributing to this problem and why staff retention is so important for children’s learning and development. This course also explores immediate best practices and long-term strategies for administrators to begin to implement in their programs. Ultimately, administrators’ intentional and responsive support and partnership with teachers empowers teachers and fosters a positive and caring program environment for all – teachers, staff, children, and families. |
| Managing Burnout in Early Childhood Care Settings | Understand what the term ‘burnout’ means.Identify the signs and symptoms of burnout in yourself, your staff, and your colleagues.Discuss how to address issues of burnout in your center.Understand strategies to increase job satisfaction.Discover the practices to implement in your center to support your staff who are already experiencing burnout. | First described in 1974 by Herbert Freudenberger, a German American Psychologist, burnout is the gradual emotional depletion, loss of motivation, and reduced commitment at work as a result of being exhausted from the work environment. Burnout is a reality for many professionals due to high demands, budget cuts, and struggling to find a work/home balance. One of the most prominent challenges facing early childhood education is an escalating rate of staff burnout. As a director or supervisor, it is important to understand what burnout is, how to identify it in your staff/team, and how to help mitigate and prevent it for the health and well-being of your staff, but also the quality of your program. While there are certain aspects of burnout that you cannot control, there are practices you can implement that will increase job satisfaction, helping to mitigate burnout. |
| Challenging Behaviors in the Classroom for Administrators | Define challenging behaviors and list common challenging behaviors in the classroom.Identify the impact challenging behaviors have on children.Understand why “behavior has meaning” is critical to understanding children’s challenging behaviors. Describe why knowing and understanding children’s social and emotional development is so important when focusing on challenging behaviors.Detail the impact children’s challenging behaviors can have on teachers and the learning environment.List best practices for creating and maintaining a safe and caring program environment as part of supporting children with challenging behaviors.Identify strategies to support teachers in helping children demonstrating challenging behaviors.Explain the importance of relationship-based practices and reflective supervision in your programs in the context of challenging behaviors. | Challenging behaviors often disrupt and get in the way of teaching and learning in early childhood learning environments. Administrators play a critical role in supporting teachers as teachers take care of children with challenging behaviors. This interactive course is designed to give administrators a brief overview of the “why” behind children’s behaviors before diving into best practices as they partner with teachers. Through intentional collaboration with teachers, administrators can provide responsive support for teachers and children and ensure positive relationship-building and safe and caring classrooms. |
| Mandate Reporting: Signs of Abuse and Reporting Requirements for Early Childhood Professionals | Understand the definition of child abuse and the different categories of abuse.Understand the consequences of child abuse on children in their care.Identify the potential signs of child abuse to recognize it in the children in their care.Understand strategies to prevent child abuse.Apply the skills to reach out to the local child welfare agencies. | Child abuse comes in many different shapes and forms, it can be categorized into four categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect. Educators spend large chunks of time with children in the community and may come across a child who shows signs of abuse, so it is important to understand what it is, what it looks like, how to recognize it, and how to help. This course will provide educators with knowledge about child abuse and empower them to feel confident in taking the next steps to intervene to lessen the harm and prevent future risks. |
| Empowering and Supporting Educators to Succeed | Define a culture of collaboration and explore the three pillars of a successful and collaborative workplace culture. Discover how collaborative inquiry can be creatively integrated into an early childhood education center by: identifying a focus area, collecting, analyzing, and reflecting on learning practices, collaboratively adapting practices to enhance teaching quality, and reviewing any impacts of applying actions from collaborative inquiry.Identify and discuss the benefits of giving educators the tools for self-directed learning.Explore how self-directed learning within a teaching practice can stimulate progress within centers, engagement with innovative ideas and discourse, and give educators tools to pursue interesting and independent lines of inquiry.Explore opportunities to build skills, gain expertise, and grow professionally within and beyond the classroom! | Educators are a diverse group of professionals, each bringing their own experiences, strengths and struggles, areas of interest and curiosities to the classroom. It is critical to empower their growth by providing the support they need to be effective and successful. This course is designed for participants to discover the effective practices to empower and support educators. This interactive course will explore the importance of fostering an environment that supports collaboration and relationship building in early childhood spaces, providing educators with space to create and innovate, supporting educators in areas that grow their skill set and knowledge base, and finally, encouraging educators’ to set professional goals to grow within and beyond the classroom. |
| The Value of Professional Development | Define professional developmentDescribe the four functions of professional developmentIdentify similarities and differences between formal and informal professional developmentExplain the three components of professional developmentIdentify the seven elements of effective professional developmentDescribe the benefits of professional development at the center, staff, and child levels. | High-quality childcare and education is not an accident; it is the result of study, reflection, practice, and hard work. The most crucial factors for determining the quality of childcare are the abilities of the staff and administration. Continual professional development leads to better training, improved school leadership, staff retention, and higher child achievements. Professional development refers to the experiences that promote the education, training, and development opportunities for early childhood practitioners who work with young children and their families. The quality of a center is a reflection of the professional development and training of caregivers and teachers. This course aims to demonstrate the impact staff training has on child development and center management and the steps to providing effective professional development for your staff. Over the decades, new reform, innovative pedagogy, and changing workplace requirements have created an increasing need to enhance ECE professional competence, which requires continuous learning and the support of directors and center owners. |
| Early Childhood Education Centers: Marketing for Growth | Understand why centers need to market themselvesIdentify and define strategies to attract new familiesOutline an understanding of why communication with families is so importantCreate a simple marketing plan template | Every director wears many hats when it comes to running a center. When it comes to filling a spot in a center, many directors have to switch gears and get their marketing hat on. Directors are always seeking ways to market and spread the word about their business. A center is a family and community on its own, and creating lasting relationships with families is an important part of marketing to new families. Throughout this course, we are going to cover ways for directors to market their centers and boost enrollment. Directors want their center to stand out in a crowded marketplace, and this isn’t easy. The goal of this course is to develop an understanding of how to implement creative marketing strategies to enhance the center’s visibility. |
| Infant Care & Routines | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Infant Care: Sleep | Describe the infant sleep cycleExplain why sleep is vital to an infant’s growth and developmentIdentify ways to reduce the risk of SIDSDescribe best practices for preparing sleeping areas Identify reasons for an infant’s disrupted sleep pattern (medical, developmental, etc.)Demonstrate crib safety for equipment, placement, and cleaning practicesUnderstand how to work with families in establishing healthy sleep practices in infants | Infants spend more than half their day in a sleep state, gaining the physical, mental, and developmental benefits that come with restorative rest. As infants enter child care settings, they must adjust to the sleeping environments and routines of the center, which may differ significantly from their sleep practices at home. Child care providers must work with infants and families to ease this transition and create safe, restful environments. Sleep is not a state that caregivers can force on an infant or many infants, for that matter. Sleep must naturally overtake the infant and is necessary for optimal development. Providers can create spaces that invite sleep by establishing consistent routines and rituals and following safety protocols. In this interactive course, we will look at learning strategies for building healthy sleep attitudes in infants and creating trusting spaces that encourage sleeping. By reviewing safe sleep protocols and frequently asked questions, this course will prepare caregivers to assist in infants’ sleep routines and safety. This course is designed to prepare caregivers for working with families and providing care to typically developing infants. |
| Infant Care: Feeding | Describe best practices of bottle-feedingUnderstand how to read feeding cuesDiscover best practices for preparing breast milkExplore best practices for using formulaIdentify indicators that the child is ready for solid foodsList strategies for introducing solid foods | Childcare centers are spaces for healthy learning and healthy development, and the key to this is a healthy diet. Having the right food on hand and knowledge of diverse feeding methods creates happier moods and happier families. Eating patterns and attitudes toward eating developed in the infant room transfer to the toddler room as children move through early childhood education and care. Helping infants create healthy relationships with food involves reading feeding cues, having healthy food options, encouraging self-feeding, and working with families to follow dietary needs. Understanding the individual sensitivities, preferences, and needs of infants will provide optimal environments for healthy eating and healthy development. Nursing means comforting and nourishing and can happen by both breast and bottle. Feeding is not just about giving nutrition but giving infants your eyes, your skin, your voice, and your attention. The aim of this course is to familiarize educators with handling breast milk, preparing formula, and introducing solid foods. This course is designed to prepare educators for working with families and providing care to typically developing infants. |
| Infant Care: Diapering | List the steps involved in creating safe, clean diapering areasDescribe best techniques for diaper changingIdentify approaches to caring for diaper rashUnderstand how to build relationships during diapering times | Caring for basic needs is an important time to interact and build relationships with infants. During feeding, changing, and putting to sleep, infants feel your touch, hear your voice, see your face, and build healthy attachments. Diapering is much more than an infant going from wet to dry but can be an important time to interact and build relationships with infants. Following proper diapering procedures ensures the safety of children and can make the process smooth, routine, and fun. By reserving special facial features, jingles, and massaging stokes for diapering times, infants have more to look forward to than just a clean diaper. By demonstrating patience and sensitivity, you can effectively manage infant diaper rash and make the experience as comfortable as possible. The aim of this course is to review the steps involved in creating a safe, clean changing environment, removing and replacing diapers, and treating diaper rash. This course is designed to prepare educators for working with families and providing care to typically developing infants. |
| Bringing Quality to the Diapering Experience | List the steps involved in creating a safe, clean diapering environment. Compile and describe the process of changing a diaper.Understand how to create a relationship-building experience during diapering. Describe how to make diapering a learning opportunity.Discover how to handle diapering challenges, specifically diaper rash. Understand the importance of communicating basic needs with families. | Caring for children’s basic needs is important and can be used to interact and build relationships with infants and toddlers. During diaper changes, there is an opportunity to create learning experiences and build healthy attachments with a child. Diapering is more than a child going from a wet to a dry diaper; it’s a chance to interact with a child and help them build a sense of self-awareness. Following proper diapering procedures ensures the safety of a child and can make the process smooth and fun. Diaper changes also come with challenges, from removing soiled diapers to treating diaper rashes to communicating important needs with families. This course is designed to prepare educators to safely and effectively change a child’s diaper in a clean environment while also providing an opportunity to build a relationship with a child and teach them something new. |
| Outdoor & Seasonal Learning | ||
| COURSE NAME | LEARNING OUTCOMES | DESCRIPTION |
| Learning Outside for Every Season | Understand the developmental benefits of learning in an outside environment Identifying simple activities to implement across the seasonsAddress challenges and deterrents for outside learningUtilize outside time as a context for learning opportunitiesDemonstrate an understanding of the range of complexity that outside learning activities encompassSupport families through guidance on simple outdoor activity suggestions | Children experience a multitude of benefits when engaged in outdoor learning. While this teaching practice may be common in warmer months, it can be challenging to continue throughout the year when the temperatures become increasingly colder. This interactive course will provide outdoor activities for each season, encompassing a variety of learning domains. Lessons will provide an overview of safety tips, identify common challenges and concerns related to each season, identify cross-season projects for school-age children, and offer guidance on how to communicate the benefits of outdoor play with families. |
Lillio
March 17th, 2026
73 mins
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