Instructor Modules
For information on the structure and content of the Instructor Modules, please contact Lyn Horning, Assistant Director of Programs and the assistant producer of the workshops (lch5@psu.edu or 814-863-5568).
*In Pennsylvania, only Certified PQAS instructors are qualified to use Better Kid Care Instructor’s Modules to award professional development hours.
Title & Description of Workshop
Art Appreciation 101 for Young Children
Believe it or not, even infants can begin to appreciate art. Participants will learn how to introduce and talk with children of all ages about art made by them and others.
Avoid Behavior Problems – Teach Self-Control
What is self-control? How does this help active and not so active children? Participants will learn ways for teaching children self-control, which leads to better behavior. Help children develop this important skill to be ready for starting school.
Building Relationships with Children and Youth Who Challenge Us
Have you ever been secretly pleased when one of the children in your group is absent? Some children are more difficult to work with than others. This professional development program will help early childhood educators to take an honest look at children and their feelings about them. Explore what professionals can do to build positive relationships with all children – even the challenging ones.
Creating Special Moments with Infants and Toddlers
Special moments should occur more often than celebrating children’s birthdays or developmental milestones. This professional development program will help to discover how to create special moments with infants and toddlers every day. Turn diaper changing and other routine tasks into special moments to share with each child.
Emergency Preparedness in childcare Centers: Developing the Plan
Fire, flood, bomb threat, missing child, utility disruption, tornadoes.....No one likes to think of all the possible emergencies that can occur. But that's no excuse for not being prepared. This professional development program will help childcare program directors and administrators to develop an emergency preparedness plan for their facility to help staff, children, and families to be prepared for any type of emergency situation.
Every Child Counts: Building Community
Jamal seems different from the rest of the children in the group. He usually plays by himself and when he asks to join others in play, they usually say, “No.” This professional development program will help participants learn how to bring out nurturing, caring behaviors in children to create a community where children support each other. Share ways to help Jamal and others like him to rise from being loners in the group to being leaders.
Family Childcare: Getting Started
This workshop is an overview of key points to think about before opening a family childcare home, including personal and family considerations, state regulations, and business aspects of this occupation. The DVD segments accompanying this workshop contain interviews with experienced family childcare providers discussing the advantages and disadvantages of family childcare as a profession.
Fighting Children’s Obesity Through Active Play
The percentage of children in this country who are overweight has doubled in the last ten years. Keeping children active is one way to help fight childhood obesity. How much active play time do children need each day? Share great active play ideas for keeping children moving indoors and out.
Giving Your Best: Making Secure Attachments
If you make a list of qualities of successful adults it will likely include: confidence, independence, strong social skills, resilience, cooperation, etc. The foundation for these traits is built on the relationships that infants and toddlers form with the adults in their world. Share what participants can provide for children today to help prepare them to be successful adults tomorrow.
Healthy Air + Healthy Spaces = Healthy Children *
Have you ever considered that a childcare home or center could be making children sick? This workshop will help participants explore the connections between children's health and indoor environments of childcare facilities. Participants will learn safer practices to help assure that indoor environments are safe for children. * DVD contains PowerPoint, no video
How to Get Parents on Your Team
Does the thought of meeting with certain parents sometimes scare you? Do parent meetings seem like drudgery? Help early childhood participants learn how to plan and prepare for good and useful parent meetings and analyze the way they communicate with parents to develop strategies for building better relationships.
How to Turn Good Play into GREAT Play
Help professionals learn the secrets of how to help children expand their play: when to step in, when to step out, what questions to ask, how to get them to think. AND find out how great play reduces discipline problems.
I want! I Want!! I WANT!!! : building good consumers
Advertising captures children. Take a close look at what advertising doesn't want you to know. Learn the effects of marketing on children.
Improving Transition Times
Moving from place to place, activity to activity, is often filled with tears, screaming, and tantrums. Help early childhood professionals learn how to smooth transitions to make them productive, fun times for children and stress free for adults.
Learning to Read and Write
Should we teach young children to read and write before they go to school? Before learning to read and write, children need to learn a variety of skills. Learn easy age appropriate ways to teach children the pre-reading and pre-writing skills needed to help them to become successful readers and writers when they go to school.
Math for Every Age
This workshop will help early childhood professionals learn what young children understand about math at each age and simple math activities to do with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
Music for the Non-Musical
Need new ideas and inspiration for including music in your child care program? Learn songs for the non-singer, how to make simple musical instruments, and lots of music and movement activities to do with the children.
Obese Kids: They Are What They Eat
Childhood obesity is a national problem. What children eat is critically important. It doesn't matter if you care for children in a center or a home, every adult that works with young children needs to be aware of what children are eating. This workshop will have lots of ideas to get children to eat healthy snacks and lunches and tips to share with parents.
Parents: Friends or Foes
How do you feel about parents who work? What do parents think about childcare providers? This workshop will examine the mixed feelings from both sides and give strategies for bridging the gap.
Problem Solving with Children
Hitting, grabbing, pushing, and biting: how do children learn to play nicely? Children can learn to solve their own problems, but they need adults to teach them how to do it.
Science for Young Thinkers
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to help future scientists learn the basics. Find out how to make science activities really fun for children and adults.
Sparking Kids’ Curiosity
What's so great about curiosity? How to help kids to grow curiosity. Clever materials to spark children's creative thinking and learning.
The Ins and Outs of Good Circle Times
The real goal of circle time is far more than teaching children to sit and listen — it is to help children join together and form a community. Learn what makes circle and group times successful. This lesson offers tips and ideas for gathering children together and keeping them involved.
What Does “Time” Mean to Children?
What do children of different ages know and understand about time? Why do children and adults struggle when it's time to clean up? Help participants learn ways to build on children's understanding of "yesterday," "today," and "tomorrow.
Your #1 Priority: Keeping Children Healthy and Safe
Keeping children healthy and safe should be the top priority for all childcare providers. No one wants to see children get sick or hurt. How do you know that the germs are gone or that play equipment is safe? Participants will learn the latest and best ways to keep the children healthy and safe.
Use the Order Form to order Instructor Modules. For more information, e-mail or call 800-452-9108.
For information on the structure and content of the Instructor Modules, please contact Lyn Horning, Assistant Director of Programs (lch5@psu.edu or 814-863-5568).
