Brattleboro, VT- On November 5, the Brattleboro Area Early Childhood Educators hosted the Making Connections Conference at Brattleboro Retreat. Professional learning providers from around the state shared their expertise through workshops covering a variety of topics, thereby enhancing the knowledge of roughly 80 Vermont early childhood providers and educators. Funded by the generous support of the Turrell Fund, Karen Rodgers, a Speech Language Pathologist at the Stern Center for Language and Learning, was able to provide two valuable workshops to these educators.
Delivering workshops during both morning and afternoon sessions, Rodgers addressed social development of infants and toddlers as well as preschool children ages 3- to 5-years-old. During these workshops, Rodgers offered a hands-on and interactive expierience to al participants. Through group and partner work, participants demonstrated and practiced research-proven techniques and strategies associated with early language and social development. Participants walked away with a deeper understanding of how language affects social development and learning, a repertoire of child-friendly activities to increase children’s competence in sensory behaviors, and a packet of handouts and children’s books.
Asked what she liked most about the sessions, one early childcare provider remarked, “I found this workshop extremely informative. Knowing what ‘red flags’ and other delays to look for enables me as an educator to work with parents to intereven sooner. This information will allow us to help children meet developmental milestones and participate socially.”
