Early Childhood Investigations

Playground
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Early Childhood Investigations is your gateway to inspiring, research-based professional development. Since 2009, our free webinar series has brought together authors, researchers, and leaders in early care and education to share timely insights and spark meaningful conversations across the workforce. We believe high-quality professional development should be accessible, practical, and immediately useful. ECI is a movement that empowers directors, administrators, and teachers to elevate their practice and strengthen outcomes for children and families. https://ecewebinars.com/spotify

  1. 19h ago

    Understanding the Science of Reading Through Child-Led Play by Laura Shea, M.S.Ed

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software You care deeply about nurturing early literacy—but you’re tired of being caught between play and pressure. Maybe you’ve heard about the Science of Reading but aren’t sure how it applies to young children—or how to implement it in a play-based setting. Maybe someone has told you to stop the play and start the worksheets. Or maybe you’re simply searching for a clear, developmentally responsive way to support all your learners as they build the foundation for reading. In this engaging and practical session, Laura Shea, M.S.Ed., early childhood educator, adjunct-professor, and founder of Little Stories That Stick, will show how the Science of Reading can complement—not compete with—child-led play. With over a decade of experience in literacy development and play-based learning, Laura will unpack what the research truly says, how children build foundational reading skills before decoding begins, and why oral language, storytelling, and play are powerful tools for building brains ready to read. You’ll walk away with ideas you can implement right away—whether you work with toddlers, preschoolers, or pre-K students. Expect a balance of relatable classroom examples, real-world analogies, and actionable takeaways. You'll leave feeling more confident in your approach and more equipped to speak to families, administrators, and peers about how and why play supports reading. Learning Objectives: Understand how play-based experiences support key components of the Science of Reading, including oral language, phonological awareness, and vocabulary development. Identify the difference between developmentally appropriate literacy learning and early reading instruction. Explore ways to support emergent reading and writing through storytelling, storyacting, and incidental teaching. Gain language to explain and advocate for play-based literacy practices with families and administrators.

  2. 1d ago

    Good Grief! Effective Practices for Supporting Conversations about Death in Early Childhood Settings by Melody Passemante Powell, M.Ed.

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software Talking with young children about a topic as nuanced and complex as death can feel overwhelming—even for the most experienced educators. Just as no two adults process grief in the same way, children also experience and understand loss differently. In this thoughtful and supportive session, led by Melody Passemante Powell, M.Ed., Supervisor at Fairfax County’s Institute for Early Learning and a veteran early childhood leader with over two decades of experience, participants will reflect on their own values, consider key factors that should be taken into account before engaging children in conversations about death, and explore practical techniques and supportive language that will help educators approach these discussions with both sensitivity and confidence. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, participants will be able to: Reflect on personal beliefs and values related to death and grief and identify how these perspectives may influence conversations with children and families. Identify key considerations—such as family culture, language, emotional readiness, and situational context—before discussing death with young children. Apply practical strategies and developmentally appropriate language when responding to children’s questions and emotions about death. Demonstrate confidence in initiating and guiding conversations about death in ways that foster emotional safety and trust. Collaborate with families and caregivers through sensitive communication that respects diverse cultural and spiritual understandings of death.

  3. 6d ago

    A Strong Child Protection Policy that Works for Your Organization by Debbie Ausburn, J.D. and Tom Rawlings, J.D. Attorneys

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management SoftwareYouth-serving organizations know they need strong child protection policies—but building (or rebuilding) one can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re balancing staffing, operations, and daily program demands. In this practical, action-oriented session, you’ll learn a clear, manageable process for creating a child protection policy that is not only compliant on paper, but usable in real life—aligned with your organization’s size, setting, and risk areas. Together, we’ll walk through how to bring the right people to the table, identify the current standard of care, audit what you already have, and adapt policies so they are clear, trainable, and consistently implemented. You’ll also explore how to move beyond “one-and-done” documents by making child protection a living part of your culture—supported through training, communication, and ongoing accountability. By the end of this session, you will be able to: Gather your team and clarify roles and responsibilities for policy development and implementation. Research the standard of care and identify best practices relevant to your organization. Audit and adapt your current policies to close gaps and ensure clarity, consistency, and usability. Make child protection a living part of your culture through training, reinforcement, and continuous improvement.

  4. Jul 22

    How Teachers Can Teach Without Taking Over: Scaffolding Learning in Preschool Classrooms by Amy Chiu, MSEd

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software What does it really mean to support children’s learning without doing the work for them? In this session, presented by early childhood consultant Amy Chiu, M.Ed., from The Work of Play, you’ll explore the art and practice of scaffolding - one of the most essential tools in early childhood education. Scaffolding helps bridge the space between what a child can do independently and what they can accomplish with guidance. But it’s more than a strategy - it’s a mindset rooted in trust, observation, and responsiveness. You’ll be invited to reflect on how you offer help: When is it supportive? When might it unintentionally take over the learning process? Through vivid examples from real classrooms and common parenting experiences, you’ll see how scaffolding can empower children to become confident and persistent problem-solvers. We’ll explore how observation, timing, and gentle prompts allow you to provide “just enough” support - nurturing both competence and independence. You’ll also consider common pitfalls of over-helping and how to shift into a facilitation role that honors children's voice and agency. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, instructional coach, or administrator, this session will give you concrete tools and language to elevate your practice. Most importantly, it will reframe scaffolding not as something you do to children, but as a way of being with them as they grow. Join this session to learn to: Define scaffolding and explain its importance in early learning and development. Identify the difference between teaching and taking over. Apply scaffolding strategies that support independence, confidence, and problem-solving. Reflect on their own adult role in moments of struggle or learning discomfort. Use observation and timing to decide when to step in - and when to step back.

  5. Jul 21

    Play-Based Literacy Through Storytelling and Storyacting by Laura Shea

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management Software This professional development session explores how you can use storytelling and storyacting to support early literacy in young children. Rooted in research, including the science of reading, this hands-on training provides practical strategies to enhance vocabulary, narrative skills, and concepts about print through play-based, child-led storytelling experiences. Storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful tools for fostering connection, imagination, and learning in young children. This session explores how you can harness storytelling and storyacting to support foundational literacy skills in developmentally responsive, playful ways. Drawing from research-based insights, including the Science of Reading, and years of hands-on experience, this session offers practical strategies you can immediately implement in your classrooms. You will discover how to use child-led storytelling to build concepts about print, vocabulary, and narrative skills while fostering creativity and collaboration. Through engaging demonstrations and examples, you will see how storyacting—bringing children’s stories to life—can deepen understanding and spark joy in learning. This session is designed to empower you with realistic, actionable techniques to integrate storytelling into daily rhythms and transitions. By the end, you will leave with a toolkit, a plan for overcoming common challenges, and renewed confidence in your ability to nurture a love of literacy through play and creativity. Session Objectives: 1. Identify the key benefits of storytelling and storyacting for supporting early literacy development. 2. Learn storytelling and storyacting technique that can be easily adapted to different classroom settings and age groups. 3. Develop a personalized action plan to integrate storytelling into daily rhythms, addressing potential challenges and tailoring strategies to meet diverse learner needs. 4. Gain confidence in facilitating child-led storytelling activities that foster creativity, collaboration, and a love of literacy.

  6. Jul 16

    Creating Connections with Teen Parents Practical Strategies to Engage and Empower Young Families in Early Childhood Settings by Debrah Clark, M.A., CFLE and Treasa Howard, MEd, MBA

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management SoftwareTeen parents are navigating two critical developmental journeys at once: adolescence and parenthood. The image of teenage pregnancy and parenting often elicits an emotional response shaped by personal beliefs, systemic bias, and media narratives. This workshop will empower early childhood professionals to create meaningful, relationship-based, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive connections that build confidence, strengthen parent-child interactions, and support long-term success for young families—and for the professionals who care for them. Learning Objectives By the end of this session, you will be able to: Identify key developmental differences between teen and adult parents, and analyze how parental developmental stages may influence child development outcomes. Examine common stereotypes about teen parents and evaluate how these perceptions impact parenting confidence, engagement, and classroom outcomes. Identify effective strategies and determine practical ways to replicate them across programs.

  7. Jul 10

    HuUbuntu: I Am Because We Are - Reconceptualizing family engagement by Dr. Patrick Makokoro

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management SoftwareStep into a space where you are invited to experience connection, reflection, and renewal. In this session, you will explore HuUbuntu, an African relational philosophy that reminds us, “I am because we are.” You will be called to reimagine what family engagement means. This is not about a checklist of school events or communication strategies, but a living, breathing practice of interconnectedness. Together with author, academic and founder of the Nhaka Foundation, Dr. Patrick Makokoro, you will trace how knowledge, identity, and moral growth are not individual pursuits, but collective creations shaped within the webs of family, community, and culture. Through guided dialogue and shared stories, you will see how embracing HuUbuntu transforms relationships among educators, families, and children into co-created spaces of belonging. You will leave with a deeper understanding of how to cultivate educational environments that honor the fullness of each child’s communal heritage and lived experience. By the end of this session, you will be able to: Understand the principles of HuUbuntu as an African relational philosophy and its implications for education and family engagement. Reframe traditional views of family involvement toward a model of interconnectedness that values families as co-creators of knowledge. Identify practical ways to integrate relational, decolonial, and community-based approaches into your professional and educational practice.

  8. Jul 9

    Billing & Tuition Policies That Work Strengthening Financial Foundations [Part 2] by Monique D Reynolds

    RESOURCES Watch the full webinar hereJoin our newsletter! Earn your Professional Development hours with FREE sessions delivered right to your inbox every weekCheck out the producer of ECI, Playground, the Child Care Management SoftwareBilling and tuition policies are the backbone of every successful child care program. In this engaging webinar, Monique Reynolds, VP of ECE Business Support Services, will share practical strategies for creating or strengthening systems that ensure payments are received on time, reduce stress, and keep operations running smoothly. You’ll learn how to set clear expectations from the start—or refine the approach you already have—while confidently navigating tough conversations and establishing policies that protect revenue and foster positive family relationships. By the end of this interactive session, you’ll have actionable tools to strengthen your financial foundation, streamline processes, and gain peace of mind. Whether your goal is to eliminate late payments, update your current practices, or build trust with families, the strategies shared in this session will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to make your billing policies work for you. Learning Objectives After attending this session, you will be able to: Develop tuition policies that set clear expectations and minimize payment issues. Apply strategies to collect fees on time with less stress and conflict. Handle financial conversations with parents confidently and professionally. Establish systems that support long-term financial stability and smooth operations. Strengthen family relationships through transparent, consistent practices.

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Early Childhood Investigations is your gateway to inspiring, research-based professional development. Since 2009, our free webinar series has brought together authors, researchers, and leaders in early care and education to share timely insights and spark meaningful conversations across the workforce. We believe high-quality professional development should be accessible, practical, and immediately useful. ECI is a movement that empowers directors, administrators, and teachers to elevate their practice and strengthen outcomes for children and families. https://ecewebinars.com/spotify

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