ECEC Conference 2018

This session will address the importance of playful routines and how that can help to develop number sense in PreK to grade 1; while focusing around building a mathematical mindset with our littlest learners. We will bring to life the “fun” and “play” in Math while encouraging students to  be excited to learn through discovery and exploration and to believe in themselves!  Several number sense routines will be modelled, as well as a variety of loose parts materials and thematic math centres.

This session will address the importance of playful routines and how that can help to develop number sense in PreK to grade 1; while focusing around building a mathematical mindset with our littlest learners. We will bring to life the “fun” and “play” in Math while encouraging students to  be excited to learn through discovery and exploration and to believe in themselves!  Several number sense routines will be modelled, as well as a variety of loose parts materials and thematic math centres.

Recently, there has been a lot of attention brought to the important role of risky play in
the lives of young children. In this session, we will take a look at the support for risky play
in the forms of play charters and position statements in addition to the importance of the
mindset of the caregiver around this active engaged type of play. By understanding the
elements of brain science that are enhanced with risky play, we are better able to set up
environments and have conversations with both children and adults. Come take a risk as
explore with us!

Writing is a complex task requiring many skills. The complexity of the task can be overwhelming for many students who struggle with learning disorders, executive function challenges and anxiety. Emerging research supports structured and explicit writing instruction to help all students develop effective writing skills. This session will outline a six-step structured writing process that can be used in elementary classrooms to teach students to write across the curriculum. The speaker will also walk participants through the creation of a detailed and differentiated lesson plan. This structured writing procedure helps students develop the foundational thinking and writing skills needed to become successful writers. It is based upon metacognitive strategies and the four best practices for teaching elementary education highlighted by a meta-analysis conducted by the Institute of Education Sciences (2012).