Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >
Created in 2007 by the Pennsylvania Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL), The Pennsylvania Key implements the work and supports the policies developed and managed by OCDEL. Learn More. >Location: Ballroom 1 & 2
Keynote
Title: Relational Health as the Foundation for Social Emotional Development
Presenters: Dr. Junlei Li
Description: Social-emotional development is more than just a checklist of skills. It is a deeply human capacity built on the foundation of healthy relationships between young children, caregivers, and educators. It grows from simple and ordinary moments that make up our relationships. For children and adults who care for children, this capacity is the bedrock for learning and our resilience and well-being.
Location: Ballroom 1 & 2
Session C1
Title: The Developmental Power of Imperfect Human Interactions
Presenter: Dr. Junlei Li
Description: Must all interactions with children be child-led, responsive, and full of excitement and laughter? None of us have that all the time, nor is that necessary for children’s healthy development. Often, theories, curricula, and assessment tools convey an expectation of “perfect” human interactions in early care and learning contexts. But our interactions, like ourselves, are by nature “imperfect”. What makes our interactions genuinely human can be just as developmental for children and ourselves.
Location: Ballroom 3
Session C2
Title: The Growing Brain From Birth to Five Years Old: Social-Emotional Development
Presenters: EITA
Description: Children’s social-emotional development influences their academic and social success. This session will identify areas of the brain involved in social and emotional interactions and how that development unfolds in the first five years of life.
Location: Ballroom 4
Session C3
Title: OCDEL Social Emotional Resources that You Can Access Anytime.
Presenters: IECMH, EITA
Description: This session will focus on resources to support young children develop positive social skills and to support staff’s implementation of effective strategies to decrease challenging behaviors.
Location: Rivers Room
Session C4
Title: Self and Co Regulation Instructional Strategies for Young Children
Presenters: EITA
Description: This session focuses on empowering educators to create a supportive classroom environment that fosters self-awareness and social competence. Learn effective teaching methods and practical strategies for helping children learn to manage emotions.
Location: Brigade Room
Session C5
Title: Let’s Build Some Brains
Presenters: EITA
Description: The Brain Architecture Game provides a hands-on experience that helps develop an understanding of the powerful role experiences play on early brain development. Participants will learn what promotes or derails early brain development as they work together in teams to build a brain!
Location: King’s Garden 1
Session C6
Title: Behavior has Meaning
Presenters: PA Key
Description: This session will help participants to understand the importance of children’s behavior as communication. Learn how to analyze and interpret the meaning of behavior and discuss how a team can better help find meaning behind the behaviors.
Location: King’s Garden 2
Session C7
Title: Teaching Social Problem Solving to Toddlers and Preschoolers
Presenters: EITA
Description: This session will address instructional strategies for supporting young children social problem-solving skills in classroom settings. Participants will learn the developmental trajectory of social problem solving. They will learn evidence-based strategies for teaching social problem solving and access resources for communicating problem solving skills and knowledge to families.
Location: King’s Garden 3
Session C8
Title: Big Emotions
Presenters: PA Key
Description: This session identifies big feelings in youth and provide techniques to manage the those feelings. Brain development including trauma will be reviewed as well as preventative strategies that rely on the environment and the teacher.
Location: King’s Garden 4
Session C9
Title: Early Childhood Educators as Brain Builders
Presenter: Dr. Robert Gallen
Description: This session will focus on the importance of high-quality interactions and relationships for strong early childhood brain development and how critical early childhood education professionals are in the lives of infants, toddlers, young children, and their families.
Location: King’s Garden 5
Session C9
Title: Early Childhood Educators as Brain Builders
Presenter: Dr. Robert Gallen
Description: Space for attendees to make tools to use in their classrooms – visual schedules, center icons, social stories, and other visuals that are used in day to day routines that support children’s social emotional development and experiences in the classroom.
Location: Bridges
Proclaiming that self-care is the antidote to the unprecedented challenges we face as early childhood professionals is not only out of touch, it is harmful. As a collective profession and with common humanity in the forefront of our minds, we will discuss the need for a community of care approach. We will discuss strategies for connection and resilience that go beyond the typical self-care strategies so that we can regain the power of pause and presence, equipping us for a life of well-being.
Session D1
Title: Action Planning Session Incorporating Spanish into the Classroom
Presenter: Luisa Olivo-Wolf
Description: As the second most common language spoken in the Commonwealth, Early Learning professionals can help forge a strong home-school connection through incorporating Spanish language materials and cultural elements in the classroom. Attendees will explore practical strategies, resources, and activities to support children and their adult caregivers; discovering ways to incorporating simple Spanish phrases, songs, and stories, to enhance communication, build empathy, and celebrate diversity in their classrooms.
Location: Ballroom 3
Session D2
Title: Action Planning Session Action Planning Session – Southwest
Presenter:
Description: Join other early childhood educators and leaders from your region in a facilitated discussion about key reflections from this conference and ways to use new ideas and concepts in your own program or classroom.
Location: Ballroom 4
Session D3
Title: Action Planning Session – Northwest
Presenter:
Description: Join other early childhood educators and leaders from your region to talk about key reflections from this conference and ways to use new ideas and concepts in your own program or classroom.
Location: Rivers Room
Session D4
Title: Early Childhood Educators as Brain Builders
Presenter: Dr. Robert Gallen
Description: This session will focus on the importance of high-quality interactions and relationships for strong early childhood brain development and how critical early childhood education professionals are in the lives of infants, toddlers, young children, and their families.
Location: Brigade Room
Session D5
Title: Self and Co Regulation Instructional Strategies for Young Children
Presenter: EITA
Description: This session will explore effective teaching methods and practical strategies for helping young children learn to manage their emotions and work together. Learn how opportunity to embed these skills into daily activities and routines.
Location: King’s Garden 1
Session D6
Title: How to Use Predictable Schedules to Help Children (and Their Teachers) Navigate the Day
Presenters: EITA
Description: This session focuses on using the classroom schedule to give predictability and stability to children and teachers and reduce challenging behaviors. Learn through collegial conversation and real-world examples.
Location: King’s Garden 2
Session D7
Title: Big Emotions
Presenter: PA Key
Description: This session identifies big feelings in youth and provide techniques to manage those feelings. Brain development including trauma will be reviewed as well as preventative strategies that rely on the environment and the teacher.
Location: King’s Garden 3
Session D3
Title: Action Planning Session – Northwest
Presenter:
Description: Children’s social-emotional development influences their academic and social success. This session will identify areas of the brain involved in social and emotional interactions and how that development unfolds in the first five years of life.
Location: King’s Garden 4
Session D9
Title: An Introduction to Mindfulness: Strategies to Harness the Power of Pause Infant Mental Health
Presenter: Dr. Marnie Aylesworth
Description: Mindfulness has the potential to build our capacity for happiness, even in the most challenging times. Understand the research surrounding mindfulness and examine the benefits of practicing moments of presence and pause.
Location: King’s Garden 5
Session D10
Title: Make and Take Space
Description: Space for attendees to make tools to use in their classrooms – visual schedules, center icons, social stories, and other visuals that are used in day to day routines that support children’s social emotional development and experiences in the classroom.
Location: Bridges