For Early Childhood Professionals

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Tailored Trainings

Do you need to train newly hired staff; complete Professional Development hours for licensing, Parent Aware or Accreditation; use your grant dollars; enhance your skills and knowledge?

If so, we are here to make it easier with trainings tailored to you and your staff!

Take the headache out of scheduling and let Think Small help with your training needs. Our Professional Development Coordinators can help with customized trainings and we offer:

  • Assistance with course title selection
  • Personalized coordination and scheduling of training
  • In-house training brought to your location or available at either Think Small office
  • Experienced, MNCPD approved trainers
  • Training presented to staff and parents on a variety of subjects for in-service hours
  • Credit recording of in-service hours in Develop

Training Topics

The topics listed below are available for training, although you are not limited to these. These are based on the Minnesota Knowledge and Competency Framework (KCF). Please click on a category below to expand a sampling of specific topics in each KCF area.

KCF I: Child Development and Learning

  • Show Me Yours and I’ll Show You Mine! (Overview) Understanding and Responding to the Sexual Behavior

  • Supporting Infant Development

  • Why Do Children Act the Way They Do? Understanding How A Child is “Wired” (Key #3)

  • Learning Profiles

  • Basic Child Development

  • Child Development: Executive Functioning Skills through the Developmental Domains

  • Young Children and Biting

KCF II (a,b,d,e): Developmentally Appropriate Learning Experiences

  • Using Authentic Assessment to inform Curriculum, Instruction and Caregiving

  • Implementing Curriculum in Child Care Centers

  • Caring for Children with Physical Disabilities: Strategies that Work!

  • Early Literacy: Myths About How Children Learn Language

  • Creating a Positive Multicultural Environment for All Children

  • Childhood Obesity: Components of a Healthy Nutrition Environment at Child Care

  • Opportunity Knocks: Reversing Current Obesity Trends: I am Moving I am Learning

  • Bullying

  • Toilet Learning

  • Behavior Guidance: Strategies for a Positive Early Childhood Classroom

KCF IIc: Promoting Social and Emotional Development Trainings

  • The Nurtured Heart Approach

  • Early Childhood Mental Health: Why Your Role Matters (Key #1)

  • Preschoolers: Understanding and Preventing Challenging Behaviors

  • Understanding Behavior: Making Sense of What You See and Hear

  • Infants and Toddlers: Targeted Strategies to Build Social Emotional Skills

  • ADHD: Seeing the Disability Behind the Behavior

  • Tools for the Toolbox: Strategies to Meet Challenging Behavior

KCF III: Relationships with Families

  • Race and Culture in Early Childhood Settings: Planning Environments for Children and Families

  • Race and Culture in Early Childhood Settings: Beginning the Conversation

  • Strengthening Families

  • Family Systems Theory in the Context of Early Childhood Settings

  • Exploring the Family Caregiver Partnership

  • Working with Parents of Childcare

  • Session 1 – What’s in a Name: Culturally Responsive Care and Communication

  • Parent Communication

KCF IV: Assessment, Evaluations and Individualization

  • Observation and Documentation: Planning for Individual Needs

  • Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment Training

  • Inclusion: Developmentally Appropriate Care for All Children

  • Introduction to Children with Special Needs

  • Assessment – Gathering and Using Information

KCF VI: Professionalism

  • Effective Communication

  • An Introduction to the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

  • Getting to Know Minnesota’s Knowledge and Competency Framework- For Early Childhood Educators

KCF VII: Health, Safety and Nutrition

  • Health and Safety In-Service I – Child Care Centers

  • Health and Safety In-Service II – Child Care Centers

  • Sudden Unexpected Infant Death/Abusive Head Trauma (DHS)

  • Child Care Emergencies: Be Prepared

  • Active Supervision Provider Self-care and Privacy

  • Infant/Child CPR

  • First Aid – Pediatric

  • Children and Restraint Systems

  • Child Care Emergencies: Be Prepared

  • Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children

Get Started with Your Tailored Training Here

Don’t see what you’re looking for?

Contact the appropriate coordinator below to learn about more options:

Kati Halliday
East Metro (Anoka, Ramsey, Washington Counties)
tailoredtraining@thinksmall.org
651.641.6623

Sue Dwuznik
West Metro (Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Scott Counties)
tailoredtraining@thinksmall.org
651.366.6785