Early Childhood

Early Childhood professional learning opportunities offered by the Diagnostic Center, Central California.

Professional Development Manual Home | Special Event Offerings | 2024-25 Learning Opportunities

E-1 Growing Strong: Supporting Kids' Resilience and Well-being - New

Presenter

  • Dení Dayan, School Psychologist, Licensed Educational Psychologist (LEP)

Intended Audience

Early Childhood Educators

Time

6 hours

Format

In-person

Summary

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been shown to have long term consequences for health outcomes. In this workshop, we will explore how positive childhood experiences can mitigate those negative outcomes and promote long term health and wellbeing.

Participants will

  • Describe the impact of trauma on the developing brain
  • Learn evidence-based interventions and protective factors
  • Learn ways to promote wellbeing and avoid burnout

E-2 Enhancing Early Childhood Education (ECE) Teacher-Child Interactions with PRIDE (Praise, Reflection, Imitation, Description, and Enthusiasm) Skills - New

Presenter

  • Dení Dayan, School Psychologist, LEP

Intended Audience

Early Childhood Educators

Time

1.5 hours

Format

In-person

Summary

This workshop introduces the PRIDE skills from Teacher-Child Interaction Therapy (TCIT). Participants will learn practical ways to incorporate praise, reflection, imitation, description, and enthusiasm (PRIDE) into daily interactions to support emotional and social development. Benefits of TCIT include improved educator job satisfaction, enhanced teacher-child interactions, reduced disruptive behaviors, and increased student compliance, self-regulation, and emotional intelligence, particularly for children with challenging behaviors.

Participants will

  • Name and Describe the 5 PRIDE Skills
  • Practice and Demonstrate the 5 PRIDE Skills
  • Explore the benefits of using PRIDE Skills

E-3 Co-Regulation Techniques for ECE - New

Presenter

  • Dení Dayan, School Psychologist, LEP

Intended Audience

Early Childhood Educators

Time

3 hours

Format

In-person

Summary

Learn how to effectively co-regulate with young children, helping them develop self-regulation skills through supportive adult-child interactions. In this trauma-informed workshop for early childhood educators, participants will explore how the brain responds to stress, with a focus on a bottom-up approach to verbal de-escalation. By gaining a clear understanding of how the brainstem, limbic system, and cortex function under pressure, staff will learn compassionate and effective verbal strategies to de-escalate challenging situations with young children. Participants will leave with practical tools to calm the brain, helping to restore regulation in both themselves and the children they support.

Participants will

  • Define co-regulation and its importance in early childhood.
  • Practice co-regulation strategies.
  • Learn verbal de-escalation techniques that align with the brain's stress response system.