Professional Development Courses

Did you know that a child’s communication skills are directly related to his/her later success in reading and writing? In this workshop, we will share concrete, ready-to-use activities that will build preschoolers’ communication and literacy skills. Each activity can be directly linked to NC FELD to enhance your lesson planning. This session will cover brain basics, language definitions and developmental milestones for preschoolers’ communication and language and literacy goals. The majority of time will be spent on strategies and activities to promote preschoolers’ development in the area of communication, reading and writing. Click here to register.

Are your kids actively engaged on the playground? Do you wish outside time could be more interesting? The Enhancing Outdoor Play workshop will help you take typical playground activities and kick them up a notch to make them more interesting, more engaging, more educational and more FUN! You will complete this workshop knowing how to identify your outdoor learning centers, connect outdoor activities with NC FELD and supplement basic playground equipment with simple items. You will also take away useful resources and ideas that you can implement the next day on your playground! Join us, please, and bring your imagination with you! Click here to register.

This workshop will focus on twelve principles of effective teaching. We will define and discuss what is an educator and the role of an educator. We will also create ideas for using these principles in teaching. Click here to register.

Let’s explore the integration of mindfulness in the Pre-K classroom. By understanding and implementing mindfulness practices, Pre-K educators can nurture a supportive environment that enhances children’s social-emotional development and academic readiness. Click here to register.

Do you want to learn how ongoing assessments capture the progress of children’s learning? Ongoing assessments is a process that measures and documents how children learn and develop over time. You will complete this workshop knowing how to identify a child’s strengths and needs, learn how to plan individualized activities, note development progress or concerns and guide interactions. This workshop will also help teachers learn about the planning process for documenting observations, using individual portfolios (e.g. works samples, photographs, information from families, videos). Click here to register.

As of October 1, 2025, yogurt and breakfast cereal served in the Child and Adult Care Food Program must meet new added sugar requirements. Prior rules concerned total sugar. This training will help you determine if cereals and yogurts you want to serve in your facilities meet the new requirements using real-life examples. Click here to register.

Would you like to know how to keep children safe during daily routine transportation or on field trips? This module contains guidelines for appropriate supervision, accurate attendance taking, vehicle inspections and much more. This module meets the standards for health and safety requirements for in-service training. Click here to register.

This course is designed to equip educators with the foundational knowledge and practical strategies necessary for integrating mathematical concepts into the daily lives of children from birth to 3 years of age. Recognizing the critical role that early experiences play in cognitive development, this course emphasizes the importance of fostering mathematical thinking through engaging, everyday interactions. Click here to register.

This training provides infant and toddler teachers with an essential tool for effective caregiving: understanding individual temperaments and how to respond to them. By exploring the unique temperamental characteristics of young children, educators will learn how to more effectively perceive and meet each child’s needs. Participants will also discuss how the temperaments of both the teacher and the child influence relationships in a group setting, and will gain insight into how goodness of fit creates the most supportive care environment. Click here to register.

This course is designed to equip early childhood professionals with the essential knowledge and practical skills necessary to foster healthy social-emotional development in infants and toddlers. Recognizing that the foundation of a child’s lifelong emotional and social well-being is established during the formative years, this course aims to explore effective strategies that promote positive relationships between caregivers and young children. Click here to register.

Research shows that when families are involved in their child’s child care program, children are more successful. This training will provide you with resources on how to create an environment that works collaboratively with families, along with examples of creative ways other programs support family engagement. Click here to register.

This training will help participants understand the differences in developmental monitoring and screening, and why they are so important to children and families. Participants will learn how they can track and celebrate children’s milestones and strategies for collaborating with families on supporting children’s healthy growth. You can play an essential role in our state’s early intervention efforts! Click here to register.

This webinar will provide insight into how reflective teaching practices can support early educators in implementing classroom materials that best represent children within their learning environment. The webinar will also support early educators with the understanding of how reflective practices can support teachers in building relationships with diverse children and families. Click here to register.

This webinar provides an understanding of how implementing global awareness opportunities in early education environments can increase learning opportunities related various diversities. The webinar will also support early educators with the understanding of what global awareness is and its effectiveness in early education, as well as how to plan for global awareness learning opportunities. Click here to register.

This course will explain distinguishing features of adult learning, support early childhood education specialists, trainers, and coaches in understanding their learning styles and strengths, provide specific techniques to promote adult learning and highlight how learning is unique to each individual. Click here to register.

Professional development planning is important for early educators because it helps you perfect your skills, maximize your knowledge, stay current with the field, and advance your career. You will complete this workshop understanding the types of PD plans, how to create SMART goals, understand how self-reflection impacts goal setting, and how to write a PD plan that can spark your passion for learning! Click here to register.