Friday Sessions
1:00 – 2:30 PM | ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
405 What Does It Take to Implement a High-Quality Curriculum? The“ Both and” of Play and Content Learning in Preschool and Kindergarten Susan Friedman, NAEYC Priscilla M. Hopkins, Denver Public Schools Eric Love, Denver Public Schools Rachel Robertson, Bright Horizons
Heather Hopper, Gwinnett County Public Schools
Pam Payne, Gwinnett County Public Schools
406 Teaching Smarter, Not Harder: Leveraging AI in the Classroom
Ashley Brittain, Sam Houston State University
Melissa Donham, Sam Houston State University
W209B Adults Teaching and Instructional Practices
W206BC All Children Teaching and Instructional Practices
3:00 – 4:30 PM | ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER
FEATURED SESSION
407 Don’ t Wait Until Pre-K: Foundational Experiences for Infants and Toddlers That Support Literacy Learning
Young children need basic abstract thinking skills as a foundation for language and literacy development. Their ability to learn language and literacy grows through relationships, starting with interactions with their caregivers. Through these early connections, children learn how communication works and actively take part in it, building a strong base for future learning. Responsive relationships help children explore their world, make sense of experiences, and develop understanding. Caregivers play a key role in this process by providing daily interactions that support learning and growth. This session will prepare caregivers to( 1) identify and describe the characteristics of infant and toddler development that contribute to later literacy growth,( 2) plan intentional interactions for infants and toddlers that prioritize language modeling and scaffolding, and( 3) design literacy-rich learning environments that reflect infants’ and toddlers’ developmental needs and maximize opportunities for language-rich interactions.
Germaine Tauati, INPEACE: Institute for Native Pacific Education and Culture Colleen Whittingham, Loyola University Chicago
W109A Infants & Toddlers
Earn 0.2 CEUs for this session.
SPONSORED BY 114 2025 NAEYC Annual Conference: In this Place, We Learn. For Every Child, We Lead.