Child Engagement Conference

The inaugural Child Engagement Conference was held March 5-6, 2010 in downtown Chattanooga. The event attracted participants from around the country and served as a ground-breaking event for the field of early child development. Early childhood professionals expanded their child development knowledge, learned new home and classroom strategies, and connected with peers who support child engagement as a critical component of child development.

This community of practitioners will continue to exchange knowledge and ideas through the Child Engagement Listserv and Message Board.

The speakers presenting at the Child Engagement Conference will impart tools for promoting child engagement in the home, in early childhood settings, and in the community. The all-inclusive conference fees will provide participants with a jump drive of all presentation materials, breakfasts, lunch, an evening reception, break food, and free conference venue parking.

A lot of people have no idea about the importance of aupairs, who live and work in our families. They don’t simply understand that by inviting an au-pair in their house they create a positive image of their country abroad.

A lot of meetings are held on different levels concerning aupair’s problems. Child engagement conference is not going to stay aside and keep neutral positions on this issue. We beleive that aupairs are an integral part of our society and we are ready to contribute to the develoment of various programs for yongster in different countries. We would like to ask those who want to become an aupair and those who have already had this wonderful experience share their knowledge with us.

As you can see, we are not indifferent. We want to be in the know. And we want to contribute to an aupair movement.

When raising kids, there comes a time when even the perfect parent feel exhausted: what to do next? What pastime to come up with to meet the forever growing demands of energetic preschoolers? It is important to remember that nursery rhymes are one of the most loved one entertainment for kids, and before television and computer games, that is what people used to do all the time when at home. Board games are another traditional alternative to watching yet another movie or playing yet another game. Singing childrens songs is rewarding as it helps children develop a good ear for rhyme and song and helps them develop a good taste in music. So it should come as no surprise that children who sing and dance a lot as kids grow up to be gifted individuals, with a high command of language and knowing how to use it. It is very important to make sure your children are exposed to music in general and kids’ songs in particular, as it is vital for their overall development. So don’t be afraid to sing together with kids and learn new rhymes every day. You can teach them many things in a fun easy manner.

A lot of people blame us for not paying attention to the needs of animals. There are a lot of puppies, kittens and other animals who deserve our attention, they say. And we completely agree with them. The only thing that should be cleared is that we quite often discuss various pets problems.

In order not to look like idle talkers, we would like to give a couple of examples of our recent discussions. We beleive that each pet deserves comfortable conditions. They should have enough room and a lot of attention. If you want to have a pet but have no idea where to live with it, you should give up the idea of buying it.

We also beleive that people should have toilets for dogs if they have no opportunity to walk their dogs more than 2 times a day. It will improve your pet’s mood greately. Please, use dog potty, make your pet happy!

Finally, we created a number of posters on different pet-topics. As you can see, we are not indifferent. And we will always pay attention to the existing problems.

Behavior 201: The Intermediate Course on Prevention and Mangement of Challenging Behavior
presented by
Robin Mcwilliam, Amy Casey and Michele Valadie

Session Description
This session will address the importance of maximizing engagement through positive relationships as well as with activities in the environment in order to decrease challenging behaviors within in the classroom.

Presenter Biographical Information

Dr. McWilliam is one of the nation’s leading researchers in early intervention/early childhood special education (EI/ECSE). He is the director of Siskin Center for Child and Family Research and serves as the Siskin Endowed Chair of Research in Early Childhood Education, Intervention and Development. In his previous position, he was the director of the Center for Child Development at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville. Before that, he was a Senior Scientist and Professor at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was the founder and director of the National Individualizing Preschool Inclusion Project, working in 15 states.

Michele Valadie is a Behavior Consultant at Signal Centers, Inc. She has been a special educator in Chattanooga for 20 years. She received her Masters Degree from UTC in 1990. She is currently working on her doctorate in Education. She has worked at Signal Centers, Inc. for 6 years as an inclusion consultant, behavior consultant and trainer for the CCRR.

Infant Bonding and Attachment
presented by
A. Graham Parker, Ph.D.
9:45-10:45
Session ID #90121501

Session Description
Information will be presented regarding current research in the area of social/emotional development in infants and toddlers. Risk factors for attachment disorder will be discussed, and recommendations for optimal parenting and support will be reviewed.

Presenter Biographical Information
A. Graham Parker is the Children’s Program Director at Signal Centers, Inc. She holds a PhD in School Psychology, with minors in Neuropsychology, Reading and Language Development, and Curriculum. She has practiced as a clinician for over 20 years in both educational and medical settings. Dr. Parker has been an adjunct professor at both Lee University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is the Support Group Facilitator for the local Muscular Dystrophy Association. Dr. Parker is the author of a children’s book about disability awareness, and she speaks to school children regularly on this topic.

Social Cognition and Young Children’s Withdrawn Behavior:
Strategies to Promote Peer Engagement
presented by
Darrell Meece, Ph.D.

Session Description
This session reports findings from research studies focusing on social cognitive correlates of young children’s withdrawn behavior. Strategies for promoting young children’s peer engagement by focusing on their feelings and beliefs about peer relationships will be discussed.

Presenter Biographical Information
Dr. Meece is an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He recieved his Ph.D. in Child Development from Auburn University, and has served as a faculty member at Michigan State University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His primary research interests focus on how children think about feel about peer relations, and parental influences on children’s peer relations. In addition to preparing teaching cadidates at the collegiate level, Dr. Meece has taught in preschool classrooms and directed early childhood centers.