Noonday Baptist Association, Woodstock, GA

The Wonder of Outdoor Learning

Want to spark awe and wonder while helping kids experience the joy of learning? This session explores how to create an inviting outdoor classroom where children engage with the sights, sounds, and textures of nature. Outdoor learning fosters a lifelong love of learning, supports children’s health, and nurtures a deeper awareness of God — and often helps challenging behaviors fade away.

Session 3 and 4

Let the Children Play

Nothing develops or sculpts a young child’s brain more efficiently than free, unstructured play. However, children are spending less and less time in unstructured play experiences. This presentation covers the characteristics of child-led play, how to create an authentic play-based learning environment, and how the eight basic learning sensory systems are supported and developed through play.

Sessions 5

Director Q&A

Weekday directors, join us for an open forum Q&A with an expert in early childhood development! Bring your questions and get ready for a collaborative conversation — a chance to gain insights, share experiences, and connect with both experts and fellow directors.

Sessions 2 and 3

Building Resilience in Early Care and Learning

This presentation equips early childhood educators with practical strategies to foster resilience and emotional wellness in young children.

Attendees will learn age-appropriate techniques to help children identify and express emotions and explore kid-friendly coping and self-regulation strategies.

The session also includes free resources from the Strong4Life website, such as resilience tip sheets, feelings charts, and coping visuals, for use in the classroom or with families.

Sing About Jesus!

Start each day with a joyful song about Jesus! This session will explore creative ways to incorporate songs about Jesus into your morning circle time. Discover how music can deeply resonate, planting comfort and knowledge of God’s promises in young hearts through long-term memory. Join us to learn engaging, meaningful songs that make every morning a celebration of faith and love.

Increase Every Skill with Music

Unlock the power of music to boost learning and engagement! This session will show you how pairing songs with everyday lessons can enhance literacy, math skills, and social interactions. From counting to reading, music makes learning fun and memorable. Discover practical ways to incorporate songs throughout your day, turning every moment into a joyful, skill-building experience. Let’s make learning sing!

Nursery Rhyme Nouveau

Let’s put the focus on Nursery Rhymes as we discover new and clever ways to incorporate them throughout our preschool day! Nursery Rhymes are powerful in language and communication skills and help lay the groundwork for reading success. This workshop will give teachers countless ideas for using traditional rhymes at circle time, with art, and in literacy and math centers. Developed for Teachers of 2s, 3s, 4s, and Kindergarten.

Savvy Sensory Tables

Learn how to create fun (and educational!) sensory bins for your students in this jam-packed session! You’ll discover how using sensory tubs will improve fine motor skills, support cognitive learning, expand language & vocabulary, plus stimulate multiple senses while playing. Incredible ideas for popular themes, holidays, and ordinary school days. Tips for managing the mess and making sensory bins on a budget will also be shared. This workshop is designed for teachers of toddlers and preschoolers.

Advocating Well for Your Preschool Ministry: Partnering Weekday Workers with Church Leadership to Reach the Community

This session equips preschool directors and teachers with practical tools to communicate their ministry’s spiritual value and eternal impact to church leadership. Learn how to align your preschool’s mission with the church’s vision for reaching the community for Christ. Discover ways to nurture children’s hearts, minds, bodies, and souls while integrating your work into the church’s broader missional goals.

Teachers of the Littlest: How to Be the Best You

Discover practical strategies for balancing self-care with your role as a preschool teacher. In this session, reflect on your teaching journey and how God is using you to share the Gospel with His littlest children. Learn how fostering your own spiritual and emotional well-being empowers you to create a warm, positive environment where young hearts can grow and thrive in God’s love.

Session 2

Avoiding Director Burnout

In this session, preschool directors will explore ways to overcome workplace frustrations and rediscover joy in their roles. We’ll tackle challenges like staff performance issues, parent meetings, time management, and shared spaces, while also addressing topics you bring to the group. Join us to share experiences, find solutions, and grow together as leaders, creating a more balanced and fulfilling work environment.

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Supports

This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focusing on characteristics, prevalence, early diagnosis, and impact on individuals and families. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of early detection and diagnosis, including recognizing early sings and explore intervention strategies.

Addressing Communication Delays in children from Diverse Backgrounds

This presentation will focus on understanding and addressing communication delays in children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. It will cover health disparities related to accessing early intervention services, with an emphasis on the importance of early detection and support. Participants will gain insights into developmental milestones, bilingual language development, and practical strategies for supporting families who are English Language Learners. The session aims to equip attendees with tools and knowledge to better serve diverse populations.

Understanding Autism Spectrum Disorder: Early Detection, Diagnosis, and Supports

This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focusing on characteristics, prevalence, early diagnosis, and impact on individuals and families. Emphasis will be placed on the importance of early detection and diagnosis, including recognizing early signs and exploring intervention strategies.

Addressing Communication Delays in Children from Diverse Backgrounds

This presentation will focus on understanding and addressing communication delays in children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. It will cover health disparities related to accessing early intervention services, with an emphasis on the importance of early detection and support. Participants will gain insights into developmental milestones, bilingual language development, and practical strategies for supporting families who are English Language Learners. The session aims to equip attendees with tools and knowledge to better serve diverse populations.

Sessions 4 and 5

Building Intentional Play Into the Day

This training helps early childhood educators understand the benefits of physical activity and its connection to developmental milestones.

Participants will explore the roles of both teachers and children in promoting active play, both indoors and outdoors.

Learn practical strategies to incorporate intentional physical activity into the daily routine, supporting children’s physical, cognitive, and social development while fostering a healthy and engaging learning environment.

Bringing Bible Truths to Life for Preschoolers

In this conference we will look at how to provide an opportunity for Preschoolers to learn about God on their level of understanding. It be an interactive session on telling Bible stories for preschoolers, appropriate songs to share, teaching methods and how to keep every child’s attention while sharing the Bible Lesson.

Lick ‘Em, Stick ‘Em: Balancing Simplicity with Creativity

This hands-on session explores the value of creative versus directed art in early childhood education. We’ll discuss how creative art fosters problem-solving, logical thinking, self-esteem, and self-expression in young children. Learn why it’s essential to allow preschoolers to explore art independently, with the philosophy, “Never do for a preschooler what a preschooler can do for themselves,” promoting confidence and growth through creative expression.

Large Group Literacy: Modeling Literacy and Writing for Young Children

Modeling literacy is essential for teaching young children to read and write. In this session, you’ll discover effective strategies to engage children in whole-class activities that support both reading and writing development. Learn how to model literacy practices in a way that fosters active participation, builds foundational skills, and encourages a love of reading and writing in young learners.

Literacy Plus: Exploring the Full Benefits of Books

Books are powerful tools for more than just literacy skills! In this session, learn how to use books to introduce and teach concepts in math, social studies, and other subjects. Discover creative ways to make learning fun and engaging, while building connections between literacy and a wide range of academic skills. Books can spark curiosity and deepen understanding across all areas of learning.

Sessions 2 and 3

Bring Books to Life

Want to make reading time more engaging? This workshop offers easy-to-implement ideas to bring books to life! Learn how to incorporate props, puppets, music, rhymes, and actions to actively involve children in the story. Discover techniques for reading aloud, as well as story stretchers to use before and after the book. Reading time will become a highlight of the day, and participants will enjoy hands-on fun!

Sessions 4 and 5

Game On

“In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.” – Mary Poppins. This session explores how to turn everyday preschool tasks into exciting games, bringing fun and learning together! Games can go beyond recess, supporting creativity, critical thinking, body awareness, motor skills, emotional processing, and self-confidence. Join us for a demonstration of dozens of games that achieve important learning goals, making daily tasks both enjoyable and educational!

How Trauma Affects Your Preschoolers

Preschoolers often bring more to school than just a backpack and snack—life experiences, even before birth, shape their development and behaviors. These experiences can significantly impact how children act and learn. In this session, you’ll explore the basics of trauma’s effect on the body and discover how to approach trauma-informed care with a Biblical perspective, fostering a supportive environment for all children.

Helping Your Preschoolers Self-Manage

Executive functions—such as cognitive flexibility, working memory, and impulse control—begin developing at birth, yet many preschoolers struggle with following directions and completing simple tasks. In this session, you’ll gain insights into executive function and learn practical strategies to help children develop self-management skills. Discover effective approaches to guide preschoolers in building these essential skills, fostering greater independence and success in your classroom.

Cradle to 4K Fine Motor Development: Key Insights from Occupational Therapists for Self-Help and Handwriting

From birth, babies develop motor skills that will eventually enable self-feeding, buttoning, cutting, and writing. As early childhood professionals, we know some children excel in fine motor skills, while others struggle. In this session, you’ll uncover the “why” behind these differences and learn fine motor development secrets Occupational Therapists wish everyone knew. Leave equipped to support handwriting development from cradle to 4K—without even focusing on handwriting!

Early Speech and Language Development: Detect, Nurture, and Support Growth

Overcoming post-COVID language delays is possible with nurturing caregivers who can identify and address the common health issues that contribute to these delays. Research highlights four key strategies used by responsive caregivers that boost vocabulary, sentence length, and long-term academic success. Join us for an informative session filled with practical tips and curriculum ideas to support speech and language development in young children.