ECE Professional Learning
Early Childhood Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS® )
Early Childhood LETRS office hours. Select the link to join.
1st Wednesday of every month at 2:00 PM beginning December 6, 2023
3rd Tuesday of every month at 10:00 AM beginning December 19, 2023
The Arizona Department of Education is partnering with Lexia Learning to provide free LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling) training for Early Childhood Preschool Educators and community partners across Arizona.
LETRS® for Early Childhood Educators professional learning provides deep knowledge of literacy instruction for the youngest learners.
Lexia LETRS for Early Childhood Educators provides deep knowledge and clarity of effective skills necessary to prepare the youngest learners for success in kindergarten and beyond by providing the “why” and “how” of early literacy instruction across all domains: language, literacy, cognitive, motor, social, and emotional. Dr. Louisa Moats and Dr. Lucy Hart Paulson designed this ongoing professional learning course for early childhood educators because research shows the foundation of literacy begins at a young age. This will support Arizona’s literacy initiative to build a generation of lifelong readers. To learn more about EC LETRS professional learning please visit https://www.lexialearning.com/arizona-letrs and our Padlet for frequently asked questions.
If you and/or your district/site are interested in receiving this training, please fill out the form and someone will be in contact with you (please give a few weeks as the volume of requests is high).
This training is designed for Preschool Educators and does not meet the requirements for the K-5 Literacy Endorsement.
Informational Webinar Recordings:
Wednesday, April 3rd Webinar Recording
The Arizona Department of Education has contracted with HighScope Educational Research Foundation to provide social, emotional, and literacy professional development training to the early childhood field at no cost. See the flyers below (in English and Spanish) for more information.
*You will need to have an active Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Registry account to sign up and to earn credit for these trainings.
HighScope Flyer- English- Virtual
HighScope Flyer- English- In Person
The Arizona Department of Education Early Childhood Education (ECE) team offers a comprehensive list of synchronous (live) and asynchronous (on-demand) professional learning opportunities. All ADE-ECE professional learning opportunities meet the requirements for continuing education units (CEUs).
FY25 Live Training Schedule
*Live trainings may be cancelled due to low enrollment. Please keep an eye on your email for any updates from your instructor.
ITDG: Cognitive Development Infant Toddler Domain Module
Wednesday, January 9, 2025 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
In-person at 1535 W Jefferson St., Phoenix, AZ 85007 - Palo Verde Conference Room
This four-hour session will provide an in-depth examination of the Infant and Toddler Developmental Guidelines Cognitive Domain which will lead to effective planning of quality learning experiences for children birth to three years of age. Participants will actively explore the Cognitive Development Domain and the connection to Approaches to Learning through this module. Through hands-on activities, participants will learn concepts of brain research and also gain practical ideas to use in interactions with children.
AZELS: Approaches to Learning Standard Module
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Live Virtual
Approaches to Learning are defined as: Observable behaviors that indicate ways children become engaged in social interactions and learning experiences. In this interactive session, participants will uncover the layers of the Approaches to Learning Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AzELS) and explore the connections to executive functions of the brain.
Understanding ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) & Childhood Trauma
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Live Virtual
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood. ACEs can include violence, abuse, and/or growing up in a family with mental health or substance use problems. Such types of adversity can undermine a child’s sense of safety and ability to form and maintain healthy emotional bonds and can have long-term impacts on physical and mental health. Toxic stress from ACEs can impact brain development and affect how the body responds to stress.
Creating safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for young children can mitigate the impact of ACEs and support children’s development and well-being. This course provides an introduction to ACEs, explores how toxic stress impacts brain development and behavior, identifies protective factors, and provides information and strategies to support young children’s resilience and well-being.
AZELS: Social Emotional Standard Module
Thursday, January 23, 2025 9:30 am - 1:30 pm
Live Virtual
Learn how to apply both explicit and indirect teaching practices to ensure children’s social-emotional development. Focus will be placed on the alignment of the curriculum with the Social Emotional Standard content area. Participants will:
• Understand the interconnectedness of the Early Learning Standards content areas
• Apply what we know about children’s behavior to social-emotional curriculum development
• Understand the connection between the Early Learning Standards and teacher responsiveness.
Early Childhood Literacy: Oral Language Development- Birth to 5
Friday, January 31, 2025 9:00 am - 11:00 am
Live Virtual
This course takes a look at oral language development of children from birth through five years old. Participants will dive into the ITDG and AZELS and see the correlation between brain research and how children develop. The course will provide participants with strategies for enhancing children's communication skills, interactions, and literacy- rich experiences from infancy to Kindergarten entry.
ADE ECE is now offering LIVE Webinar sessions on specific Early Childhood topics. These will be open to the entire ECE field. No registration is needed for these sessions unless otherwise noted. Please add to your calendar as a reminder and join below!
More live webinars coming soon!
| Date | Time | Webinar Topic | Link to Join |
|---|---|---|---|
Recorded Webinars
Webinar TOPIC | PRESENTED BY | SESSION MATERIALS | link to RECORDING |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood LETRS Informational Webinar (4/3/24) | Lexia Learning and ADE Literacy Specialist | N/A | View Recording |
| Early Childhood Quality Improvement Process (ECQUIP) Informational Webinar | ECE Team Arizona Department of Education | ECQUIP Overview | View Recording |
PDG B-5 Subgrantee Guidance Manual Overview/Q&A (English) | ECE Team Arizona Department of Education | PDG Sub-Grantee Manual Q&A Slide Deck (English) | View Recording |
Manual del subconcesionarios de PDG B-5 (Español) | ECE Team Arizona Department of Education | Manual del subconcesionarios de PDG B-5 (Español) | View Recording |
| Introduction to Adult Resilience | ECE Team Arizona Department of Education | Intro to Adult Resilience | View Recording |
Empower Program / Go NAPSACC | Bonnie Williams Dept of Health Services | View Recording | |
Observation and Assessment | ECE Team Arizona Department of Education | View Recording |
Introductory Online Courses (30 min)
Intro to Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) (30-min)
This course provides an introduction to the five domains of the Infant and Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) and how to use the guidelines to provide responsive caregiving and quality learning experiences for all children birth to 3 years of age in early care and education settings.
Intro to Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) (30-min)
This course provides an introduction to the eight standards within the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) and how to use the standards to provide an instructional foundation for all children 3-5 years old in early care and education settings.
Intro to Program Guidelines for High-Quality Early Education (30 min)
The course provides an introduction to the Program Guidelines for High-Quality Early Education: Birth through Kindergarten and will help participants develop a working knowledge of the guidelines to support their program and be better prepared to help young children succeed.
CURSOS INTRODUCTORIOS EN LÍNEA (30 MIN)
Introducción a las Directrices para el Desarrollo del Bebé y del Infante (ITDG) (30 min)
Este curso proporciona una introducción a las Pautas de desarrollo para bebés y niños pequeños (ITDG) y cómo usar las pautas para proporcionar cuidado receptivo y experiencias de aprendizaje de calidad para todos los niños desde el nacimiento hasta los 3 años de edad en entornos de atención y educación temprana.
Introducción a los Estándares de Aprendizaje Temprano de Arizona (AZELS) (30 min)
Este curso proporciona una introducción a los ocho estándares dentro de los Estándares de Aprendizaje Temprano de Arizona (AZELS) y cómo usar los estándares para proporcionar una base de instrucción para todos los niños de 3 a 5 años de edad.
1-hour Online Courses
ITDG Social Emotional Development (1-hr)
This course focuses on the SE Domain of the Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) including early brain research in relation to positive development and how to create rich learning environments for infants and toddlers.
ITDG Approaches to Learning (1-hr)
This course focuses on the Approaches to Learning Domain of the Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) including an introduction to early brain research in relation to approaches to learning and how to foster initiative, creativity, and problem-solving skills in infants and toddlers.
ITDG Language Development & Communication (1-hr)
This course focuses on the Language Development & Communication Domain of the Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) including an introduction to early brain research and how to build the language and communication skills of listening, speaking, and emergent literacy in infants and toddlers.
ITDG Cognitive Development (1-hr)
This course focuses on the Cognitive Development Domain of the Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) including a connection to early brain research and how to foster exploration, build memory skills, and support reasoning and problem-solving through imitation and symbolic play.
AZELS Social Emotional Development (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Social & Emotional Development Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) and an introduction to the Pyramid Model to provide behavior support, along with strategies to foster positive development in children aged 3-5.
AZELS Approaches to Learning (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Approaches to Learning Standards from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to foster curiosity, confidence, creativity, and problem-solving skills in children aged 3-5.
AZELS Language & Literacy (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Language & Literacy Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to build language, emergent literacy, and emergent writing skills in preschool-age children.
AZELS Mathematics (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Mathematics Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to foster counting, operations, measuring, and geometry skills in preschool-age children.
AZELS Science (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Science Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to foster scientific inquiry and application skills in preschool-age children.
AZELS Physical Development Health & Safety (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Physical Development, Health & Safety Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to promote healthy physical development, appropriate hygiene practices, and safety measures in the environment and the classroom for preschool-age children.
PGHQ: Family Engagement & Support (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of Program Guideline 5: Family Engagement & Support from the Program Guidelines for High-Quality Early Education: Birth through Kindergarten including specific ways to more fully and effectively engage with families involved in your program.
AZ School Readiness Framework (1-hr)
This course provides an overview of the Arizona School Readiness Framework and its key components such as research-based curriculum and assessment, high-quality kindergarten transitions, and the importance of family engagement.
Ongoing Progress Monitoring (1-hr)
This course is designed to show the importance of ongoing progress monitoring within the early childhood education system. The four stages of the assessment cycle are outlined to include high-quality practices that support children’s outcomes, family engagement, and programmatic decision-making.
2-hour Online Courses
ITDG Language Development & Communication (2-hr)
This course takes a closer look at the Language Development & Communication Domain of the Infant Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) including the connection of early brain research to language and communication development and provides effective strategies for supporting listening, speaking, and literacy-rich experiences for infants and toddlers.
AZELS Social Emotional Development (2-hr)
This course provides a closer look at the Social Emotional Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including the tiers of the Pyramid Model to provide behavior supports and instructional strategies for fostering positive development in children aged 3-5.
AZELS Approaches to Learning (2-hr)
This course provides a closer look at the Approaches to Learning Standards from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to implement the strands within the Standard as well as strategies to support executive function skills and cognitive flexibility in children aged 3-5.
AZELS Language & Literacy (2-hr)
This course provides a closer look at the Language & Literacy Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to build language, emergent literacy, and emergent writing skills and how to design a literacy-rich environment for preschool-age children.
AZELS Mathematics (2-hr)
This course takes a closer look at the Mathematics Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including supports to foster counting, operations, measuring, and geometry skills along with effective strategies for implementing math skills in all standards of early learning for preschool-age children.
AZELS Science (2-hr)
This course takes a closer look at the Science Standard from the Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) including support to foster scientific inquiry and application skills, as well as strategies for designing a science-rich environment for preschool-age children.
