.25 CEU

Making Contact, Revealing Strength: Supporting Social-Emotional Development Through Nature-based Early Education Curriculum

Maria Montessori, the groundbreaking child development theorist, said of children and their way of learning, “The things [they] see are not just remembered, they form a part of [their] soul.” Montessori, like many other practitioners in the field of early education, saw the value in incorporating nature play into children’s lives. She believed that children should have opportunities to “run outside when it is raining,…rest peacefully when a tree invites them to sleep beneath its shade, and shout and laugh when the sun wakes them in the morning.” This philosophy reflects the deep understanding of the relationship between nature play and children’s social-emotional well-being, which continues to be confirmed by modern psychological research.

Current research on the impact of nature play on children finds that time spent in nature provides many benefits to children, including improving social relations, self-discipline, creativity and problem solving, and buffering the impacts of life stress.[1] In this workshop, educators of young children can explore current research about the benefits of nature play for young children, refresh their understandings about best practices for supporting social-emotional development, and apply their understandings to create rich curriculum to support development in a nature-based or outdoor learning environment.
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Upon enrollment in this training, you will have 2 weeks to complete all course content and submit your evaluation. Once the training is successfully completed, a .25 CEU certificate will be issued.

100% of this training will address the issues of “diverse learners”

Learning Outcomes

After completing this training, participants should be able to:
  • Review research and understandings of the benefits of outdoor and nature-based learning.
  • Review and understand and social emotional skill development in young children.
  • Form a plan to approach social emotional development in an outdoor classroom.

The Institute for Education and Professional Development, Inc.

The Institute for Education and Professional Development, Inc. was established in 2005 to provide professional development and consultation services to early childhood programs and educators. We work collaboratively with programs, educators, and agencies to improve the quality of education and care for young children and families.

IEPD has master instructors who provide training, coaching and mentoring services. Each of the IEPD instructors receives training on adult learning principles, training design and delivery, and evaluation. All of the IEPD instructors have worked in the field of early childhood education, bringing their own experiences and "lessons learned" to the training.

Our trainings are fun, engaging, and are filled with important information and resources. We want to work with you, hear your stories, successes and challenges, and provide assistance to help you in your work.
Patrick Jones - Course author
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