ESC20 ONE Conference 2025

Too much too soon, too fast won’t last - Forget the
letter of the day or week! Learn how to teach alphabet knowledge at a
slow, but steady pace to foster joy, excitement, and long-lasting
learning. In this session, explore a variety of approaches that
encourage understanding, rather than rote learning of letter names and
sounds. Plus, discover how to use children's names, songs, and hands-on
activities to build alphabet knowledge that sticks.

In this engaging session, we will explore the vital role of purposeful play in early childhood education, focusing on how it can be a powerful tool for fostering literacy skills. Attendees will learn strategies for integrating play-based activities into literacy instruction to enhance phonological awareness and reading comprehension. Through interactive demonstrations and collaborative discussions, participants will discover how to create a playful learning environment that encourages exploration, creativity, and a lifelong love of reading in young children.

In this professional development session, participants will gain critical insights into early indicators of dyslexia and discover practical, evidence-based multisensory activities designed to support foundational literacy skills for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students.

Yes, we all are capable of reading- what we need is practice bringing the JOY and WONDER of books to LIFE!! The rewards of taking a children’s book readings up a notch (or 2  or 3 ) are educational, entertaining and exciting and develop a love of reading -resulting in SPARKS of pure JOY!! Miss Anastasia Joy of The Twig Book Shop shares her knowledge of 25 years of storytelling and 10,000+ storytimes in her Fab 5 storytelling techniques, practice bringing books to life with real children’s books.

Yes, we all are capable of reading- what we need is practice bringing the JOY and WONDER of books to LIFE!! The rewards of taking a children’s book readings up a notch (or 2  or 3 ) are educational, entertaining and exciting and develop a love of reading -resulting in SPARKS of pure JOY!! Miss Anastasia Joy of The Twig Book Shop shares her knowledge of 25 years of storytelling and 10,000+ storytimes in her Fab 5 storytelling techniques, practice bringing books to life with real children’s books.

Children have a drive towards novelty and will independently take on challenges when the environment is conducive to it. In play this can look like jumping from great heights, moving at a fast speed, getting lost, or doing most anything that is new and a bit scary. When play is child-directed, it will involve risk-taking. When play is child-directed in group settings it will involve conflict.

How do we as adults who work with children strike a balance between inviting risk-taking, both physical and emotional, and maintaining the overall safety of our environments? How do we support children and their caregivers through the bumps and bruises that accompany child-directed play? Jill will provide resources and tools to help you hold space for play that empowers.

Play is an engaging, developmentally appropriate approach to early childhood instruction. This session will show how developing play through play patterns will help guide student-led discovery and leverage our youngest learners toward standards-aligned learning. We will explore how SEL can be easily integrated with the school day using multi-modal activities and make learning through play fun!

Children have a drive towards novelty and will independently take on challenges when the environment is conducive to it. In play this can look like jumping from great heights, moving at a fast speed, getting lost, or doing most anything that is new and a bit scary. When play is child-directed, it will involve risk-taking. When play is child-directed in group settings it will involve conflict.

How do we as adults who work with children strike a balance between inviting risk-taking, both physical and emotional, and maintaining the overall safety of our environments? How do we support children and their caregivers through the bumps and bruises that accompany child-directed play? Jill will provide resources and tools to help you hold space for play that empowers.