We’re excited to see that you’re planning to attend the 2025 SCECA Conference in Myrtle Beach, SC on February 6-8, 2025 at the Sheraton Hotel and Myrtle Beach Convention Center. We look forward to seeing you there!
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Join me as we explore what true art is really about. Participants will engage in creative thinking and process skills to think differently and creatively about how art is used in the classroom. We will also explore tangible ideas on how to foster art in the early childhood classroom
Executive Director - Dorchester County, SC First Steps
Dr. Crystal Campbell is a retired educator from the State of South Carolina School System. She has held numerous teaching and supervisory positions within school districts all over the State, to include being a Teacher Specialist with the State Department of Education, Early Childhood... Read More →
Thursday February 6, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EST
Rm 106-1072101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
This session addresses meeting the individual needs of infants and toddlers in both centers and family childcare homes. Strategies to meet those needs and hands-on lesson planning will enable participants to apply what they are learning throughout the session.
Professional Development Manager, Appalachian Early Childhood Network
I love my job! I enjoy meeting early childhood professionals and learning about their roles in the field and motivating those within my realm of influence! My strengths lie in curriculum development and most any topic covered in the CDA! I am celebrating 40 years in the field... Read More →
Thursday February 6, 2025 9:00am - 11:00am EST
Ballroom A2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
This session will provide strategies and hands-on activities to help participants prepare engaging lesson plans for multiple age groups in their classroom. We will address the benefits and challenges of multi-age lesson planning as we introduce strategies for success.
Professional Development Manager, Appalachian Early Childhood Network
I love my job! I enjoy meeting early childhood professionals and learning about their roles in the field and motivating those within my realm of influence! My strengths lie in curriculum development and most any topic covered in the CDA! I am celebrating 40 years in the field... Read More →
Thursday February 6, 2025 2:00pm - 4:00pm EST
Rm. 104-1052101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
This session will focus on documenting children's learning and development using various methods and creating lesson plans reflecting the SC Early Learning Standard domains that support the developmental progress of children. Learn how to make your lesson plans demonstrate age-appropriate activities as well as modifications/adaptations for children with delays/disabilities. Tie it all together with individualized learning goals and learning experiences based on teacher observations and documentation.
Play is essential for childhood development. It helps children learn and grow by allowing them to explore the world and practice skills. Facilitating play in ideal environments with context and meaning motivates learning because it’s fun
In this session educators will know the relationship between early phonological and phonemic awareness with later reading success. These skills are a priority in improving early reading instruction. Participants will learn activities that support phonological and phonemic awareness that can be incorporated into any curriculum.
Bilingual District Literacy Coach, Professional Reading Specialist, Aldine Independent School District
Gloria Guerrero is a native of South Texas. She is certified in bilingual education and early childhood and was a teacher in Houston, Texas for 23 years. She then worked as a Dyslexia interventionist in Conroe, Texas. Gloria is currently a District Literacy Coach in Aldine ISD in... Read More →
Thursday February 6, 2025 6:15pm - 7:15pm EST
Rm. 106-1072101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Get ready to Groove and Grow! Explore innovative ways to incorporate music into movement-based activities, promoting physical fitness, coordination, and cognitive development in young learners.
Music has the power to inspire and motivate us like nothing else. It is an essential part of our lives, and for young learners, it is an essential part of their development. This workshop is your opportunity to discover how you can harness the power of music to inspire your students and transform your teaching. You will learn various techniques for introducing music and movement themes that will not only inspire young learners but also build excitement for school and boost their confidence through positive affirmations. Frank Coates, aka Mister Boom Boom, will lead you through an engaging presentation featuring a wide variety of songs, activities, and musical stories that you can confidently incorporate into your classroom. What's more, you won't need a single classroom instrument! Join us and discover how music can help your students reach new heights and transform your classroom into a place of inspiration and creativity!
Meet Frank Coates, the dynamic founder and CEO of Play Patrol Company. With nearly two decades of experience as a music educator, professional pianist, and composer, Frank is a revered figure in the world of children's music education. Globally recognized as Mister Boom Boom, his... Read More →
Thursday February 6, 2025 7:30pm - 8:30pm EST
Ballroom DE2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Naturalized outdoor play and learning environments stimulate the diversity of children’s play experiences and contribute to healthy childhood development. A planned outdoor play and learning environment includes activity settings purposefully arranged to promote movement, play and learning. Activity settings add value by supporting specific play and learning activities. Discover the activity settings commonly implemented in the outdoor space and the opportunities these settings can provide children.
"Action" is a SC curriculum that helps students explore their environment with hands-on activities. Participants will receive the 30th Anniversary edition correlated to the SC Science Standards. Lessons on Recycling, Composting, Energy, Litter Prevention and Battery Recycling are presented.
Mary Margaret Mendenhall works with DES’s Office of Recycling as the presenter for the curriculum, Action For A Cleaner Tomorrow. Her passion and enthusiasm for recycling is evident in the way she presents pertinent information to teachers. Mary Margaret graduated from Winthrop... Read More →
Friday February 7, 2025 8:20am - 9:20am EST
Rm. 2052101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
In this session engaging activities and literacy strategies will be presented that support literacy growth and appreciation in early childhood education.
Combining Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) with global learning can deepen students’ interpersonal skills while honing students’ knowledge and awareness of the world around them. In this interactive session, engage in games and role-playing that promote cooperative strategies, environmental awareness and stewardship while building students’ relationship skills and responsible decision making. The presented activities also build knowledge and skills in core subject areas – math, literacy, science and social studies, all matched to state standards.
Hey SCECA members! I'm excited to be this year's SCECA Past President and look forward to being with you in person for our Annual Conference, in collaboration with SECA, Feb 3-5, 2022 in Myrtle Beach! Currently, I am Professor of Education at Columbia College - my home for the... Read More →
Friday February 7, 2025 8:20am - 9:20am EST
Rm 106-1072101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
After visiting hundreds of elementary schools over the past decade, David started to understand the importance of sharing with students how a story is taken from an idea seed to a finished book. We all get ideas for stories, but the process sometimes gets in the way of writing them. David plans to show the attendees how, with videos and music, ideas that start with a simple drawing morph into a story. David’s stories start that way. However, each idea’s challenge is finding the best way to share it in a story.
Biedrzycki was born in 1955 in Taylor, Pennsylvania. He attended Kutztown University and began work as an illustrator in 1980 after graduating. Before beginning children's book illustration, Biedrzycki worked in advertising and designed many food product labels.He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Kathy and their children. David illustrated a number of books for Jerry Palotta before b... Read More →
Friday February 7, 2025 9:50am - 10:10am EST
Ballroom ABCDE
SC’s Act 284 (Read to Succeed) includes oral language instruction as one of the core components of comprehensive literacy instruction. However, what does oral language instruction include, what should it look like in the classroom, and how does it align with the 2024 SC CCR ELA Standards and the SC Early Learning Standards? This session will provide answers to those questions and ideas for practical application.
Policy Advisor for Speech-Language Pathology and Early Literacy, SC Dept of Education
Angie Neal is the SLP Contact and Program Analyst for Academics at the South Carolina State Department of Education and the Education Associate for Early Language and Literacy. She stays busy as a LETRS Facilitator, a board member of the State Education Agency Communication Disability... Read More →
Friday February 7, 2025 11:50am - 12:50pm EST
Ballroom BC2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
This session will highlight how early childhood educators are facilitating early learning by creating meaningful experiences that support all areas of development. These experiences build on children’s interests and encourage curiosity, exploration, and problem solving. The session will discuss best practices to support children’s active learning in play-based environments.
This session explores the crucial role of nutrition in preschoolers’ development and learning. We’ll discuss how a balanced diet supports cognitive function, enhances attention span, and fosters emotional well-being. Attendees will learn about key nutrients essential for young children’s growth and how dietary choices can influence behavior and academic readiness. By understanding the connection between nutrition and learning, caregivers and educators can better support healthy habits in early childhood.
Teachers provide experiences for exploration, build on children's interest and encourage curiosity of the world around them. Join, this interactive session on indoor design as we explore and develop strategies that will help you utilize the indoor environment to effectively support learning.
Understand what Montessori is and how it is implemented, engage in Montessori pre-writing lessons, and understand how guide students to read and write at an early age within a Montessori classroom setting.
Many providers, directors, staff and families have seen the shift to children becoming less creative and imaginative and more reliant on other things to occupy them such as iPads and other electronics. In this session we will discuss why the skills of creativity and imagination are so important and how we can provide learning opportunities and play experiences for kids to think beyond the world around them when they are outdoors.
After reviewing how to assess and score the assessment, participants will learn the science and background of multiple intelligences, learn attributes attributed to each, and practice utilizing tools to incorporate any curriculum to each intelligence.
This session will promote learning activities and effective curriculum implementation for math through play. Topics include why we should emphasize math at such an early age, fun activities and suggestions for enrichment ideas and how to use file folders and music to support math activities.
Professional Development Manager, Appalachian Early Childhood Network
I love my job! I enjoy meeting early childhood professionals and learning about their roles in the field and motivating those within my realm of influence! My strengths lie in curriculum development and most any topic covered in the CDA! I am celebrating 40 years in the field... Read More →
Friday February 7, 2025 2:40pm - 3:40pm EST
Rm. 106-1072101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Creative dramatics in the classroom is a way for children to apply what they have learned and a way for teachers to see what the children have learned. It is also a fun way for children to learn literacy skills as well as develop social/emotional skills. Participants will learn how to set the stage for creative dramatics as well as how to help children adapt stories for creative dramatics.
I have been involved in early childhood education since 1988. I've taught three-year-olds and four-year-olds as well as adults. I am passionate about early childhood educators doing the right thing for children and teaching in a developmentally appropriate, child-centered way.
Friday February 7, 2025 2:40pm - 3:40pm EST
Rm. 102-1032101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Participants will leave this session with strategies that can be used in the classroom to address Cultural, Cognitive, Emotional and Social development. Presenter will share how Music, Movement and Storytelling activities can excite and engage young children as they learn new skills in a developmentally appropriate manner. Participates should be ready to Rock and Roll!!!
Are you passionate about working with young children and shaping their early years of development? If so, "Early Care and Education Environments that Can Work for You" is the perfect training program for you! This comprehensive course equates aspiring child care professionals with the knowledge and skills to create nurturing and effective early care and education environments.
My name is Manija Torian and I have worked and served South Carolina Children and families for over twenty years. I have my Associate Degree in Early Childhood and my Bachelors in Social Welfare. I have worked as a preschool infant teacher all the way up to after schoolers. I have... Read More →
Saturday February 8, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am EST
Ballroom D2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
To equip child-care teachers with the knowledge and skills to engage infants and toddlers in meaningful play interactions effectively. Play is a critical component of early childhood development, contributing to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth. Through this training, participants will learn the importance of play, explore different types of play, and acquire practical strategies to facilitate and enhance play experiences in their classrooms.
It is never too early to start teaching number concepts. This workshop will focus on ways to build children's developing math skills and ways to incorporate math into everyday life activities and events.
I am a retired educator with over 30 years of experience as an elementary school principal, teacher, and parenting coordinator. Throughout my career, I have demonstrated a strong commitment to collaborating with teachers and administrators to achieve outstanding academic outcomes... Read More →
Saturday February 8, 2025 7:00am - 8:00am EST
Ballroom A2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Having difficulty finding ways to teach Biblical concepts in the STEAM areas of the curriculum? This session will not only provide you with ideas for hands-on, active learning in the area of STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, art and math). We will help you make the connections in a developmentally appropriate way while also giving guidance to what early learning standards these activities connect to. You will be introduced to curriculum supports, resources and "where to find" inexpensive materials.
Expand children's learning by turning your preschool classroom inside out! Find inexpensive inspiration to bring key elements of the preschool classroom environment, into your outdoor play space, PLUS bringing natural elements into the classroom!
Participants will come away with ways to help students become life-long readers. Participants will learn practical ways to help students retell stories. Participants will learn how to make stories come alive for students. Participants will learn how to make stories more interactive. Participants will learn story patterns to help students write their own stories.
I taught for 38 years, at the same school in Orange Park, Florida teaching grades Kindergarten through Third grade. I have been a member and involved in the EarlyChildhood field for more than twenty years. I have held office from President to Committee/ Commission Chairman at the... Read More →
Saturday February 8, 2025 9:40am - 10:40am EST
Rm. 104-1052101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Get creative with storytelling by learning how to use wordless picture books, music, puppets, story cards, and other activities in your classroom! Tired of doing the same read aloud books and want to mix things up and keep it fresh and fun for children (and YOU)? We’ll look at several wordless picture books and imagine different opportunities for sharing these books with young children. Learn how to use puppets with books to keep kids engaged. Discover some fun activities you can purchase or create to bring a collaborative storytelling experience to students.
Youth Services Consultant, South Carolina State Library
Hi! I'm Leigh, the Youth Services Consultant for the South Carolina State Library and a part-time adjunct professor with the University of Denver's online MLIS program. My job is connecting our state's public library staff to resources to support them as they provide amazing services... Read More →
Saturday February 8, 2025 9:40am - 10:40am EST
Ballroom A2101 N. Oak Street, Myrtle Beach, SC
Is there a connection between play and behavior? Can behavior in the classroom be improved with fun and interactive activities? In this session, participants will make the connection between age-appropriate play and successful learning. Participants will also apply techniques to support frustrated language learners during engaging times of play. Attendees will leave this session with a plethora of fun and frugal ideas to encourage language learning through play!
**Ticketed Event for STUDENTS** IF you did not pre-purchase a ticket, there may be tickets available at registration. Student learners will engage in hands-on activities that teach early learning skills. Each activity supports the SC Early Learning Standards. Students will complete tasks in the Literacy, Math, Science and Fine Motor Stations.
In this session, participants will learn how to take the stories from the Bible and turn them into fun, engaging dramatic play. Participants will get ideas about how to both dramatize a story and how to add props and materials to their dramatic play area to extend the story in a developmentally appropriate way. We will provide connections to curriculum goals and early learning standards. Participants will have the opportunity to explore and engage with materials.
From birth, children begin their journey of learning, but it is the intentional scaffolding of their development and self-help skills that truly fosters independence. Guiding children in areas such as feeding, dressing, toileting, cleaning, establishing routines, and encouraging peer support are essential strategies for helping them gain autonomy. This training will provide you with expert tips, practical strategies, and valuable insights on how to scaffold a child's learning to promote independence and self-sufficiency, empowering them with the self-help skills necessary for their growth and development.
Learn the art of setting up a child friendly, safe, inviting space for your students and then stepping back and trusting the child. See how allowing for child-led learning can foster a peaceful environment and a truly engaging preschool experience.
