Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC)

08/20/2026

Letting Children's Questions Guide the Active & Concrete Learning! 🍓🐞🐝
Leveraging children's curiosity to support the explorations and investigations. ☀🕷🦋

🐸💧 After reading Tadpole to Frog, the children became fascinated with ponds and the animals that live in them. While we couldn't bring real frogs into the classroom, we transformed our sensory bin into a pretend pond using drawings, toys, construction paper, and lots of imagination!

When preschool teachers use children’s natural curiosity to set up activities, lessons become more meaningful and engaging. By Hema Khatri, Edutopia

As they created, the children asked thoughtful questions like, "What lives in a pond?" and "How many fish could be in our pond?" Their curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills were on full display as they explored pond life through play.

This is the magic of play-based learning when curiosity leads the learning. Children turning wonder into discovery! 💚

More here - https://www.edutopia.org/article/leveraging-preschool-students-curiosity?utm_content=linkpos3&utm_campaign=weekly-2026-06-03&utm_medium=email&utm_source=edu-newsletter

Thanks and credit to Edutopia!

08/19/2026

ECDC's very own Executive Director, Kari Alford, sharing about the Nurturing Resilience and Building Brains with Conscious Discipline®!

Conscious Discipline is a relationship-centered, adult-first approa...

08/19/2026

08/19/2026

🌎🎶 Have you heard? It’s almost WORLD Nursery Rhyme Week! 🎶🌎
Nursery rhymes are more than fun and familiar songs—they help young children build important language and early literacy skills through rhyme, rhythm, repetition, new vocabulary, and lots of joyful interaction! 📚🎵

Let’s celebrate WORLD Nursery Rhyme Week — November 9–13 together!

🎶 This year’s highlighted rhymes include:
✨ Hickory Dickory Dock
✨ Row, Row, Row Your Boat
✨ 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught a Fish Alive

And of course, add your own favorites! ⭐ Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is always a favorite!

💬 What nursery rhymes do the children in your program or family love? Add your favorites in the comments below! ⬇️

Registration isn't necessary however free resources are available:
https://www.worldnurseryrhymeweek.com/registration/

08/19/2026

🚨 TODAY at 3 PM ET! FREE WEBINAR! 🚨
💙 Create Safety, Connection & Belonging from the Very First Day with Conscious Discipline

Start the school year by focusing on what children need most: safety, connection, belonging, and relationships. ❤️

Join Conscious Discipline TODAY, August 19 at 3:00 PM ET for practical ideas and strategies you can begin using right away.
✨ You'll explore:
• Why the first weeks matter so much for regulation and connection
• Brain Smart Start components
• Greetings and connection rituals
• Safe Keeper Ritual
• Wish Well
• School Family Agreements
• Visual routines
• Meaningful jobs for every child

Whether you're new to Conscious Discipline or deepening your practice, this session is designed for teachers, instructional coaches, program leaders, and school leaders.

💙 Connection Changes Everything!

👇 Register here:
https://engage.consciousdiscipline.com/Aug19FirstWeeksofSchoolwithConsciousDiscipline/?utm_source=ZohoMarketingHub&utm_campaign=CD+Connect+Aug+19+-+First+Weeks+of+School+-+Invitation+-+Pre_2026-08-06&utm_medium=email&fbclid=IwY2xjawTx3v1wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMU8zN2xNU0dXdWFrRGVWMVdzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeqNdPJ9jChtzhlbjbH9JgZIxrN_6nm3cNo6KY7U8lbCYQO0K5ldUEhKKid2o_aem_wUR0YHlhCOA3HS2aZh6sGg

08/19/2026

YES! TRUTH! Absolutely! ❤

08/18/2026

🌳 Howard Park was TERRIFIC! 💙

What a wonderful way to wrap up our ECDC-ND Meadow Mice Summer Camp adventures!

Howard Park is truly a community gem. Its thoughtfully designed playground offered exciting opportunities for climbing, exploring, and imaginative play, while the beautiful natural surroundings, the energy of downtown South Bend, and the scenic St. Joseph River created the perfect backdrop for a day of discovery.

The Meadow Mice spent the morning laughing, playing, exploring, and sharing a picnic snack together. It was the perfect ending to a summer filled with friendship, adventure, curiosity, learning and joy.

Thank you, Howard Park, for helping us create one more unforgettable summer memory! ☀️🛝💙

08/18/2026

Thursday! It will be good! :)

Don't Miss this FREE Virtual Workshop! Authentic Family Engagement!

Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher.
That mantra has been the foundation of all Head Start programs since their inception in 1965. And during her upcoming edWebinar, sponsored by Kaplan’s Practical Strategies for Early Learning community, host Dr. Deborah Bergeron will shed light on some of the big “aha!” moments she learned about families.

Join Dr. B as she shares valuable insights to help you engage families through storytelling.

This FREE webinar starts August 20th at 2 PM EST. Registrants who attend the live session (or watch the replay) will receive a CE credit.

Register here⬇
https://home.edweb.net/webinar/kaplan20260820/?utm_campaign=34413149-KELC_EdWebinars_2026&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9DK-PUlmdY-TGKXyuEapTJ14wd7oehrorlq71Cp6P6ctSFByHFKNtoRRwcBdQhVQinNlGEclqmn5qkf_50adskFIecOQ&_hsmi=432457284&utm_content=432457284&utm_source=hs_email

Hope to see you there!

08/18/2026

❤️ Lead with Empathy.
This includes our work leading the children, leading the families, leading our classroom teams and leading our programs!

Every person you lead carries dreams, challenges, strengths, and stories you may never fully know.

The best leaders don't just manage people—they see people.

They lead with empathy.
They listen with intention.
They encourage growth.
They inspire hope.
They lift others to become the very best version of themselves.

The true measure of leadership isn't simply what we accomplish—it's how people feel, grow, and flourish because we believed in them.

💙 Who is someone whose leadership lifted you up? Tag them below and thank them for the difference they made.

​Thanks and Credit to The Emotional Intelligence Network! ❤️

08/18/2026

✨ Every conversation builds a brain. 🧠💛

Did you know one of the most powerful things you can do for a preschooler doesn’t require expensive toys or elaborate activities?

It’s called Serve & Return.

When a child “serves” by pointing, asking a question, showing you something they created, or sharing an idea, your “return” is how you respond. Every smile, question, comment, and conversation helps strengthen the connections in their growing brain.

💬 Instead of:
Child: “Look what I made!”
Adult: “That’s nice.”
✨ Try:
“Wow! Tell me about it. How did you build that? What should we add next?”

That simple back-and-forth builds:
🤍 Language skills
🩷 Critical thinking
🤍 Confidence
🩷 Emotional security
🤍 Strong relationships

The best part? You can practice Serve & Return during playtime, meals, car rides, bath time, or while reading a book together. Small moments really do make the biggest difference.

👇 What’s something your preschooler said recently that made you stop and smile? Share it in the comments!

💗 Thanks to Teach Me, Mama Coach’s Corner