Child Care Conference focuses on movement

More than 325 parents, early childhood educators, and other community representatives participated in the 2009 Child Care Resource and Referral Early Care and Education Conference April 25 at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro.

All were “Learning to Move” and “Moving to Learn” as Jack Hartmann, nationally recognized writer of children’s songs, opened the special event with musical selections to enhance learning and fitness for young children.

“Everyone was up and moving throughout our opening presentation,” said Wendy Price, child care resource and referral program manager, Down East Partnership for Children. “Our keynote speaker truly demonstrated how creative, educational songs can help move children to school readiness in positive, upbeat ways. This was not a sit-down audience, and everyone had to fly like eagles, swing like monkeys and waddle like ducks.”

Hartmann’s highly regarded educational songs are used by many child care providers and many elementary schools. “You have to get your children moving more, and you have to do it with a spirit of enthusiasm and fun,” he told the group. “You have to get up and move for the kids. You have to be leaders for them.” Hartmann applied the well-known “Humpty Dumpty” nursery rhyme to a variety of beats and rhythms, and he easily engaged everyone in “Get ready, get set, hip hop to the alphabet.” In addition to examples of the energizing effect of music on young children, he provided songs and activities “for calming” and “for listening.”

His message underlined concerns of area early educators in regard to health problems related to childhood obesity. “He emphasized how movement is so important, so good for children’s bodies and their brains,” said Price. “I think he convinced all of us that we have to get up more, move more, not only for the kids but for ourselves.”

More than thirty workshops were offered during the day. Jasmine Knight, a Nashville parent, attended the “Shake a Toe” program. The session, Knight said, featured preschool “learning songs” that she can use at home with her three-year-old daughter.

“I will be using more music, too,” Helen Collins, a teacher in the Hodgestown LifeTime Learning Center, Roanoke Rapids, said as she expressed her thoughts with other child care providers during the conference luncheon. She shared an example of a low-cost art activity made with brown paper bags from a session on “The Importance of Play.”

Among the workshops attended by Eunice Carrasoco-Hill, a Head Start director in Scotland Neck, was “Many Hats of a Director.” She appreciated the opportunity to obtain updates on regulations related to her work, as well as the attention given to topics such as time management. She praised the conference’s positive emphasis on creative learning through songs. “Music is universal, like love,” she smiled. “I work with many low-income, high risk children, and we need activities that turn their negatives into positives.”

“We are pleased that so many child care providers and parents took advantage of this opportunity during our observance of Week of the Young Child,” said Price. “We had good representation from the whole region, and we all came together to focus on helping young children be successful in school and in life.”

Partnering with DEPC to plan and host the conference were Halifax/Warren Smart Start Partnership for Children and Wilson County Partnership for Children with special support from Edgecombe Community College, Smart Start, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and the Division of Child Development.