PURPOSEFUL PLAY to Increase Students' Academic Learning and Social-Emotional Growth (Preschool-Kindergarten) Presented by Sheri Sutterley Outstanding Teacher, Author and National Presenter

Specifically Designed for Educators Working with Preschool and Kindergarten Children: Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten Teachers, Head Start Teachers, Instructional Assistants, Special Education Staff, and Administrators

• The best, most-current classroom-proven strategies to increase students’ learning and social-emotional growth with purposeful play
• Dozens of practical, timesaving ideas for making best use of play-based learning to enhance your preschool or kindergarten instruction
• Outstanding ways to foster a growth mindset and to develop students’ foundational skills, creativity, perseverance, and confidence as learners
• Receive an extensive digital purposeful play resource handbook filled with strategies, tips and activities designed specifically to support your young learners

Practical Ideas and Strategies

Unfortunately, in the attempt to maximize academic gains in many schools, play in early education was pushed out or greatly reduced. However, research increasingly recognizes that a balance that includes purposeful play is vital for developing strong academic and social-emotional skills in young learners.

In this innovative and engaging seminar by SHERI SUTTERLEY you will learn proven strategies to make best use of purposeful play in your preschool or kindergarten classroom. Explore play as a foundation of readiness skills for literacy, a method to integrate STEAM through focused questioning and exploring, and an opportunity to build vital language and social skills. The focus will be on practical, age-appropriate strategies, materials and creative opportunities you can easily incorporate in your preschool or kindergarten program. Join Sheri for this idea-packed seminar, filled with numerous practical strategies and ideas for increasing students’ academic and social-emotional growth through purposeful play.

Ten Key Benefits of Attending

1. Increase Learning and Social-Emotional Growth
   Researchers and educators increasingly recognize the vital role of purposeful play in strengthening academic and social-emotional skills … Learn outstanding ways to make best use of purposeful play in your preschool or kindergarten classroom
   
2. Explore Play as a Foundation for Early Literacy
   Facilitate the development of language, vocabulary, storytelling, and early literacy skills … Incorporate dozens of innovative ideas including literature, puppets, sensory tubs, early learning games, music and much more!
   
3. Develop Your Students’ Communication Skills Through Play
   Foster language development, listening skills, social interaction, and conversation … Help students build social-interaction, conflict-resolution and decision-making skills
   
4. Enhance Creativity and Build Students’ Confidence
   Foster curiosity and belief that students can “do it!” through play-based learning … Help students get an early start on becoming creative, independent learners with the confidence to take risks
   
5. Design the Ideal Early Learning Purposeful Play Classroom
   Explore numerous ideas for incorporating play into your classroom environment … Reimagine your classroom using the space and materials you already have available to facilitate powerful guided and non-structured play-based learning
   
6. Incorporate Hands-On Purposeful Play Activities
   Integrate meaningful and purposeful play activities designed to build literacy, fine motor and readiness skills … Enhance student learning and understanding of key academic concepts through hands-on play-based activities and practices
   
7. Develop Readiness and Early Writing Skills
   Discover developmentally appropriate readiness ideas perfect for your young writers in the classroom setting … Learn how to incorporate play-based drawing and writing activities that establish a purpose and audience for writing
   
8. Powerfully Connect Play with Math and Science / STEAM Explorations
   Help students explore key concepts through purposeful play and guided inquiry … Capitalize on your students’ natural curiosity and interest in exploring the world, and enrich their thinking with Depth of Knowledge strategies
   
9. Foster a Growth Mindset with Your Preschool and Kindergarten Students
   Encourage students to be risk-taking learners who persevere beyond their successes and challenges … Gain strategies to foster effort, hard work and practice to help students achieve their potential and feel in control over their own success within the classroom
   
10. Receive an Extensive Digital Purposeful Play Resource Handbook
    You will receive an extensive digital resource handbook, specifically designed for this seminar and filled with practical ideas and strategies to increase students’ academic learning and social-emotional growth with purposeful play
    

Outstanding Strategies You Can Use Immediately

• Practical strategies for making best use of purposeful play to increase students’ academic learning and social-emotional growth
• Creative play-based ways to strengthen critical thinking, questioning and academic vocabulary in your early learners
• Outstanding examples and ways to connect purposeful play with your existing instruction and learning goals, including math, science and STEAM explorations while in the classroom
• Effective strategies to foster growth mindset and help your students be courageous learners
• Proven ways to create a developmentally appropriate, child-centered learning environment for preschool and kindergarten students
• Readiness activities including drawing and writing to establish a purpose and audience for writing through play-based learning activities
• Doable purposeful play approaches to easily differentiate your reading, writing, listening, and math instruction
• A wealth of low-cost materials and ready-to-use tools for enhancing play in your classroom … Watch as your classroom comes alive!
• Ways to strengthen students’ social-interaction, conflict-resolution and decision-making skills
• Practical, classroom-proven scheduling tips for integrating play into your existing instruction and program

A Message From Your Seminar Leader

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your commitment, enthusiasm, and joyful energy for teaching our youngest students. As Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten teachers, we are in a demanding and “pressure-filled” environment every day. Over my years of teaching, I have seen the academic expectations of our students change dramatically. We are the first teachers to emphasize educational standards that will follow our learners throughout their years of formal education. Keeping our focus on our students while developing meaningful learning experiences is not an easy challenge for us.

I have designed this seminar specifically to help you make best use of purposeful play in your own preschool or kindergarten classroom. Our day will be devoted to exploring outstanding ways you can integrate purposeful play within your existing curricula and instruction with your young learners. I want to equip you with the best, most current ideas and resources for increasing students’ academic learning and social-emotional growth with purposeful play.

I am excited to share with you a wealth of highly practical ideas, activities and strategies that I have successfully used with my own students. I promise, everything I share is classroom-proven, meaningful and easy to use within your current program. Join me and experience the same joy of learning that your students will feel when they use their play-based thinking to solve problems and satisfy their own curiosity. I personally look forward to meeting you at the seminar as we share our dedication and passion of teaching our youngest children!

Sincerely,
Sheri Sutterley

P.S. I promise to make this day fast-paced, idea-packed and fun-filled with practical and interactive ideas you can easily use right away. Let’s play!

Who Should Attend

Educators Working with Preschool and Kindergarten Children: Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten Teachers, Head Start Teachers, Instructional Assistants, Special Education Staff, and Administrators

Special Benefits of Attending

Extensive Resource Handbook
You will receive an extensive digital resource handbook specifically designed for this seminar. The handbook includes:

• Timesaving, practical strategies for making best use of play-based learning in your existing preschool or kindergarten program
• Highly effective ways to enhance your instruction with purposeful play
• Dozens of purposeful play ideas including literature, puppets, sensory tubs, early learning games, and much more!
• Tips and tricks every preschool and kindergarten educator should have for saving time, avoiding headaches and setting the stage for success

Share Ideas with Other Educators
This seminar provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to share ideas with other early childhood educators interested in making best use of purposeful play to increase students’ learning and social-emotional growth.

Consultation Available
Sheri Sutterley will be available at the seminar for consultation regarding your questions and the unique needs of your own preschool or kindergarten program.

Semester Credit Option
Up to four graduate level professional development credits are available with an additional fee and completion of follow-up practicum activities. Details for direct enrollment with University of Massachusetts Global, a nonprofit affiliate, will be available at this program.

Meet Inservice Requirements
Participants of both the Live Online Seminar and those completing the Recorded Version online can receive a certificate of participation that may be used to verify five continuing education hours. State CEUs are available for both versions of the course. For specific details, visit www.ber.org/ceus.