Brain Story Theory-to-Practice

After completing the Brain Story Certification, ECEs can register to participate in sessions facilitated by the Alberta Resource Centre for Quality Enhancement designed specifically for ECEs to connect the theory and ideas presented in the Brain Story to their daily practice, interactions, and relationships with children and families. Upon completing the sessions, ECEs will be reimbursed for 10 hours of time.

NOTE: This reimbursement is NOT LINKED to the Release Time Grant offered by Children's Services. The 10 hours DO NOT count towards the hours of the Release Time Funding grant, and reimbursement will come from AECEA, not from Children’s Services.

ECEs will be able to:

appreciate the role they have on children’s brain development and the importance of brain development in the early years,
integrate their new learning into daily practice with increased knowledge, skill, and confidence in their ability to articulate and put into practice the key concepts of brain science as it relates to their daily interactions with young children, and
recognize alignments between concepts from the Brain Story and concepts of Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework and inclusive child care practices.

These sessions will be delivered in person and online and will take a variety of formats to meet the needs of ECEs across the province.

Students and other individuals not currently working at licensed child care programs are welcome to join but will not have access to this reimbursement.

The Theory-to-Practice Series for Early Childhood Educators is now available featuring five sessions:

Introduction & Brain Architecture

Building on the concepts and learnings presented in The Brain Story Certification course, ECEs will recognize the great opportunity they have in helping children build strong brain architecture in the early years, creating a solid foundation for children's learning, behaviour, and health. In this session, ECEs will play the Brain Architecture Game, an engaging group activity that fosters an understanding of the important relationship between brain development and early childhood experiences.

Serve and Return & Temperament

Serve and return interactions between children and ECEs help build strong neural connections in the developing brain. In this session, through fun interactive activities, ECEs will apply their understanding of responsive relationships, positive interactions, and temperament to identify ways of integrating their insights into daily practice, specifically their interactions with young children.

Executive Function

Executive function skills are mental processes which relate to attention, regulation, and memory processing. In this session, ECEs will understand their role in scaffolding executive function skills. They will also discuss and engage in playful activities which can be implemented into their curriculum planning to create opportunities for young children to develop and practice these skills through meaningful social interactions.

Stress & Ways to Cope

Throughout life, humans experience an array of stressful situations that contribute to their overall health and wellbeing. Stress can either strengthen or weaken brain architecture. In this session, ECEs will learn more about the different types of stress (positive, tolerable and toxic) and stress responses. They will explore and integrate ways to cope with stress and how to support responsive environments for young children helping them to develop self-regulation skills.

Resilience, Relationships & Play

Building on the concept of the interactive resilience scale from The Brain Story Certification course, ECEs will recognize their significant role in children’s resilience and helping them face challenges. In this final session, ECEs will appreciate how play is foundational to children's learning and resilience. ECEs will also reflect on the importance of responsive relationships, positive experiences, and protective factors that support children and their families.

Registration is dependent on availability and will close for a series once the maximum number of participants has been reached. As session dates are confirmed, they will be added to this page, please check back regularly.

If you would like to share your preferences (locations, times) to help us schedule future Theory-to-Practice Series, click here.

Upcoming series:

SERIES 10 - April 18th - May 16 (Tuesday Evenings)

This series' registration will close once 30 registrations have been received or by April 4, 2023, whichever comes earlier.