Child Care Providers attend Executive Functioning Skills Workshop
On June 11, 2022, fifteen child care providers from different programs throughout Saipan participated in a two-hour workshop on Executive Functioning Skills: Methods to improve them in children through interactions and relationships. The workshop was conducted by Evergreen Learning Coach Russelle Mae Ignacio and facilitated at the Evergreen Learning Office in Chalan Kanoa, Saipan.
One of the objectives of this workshop was to provide an introduction to the seven essential life skills:
Skill One- Focus and Self Control
Skill Two- Perspective Taking
Skill Three- Communicating
Skill Four- Making Connections
Skill Five- Critical Thinking
Skill Six- Taking on Challenges
Skill Seven- Self Directed, Engaged Learning
In addition, participants learned ways in which, as adults, they can develop these skills through responsive and meaningful interaction and daily activities with the children they provide care for. Lastly, participants engaged in creating a list of appropriate activities that will encourage children to use their executive functioning skills.
Executive functioning skills include children’s ability to be in charge of their actions, thoughts, emotions, and responses to achieve their goals. Attendees were able to fully grasp the definition and how they can integrate these practices in their daily routines and interactions with children by providing a variety of related activities. The facilitator played clips to show examples on how providers can help children’s brain development in their first early years, along with “serve and return interaction.” Serve and Return interaction is used to promote a lot of back-and-forth interaction between the child and the adult. The main source for this workshop was the book Mind in The Making by Ellen Galinsky. This two-hour workshop will be counted towards each providers’ Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) Program required annual training hours.
###
