The Power of Play: Annual conference makes ‘fun’ fundamental

So, what is the power of play?

“It’s the most powerful thing we can do for our children. We help them make a conscientious effort in their learning and help them become more independent,” said guest speaker Jina Bohl at the third annual early childhood education conference “Building Bridges Birth Through Grade Three” held recently at Southern State Community College.

“Role playing demands a conscious effort on the child’s part to grasp all aspects of a specific role,” Bohl said. “If children understand what and why they are supposed to learn, how to learn it and then reflect, they can utilize this process for other situations.”

Approximately 100 teachers and presenters participated in the three-day event sponsored by the Region 14 Hopewell Center and hosted by Southern State. There is no cost to attend the sessions which are approved by the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, and Step Up To Quality, and participants can earn continuing education units.

This year’s conference included sessions on Early Learning Content Standards, presented by representatives of Early Childhood Quality Network (ecQ-net); Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Learning, presented by Marleen Bottoms and Suzanne Free; Social Studies SIRI (preschool and kindergarten), presented by Diane Tomlin; Infant and Toddler Guidelines, presented by representatives of the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRA); Special Quest, presented by Marsha King; Environmental Sciences Ages 3-7, presented by Barb Cook; Project EASE, presented by Sheree McGraw; K-3 Research-Based Literacy Interventions, presented by Sheila Bobst; Birth-Grade Three Roundtable Discussion, presented by Jina Bohl; and Helpful Hints for Healthy Kids, presented by Becky Storer and Sue Brunacini.

As part of the Helpful Hints for Healthy Kids presentation, participants were engaged in fun exercise activities and guided in seasonal nutritious snack recipes, such as the springtime bird’s nest recipe, summer fun seashell salad, an autumnal pumpkin fluff, and a veggie snowman for the winter months.

To learn more about the annual conference which is offered free to attendees, please contact coordinator Becky Storer, assistant professor of early childhood education at Southern State Community College, at 1-800-628-7722, ext. 2628, or bstorer@sscc.edu. For more information about Southern State’s associate degree opportunities in early childhood education, please visit our program page.