The University of Montana 5th Annual ECE Summit

**ECP Credit Available**

This session is limited to 30 attendees. Attendees will receive a copy of the Strive for Five: Using Intentional Conversations to Build Early Language and Literacy text. 

Attendees will:

1. Understand how multi-turn Strive-for-Five conversations support children’s oral language, comprehension, and early literacy development.
2. Use the five-turn conversation structure to move beyond simple question-and-answer exchanges and intentionally stretch children’s thinking and vocabulary.
3. Implement at least one Strive-for-Five strategy within everyday classroom routines such as read-alouds, play, or small-group instruction.

**ECP Credit Available**

• Identify research-aligned outdoor strategies that support early literacy development across foundational skills (letter knowledge, phonological awareness, early decoding) as well as oral language, vocabulary, and knowledge building.
• Analyze outdoor learning environments to recognize opportunities for playful, purposeful literacy instruction that integrates movement, exploration, and meaningful talk.
• Design a personalized outdoor literacy plan using their own school maps or nearby community spaces to support sustained early reading development.

**ECP Credit Available**
This workshop explores how familiar themes in early childhood classrooms can be developed into Project Based Learning (PBL) experiences. Participants will examine key distinctions between thematic units and PBL, with a focus on how learning shifts when it is organized around children’s questions, sustained inquiry, and authentic connections beyond the classroom. Using current classroom themes as a starting point, educators will analyze opportunities to deepen learning and begin adapting their work into developmentally appropriate, inquiry-driven projects. The session emphasizes practical strategies and incremental shifts that support the integration of academic content and social and emotional learning within meaningful PBL experiences.

Participants will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of Project Based Learning and how it differs from thematic units
• Examine common themes or topics and identify the shifts needed to move toward PBL
• Begin adapting a familiar theme or topic into a developmentally appropriate project and identify next steps for implementation

**ECP Credit Available**
Session Description
In this session, we will delve into the four core goals of anti-bias education—identity, diversity, justice, and action—along with essential social and emotional learning (SEL) competencies that promote collaboration, independence, and emotional well-being in young children.
Through the examination of thoughtfully designed early childhood projects, you will see how these learning goals can be effectively integrated into meaningful, learner-centered experiences. The session will emphasize practical strategies for embedding anti-bias education goals and SEL competencies, giving you the tools you need for current projects and future planning.
This session is designed to be inclusive and relevant for all educators, offering actionable insights to create supportive learning environments that celebrate the uniqueness of every child.

Attend this session to:

• Develop an understanding of the four goals of anti-bias education and their significance in early childhood settings.
• Identify and understand key social-emotional learning (SEL) competencies that promote collaboration, independence, and emotional well-being in young children.
• Explore the connection between project-based learning (PBL) and SEL, recognizing how PBL naturally integrates SEL competencies through relevant problems and meaningful contexts.
• Gain strategies for embedding anti-bias goals and SEL competencies into PBL units through relevant, learner-centered experiences, and refine an existing project by focusing on specific areas to incorporate these goals more intentionally.