2012 Riverside Early Literacy Conference to be held Saturday

May 9, 2012 - PRLog -- Registration has been extended for the annual 2012 Riverside Early Literacy Conference which will be held this Saturday at the Innovative Learning Center on the Stokoe Elementary School campus. The Center is operated through a partnership between Riverside City College (RCC) and the Alvord Unified School District.

Organized by RCC and the West County Child Care Council, the event will be held 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Workshop sessions will focus on language and literacy instructional techniques for infant/toddler, preschool and kindergarten through third grade teachers, and parents.

“A national study has shown that instructional support systems need to be strengthened,” said Debbie Whitaker-Meneses, associate dean of Early Childhood Education at the college. “We want to address the need in our community for early literacy strategies.”

Changes were made to previously advertised registration requirements so organizers extended the registration deadline to May 12, the day of the event. The registration fee is $45.

Participants can choose from a number of activities and 17 workshops. One workshop, “Storybook Smorgasbord,” will cover ideas for building word and narrative knowledge through storybooks. Another, “Reading between the Lions,” will focus on classroom strategies for dialogic reading, a teaching method through which the child becomes the storyteller and the adult becomes the listener.

“Language modeling and the use of literacy in real-life applications have proven to be effective strategies,” Whitaker-Meneses said. “This conference focuses on those techniques.”

Registration includes a continental breakfast, lunch from Panera Bread, and a tote bag. Participants will receive a professional development certificate for completing the event. Childcare, for ages 3 months to 10 years, is available from 6:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for $20 at the event. Contact Dr. Sheri Senter at ssenter@npssinc.com to reserve a childcare space by May 11.

Event Details

What: 2012 Riverside Early Literacy Conference

Where: Innovative Learning Center, 4501 Ambs Drive, Riverside CA 92505

When: 7 a.m.–3 p.m., May 12

Register online: http://www.earlyliteracyconference2012.com/

About the Desert Regional Consortium of Community Colleges: The Desert Regional Consortium consists of 13 community colleges and two community college districts in Riverside, San Bernardino and Kern counties. The consortium assists colleges in providing professional development opportunities and designing programs to improve workforce training and technical education. The consortium was formed to address the economic development needs of industry, government and the community.

More information about the Consortium: www.desertcolleges.org

Consortium members: Barstow College, Cerro Coso Community College, Chaffey College, College of the Desert, Copper Mountain College, Crafton Hills College, Mt. San Jacinto College, Moreno Valley College, Norco College, Palo Verde College, Riverside City College, Riverside Community College District, San Bernardino Community College District, San Bernardino Valley College, Victor Valley College