Author: Hannah Baxter

Maybe it’s the end of your workday and you’re picking up your young child from preschool. As you buckle her into her car seat, she starts telling you about something that happened on the playground. The order of events is hard to follow; plus, your mind is already on what to make for dinner. The most you can do is reply to her with an occasional, absent-minded “uh-huh” as you drive home.

Or maybe you’re a preschool teacher with 11 very active children running in literal circles around the room. Meanwhile, a twelfth preschooler chooses that moment to tell you a complicated story about his dog. Or is it his toy dog? Some of the basic elements just aren’t clear. You smile and nod, then rush to herd the rest of the class over to their carpet squares for morning meeting while the preschooler continues to narrate, apparently to himself.

Do these scenarios sound familiar? When we adults are feeling frazzled, it can be next to impossible to tune in to the stories that young children tell. But did you know that when children share stories about their lives–called personal narratives–they are doing important learning? When we engage with those personal narratives, we’re helping them grow.

Children’s stories do more than simply inform us about how they spend their days. Telling stories promotes children’s language development, along with their executive functioning. Executive functioning refers to the set of skills that allow us to control our behavior rather than acting on impulse. Following multi-part directions or working toward a goal are examples of skills that require executive functioning. So is refraining from an impulsive action that could cause harm or get us into trouble, such hitting a friend or yelling in the classroom.

So, why does storytelling affect executive functioning? It turns out that language development and executive functioning are related. Chris Wing, PhD ’13, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist who has researched that connection. She has found that as we help children work on their communication skills, their executive functioning also improves. There is also evidence that learning to use the vocabulary of emotions and states of mind correlates with the ability to self-regulate. Self-regulation–recognizing our emotions and keeping them in check when we need to–is an important aspect of executive functioning.

“When I talk with kindergarten teachers,” Wing says, “They often tell me, ‘I don’t care if incoming kindergarteners know how to read or know their numbers. I want children to be able to attend, get along with their classmates, and relate to me as a new adult.’ What they are saying is they want children to have learned executive functioning and self-regulation skills.”

Wing believes that storytelling is a great way for young children to work on those skills. That’s why The Family Partnership commissioned Wing to create a preschool curriculum that includes storytelling. The Family Partnership is a Minnesota nonprofit that provides early childhood education along with mental health and other services. Want to make storytelling part of your everyday routine and help children get the most benefit from it? Here are pointers based on the curriculum that Wing developed:

• Model storytelling for them by telling a simple story about your day: “Guess what happened to me in line at the grocery store! It was really funny.”
• Tell a story with a child or children as a shared event. Start with a question: “Remember when we set up the bird feeder outside our classroom window? Who wants to share what happened next?” Then take turns adding details.
• Meet the child where they are. We often ask children lots of questions about events or aspects of their day that we adults are curious about. If these are not the topics that most interest them, though, children likely won’t be as eager to tell about them. Try letting children direct the conversation and share what’s most meaningful to them.
• It takes practice to provide the “who, what, where” context that a listener needs. If the child’s story is hard to follow or missing important details, ask questions to fill in the blanks: “Great story! Tell me, what happened first?” Ask about when and where the story occurred, who was there, and what the sequence of events was.
• The most important question in Wing’s storytelling curriculum is: “How did you feel?” Try to help children describe how they felt physically and emotionally at the time of the story. Prompt them with words like excited, silly, frustrated, tired, surprised, and hungry.
• It’s okay to have big feelings! Storytelling can be a way to work through our thoughts and feelings about negative events. Naming our feelings is an important part of self-regulation, and self-regulation is a major factor in resilience.
• Have fun with it! Be as silly or as dramatic as you want. Maybe you want to act out what happened. Maybe you want to tell the story in silly voices. Research shows that positive engagement facilitates learning.

Storytelling doesn’t need to happen at a particular time of day. You don’t need any special materials to do it. And there’s no cleanup required! Storytelling is a simple activity that goes straight to the heart of some of the most important things children need to learn, like language and self-regulation. The next time a preschooler in your life starts telling you the saga of finding a feather on the playground or getting into an argument with a friend, see if you can give them your full attention. (If you’re that preschool teacher with a wild roomful of four-year-olds, it’s okay to ask your little storyteller to hold that thought and connect with him later!) Experiment with some of Wing’s strategies. You might just get inspired to share a personal narrative of your own. What stories do you have to tell?

In our latest staff Q & A, Project Specialist Barbara Vang discusses her passion for supporting others as they develop skills, abilities, and knowledge. She also shares her thoughts on the way a shared desire to learn can transcend language barriers and lead to magical classroom connections.

What was the career path that led you to your current role at CEED?

I graduated from UMN in 2010 with a bachelor of science degree in sales and marketing as well as human resource development. I had a high interest in training and development. After graduating, I spent five years in Seoul, South Korea, teaching English as a foreign language in suburban public elementary schools.

What I missed while in Korea was my family and community. Looking back, when I left Minnesota, my grandpa said, “Don’t grow flowers outside your home.” My grandparents are Hmong; there’s no country that they can say they come from. So, where do I plant my roots? I knew I wanted to start my own family and what my grandfather said resonated. I realized I wanted to plant my flowers here in Minnesota.

To make my transition back into the American workforce, I discovered Americorps and joined the Community Technology Empowerment Project as a digital literacy advocate through the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network. I taught 20 classes a week in computer literacy and English as a second language (ESL) to adult refugee participants through the Hmong-American Partnership, which is centrally located for the Somali, Karen, and Hmong communities. The oldest people I worked with were in their 70s or 80s, and the youngest were probably 18. My grandparents don’t speak English or use computers, so it was easy to relate to the people in my classes. I was also reminded of teaching Korean students, because everyone was learning English. The Karen and Hmong had a shared understanding of Thai because of time spent in refugee camps, but even with language barriers, students connected because they were all seeking the same skills in English and computer literacy.

I noticed that once a light bulb turns on for one student, it’s a ripple effect: everyone else’s light bulbs go on. Those were my favorite moments of teaching. That’s why I have a passion for sharing knowledge.

After my time with Americorps, to maintain my service to the community and Minnesota, I worked in the training spaces of a couple of agencies within the State of Minnesota. In my last position, I was responsible for coordinating the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s leadership development program. I also facilitated and consulted for their workforce development units.

What does your role at CEED entail?

I provide technical and other project support in all aspects of the department’s work. I’m on the path to becoming a learning management system (LMS) administrator. Canvas is the LMS that we use, so my job will include building out Canvas sites for our online courses, self-study modules, and other training we create and offer. My job supports almost every project we have at CEED, so I am able to use different skills and abilities for each of the different projects.

What is new for you in your work at CEED?

Not being an instructor is new for me. This is another pivot moment in my career. Right now, I’m saving my teaching for my kids. Teaching definitely prepared me for motherhood; it gave me patience. Like being a parent, being a facilitator is exhausting. You hear stories, go home with them, and say to yourself, “How can I help my student find a path through this transition in their life?” My kindergarten-age daughter is constantly asking questions and learning every day. So is our little puppy! And a few months ago, our son joined our family too. So all my teacher energy is going into my family.

Additionally, this role offers me the opportunity to work on online courses at a higher tier than what I’ve done previously. I’ve used various learning management programs at different agencies and I’ve played with Google classrooms on my own as a volunteer ESL teacher, but my background is more in uploading materials and managing registration and tuition. I’m excited to get involved in designing e-learning.

What are you most looking forward to in your role?

One thing that I’m looking forward to is working with new software. Another is managing the student experience. During the pandemic, I did Zoom producing for online instruction. I enjoyed being on the sidelines and watching how classrooms operated and interactions flowed. I also enjoyed being able to step in and offer technical help. So I’m looking forward to being an advocate for students when they need help to answer questions from “How do I reset my password?” to “Do I need this course?”

I love being online. That’s where I’ve always wanted to be—it’s where my brain is. I’m always trying to push for efficiency and convenience and whatever will make life easier. When the pandemic hit, it was simple to match all my interests up together—putting together my passion for human development with that interest in ease of access.

What are some of your interests and hobbies outside of work?

I enjoy cross stitching Hmong tapestry (paj ntaub) and building Lego sets. I started with the intention of building Legos together with my daughter, but it ended up being “mommy time”—and when I’m done building, she can take my sets apart and play with them! I also love traveling with my husband and our family. Our favorite family destination is Walt Disney World. We hope to visit the world’s six Disneyland parks in the future.

Molly Hughes joined CEED in April 2023 and divides her efforts between our Early Childhood Program Quality work and the Trainer and RBPD Specialist Support (TARSS) program. In this Q & A, she shares her thoughts on the power of relationships to support learning and professional growth.

What is the educational or career path that brought you to CEED?

I studied biology for my undergraduate degree. After college, I nannied for a family with triplets. When the triplets went to preschool, I needed a new adventure so I started my own business as a family child care provider. I ran that program for 22 years. During that time, I earned my master’s in early childhood from Concordia University and I became a trainer as well. 

I closed my child care program because of competing responsibilities. Child care providers are sometimes in a position where they are not sure they can continue, often due to burnout. On the other hand, they are reluctant to step away because they know there is a severe shortage of care. For me, the tipping point came when I felt I could no longer be reliable for the families that my program served, because I occasionally had to close in order to care for elderly family members.

When this role opened at CEED, I knew it would be a good fit. I bring to the table decades of experience as a child care provider and trainer, so I can relate to and anticipate our audiences’ needs.

You mentioned becoming a trainer. Can you talk a little bit about what professional development looks like for child care providers?

Center-based and family child care providers are required to complete a certain amount of continuing education hours each year. Some trainings are fairly generic and cover important fundamentals, like active supervision, sudden unexpected infant death, and abusive head trauma. But beyond those basics, you are able to fill in your hours with things you choose. 

I lucked out in becoming a trainer at a time when a lot of Training-of-Trainers (TOT) opportunities were being offered. TOTs prepare trainers to offer courses from the Department of Human Services. I got a lot of those under my belt. Then I started writing my own courses and delving into other topics. COVID also meant less demand for in-person training. So I decided to tilt my focus more towards course writing and trying to support providers, especially those who have been in the field for decades and are looking for something new and different. 

What is your role at CEED?

My title is implementation specialist for the TARSS program. I also conduct CLASS™ observations and trainings and do field observations of Parent Aware coaches. I lead the trainer observation program for TARSS and co-lead our online learning community for RBPD specialists and our professional learning community for course writers. I gather data to determine the coaching needs for trainers and sometimes develop the content for those trainings. And I’m excited to say I’m organizing the TARSS Fall RBPD Retreat.

Those are a lot of different responsibilities! Is there a common thread that runs through them all?

The RBPD piece is the major common denominator.  Whether I’m conducting a CLASS observation and sharing feedback with an educator, helping trainers access observations and coaching, or facilitating our online community for RBPD specialists, I am supporting early childhood professionals in improving their practice. This approach to professional development really complements traditional trainings because we know that often deeper learning occurs within the context of relationship-based professional development to which the learner is personally committed. The benefits flow from our work at CEED and in the TARSS program to the trainers, course writers, and RBPD specialists, and from there they flow to the educators, and finally they affect children and families. And that’s our ultimate goal: to benefit children and families.

What do RBPD specialists or coaches do for child care providers? 

The goal of coaching for child care providers is to build a collaborative relationship that helps the provider choose an area that they want to develop. That could mean solving a problem. It could mean trying something new or gaining a new skill. The coach works with the provider to determine their goals and the area of growth they want to focus on. Then the coach supports them in figuring out how to get there.

Coaching is different from being a trainer conveying information to a trainee. The coach and the provider are sitting side-by-side. A coach doesn’t need to be the expert on everything–in fact, they can’t be. Instead, they have to be willing to dig in together with the provider as co-learners. A book I like on this subject is Coaching with Powerful Interactions. It gives key ideas about forming relationships, extending learning, and asking questions. Some of it feels very intuitive. These are definitely skills that coaches need to develop.

Research shows that coaching relationships can be more effective as professional development than training. Part of that is because once you’ve left a training, it’s on you to implement what you’ve learned. And although trainings can be inspiring, it’s not easy to retain that momentum on your own. With coaching, you decide what you want to change and improve. You have somebody to work with you, help you find resources, define action steps, listen to things that might get in the way of reaching your goals, help you problem-solve, and hold you accountable.

It really goes back to relationships. Think of teachers in your life who have made an impact on you. Often there is a solid relationship there. In my experience, the most effective training also makes use of relationships. People are often surprised to learn I am actually a shy introvert. I don’t like large groups; that’s not my jam. So, how am I up there, talking to a roomful of people? I can do it because to me, it’s a conversation. When I lead a training that becomes an authentic conversation, I come out of it full of energy. There’s that relationship thing again: connecting with people. 

What would you like people to know about training and coaching for child care providers?

It’s crucial. Ultimately, the importance of training and coaching circles back to parallel process. Parallel process is a concept from reflective supervision that captures how a supervisor’s relationship with a frontline provider can play out in that provider’s relationship with the children or families they work with. We have to educate the educators in order for them to effectively educate children. When we take an RBPD-style approach to professional development for child care providers, we’re saying, “We’re co-learners. We’re asking questions together.” Parallel process means that providers establish the same pattern with children: “We’re letting children have a voice in what they want to learn and asking about what’s meaningful to them.”

What do you do for fun?

I read, hike, knit, and donate my knitted blankets. I read a little bit of everything. If someone hands me a book and says, “You should read this,” I’ll give it a try. I’m currently reading A Man Called Ove, and I’m in the middle of Outlander. 

We love hiking in state parks and taking road trip vacations. The coolest was our trip to Washington and Oregon. We took two weeks and stopped and hiked every single day. My husband fishes, so over spring break we go to Kentucky which has really good state parks. Recently, we did six parks in three days. We did drive through Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but unfortunately it rained all day, and you couldn’t see the mountains. The ground was lovely, though!

Anna Landes Benz joined CEED as a curriculum specialist in 2023 after working in curriculum development across all subject areas, degree levels, and delivery modalities at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. Her background also includes experience in junior high and high school classrooms as a special education teacher. In this staff Q & A, Landes Benz discusses the differences between in-person and online learning, as well as between traditional students and adult learners. An avid reader, she also shares her most recent reads.

Describe your role at CEED.

ALB: I collaborate on professional development materials and online learning opportunities for professionals who work in the early childhood field. This can take different forms. For example, I am helping to develop CEED’s new series of Tip Sheets. I am also collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Education to create online self-study modules for early childhood special education leaders and the personnel at the Minnesota Centers of Excellence.  

Part of my role is ensuring that the modules are as accessible as possible for participants’ differing abilities. That entails making documents available in different formats. It also means flexibility in how learners are able to engage with the material–whether they’re most comfortable with reading, watching videos, or listening to recordings–and in how they respond to the content. There’s a lot of potential for flexibility in self-study modules. 

How do you make sure that participants in a self-study module get the knowledge and skills that you want them to get out of it? Is that aspect more challenging online than in-person?

One principle of adult learning that comes into play here is that each learner has their own experience and engagement level. No matter what the course–whether it’s a self-study module or a degree program–they have autonomy. Of course, all students have some degree of autonomy–even preschoolers. They can and do choose how they engage with the educator’s program. With adult learners, though, there is a greater need to relinquish control, because the participants are going to engage with the information in whatever way they choose.  

Is it more challenging from a design perspective? I don’t think so. Pre-pandemic, there was a lot of resistance from educators to move from in-person to online asynchronous learning. I think a lot of that resistance came from comparing in-person and asynchronous learning. But having considered this deeply, I’ve had to conclude that comparing the two is like comparing an apple with a pear. Really, the only similarity between an in-person course and its asynchronous counterpart is that they take place over a certain span of time and share learning objectives. So it’s not that creating an online course is more challenging, it’s that you have to approach it differently because it is different. The pandemic forced people to move online, whether synchronous or asynchronous, showing them that learning can still happen if you’re willing to get creative.

What are some of the things that differentiate in-person and online learning?

To take one example, when in a physical classroom, an instructor relies a lot on performance. Instructors are subject matter experts, so they can answer questions and follow tangents on the fly. They don’t necessarily have to come in meticulously prepared for a particular class. For an online asynchronous course, on the other hand, you have to pre-plan and pre-load. You have to anticipate what students are going to struggle with and do a lot of mitigating on the front end. Self-study modules are similar in terms of the amount of front-end work. And like any course, in-person or virtual, they have to evolve with feedback over time. 

You mentioned earlier that every learner has some autonomy, even a preschooler. How are adult learners different from children and young adults?

Adults tend to bring to the classroom more professional experiences and life experiences in many different roles. Adult learners also have a lot going on. They typically have more responsibilities than younger people have, so flexibility is key: flexibility in terms of when and how they complete their work, but also understanding from instructors, because life happens. Adult learners have competing priorities, juggling jobs, family, and school, and none of those fit into neat boxes of allocated time.

Another important point when thinking about adult learners is relevance. It’s just good teaching practice, no matter what the age level, to avoid assigning unnecessary busy work. All learners appreciate when instructors are very transparent about why a given assignment is required. Adults are certainly no exception. And “why” includes the stated purpose–because the course says so–but it also often includes hidden purposes. A question I often come back to is: “How would this material show up in a participant’s work?” As an example, I’m helping create an action planning template for a professional development module. The template is intended to give participants a chance to practice documentation. However, if a participant has a similar form that is required at their place of work, they should by all means use that instead. The learner will be able to take their new skills directly back to their workplace and make immediate changes in their practice. It’s important to be really thoughtful about building those additional benefits into the course.

What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of work?

I like being outside, whether that’s gardening or playing with my dogs or hiking or biking. I also do a lot with textiles, mainly quilting, but also weaving and other textile arts. I read a lot very broadly. I just read Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, which I recommend approaching as a daily meditation. I’m currently listening to The Nature of the Beast, a mystery by Louise Penny. I love young adult fiction also and am reading a series called Firebird by Claudia Gray. As a way of discovering and sharing my enjoyment of books, I use an app called Storygraph with a wonderful feature called “buddy reads.” You and a friend can read the same book and leave comments that won’t unlock until you get to that point in the story. That way there are no spoilers, but you also don’t forget what you were going to tell each other.

The Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) and the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) at the University of Minnesota have launched Child Development for Child Welfare, a website featuring evidence-based resources on child development aimed at frontline child welfare workers as well as their supervisors.

“Our goal in building the Child Development for Child Welfare website was to make information about child development easily available to child protection workers and to those who train them,” says Stacy Gehringer, MSW, LICSW, director of outreach at CASCW. “When visitors access the materials on the site, they’ll notice that most of the example situations that are discussed relate to child welfare. But we also want to get the word out about the site to people who work and interact with young children and their families in a variety of other capacities.”

“Guardians ad litem, public defenders, and judges are one group of professionals that comes to mind,” adds Alyssa Meuwissen, PhD, research associate at CEED. “These resources are also appropriate for educators, foster care providers, and adoptive parents. From brain development to toxic stress to cultural humility, there is a wealth of information available on the site.”

Visitors to the website can browse by subject or by the format of the resource, including videos, podcasts, and online trainings. All of the resources provided are designed to meet the professional development needs of people working in the child welfare discipline, both in content and in methodology. All are available to access for free at cd4cw.umn.edu.

This training product was supported by Federal Title IV-E funds via grant #GK302 from Minnesota Department of Human Services, Children and Family Services Division.