Workshops 2010 - 2011

Limited tuition assistance is  available .    

To register you may * mail your deposit and contact information to 700 Court Street, Keene NH  03431  or  *call 603-357-3755 and pay by charge card.

Building Healthy Attachment, Part I: Understanding the Essential Role of Sensitive Caregiving,   September 18, 9 am – 3 pm:  - Nancy Macalaster - Cost $90, $25 deposit required to hold space.

The beginning of healthy attachment begins at birth and is the foundation for cognitive development and emotional strength throughout life.  Many children today have difficulty building healthy and strong attachment, and therefore suffer from many challenges.  Little known in the United States, the research and practical approach of the Pikler Institute in Hungary has developed effective methods that build healthy attachment with infants, toddlers, and young children.  Come to see video material and learn basic concepts that will give you excellent tools to help guide the children in your care.  

Nancy Macalaster is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level III Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.

Building Healthy Attachment, Part II: the Role of Free Movement and Play in Supporting the Attachment Relationship,    October 16,  9am to 3pm: - Jane Swain - cost $90 - $25 deposit required to hold space.

This workshop will complement Part I (see above), and can also be taken alone.  We will gain practical understanding of the relationship between healthy attachment and the child's developing mastery over the movement of his body and also of his ever increasing ability to explore objects and toys and to play.  Participants will go home with tools to support children in this vital and exciting process.

Jane is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level II Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.

Storytelling for Parents,   October 23-24,  Nancy Mellon  -, held at the Monadnock Waldorf School, co-sponsored by Sophia’s Hearth Family Center   October 23rd @ 7pm talk - $10 donation suggested.  October 24th from 9 to 12noon at the Nursery Kindergarten (Old Walpole Road)- $35 per person or $55 per couple.   (content to be added)

Helle Heckmann, October 29-30-31 Friday evening public talk - $15 donation suggested.  Workshop Saturday 9-3 PM and Sunday 9-noon  -  cost $135.  

Helle will begin the weekend with a  lecture at 7 pm Friday evening, "The Return of Childhood", speak out of her experience on every continent and of the needs of children everywhere.  This public lecture, open to all, will be the first part for our weekend conference with Helle.  The full weekend will focus on caring for young children, with especial focus on the first three years, and the capacities needed by the adults who take up this calling.  The conference continues Saturday from 9 - 3, with a concluding Sunday morning session from 9 - 12.  The suggested donation for Friday evening's lecture alone is $15, and the full workshop fee is $135.

Feeding Your Toddler,   November 6: 9 am – 12 noon: -  Nancy Macalaster - cost $ 25, $10 deposit required to hold space.                        

Nancy will give a detailed description of how children learn to eat and how to create a supportive feeding environment.  Bring your experiences, challenges, and questions.

Creative Discipline, Part I: Strategies for Guiding Two and Three Year olds in Developing Successful Social Behaviors,    December 4, 9 am – 3 pm  – Susan Weber - cost $90, $25 deposit required to hold space.

Growing up from infancy to the pre-school years is a journey that begins in being part of the whole world and gradually leads to becoming a powerful individual.  It is a time in which we as adults must determine appropriate boundaries, rhythms, and expectations for our children.  At the same time, we must help them navigate the significant changes that come as they grow, and support the development of their new social skills. Conflict is a normal element in this process, and this workshop will explore the distinction between conflict and aggression.

Susan is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level III Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.

Creative Discipline, Part II – Reframing Discipline Using Sensory Strategies,    January 15, 9am – 3pm – Jane Swain - cost $90, $25 deposit required to hold space.

If the noise for one toddler is "too loud", in fact, so loud that it evokes a physiological response which leads to a complete inability to cope in a seemingly innocuous social situation, what's a parent or teacher to do?  Another toddler may thrive in the exact same environment.  Indeed, sensory experiences are very individual and they change over time.  We tend to expect that everyone else experiences sensation as we do.  In this workshop we will come to understand the wide ranging differences in sensory preferences.  We will learn to recognize, interpret, influence and address challenging and unusual behaviors that indicate sensory conditions and needs.

Jane is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level II Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.

Childcare for Infants and Young Children,  February 25 – 26   Friday evening 7 – 9 pm and Saturday 9 – 3 :  Susan Weber and our childcare staff - cost $135, $25 deposit required to hold space.

Childcare for infants and young children:  in the winter of 2010, Sophia’s Hearth Family Center pioneered a childcare program working with the insights of Waldorf education and the Pikler Institute.  This workshop will share our experiences and introduce the basic ideas behind our program.  Saturday will include workshops specifically for those working with either infants or older children.  You will experience our specially designed environment for caregiving and indoor play, as well as our outdoor environment.

The Pikler approach to Gross Motor Development,    March 19: 9 – 3 pm– Jane Swain - cost $90, $25 deposit required to hold space.       

It is commonly recognized that infants and children need to move in order to develop healthy neural connections in their brains.  Does it matter whether the child is taught the movements or whether she teaches herself the movements? 

For example, in the United States, we routinely place infants in standing, hold their hands and help them learn to walk.  What happens when children learn to walk without this intervention?  How does this affect their self confidence, problem solving skills, and self regulation?  What are the environmental conditions and practices that promote self-initiated movement in infants and children?  Is there a correlation between early walking and later athletic ability?  We will consider 50 years of research at the Pikler Institute in our exploration of these questions.

Jane is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level II Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.

The Why and How of Reflexes,   May 7,  9am – 3pm  - Jane Swain - cost $90, $25 deposit required to hold space.

All babies are born with primitive reflexes (such as the rooting reflex, the Moro or startle reflex) that help them survive in the early stages of life.  Normally, over time, the reflexes are "integrated" or fade away into the background of the child's movement repertoire.  Unfortunately, in today's world, this step of integration is not occurring in increasing numbers of normal children, and this brings challenges to their motor coordination, cognitive and social development.  In this workshop we will learn to recognize the normal progression of reflex integration, how to support this process and what to do if it is not occurring.  The characteristics of individual reflexes will be covered.

Jane is certified by the New Hampshire Child Development Bureau as a Level II Trainer, Mentor, Faculty.