The A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning and the Statewide Family Engagement Center at the Ohio State University are collaborating on RealTalk, a webinar series for families of young children. Webinars take place monthly in May, June, and July 2021 and are recorded for anytime viewing. Topics include Kindergarten Transition, Guidance and Discipline, and Conflict Resolution. These webinars are free and open to all.

The Ohio Library Council recently hosted a webinar with First Lady Fran DeWine and representatives of the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library, Ohio public library systems, and the State Library of Ohio on the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library (OGIL) and how public libraries are incorporating the program into their Summer Reading and fall programming event

The Ohio Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning and School Readiness has released a plan to revise Ohio’s Early Learning and Development Standards (Ohio ELDS). The standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in October 2012 to describe key concepts and skills that young children develop from birth to age 5.

School Library Journal maintains a list of publisher permissions for read-aloud use of their books in your online storytimes and programs. This list is updated as new information is received from publishers:

www.slj.com/?detailStory=remote-learning-still-the-norm-publishers-extend-permissions-for-read-alouds-COVID-19

Ohio Ready to Read trainers are scheduling online Early Literacy 101 workshops during the public health emergency. The next opportunity is coming up in March and registration is open:

Are you looking for tips, techniques, and best practices for planning and producing online/virtual storytimes? Two recordings from webinars originally presented in summer 2020 are now available for free, anytime viewing via the Self-Paced Online Courses and Recorded Webinars page of the ORTR website! One is from the Ohio Library Council and the other is from WebJunction.

Find more self-paced learning opportunities for early childhood programming: ohreadytoread.org/recorded-webinars

COSI Connects provides engaging STEAM content daily through videos, documents, and hands-on science that students, teachers, and families can use at home. Content is tied directly to State of Ohio Learning Standards.

COSI Connects is for families and children anywhere in Ohio. It is free, and membership is not required. Activities are available for all age groups from early childhood through adults, and you may browse by age group to find just the early childhood activities.

A new early language and literacy website is available for families of emerging readers in Ohio! Through a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children and the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, this website, Reading Tips for Families, will host reading definitions, activities, and resources to engage and educate families, while meeting requirements for disability accessibility and accessibility for non-English speakers.

Update: per 3/16/2020 email from OAEYC: Due to the Executive Order banning large gatherings announced by Governor DeWine in the state of Ohio, as well as OAEYC's dedication to the safety of our Exhibitors and Early Childhood Educators, the 2020 Ohio Early Childhood Conference has been canceled.
Original story follows.

Registration is now open for the Ohio Early Childhood Conference, April 23 - 25 at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, sponsored by Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC).

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University recently announced a new podcast series focused on the importance of healthy brain development during a child’s early years.