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Christin Larkin

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My Story

My name is Christin Larkin, and I am the assistant director at Story Book. I spent most of my life in Northeast Iowa but moved to the area in 2020 to be closer to my boyfriend (now husband) Kevin. He and I live in Jewell with our cat Dori, and part time with his two teenage children. When not at work, I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles; singing, playing, and listening to all sorts of music; traveling to visit family; and building Lego Harry Potter sets (which have taken over my entire house). I have been in the early childhood field since 2002 and have taught every age group from infants to school agers. The majority of my years were spent in preschool, both as an associate in a state-funded 4 year old classroom and as a lead in two different child care preschool classrooms.

My Education and Training

Degrees and Credentials:

  • BA in Psychology and Music from Luther College, 2002

Training:

  • Infant/Toddler Education:​

    • Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC)

    • Infant Toddler Environment Rating Scale -3 (ITERS-3)

    • Passport to Early Childhood Education: Teacher and Staff Orientation, Infant and Toddler Development

    • Quiet Time 

  • Preschool Age Education:

    • Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS-R and ECERS-3)

    • Iowa QPPS Training (Quality Preschool Program Standards)

    • Room Arrangement for Centers and Preschools​

    • Passport to Early Childhood Education: Teacher and Staff Orientation, Preschool Development

    • Drums Alive 

    • Move, Sing, Play, and Learn

    • How to Embed early Childhood Math Routines into your Day

    • Every Child is an Artist

  • School Age Education​:

    • School-age Care Environment Rating Scale (SACERS-U)

    • Passport to Early Childhood Education: Teacher and Staff Orientation, School-age Development

  • Behavior Management Education:

    • Finding Yes in Difficult and Challenging Behaviors

    • Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) Preschool

    • Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) – Infant/Toddler

  • Social/Emotional Education and Inclusion Trainings:​

    • Anti-Bias Education: Nurturing Children Who Are Resilient, Thoughtful, Informed, and Brave

    • Nurtured Heart Approach 

    • Anti-Bias Education in your Early Childhood Learning Environment

    • Conscious Discipline 4 hour Super Saturday

    • "The Other Talk”

    • Moving Beyond Heroes and Holidays: Creating a Rich Anti- bias Learning Environment in Early Childhood

    • Red Flags and Referral: Reading the Signs for Autism and Developmental Concerns

    • Self Regulation vs. Compliance: Considerations to Help Neurodivergent Children in Our Programs

    • Using AAC and AT in the Inclusive Early Childhood Classroom: From Engagement to Literacy and Beyond

    • Every Moment Matters

  • Curriculum/Assessment Education:​

    • Iowa Early Learning Standards (IELS)

    • Creative Curriculum for Preschool

    • Every Child Reads Literacy training

    • Read It Again: Dialogic Reading

    • Helping Teachers Make the Transition from Themes to Studies (Inquiry Based Instruction)

    • Math in the Early Years

    • Using Mathematics in Your Creative Curriculum Classroom

    • Teaching Strategies GOLD Observation and Assessment

    • The Power of Music/Early Literacy Connection

    • 5 Simple Steps for Early Literacy, Connecting Early Education to Families

    • Moving Away from Letter of the Week: Building Alphabet Knowledge in Early Childhood Classrooms

  • General Child Care Education and Trainings:​

    • Essentials Child Care Preservice Series

    • Universal Precautions for Early Childhood

    • First Aid and CPR

    • Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting

    • Medication Administration Class and Test Out

    • New Staff Orientation Training

    • Passport to ECE – Teacher and Staff Orientation

    • Passport to ECE for Program Administrators

  • Nutrition and Physical Activity Education:

    • CACFP Meaningful Mealtimes

    • CACFP Steps to Success Module 15: Feeding Infants in the CACFP Part 1 and 2

    • NAP SACC-R

    • Outdoor Explorations for Early Learners - Environmental Experiences for Early Childhood

    • Move for Thought Pre-K

    • Color Me Healthy - Food Colors and Health

    • My Plate in My Child Care: Four Easy Steps 

    • I only want a peanut butter sandwich!

    • Outdoor Play and Supervision

  • Administration and Leadership Trainings:​​

    • How Many Hats Do You Wear as a Director?

    • A Chance of Awesome: How Changing the Way You See Changes Everything

    • Happiness is running through the streets to find you even during a pandemic (2 parts)

    • Taking Family Engagement to the Next Level

    • Involving and Empowering Staff to Be the Change

    • The Mentoring Process: Developing Professionalism from Within

    • I Can Handle The Kids, but not The Parents 

    • ​Looking at Different Perspectives

    • Putting Down What You are Carrying & Preparing for the Tasks at Hand!

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