ABOUT SUSIE

What Parents Are Saying

Everything Is Based In Communication. Classes are created by an early childhood educator and infant/toddler specialist - who is also a teaching artist and energetic performer - bringing together an extensive background and experience in early childhood with specialized training on supporting infant development and young children's developing brain architecture foundation in the first 3 years of life.

Encouraging Early Communication, Connection & Self Expression. Classes are FUN, energetic and engaging - and they grow with your child - as children develop within a class - into classes that are "age and stage" developmentally appropriate.

Kids who feel seen and understood are happy kids. Babies and kids deeply want, need us, to understand them - to really get who they are.

Early Communication has a profound impact on your bond with your child. How we communicate can effect and support your young child's developing brain, cognitive and social emotional development.

Baby Sign is a wonderful ways to support early communication skills. Learn how to use sign in class - how we use sign is as important as what we are signing.

It's got to be fun! (And easy please :) Kids - and adults - retain the baby signs, and techniques more easily when it's simple and fun.

Sunshine Babies & Kids/Susie's Baby Signing: Super-fun, joyful, celebratory, energetic, engaging "Baby & Me/Parent & Child" style music and play classes for ages 3 months - 3 years. Drawing from an extensive knowledge base and experience in Early Childhood, research-based classes bring age-and-stage appropriate, creative combinations of Music, Baby Sign, Messy Art, Sensory and Creativity. Classes designed to enrich babies and children's development in a happy, holistic way. With a special focus on supporting children's developing brain architecture as well as their social emotional development during the vital first 1000 days of life. Purposeful, engaging ASL vocabulary is used with a focus on Positive Affirming Signs. Empowering Babies & Toddlers Self-Expression! Strengthening the Parent-Child Bond and always supporting Babies and Children's Social Emotional Development and Communication Skills.

The Growing Brain Course, a Certified Trainer of Trainers, a ZEROTOTHREE.ORG curriculum.
Teach this rigorous course (from zerotothree.org) on brain science in infant and early childhood development. Delivering and teaching course units to various early childhood professionals, teacher, administrators and staff, as well as caregivers and parents. A research based course covering in depth various aspects of brain development and factors that effect early brain development, as well as practical ways for early childhood professionals (and others) to support healthy infant/child brain development during the critical first 5 years of life. (Professional development hours certificate available to participants.)

Director Of Early Childhood: Moon Soup Inc. Founder of this renown NYC Early Childhood Program, incorporated best practices of Montessori, Reggio Emilia and Waldorf and Arts based education. Locations Midtown East, Astoria, Wall Street, Upper West Side. Developed an extensive Teacher Training Program and various age appropriate Early Childhood Curriculums spanning ages 0-3 years. Provided parent support, hosting Workshops, Discussion and Support Groups on infant and child development and parenting.

Director Of Early Childhood: Aha! Learning Partners. An innovative, Reggio Emilia based "Play Lab" program, NYC; Building and creating Immersive Sensory Environments for parents, babies and toddlers. Gave Parent Education talks and presentations, sharing child development philosophies, research-based, insights and teaching practices with parents of infants and young children. Served as the atelierista, expanding the ideas of young children through materials in this Reggio Emilia influenced program; Curating children's work; Wrote documenting the developmental aspects of children 's class activities for parents. Trained teaching staff and oversaw teaching staff.

Director of Classrooms; Programming & Teacher Training for Early Learning Concepts, Inc.. (Gymboree Franchise). Work required a broad knowledge of infant and early childhood development. Developed multi-site Teacher Training Program for locations for 13 centers across NYC, DC, and VA. Developed a highly successful Preschool Alternative Program, along with Music and Gym curriculums for ages 3 Months to 3 Years old for Early Learning Concepts, Inc. Originally hired as a Gymboree classroom teacher, first promoted to training teachers, then to Director of Classrooms, developing teacher trainings, curriculums and class programming.

Teaching Artist/Lead teacher for various Parents & Child Classes NYC;. Including: After School Art teacher, Jefferson Market PreSchool; Music & Baby Sign Teacher, Manhattan Jewish Montessori; After School Drama Teacher, United Nations School. Experienced in teaching programming in Music, Art, Drama, Yoga, Gym, Science, Messy Art & Play and Cooking to young children.

My Work With Children & Other Humans

Education & Training:

Early Childhood Education, SUNY, Bachelor of the Arts.
The Growing Brain curriculum:, Certified Trainer of Trainers ZERO TO THREE.org.
Postpartum Doula Training (DONA approved course).
ASL studies at New York Sign Center, ASL NYC, Signing Online, Signing With Meredith and others.
Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training.
Baby Yoga and Infant Developmental Movement, training with Karma Kids.
Infant Massage Instructor Training.
Early Childhood Music Education, Kindermusik.
RIE Foundations:Theory and Observation (Resources For Infant Educarers)
Alexander Technique, Movement & Voice Training.
The Touchstone Center, Teacher Workshops/Cohort, with Sarah Lawrence College.
Certified Life Coach (ICF Approved Training).

Memberships, Organizations & Other Passions:

Member of The National Association For The Education Of Young Children.
Member of DONA International.
Member of Zero-To-Three.org.
Director/Dramaturg/Performer.
Double major in theatre studies SUNY.
Have taught drama to children :)
Artist: Work in paint, pencil, decoupage and other.

At the heart of all this creative and teaching work, is a passion, facility and understanding of the vital importance of language and communication skills in the happiness and well being of children and other humans.

It is all about communication.

About Susie

My Work With Children & Other Humans

Education & Training:

​

Early Childhood Education, SUNY, Bachelor of the Arts.

The Growing Brain curriculum:, Certified Trainer of Trainers ZERO TO THREE.org.

Postpartum Doula Training (DONA approved course).

ASL studies at New York Sign Center, ASL NYC, Signing Online, Signing With Meredith and others.

Karma Kids Yoga Teacher Training.

Baby Yoga and Infant Developmental Movement, training with Karma Kids.

Infant Massage Instructor Training.

Early Childhood Music Education, Kindermusik.

RIE Foundations:Theory and Observation (Resources For Infant Educarers)

Alexander Technique, Movement & Voice Training.

The Touchstone Center, Teacher Workshops/Cohort, with Sarah Lawrence College.

Certified Life Coach (ICF Approved Training).

​

Memberships, Organizations & Other Passions:

​

Member of The National Association For The Education Of Young Children.

Member of DONA International.

Member of Zero-To-Three.org.

Director/Dramaturg/Performer.

Double major in theatre studies SUNY.

Have taught drama to children :)

Artist: Work in paint, pencil, decoupage and other.

​

At the heart of all this creative and teaching work, is a passion, facility and understanding of the vital importance of language and communication skills in the happiness and well being of children and other humans. It is all about communication.

At the heart of all this creative and teaching work, is a passion, facility and understanding of the vital importance of language and communication skills in the happiness and well being of children and other humans.

It is all about communication.