Early Childhood Education

Julie Austin
Early Childhood Conference Keynote Presentations

Julie Austin is an engaging, energetic performer and song leader who tours nationally and internationally giving workshops, keynote presentations and concerts for teachers, librarians, parents and children. She sings and accompanies herself on guitar, autoharp, ukulele and jawharp.

Alice the Alligator puppet gives a friendly goodbye nibble! Las Vegas, Nevada

Julie has a Masters in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor’s Degree in Musical Performance. She has worked with the Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning as a Master Artist and with the High/Scope Research Foundation as an early childhood consultant, teacher trainer and preschool classroom teacher. She believes in the power of music, movement and storytelling for education, inspiration and joy. She promises to get everyone singing, laughing, co-creating and learning!

“Julie has an amazing ability to create community during her presentations. People of all ages and walks of life enter the auditorium as strangers, but after singing, sliding, tapping and feeling and learning, they leave as a united group. There is a better understanding that we are all under ONE sky, ONE moon, whether we feel great or small, rich or poor, we are all in this world together. The ability to communicate that message and have it absorbed by people is true artistry.”

“Julie Austin was a lively and engaging addition to our Early Childhood Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. As the morning keynote, she had participants out of their chairs and moving to the music – walking, jogging, marching, skating, and even pairing up for square dance swinging!”

Description of one of Julie’s keynote presentations:

Let Them Sing! How to Actively Involve Children Using Music and Movement

Fun with "Fandagumbo"!

When children are moving, singing, gesturing and smiling, their brains are processing and integrating important information – learning at it’s best! Join us as we learn and create ways to use music to increase language and literacy as well as create an early childhood classroom community. Explore the “Zipper Song” concept which incorporates children’s ideas and extends each song and movement activity. Discover how brain development and music are crucial to for children at this age. Learn about the importance of rhyming and alliteration and how singing contributes to children’s language development. Practice with different types of story songs using seated and standing movement. Walk away with a wealth of new songs and ideas to keep you and your children learning and singing your way through each day!

Julie’s work with children and teachers for over twenty five years as well as her time spent as a preschool teacher enable her be in tune with the classroom and the teacher’s needs and challenges.

Please contact Julie for a more detailed description of her keynote presentations and workshops.

Below is a list of some of Julie’s past conference presentations and workshops:

Selected Conference Keynote and Workshop Presentations
2005 – 2012

2012

Southern Conference on Children
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA

See calendar for more in 2012

Welcoming the audience on "Everybody Says Hello"

2011

South Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children
Statesboro, GA

Genesee ISD, Inservice and Teacher Training
Flint, Michigan

University of Wisconsin Early Childhood Conference
Platteville, Wisconsin

Ohio Early Care and Education Conference
Columbus, Ohio

South Carolina Early Childhood Association Conference
Greenville, S.C.

USAF Child Development Conference
Lakenheath, UK

Georgia Head Start Conference
St. Simon’s Island

Bowling Green State University Conference
Bowling Green, Ohio

2010

2010 Southern Conference on Children
Statesboro, GA

Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Residency Program
Orange County, Virginia

Community Action Agency
Jackson, MI

Preschool teacher workshop/training
How to Engage Children in Pretend Play Using Musical Story Can Storytelling

Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children
 Conference
Grand Rapids, MI

Northwest Iowa Community Empowerment
Orange City, Iowa

Childcare Connections Conference
Children’s Soup for the Provider’s Soul Early Childhood Conference
Bozeman, Montana

Madison County Early Childhood Provider Conference
Anderson, Indiana

2009

Early Care and Education Conference
Aiken, South Carolina

Preschool Owner’s Illinois Child Care Association Conference
Itasca, Illinois

Child Care Resource Center Training Conference
Auburn, Alabama

Jackson Community Head Start Wolf Trap Residency
Jackson, Michigan

Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children Conference
Workshops and Showcase presentation with Michigan Wolf Trap

Wayne County Head Start Spring Teacher Training Conference
Dearborn, Michigan

Celebrating the Children of the World: Embracing Different Cultures
Riverside, California

Workshop for youth librarians with focus on music, movement, story can storytelling
Bay City, Michigan

Youth Librarian Workshop – Music, Movement and Storytelling
Henderson, Nevada

Bona Vista Child Care Solutions conference
Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN

2008

RAF Lakenheath Child Development Center Conference
Lakenheath, United Kingdom

2007

Teacher workshop – “Secrets of a Successful Circle Time”
Moline, Illinois

Region 9 Education Service Center
Wichita Fall, Texas

Music and Movement Class – Early Childhood Department
Dekalb Technical College, Clarkson, GA

Wolf  Trap Early Learning Through the Arts
Vienna, VA

Workshop for librarians and preschool teachers
West Bloomfield, MI

Coming Together for Children – Child Development Conference
Lansing Community College, Michigan

Michigan Library Association Spring Institute
Lansing, Michigan

Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children Conference
Grand Rapids, Michigan

“Everybody Says ‘Hola’ – Using Music to Include Spanish Speaking Children”
Amway Grand, Grand Rapids

High/Scope International Registry Conference
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Oakland County Child Care Council
Costick Center 
Farmington Hills, Michigan

High/Scope 5 Day Teacher Training
 South Dakota

2005

High/Scope Research Foundation Teacher Training
Kalamazoo, MI

Michigan Wolf Trap Teacher Workshop
Petoskey, MI

Community Action Agency
San Marcos, Texas

Wolf Trap Residency for four preschool classrooms
Frederick, Michigan

Muskegon Area ISD Conference – “1,2,3 – Explore Math and Science”
Muskegon, Michigan

Dulwich International College
Concerts and teacher workshops
Phuket, Thailand

Preschool Teacher’s Music Workshops
Singapore

Julie Austin
Music, Movement and Storytelling Workshops

“Julie – The teachers are all using your materials and strategies!  I’ve talked to all the teachers individually and they are thrilled and excited about what they learned…Thank you!”

“Julie Austin is a breath of fresh air.

As public libraries move more and more into the areas of early literacy and family literacy, we really need the expertise of those in the field of early childhood education.  Julie fits the bill perfectly, as she intertwines music and fun with critical early literacy skills in a way that is easy for both children’s librarians and parents to embrace.”

Julie Austin
St. Patrick’s Day
Interactive Musical Circle Time
“Frogs in the School” in action (on “Fandagumbo”)
Alice the Alligator puppet and Rhyming

Alice the Alligator puppet is used to make a transition to the interactive story song “Frogs in the School”. We are playing with the rhyme, “See you later, Alligator!”. Julie is asking children for rhyming ideas such as “See you at the car, ___”. Alice then suggests that we sing the “Frogs in the School Song” . Children act out the story and when the frogs get loose in the house, the school and other places, the children hop around. They stop hopping at the end of each chorus when they say the last line and shake their fingers – “Collect those frogs and get them out!” They then sit and act our the next verse of the song.

Julie Austin’s Music Workshops for Early Childhood Teachers, Librarians and Parents

Teacher from British International School in Phuket, Thailand telling a story can story along with a book the day after the workshop.

All of Julie’s workshops are interactive, lively, humorous and filled with music, movement, brainstorming, small group and large group activities and reflections. Julie has been a workshop leader for over twenty five years and her experience and ongoing work with preschool children makes her workshops accessible and practical as well as entertaining, fun and educational. Teachers call on their own creativity throughout the workshop and explore how to use music, movement and storytelling in their setting each day.

Julie’s workshops are 1.5 – 6 hours in length and topics can be combined. Brief descriptions of each workshop are below the list of topics. Workshop participants are provided with handouts and music CD’s can be included for additional cost.

Please contact Julie for more detailed descriptions of her workshops and presentations

Selected List of Julie’s Workshop Topics

• Active Learning – The Secret to a Successful Circle Time
• Singing Your Way Through the Day – Successful Transitions
• Musical Story Can Storytelling – How to Engage Children and Increase Comprehension
• Keeping it Simple – Circle Time from A to Z
• Books Can Sing and Move! Songs, Chants and Movement Activities to Use with Any Book
• Using a “Companion Puppet” With Children
• “He’s Not My Friend!” Helping Children Resolve Conflicts Using Music, Problem Solving and Co-creative Storytelling
• How to Play the Ukulele and Sing Along with Children and Families
• Calling All Songs! Develop a Classroom Songbook Using Song Cards
• How to Involve Parents – Using Music to Create Classroom Community

Comments from teachers and participants:

Very inspiring, fun and exciting.

The instructor’s enthusiasm and excitement makes you want to follow along.  She was excellent.

I thought she did a good job of giving us songs we can use on a daily basis as well as helping us to get involved not only in today’s session but my classroom as well.

Julie Austin is a natural.  Her performance expresses integrity and her love for molding and shaping young minds through music.  She was very good. I benefited from her performance.

Made me think about how to incorporate music and thinking skills.  Loved the interaction.

Very beautiful voice, energetic, enthusiastic and the songs were awesome. She was wonderful.
Wonderful great ideas, kept our attention. I would like to see her again! She was very in touch with what is happening in our classes.   I wanted new songs and ideas for my circle time and I received it from Julie’s workshop.  She has greatly inspired me.

Happy teachers with their Story Can Story .. Teachers create a Story Can Story as they work together in small groups during a workshop. They wrote a simple repeating song and had three characters with names and voices as well as ways to invite children to interact within the story. Interactions included making sound effects, offering ideas within the story, problem solving, singing a repeating song and keeping a beat.