Early Childhood Specialist:
Honor Graduate in Education - Speech and Drama
Extensive work in Early Childhood Education
Former Public School teacher of Speech and Drama
Bible class teacher since age 17
- A Certified Montessori Directress.
- Graduate of the Better Baby Institute for the Achievement of Human
Potential, Philadelphia.
- Graduate of Professional Institutes of Educating the Infant and
Toddler - conducted by Dr. Burton White.
- Taught in Developmental Education from Birth to Two (A research
program in the Lubbock Independent School System).
- Volunteer in Lubbock Public School Kindergarten.
- Produced "Small Fry" Sunday School television program in Amarillo.
- Producer of the video "Teaching Babies - Toddlers and Twos".
- Has served as supervisor of large staffs of teachers at Southside
and Central Churches of Christ in Amarillo and South Plains in
Lubbock.
- Curriculum Director at the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock.
Palma Smiley has developed the Early Childhood Curriculum
Program by presenting it in seminars across the nation on
college campuses such as:
Abilene Christian University
Southern Baptist Wee Workshops
Children's Pastor's Conference keynote speaker
Presenter in Nashville, TN
Several states Sunday school conventions nationwide
Bookstores
Many local and state day care organizations
Palma began publishing materials in 1963 and formed
Early Childhood Curriculums Publishers in 1978. She is a
Charter Member of Women Entrepreneurs in Lubbock and a Board
Member for seven years. Additionally, Palma received the
Distinguished Member Award.
Palma's credits include YWCA Woman of Excellence Award in the
field of Arts and Culture for Writing. She holds a membership in
North American Montessori Teachers Association and
Association Montessori International. She belongs to the
National Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and
is an Associate Member of Christian Booksellers.
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In Our
Beginning...
When our daughter, Debby, was 16 months old, my friend, Gay Trimble
said, "Let's see if we can figure out a way to teach our toddlers in
Bible class."
I said, "Let's." And we began!
Three years later, another friend, Pat Schneider, and I
wrote Step By Step With Toddlers and it was published.
Some months later, I walked into the church office one morning and Joan,
the church secretary, said, "Palma, you and I are going to start a class
for babies birth to 16 months! You're going to teach it, and I'm going
to help you!" We began our class with the help of Jane Mackey, Kristi
Wood (teenagers) and Noble Wagner (grandmother), my Debby, and parents
of ten precious babies. A few months later Jane and Kristi taught the
baby class before the whole congregation, and they loved it!
We made a 16mm film of the class and a short demonstration film of 18
month old Julie Beth Hoffman reading, to prove babies can learn. We
printed ideas and a lesson plan and presented all of them at Lectureship
at Abilene Christian University in 1963 before almost 400 in our class.
With the help of those teachers and bookstore owners Ron Bailey
(Bailey's Bookstore, Lubbock) and Neil Anderson (Gospel Advocate,
Nashville) both of whom have since served as president of Christian
Booksellers and promote excellence in Bible teaching... our program was
launched.
Later, we sold our first Baby Curriculum to David C.
Cook... then, continued to research and write until we had published the
Curriculums and Teaching Aids that you will find on our
catalog pages and in Christian bookstores around the country.
If you've been using our materials, we invite you to see our new
products... if you're just beginning a Baby or Toddler Class, take a
look at samples right here on the web. You can teach God's Word in place
of babysitting.
Come!... Enjoy this
adventure in teaching with us!
We make it fun! We make it easy! We make it work! |
