Empowering early education professionals
The Gold Centre equips educators, clinicians and future practitioners with the tools and knowledge needed to support children with clarity, confidence and care.
Graduate certificate in early childhood intervention
The Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Intervention provides advanced training to support young children (ages 3-8 years old) with neurodiversities. The program focuses on designing and implementing interventions that address cognitive, social and emotional development.
Graduate Program Director: Dr. Sheryl Smith-Gilman
Graduate Program Coordinator: Dr. Maija-Liisa Harju
Contact: goldcentre [at] mcgill.ca (goldcentre[at]mcgill[dot]ca)
Course instructors
Dr. Victoria Talwar is the Director of the Daniel and Monica Gold Centre for Early Childhood Development, and a leading expert in children’s social-cognitive and moral development. Her research examines honesty, empathy, prosocial behavior, online engagement, and children’s credibility in legal settings. Her work informs education, parenting, policy, and practices that support children’s social, emotional, and moral well-being.
Dr. Sheryl Smith-Gilman is the Associate Director of the Daniel and Monica Gold Centre for Early Childhood Development. Smith-Gilman is an educator, researcher, and consultant specializing in early childhood development and teacher education. Her work focuses on pedagogy, Indigenous knowledge, the arts, and the Reggio Emilia approach in preschool education. She has also advised the Quebec Ministry of Education on preschool curriculum and practice.
Dr. Gigi Luk is a researcher and educator specializing in early childhood development, bilingualism, and cognitive development across the lifespan. Her work examines how bilingualism supports language, literacy, and learning, while promoting culturally responsive and inclusive educational environments for children from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
Dr. Karen Cohen-Gazith is an educator and researcher specializing in early childhood development, inclusive education, and evidence-based teaching practices. With extensive experience in special education and literacy instruction, her work focuses on supporting diverse learners through assessment, neuroscience-informed reading instruction, and responsive classroom practices that foster children’s learning and development.
Philosophy and approach
Our training programs are guided by psycho-pedagogical methods.
- Constructivist Approaches (e.g., Reggio Emilia; Montessori; Arts-based; Land and Nature based) that encourage active, child-centered learning
- Metacognitive Strategies to help children reflect on and regulate their own thinking and learning processes
- Scaffolding and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), inspired by Vygotsky’s theory, to provide appropriate support to children and gradually remove it as they become independent
- Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) to integrate emotional intelligence and self-regulation into education
- Trauma-Informed Pedagogy that creates supportive environments, recognizing the impact of trauma on children’s lives and learning
- Differentiated Instruction that adapts teaching methods to meet children’s diverse needs
- Neuroscience-Based Education to apply brain research that enhances the child’s memory, attention, and learning outcomes
