Mary Jean Woika Author

Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., a noted developmental psychologist, educator, and researcher specializing in early childhood education, founded the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University in the early 1970s. The Institute offers a variety of early child care and education programs, parent/child classes, and professional development opportunities. Dr. Segal has developed and implemented training programs for Head Start teachers, infant/toddler caregivers, family support workers, and Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates. She has also created three comprehensive early childhood curricula and is the author or co-author of sixteen books on early childhood development, including the popular Your Child at Play series.  Dr. Segal earned her PhD. in educational research at Nova Southeastern University.   Betty Bardige, Ed.D., is an early childhood policy and program consultant and an expert on early language and literacy. As chair of a national early childhood foundation, she focused on strengthening programs for young children and their families and enhancing policies and systems to support the early care and education workforce.  Dr. Bardige pioneered the development of educational software for preschoolers and developed related reading and math curricula. She has written numerous books and articles for parents, early childhood professionals, and the general public related to language and literacy development, early education policy, and the characteristics of high quality programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Family Child Care, and holds a doctorate in education from Harvard University.   M. Kori Bardige, MS.Ed., is an early childhood special education consultant for the Learning Resource Center-South, a grant project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Programs. Ms. Bardige works with school districts and early childhood centers to develop inclusive preschool programs that meet all children's needs. She also provides training and individual consultation to professionals and families working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and regularly presents at local, state, and national conferences. She has worked extensively with children who have autism spectrum disorders or related developmental disabilities and taught for more than 10 years in a variety of early childhood settings, including public schools, inclusive classrooms and child care centers. She holds a MS.Ed. in severe special needs from Simmons College and is currently completing a doctorate in special education.   Lorraine Breffni, Ed.D., is the Director of Early Childhood at the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University. She oversees the operation of four early childhood programs serving children aged 6 weeks through 5 years and works in collaboration with a range of local and national leaders to advance early childhood public policy. Lorraine is an instructor for early childhood courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She develops and implements training on topics as diverse as best practices in emergent literacy, leadership, and early childhood curriculum. She also offers technical assistance to preschool teachers and administrators as they strive to enhance classroom practice and provides consultation to agencies working to promote quality community-based opportunities for young children.   Mary Jean Woika, M.Ed. is an instructor and course designer for early childhood practitioners in online and onsite courses leading to bachelor and associate degrees, CDA training, and a Director Credential. She has served as advisor for National CDA candidates. Ms. Woika serves on several state and local committees that make decisions regarding training of early childhood practitioners. She draws upon her teaching experience as a mentor, behavior consultant, child care director, as well as her work with children with special needs in inclusive settings. Ms. Woika holds a master’s degree in newborn, infants, and preschool special education from Pennsylvania State University and is currently a doctoral student in educational leadership with a minor in adult education.