About Early Childhood
Palma Smiley Debbie Smiley Ausmus
Palma Smiley
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)
· Volunteered in Lubbock Public School Kindergarten
· Produced "Small Fry" Sunday School Television Program in Amarillo,Texas
· Served as director of large staffs of teachers at Southside and Central Churches of Christ in Amarillo and South Plains in Lubbock,Texas.
· Served as Curriculum Director at the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas.
Palma Smiley has developed the Early Childhood Curriculum Program by presenting it across the nation on college campuses such as: Abilene Christian University, Southern Baptist Wee Workshop,etc.
· She was a keynote speaker at the
Children's Pastors Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
· She also was a presenter in several state's Sunday School conventions nationwide, bookstores, and many local and state day care organizations.
· Palma began publishing materials in 1963 and formed Early Childhood Curriculums Publishers in 1978.
· She was a board member of Women Entrepreneurs in
Lubbock,Texas for seven years and also received the Distinguished Member Award.
· She held a membership in North American Montessori Teachers Association and Association Montessori International.
· She belonged to the National Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
· She published a series of curriculum and pattern books for 24-42 year olds and a curriculum and pattern book for babies.
· The last update Palma published for the series was for the Creation - Families - God Made Me Pattern Book in 2005.
· She continued to update many of her publications such as the script for Ollie the Owl Mitt in 2010.
· She wrote hundreds of documents under her Early Childhood Curriculums copyright.
· She wrote curriculum materials until her death on March 27,2011.
· She devoted a lifetime to serving the educational needs of children.
· Her wisdom and understanding of how young children learn and how to apply that extensive knowledge in the classroom is unmatched.
Dear Friends,
Debbie Smiley Ausmus, daughter of Palma Smiley, passed away on November 16th, 2018, of Dementia. I know that many of you loved and cherished her many acts of kindness in regards to help with your Bible class curriculum. She worked tirelessly for many years assisting her Mom in writing curriculum, designing curriculum boxes, searching for special visual aids, and was the "mastermind" - so to speak - behind the creation of the black light story kits. These black light stories have been used in many countries around the world in mission efforts and in the U.S.in numerous churches.
She was a dear friend,as well as a mentor, and Heaven's gain is certainly our loss.