Child Development Associate Training Outline (60 hrs.)
Credential Trainer: Maureen Dixon
Title –Child Development Associate Preparatory Course
Hours – 60 clock hrs. 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm
Pre-requisites –High School Diploma or working understanding of early childhood
Training Materials: (PowerPoint, articles, worksheets, books, etc.
Essentials for Working with Young Children; The Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program: CDA Competency Standards; Working with Young Children; Educational arts and crafts activities, videos, worksheets, hand-outs, class discussion and lectures.
Goal(s):
By the end of the semester, students will identify methods to advance physical and intellectual competence. Participants will become aware of the CDA assessment process, observation skills, and principles of child development. The participant will utilize skills in writing, speaking, teamwork, time management, creative thinking, and problem solving.
The participant will:
1. Identify methods to advance physical and intellectual competence.
· offer a variety of activities, which enable children to develop their large muscles.
· offer a variety of activities, which enable children to develop their small muscles.
· adapt program activities to meet individual and special needs of children with disabilities.
· offer children opportunities to develop their senses.
· recognize and plan for individual learning styles.
· provide throughout the day a variety of age appropriate materials and activities that encourage curiosity, exploration, and problem solving.
· provide for play, exploration, and learning.
· communicate with each child frequently.
· encourage children to talk.
· communicate with children in developmentally appropriate ways.
· respond positively to children’s attempts to communicate.
· provide a developmentally appropriate, print rich environment in which children learn about books, literature, and writing.
· appreciate individual expression and creativity.
· provide many opportunities for appropriate music experiences.
· provide age-appropriate, creative art experiences.
· provide dramatic play experiences with a variety of age - appropriate props.
· provide a variety of age-appropriate block play construction.
2. Maintain a commitment to professionalism.
· be aware of the CDA assessment process.
3. Develop skills in objective observation.
· be aware of and implement anecdotal observations.
· observe and record observations objectively.
4. Be familiar with principles of development.
· explain areas of development and general principles.
Objectives:
To reflect on the qualities of early care professionals, identify the qualities of highly trained professionals and make a decision to abide by core values as outlined in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct.
To prepare a safe indoor and outdoor environment by implementing emergency plans; and teach children safe practices to prevent and reduce injuries.
Participants will establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
Participants will prepare a safe indoor and outdoor environment by implementing emergency plans.
Participants will define shelter in place and implement a shelter in place plan.
Participants will teach children safe practices to prevent and reduce injuries.
Participants will provide an environment that promotes health and prevent illnesses by consistently cleaning and sanitizing, furniture, toys, materials.
Participants will understand and follow the procedures for identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect
Participants will demonstrate knowledge of the food pyramid and its relationship to children's growth and development.
Participants will teach and model health practices that promote good health by washing hands, using gloves and all other measures when appropriate.
Participants will understand physical development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers by learning about the stages of development.
Participants will promote children's gross motor development through music and Participants will create and implement activities that encourage fine and gross motor skills.
Participants will develop an understanding of early childhood cognitive development.
Participants will describe the relationship between executive function and school readiness.
Participants will understand how learning centers impact cognitive growth and movement activities, as well indoor and outdoor activities.
Participants will promote children's fine motor development by engaging them in activities that help to develop small muscles.
Participants will create an environment that supports language and literacy by providing age-appropriate materials that enriches and engage children.
Participants will support children oral language development by partnering with families.
Participant will foster children's reading and writing development through daily reading and circle time activity.
Participants will discuss and share their bibliography.
Participants will design an environment that promote creativity through daily experiences and interactions.
Participants will encourage creativity through music, movement and dance.
Participants will encourage creativity through dramatic play and story retelling.
Participant will develop a warm, positive, supportive, and responsive relationship with each child.
Participants will establish a positive, responsive and cooperative relationship with each child's family.
Participants will revisit NAEYC's Code of Ethics as a wrap up of the course.
Participant will write their competency statement and continue to compile their portfolio.
Policies & Procedures: (Attendance, completion requirements, refund policy, etc.)
Attendance Participants will be required to attend all sessions as scheduled. Training organization reserves the right to cancel class due to inclement weather. Participants will be contacted as early as possible if a class will be rescheduled. If participants should miss a class, the session must be made up with the instructor in face to face class time. Completion Requirements To ensure completion of the required CDA Portfolio, homework and class assignments must be completed as scheduled. Refund Policy All fees are non-refundable. Training organization will reschedule canceled classes. As per the EIP guidelines, all payments received from EIP for training must be used for the specified training and cannot be used for other training. When required all EIP grants are funded to EIP and participants may reapply for EIP scholarship assistance.
Session 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE CHILD DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE CREDENTIAL (CDA)
Objectives: Participants will learn about the CDA credential.
Participants will read and discuss the NAEYC code of Ethical Conduct
Assignment: Participants will create their binder to hold the CDA Resource File Documentation
HW: Read Ch. 1 Essentials for Working with Young Children
Participants will obtain a loose-leaf binder, page dividers and sheet covers.
Participants will create their binder to hold the CDA Resource File Documentation
Session 2: (Safe)
Participants will establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment
Lecture: Strategies for maintaining a safe physical environment. Ch 1 Essentials...
Activity: review Daily Indoor and outdoor safety checklists and discuss changes they might make to ensure safety.
Watch video and discuss
HW: Read NYS OCFS Child Care Regulation; Bring a copy of your program's regulation specifically the qualification requirement for personnel, group size and adult-child ratio requirement.
Assignment- Functional area 1: Write a paragraph up to one page reflecting on the room environment. How does the room design reflect the way you believe young children learn best? If the room was not designed by you, what do you see as its strength and/ or what would you change?
Session 3: Participants will prepare a safe indoor and outdoor environment by implementing emergency plans.
Activity: Participants will review and discuss the NYS OCFS Child Care Regulations pertaining to indoor and outdoor safety.
Written Assignment: Participants will prepare or review their program's emergency plan.
Lecture: Review qualification of personnel, ratio for both family and day care centers
Session 4: Participants will define shelter in place and implement a shelter in place plan.
Lecture: Preparing the Environment from the book Working with Young Children
Activity: Make a list of items needed for your shelter in place and emergency plan
Written Assignment: Prepare a Shelter In Place Plan for your setting.
HW: Design your ideal child care environment and reflect on why you chose that design and how it benefit children's learning.
Session 5: Participants will teach children safe practices to prevent and reduce injuries.
Lecture: Modeling safe practices
Review and discuss Three samples of record keeping forms you use-Accident report form, emergency form and completed tool or form that you have used to observe and document a child's development/learning progress. (Do not include the child's name).
Review HW and portfolio;
HW: Read Ch 2 Essentials Book
Session 6: (Healthy)
Participants will provide an environment that promotes health and prevent illnesses by consistently cleaning and sanitizing, furniture, toys, materials.
Lecture: Check list for indoor and outdoor healthy settings; Cleaning and Disinfecting; Prohibited animal list
Video and discussion
Activity: Create a form or schedule for cleaning and sanitizing toys and materials in your program.
HW: Draft Safety competency 1
Session 7: Participants will understand and follow the procedures for identifying and reporting child abuse and neglect.
Lecture and Video: Identification and prevention of child abuse, neglect and maltreatment.
Identification and the prevention of Sudden Infant death syndrome and shaken baby syndrome
Watch and discuss video
Review homework assignment
Session 8: Participants will demonstrate knowledge of the food pyramid and its relationship to children's growth and development.
Lecture: Providing nutritious meals and snacks; Infant feeding
Discussion: Participants will share nutritional child friendly recipes and demonstrate how they meet CACFP guidelines.
Activity: Participants will prepare a menu that meets CACFP guidelines
HW: Bring a copy of your program's weekly menu or one that you have created or found on the internet.
Session 9: Participants will teach and model health practices that promote good health by washing hands, using gloves and all other measures when appropriate.
Lecture: Children's health records; daily health checks, responding to illness; administering medication; learning good health practices
Activity: Discuss songs or rhymes that teach children about good health practices
Written Assignment: Create a rough draft CDA functional area: healthy
HW Read Ch. 3 of Essentials
Session 10: (Learning Environment)
Participants will use physical space, materials and daily schedule to create a quality environment that promotes learning.
Lecture: Creating a quality environment that promotes learning.
Participants will view a video about planning a learning environment that supports child play and early literacy.
Discussion: Reflecting on the video, participants will discuss changes they will consider to support learning and play in their programs.
Participants will write an essay discussing how their program’s learning environment supports learning.
Participants will draw the layout of their program.
HW: Participants will bring a copy of their programs daily activity schedule to the next session.
Session 11: Participants use daily schedule and routine to create a secure and enjoyable environment for children.
Lecture: The importance of the daily activity schedules
Discussion: Participants will discuss their programs daily activity schedule and room designs.
Lecture: Selecting appropriate learning materials.
Activity: Participants will select items from a catalog and discuss how they would enhance their program.
Session 12: Participants will create a lesson plan that encourages engagement, play, exploration and learning for all children.
Lecture: Preparing a weekly lesson plans.
Activity: Using a sample weekly planning grid, participants will outline a weekly lesson plan.
HW: Participants will draft a weekly lesson plan for their programs.
Session 13: Participants will include children with special needs in their planning by modifying their weekly lesson plan.
Reflect on the weekly lesson plan. How does it reflect your philosophy of what young children need on a weekly basis? If the plan was not designed by you, what do you see as its strengths and/or what would you change?
Lecture: Modifying the physical environment to accommodate children with special needs; adjusting the lesson to meet every child's need...
Activity: Participant will pair off and assigned centers to modify in terms of materials or activity to meet the needs of special needs.
HW: Participants will draft CDA Functional Area 3 Learning Environment Statement. Reading: “Essentials” Chapter 4 Physical
Session 14: (Physical)
Participants will understand physical development of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers by learning about the stages of development.
Activity: Participants will discuss the physical activities they enjoyed when they were children, and if they were safe and appropriate for young children.
Lecture: Understanding the importance of physical development of Infants Toddlers and Preschoolers
Written Assignment: What are some things that may prohibit children from developing?
HW: Participants will list 5 creative activities that promote fine and gross motor physical development
Session 15: Participants will promote children's gross motor development through music and movement activities, as well indoor and outdoor activities.
Discussion: Participants will discuss creative activities they have prepared to support both fine and gross motor development in their programs.
Video: Gross motor development
Discuss video
Lecture: Ch. 4 of Essentials
HW: Complete Outline CDA Functional Area 4: Physical
Session 16: Participants will promote children's fine motor development by engaging them in activities that help to develop small muscles.
Review homework
Lecture: Ch. 4 of Essentials
Video: Fine motor development
Discuss video
Session 17: Participants will create and implement activities that encourage fine and gross motor skills.
Written assignment: Create lessons to promote gross motor and fine motor activities for Infants, Toddlers and Preschoolers.
HW: Reading: Essentials Ch. 5
Session 18: (Cognitive)
Participants will develop an understanding of early childhood cognitive development.
Lecture: Defining cognitive development and exploring major theories impacting early childhood.
Activity: Participants will be divided into small groups and will select a learning center. Each group will be given a fact sheet to discuss how learning centers impact cognitive growth and play.
Written Assignment: Participants will complete a worksheet on how they meet the cognitive needs of young infants, mobile infants, toddlers and preschoolers in their programs.
HW: Assignment: Research or use textbook to get your information to present on one of the major learning theories. Do a short 3-5 minute presentation on the basic principle or belief of the theory.
An example is how theory address the way children develop and learn.
Jean Piaget/ Erik Erikson/ Howard Gardner/ Abraham Maslow/ Lev Vygotsky/ Sigmund Freud/ Urie Bronfenbrenner
Session 19: Participants will describe the relationship between executive function and school readiness.
Lecture: What is Executive function and how does it relate to school readiness.