Child Care Career Skills Course Outline

Options and approaches to providing child care: the differences between custodial, developmental and comprehensive care; quality issues in child care.

Developing a safety policy; removing hazards; dealing with medical, fire, and weather emergencies; assembling an effective first aid kit; monitoring illnesses; health problems caused by weather, abuse, and emotion.

Planning good environments for children; types of learning centers; selecting equipment, materials, and toys; evaluation.

Physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development; promoting maturation and responsibility; how temperament affects personality; the two-year-old stage; impact of play on social development.

Recognizing signs of development; the role of accomplishment in developing a child's self-esteem; motor and perceptual skills; how competition, fear, stress, and rules affect a child.

Important workplace skills; ethics for child care professionals; promoting communication, cooperation and teamwork; facing day-to-day challenges; managing your time and solving problems effectively.

Why understanding child development is important; child development theories and principles; developmental stages; self-esteem; observing children.

Qualities of a strong curriculum; how children learn; effective teaching techniques; stages of artistic development; guiding a child's art experiences; planning and leading art activities.

Language skill development; assessing books; reading stories; reading and writing exercises; language arts and dramatic play; how dramatic play encourages growth; using puppets.

Goals of science and math curricula; the teacher's role; planning and leading science, math and active play activities; active play learning centers; safety during active play; creative resources.

Planning a social studies curriculum; helping children become responsible citizens; learning about one's self, family, and community; adding an effective music program; planning music and creative movement activities; the teacher's role in music.

Helping infants and toddlers develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially; communicating effectively with parents; planning a safe and healthy environment; common challenges.

CPR For Children. Essential how to information on first-aid techniques and administering CPR (this knowledge is a must for meeting child development associate (CDA) learning objectives).

A guide to help give you a boost of confidence before starting your own at-home child care business.

Developing Your Career in Child Care, and Growing as a Professional. Finding career opportunities; writing a good letter of application; your résumé; presenting yourself well in an interview; tips to help you succeed in reaching your career goals; continuing education; balancing your work and your personal life.