Child Care

Credit: 1.00
Course Preface
Core Code: 34-01-00-00-040
Printable Version: Child Care (pdf)

Course Description

CHILD CARE— CURRICULULM AND LAB/STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY AND DEMONSTRATE CORE STANDARDS/OBJECTIVES/ AND INDICATORS. (1.0 credit) This course prepares individuals for childrelated careers and/or more extensive parenting skills through personal interaction with children. Instruction is given in developing positive relationships with and learning experiences for children, childcare policies and management, guidance techniques, and health and safety concerns. On-site preschool and/or child care experiences will be a major component of the course. Previous completion of the Child Development course is recommended. Student leadership (FCCLA- http://www.fccla.com/) may be an integral part of the course. (Standards 1-5 will be covered on Skill Certification Test #323.)

** It is recommended that the Child Care course be taught as a 1.0 credit course. It may be divided into two 0.5 credit courses as outlined below.

CHILD CARE CURRICULULM — STUDENTS WILL IDENTIFY CORE STANDARDS/OBJECTIVES/ AND INDICATORS. (0.5 credit) This course prepares individuals for child-related careers and/or more extensive parenting skills. Instruction is given regarding standards involved with childcare, employment skills needed to work with young children, how to maintain a healthy environment for children, developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) and curriculum design for young children. Student leadership (FCCLA- http://www.fccla.com/) may be an integral part of the course. Previous completion of the Child Development course is recommended. (Standards 1-5 will be covered on Skill Certification Test # 325.)

CHILD CARE LAB— STUDENTS WILL DEMONSTRATE CORE STANDARDS/OBJECTIVES/ AND INDICATORS. (0.5 credit) This course provides students an opportunity to work with children in a lab setting. Instruction includes: demonstrating employment skills required to work with children, maintaining a healthy environment for children, implementing developmentally appropriate practices in a lab setting, developing and implementing curriculum and developing positive relationships with children. On-site lab experiences will be a major component of the course. Student leadership (FCCLA- http://www.fccla.com/) may be an integral part of the course. Previous completion of Child Development and the Child Care courses are prerequisites. (Standards 1-5 will be covered on Skill Certification Test # 328.)

Core Standards of the Course

Standard 1.0
Students will identify the categories and types of child care and applicable licensure standards and laws.

• Categories of child care: custodial, developmental, and comprehensive child care.
• Pros, cons, and flexibility associated with various types of child care (hourly, Montessori, head start, preschool, on-site, home care, and day care centers and laboratory schools).

• Qualifications for directors and teachers
• Licensing laws (confidentiality issues, proof of immunizations).

Standard 2.0
Students will identify and/or demonstrate employment skills needed to work with young children.

• Positive employment characteristics.

Standard 3.0
Students will identify and/or demonstrate how to maintain a healthy environment for young children.

• Safety guidelines.
• Health and wellness (childhood illnesses, communicable diseases and basic first-aid: poisoning, cuts, bumps and bruises, and choking).
• Emergency procedures (fire, earthquake and intruders).
• Sanitation and hand-washing (20 seconds, upon arrival, before and after snack, prior to sensory, after restroom use).
• Identifying and reporting procedures for abuse and neglect.

• Healthy snacks and meals.
• Food safety (allergies, use of gloves, follow food handling guidelines).

Standard 4.0
Students will identify and/or demonstrate Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP).

• Define DAP. (Characteristics: age and individual appropriateness, hands-on, concrete, real, relevant, uses all areas of development, multicultural)
• Types of learning: child-directed, teacher-directed, child-initiated
• Active vs. passive learning.
• Effective transitions
• DAP materials and activities for specific ages and areas of development (cognitive, social, emotional, moral, and physical [gross and fine motor]).
• Positive questioning techniques (open-ended questions).

• Review common reasons for misbehavior (normal behavior, natural curiosity, don’t know better, to get attention, for power, revenge, feeling inadequate and need to feel they belong).
• Positive guidance: natural consequences, logical consequences, positive statements, redirection, limited choices, time out, positive reinforcement, modeling, child-directed and problem-solving.
• Identify and/or demonstrate the ability to maintain control in a large and small group setting.

• Purpose of observing children (assessments and curriculum planning).
• Objective/factual statements vs. subjective/interpretative statements.

• Physical characteristics in a classroom (floor coverings, permanent fixtures, storage for materials, color and children’s display and personal storage).
• Space arrangements (quiet, active, wet, dry, centers, group and individual space).

Standard 5.0
Students develop and/or implement age appropriate curriculum for young children.

• Identify and/or demonstrate the responsibilities of the lead and support teacher.
• Understand calendaring and daily scheduling.
• Components of a lesson plan: theme, objectives, concepts, procedures, and transitions.

• Language/literacy activities (fingerplays, stories, show and tell).
• Math activities (sequencing, sorting, classification, matching, seriation).
• Creative arts activities (Four stages of art: 1] scribbling, 2] pre-schematic, 3] schematic, 4] realism).
• Science and sensory activities.
• Music and movement activities.
• Dramatic play.
• Food experiences.
• Free play.