ERIC ED364311: Field Advisor's Guide for the CDA Professional Preparation Program: A Companion to ESSENTIALS for Child Development Associates Working with Young Children.

206 Pages·1991·4.4 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
PS 021 520
ED 364 311
Phillips, Carol Brunson
AUTHOR
Field Advisor's Guide for the CDA Professional
TITLE
Preparation Program: A Companion to ESSENTIALS for
Child Development Associates Working with Young
Children.
Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition,
INSTITUTION
Washington, DC.
ISBN-1-879891-00-X
REPORT NO
PUB DATE
91
206p.; For a related document, see PS 021 521.
NOTE
Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition,
AVAILABLE FROM
1341 G Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC
20005-3105 ($15, plus $2.75 shipping and
handling).
Teaching Guides (For
Guides - Classroom Use
PUB TYPE
Teacher) (052)
MF01/PC09 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
Child Development; Early Childhood Education; *Field
DESCRIPTORS
Experience Programs; *Field Instruction; *Preschool
Teachers; Professional Development; Student
Educational Objectives; *Student Evaluation; *Teacher
Education
CDA; CDA Credential; *Child Development Associate
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This guide for field advisors, which is part of the
training materials used in the Child Development Associate (cav)
National Credentialing Program, outlines the 6-month CDA fieldwork
portion of the 3-part credentialing program. The guide begins by
describing the background, purpose, and curriculum design of the CDA
Professional Preparation Program. The guide is divided into eight
(1) introduction to the early childhood profession; (2) ways
units:
(3) ways to set up a safe and
to study how children learn and grow;
healthy learning environment; (4) ways to support children's social
and emotional development; (5) steps to advance children's physical
and intellectual competence; (6) keys to establish productive
relationships with families; (7) synthesis of material learned by
early childhood education (ECE) professionals working with
preschoolers (PS), with infants and toddlers (IT), or in family day
ECE professionals as PS, IT,
care (FDC); and (8) final assessment of
unit, the guide
or FDIC Child Development Associates. For each
includes objectives, a description of the advisor's role, discussion
topics for candidate conferences, instructions for verifying
fieldwork assignments, activities for building the candidate's
professional resource file, and a list of related resources.
Evaluation sheets for observing candidates' fieldwork experiences are
included. (MH)
***********************************************************************
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
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Field Advisor's Guide
for tile
CDA Professional Preparation Program
companion to
a
ESSENTIALS
for Child Development Associates
Working with Young Children
3
Guide
Field Advisor's
for the
Preparation Program
CDA Professional
companion to
a
ESSENTIALS
Associates
for Child Development
Working with Young Children
Carol Brunson Phillips
Professional Recognition
Council for Early Childhood
4
Copyright © 1991. Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition,
1341 G Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20005-3105
202-265-9090
CDA Candidate Connection 800-424-4310
Progam was prepared under
This Field Advisor's Guide for the CDA Professional Preparation
Council for Early Childhood
the direction of Carol Brunson Phillips, Ph.D., Executive Director,
Professional Recognition
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91-71483
ISBN 1-879891-00-X
Contents
1
Overview of the CDA Professional Preparation Program
20
Unit 1. Introduction to the early childhood profession
32
Unit 2. Ways to study how children grow and learn
45
invite learning
Unit 3. Ways to set up a safe, healthy environment to
61
and emotional development
Unit 4. Positive ways to support children's social
76
intellectual competence
Unit 5. Steps to advance children's physical and
90
with families
Unit 6. Keys to establish productive relationships
108
Verification of Assignments form
111
Field Advisor Formal Observation form
education professional
Unit 7. Putting it all together as an early childhood
151
working with preschoolers
160
Child Development Associate
Unit 8. Preparing for final assessment as a (PS)
education professional
Unit 7. Putting it all together as an early childhood
167
working with infants and toddlers
177
Child Development Associate
Unit 8. Preparing for final assessment as a (IT)
education professional
Unit 7. Putting it all together as an early childhood
185
providing family day care
195
(FDC) Child Development Associate
Unit 8. Preparing for final assessment as a
6
Overview of the CDA
Professional Preparation Program
Welcome to the CDA Professional Preparation Program!
Professional
You have agreed to become a Field Advisor in the CDA
excitement
Preparation Program and now you are about to embark on the
of a Child
of a year of intense collaboration leading to the award
Development Associate Credential to CDA Candidates.
education
You are a part of the growing network of teacher
begin,
personnel who have elected to work with CDA Candidates. As you
please read through this detailed description of the background, purpose,
This
and steps involved in the CDA Professional Preparation Program.
design, and how
will enable you to see where you fit into the total program
completion.
to smoothly guide Candidates through successful
Your willingness to serve as a CDA Field Advisor indicates your
efforts and those
strong commitment to the profession. As a result of your
Professional
of many other early childhood educators involved in the CDA
be
Preparation Program, the quality of care for young children can
improved dramatically.
effort
Background of the CDA national credentialing
National
Since the inception of the Child Development Associate
Credentialing Program in the early 1970s, the goal has been to help fill
for young
this country's growing need for trained and qualified caregivers
of early
children ages birth through five by creating a new category
between the
childhood professionalthe CDA. Through collaboration
credential
federal government and the early childhood profession, the
award system was established in 1975.
credentialed,
Since thattime, more than 40,000 individuals have been
in relation to the number of early
an impressive number and yet small
become
childhood personnel who need training and who desire to
credentialed.
for several
A continuing challenge to the CDA program thus remains,
child care. The
factors still contribute to the growing need for quality
demand for pro-
growing numbers of employed parents has increased
preschool education in terms of
grams for young children. The value of
public interest
economic benefits for the nation has been recognized, and
has heightened.
regarding good programs staffed by qualified personnel
childhood edu-
Further, the profession of child development/early
qualifications for entry-level
cation has moved toward advocating higher
for child care center
personnel. Experience and education requirements
7
Overview
2
teachers and directors are improving in state licensing regulations. And
training standards for caregivers in centers and family child care homes
have recently been established by several major national organizations,
including the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association
of Family Day Care, and the National Association for the Education of
Young Children.
Given these trends, the CDA Credential has enjoyed growing
national acceptance as a uniform standard for qualified caregivers.
At the same time, however, incentives for individuals to secure
training and to choose early childhood careers have deteriorated. Wages
and working conditions in relation to other occupations and to the general
opportunities remain fragmented
economy show little growth. Training
and often hard to access. As a result, there has been much discussion
the early childhood
among child care advocates, policymakers, and
teacher education community abo,,t ways to solve these problems facing
the child care workforce.
How can we assure that qualified staff are available for the growing
number of jobs in child care?
How can we provide better access to early childhood teacher
preparation for those who want careers in the field?
How can we support a career ladder structure the builds upon
differentiated staffing patterns and roles for pre-credentialed
personnel?
How can we make sure that everyone who is in a position of
responsibility with young children has adequate preparation
before they are hired into such positions?
How can we advocate for higher teacher qualifications without
reducing or eliminating employment opportunities for those who
have traditionally sought to work with young children?
How can we make entry-level career preparation feasible given the
present context of wages and working conditions?
and
Everyone agrees that addressing these issues will require new
redirected resources, along with creative and innovative strategies.
(CDA P3)
Goals of the CDA Professional Preparation Program
by
The Council's CDA P3 intends to tackle several of these issues
1-year
providing a new professional preparation option nationwidea
community. Focused on the
program of study that can be delivered in any
credentialed
acquisition of practical skills needed to prepare individuals to be
professionals, the CDA P3 offers
as entry-level early childhood education
study option for individuals who have the CDA
an affordable, accessible
Credential as an immediate goal.
the
While the program model is intended to increase accessibility to
Field Advisor's Guide
acceptability and
CDA Credential, it also strengthens its academic
closely
credibility. Professional image and status in American society are
itself
linked to higher education. The CDA P3 enables the CDA program
forms of early childhood teacher
to be more closely integrated with other
traditional academic
preparation by building on the involvement of the
communitycolleges and universitiesin CDA training.
childhood
The CDA P3, however, has a specific place within the early
Some may notwant to devote
career ladder and is not meant for everyone.
Others may prefer
the time or resources to such an intensive study format.
theory than on practice
more focused on child development
a
program
Still others may prefer to pursue early
with children and families.
Neverthe-
childhood careers through study in a college degree program.
in child
many individuals who want to pursue careers
less, there are
a great
CDA. For anyone who lives or
care by first becoming credentialed as a
educational programs to
works in a community where there are no
P3 offers a new opportunity.
prepare them in this way, the CDA
completion, the
The goal of the CDA P3 iS to ensure that, upon
Development
Candidate has obtained the competence required of a Child
the skills and
Associate (CDA). Because CDAs are expected to have
children
knowledge necessary for a position working with preschool-aged
both the acquisition of
in a group setting, the CDA P3 emphasizes
knowledge and the application of knowledge to practice.
Definition of a CDA
who is
The Child Development Associate (CDA) is a person
who, with
able to meet the specific needs of children and
children's physical,
parents and other adults, works to nurture
child develop-
social, emotional, and intellectual growth in a
Credential is awarded to child
ment framework. The CDA
who have demonstrated
care providers and home visitors
their families by
their skill in working with young children and
successfully completing the CDA assessment process.
Overview
4
CDA Competency Goals and Functional Areas
1
Functional Areas
Competency Goals
Safe: Candidate provides a safe environment
I. To establish and maintain a safe,
.
1
to prevent and reduce injuries.
healthy learning environment
2. Healthy: Candidate promotes good health
and nutrition and provides an environment that
contributes to the prevention of illness.
3. Learning environment: Candidate uses
space, relationships, materials, and routines as
resources for constructing an interesting, se-
cure, and enjoyable environment that encour-
ages play, exploration, and learning.
4. Physical: Candidate provides a variety of
11. To advance physical and intellectual
equipment, activities, and opportunities to pro-
competence
mote the physical development of children.
5. Cognitive: Candidate provides activities and
opportunities that encourage curiosity, explo-
ration, and problem solving appropriate to the
developmental levels and learning styles of
children.
6. Communications: Candidate actively com-
municates with children and provides opportu-
nities and support for children to understand,
acquire, and use, verbal and nonverbal means
of communicating thoughts and feelings.
7. Creative: Candidate provides opportunities
that stimulate children to play with sound,
rhythm, language, materials, space, ani ideas
in individual ways to express their creative
abilities.