Child Development Associate

Course Description

This exciting course is designed to provide you with a working knowledge of early childhood education and prepare you for the Child Development Associate® (CDA) certification process of the Council for Professional Recognition with content review, assessment practice, and portfolio preparation.

The course will include a thorough introduction to early childhood education. Topics covered include how children learn and grow, safe and healthy environments, physical and cognitive growth, social and emotional development, guidance, relationships with families, creativity and the young child, play, research-based planning of developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculums, and activities, program management, and professionalism. With an integrated approach to child development, students will learn the principles of child growth and development from birth through age five and how they align with the eight CDA competencies and National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) professional standards.

In a guided step-by-step process, you will culminate your learning experience by gathering all your assignments to build a portfolio and receiving instructor feedback from a certified CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist™ to be well prepared for the CDA Verification Visit. Upon course completion, you will be ready for your early childhood education certification. This course offers enrollment with or without a voucher. The voucher covers the fee/cost to sit for the certifying exam upon eligibility.

Our Child Development Associate course offers a unique opportunity to learn two pathways for the price of one, teaching both infant/toddler and preschool-age topics and techniques. Moreover, within two years of completing this comprehensive online course, you are eligible to receive assistance in preparing for your second pathway certification, including portfolio preparation and exam practice questions. This provides you with greater flexibility and opportunity for your career—all without any additional out-of-pocket expenses.

Learning Objectives

What You Will Learn

• Evaluate and make recommendations for modifications of regulations regarding children's health, safety, and learning environments
• Identify typical stages of cognitive, linguistic, physical, social, and emotional development
• Develop a list of developmentally appropriate activities and materials that encourage physical, linguistic, cognitive, creative, social, and emotional development in children from birth to age five
• Implement appropriate guidance techniques for specific situations relating to children's behaviors
• Demonstrate skills in practical application of developmental principles and theories, observation techniques, and recognition of growth and development patterns
• Apply the competency statements into practice in an early childhood setting
• Prepare to become a certified child development associate professional
• Communicate qualifications for employability

Course Syllabus

Details

• I. Getting Started
• II. How to Take This Course
• III. Why Earn a Child Development Certification?
• IV. The Portfolio Introduction
• V. Principles of Child Development and Learning
• VI. Planning a Safe and Healthy Learning Environment
• VII. Advancing Children's Physical and Intellectual Development
• VIII.Supporting Children's Social and Emotional Development
• IX. Building Productive Relationships with Families
• X. Managing an Effective Program
• XI. Observing and Recording Children's Behavior
• XII. Achieving High-Quality Care
• XIII.Final Portfolio Review
• XIV. CDA Prep and Taking Your Exam
• XV. Employability
• XVI. Final Exam
• XVII.Resources

Measure of Performance

Upon completion you will be ready to:

• Build a portfolio for your verification visit with PD Specialist feedback
• Know how to team with parents and guardians to track milestones or identify developmental delays
• Develop appropriate lesson plans with accommodations
• Complete one of the leading CDA classes

Course Requirements

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites to take this course.

Certification Requirements:

To be eligible for the CDA certification:

• You must have a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, or be a junior or senior in a high school career and technical program, and
• Complete 120 hours of formal early childhood technical education (this course meets CDA requirements)
• Complete a CDA professional portfolio (this course assists with portfolio preparation)
• Complete a CDA verification site visit where a PD Specialist observes you working with children

Please note: Within three years of submitting your application, you must also have 480 hours of professional work experience at a center-based program with experience in all three age groups.

For more information on the CDA requirements, please visit the CDA Council website.

Requirements:

Hardware Requirements:

This course can be taken on either a PC, Mac, or Chromebook.

Software Requirements:

• PC: Windows 10 or later.
• Mac: macOS 10.6 or later.
• Browser: The latest version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox is preferred. Microsoft Edge and Safari are also compatible.
• Microsoft Word Online
• Adobe Acrobat Reader
• Software must be installed and fully operational before the course begins.

Other:

Email capabilities and access to a personal email account.

Instructional Material Requirements:

The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment. The following textbooks will be shipped to you approximately 7-10 business days after enrollment:

• Competency Standards for Center-Based Preschool ages 3-5 yrs old
• Infant-Toddler Competency Standards Book

Reading assignments in each lesson will be linked to the following eBook(s) for the designated reading:

Beginning Essentials in Early Childhood Education, 3rd edition, by Ann Gordon, Kathryn Williams Browne (eBook)

Infants & Toddlers: Caregiving and Responsive Curriculum Development, 10th edition, by Terri Swim (eBook)

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please fill out the self-disclosure form. The Office of Disability Services coordinates services for students with disabilities. Documentation of a disability needs to be on file in that office before any accommodations can be provided.