ECE 209 - Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education

1. Identify the strategies necessary in providing a safe and healthy early childhood environment for young children including recognizing the signs of abuse and neglect, helping children develop good health habits, and responding to accidents and emergencies.
2. Identify components of environments that use space, relationships, materials and routines as resources to advance physical and intellectual competence and creativity, as well as their cognitive and language development.
3. To support social and emotional development and to provide positive guidance by identifying strategies for helping young children learn positive acceptable social skills including a) helping young children learn to get along with the adults and other children in the world, and b) helping young children express and understand their feelings.
4. To establish positive and productive relationships with families to the overall success of each child in an early childhood program by a) identifying positive communication strategies for families, and b) identifying the skills needed to work with a diverse population.
5. To ensure a well-run, purposeful program responsive to participant needs by identifying entry-level program management skills and understand the importance of a successful early childhood environment including a) observing and recording information about each child’s growth and development, b) working as a team member, and c) planning for children as individuals.
6. To maintain a commitment to professionalism by demonstrating an understanding of the importance of professionalism in early childhood environments by being able to: a) assess one’s own performance, b) discuss the importance of lifelong learning about the caring for young children, and c) follow the NAEYC Code of Ethics.
7. Build a CDA portfolio using the guidelines for each CDA functional area including the identification of critical periods of growth and development for young children, positive child guidance practices, and the support of young children’s families.