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If you have questions or comments, you can communicate with your instructor by email at professionaldevelopment@clarendonees.org.
Course requirements:
- Complete all lessons and activities.
- Share your thoughts on the Course Discussion Board when required in the lessons by responding to the instructor’s questions. Feel free to offer positive comments to other participants! You must engage with the Discussion Board to pass the course.
- Complete the Knowledge Check.
- Complete the Course Evaluation.
Course Description:
Course Description:
This training is designed to equip family child care educators with the foundational knowledge and practical tools needed to plan and implement a high-quality curriculum that supports the holistic development of young children. Participants will explore the definition and components of curriculum within a home-based child care setting and learn how to align daily activities with developmentally appropriate practices (DAP).
Using real-life scenarios, group discussions, and hands-on planning tools, educators will gain a deeper understanding of how to create meaningful, engaging, and flexible learning experiences based on children’s individual needs, interests, and developmental stages. The training also emphasizes the importance of cultural responsiveness, intentional teaching, and the power of play as a primary vehicle for learning.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Define what curriculum means in the context of family child care.
- Identify the key components of a high-quality curriculum.
- Describe the core principles of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP).
- Apply DAP to daily routines, learning activities, and environments.
- Develop a simple curriculum plan aligned with child development principles.
Course Content
Education Assistance
jbianchi@clarendonees.org
Joanna Doyle
Executive Director of Education & Training
(800)875-1234 Ext. 206
Rosemary Hernandez
Co Executive Director of Education & Training
(800)875-1234 Ext. 510
Implement more loose part activities to spark the kids creativity to give them a safe space to express
If the child shows interest in bugs I would really explore that I would channel that curiosity into hand on science and learning about empathy. We can go bug hunting in the backyard, and integrate learning across math, art, and literacy to foster a deep love for nature
Can make it fun for the child we can add numbers or letters to make the blocks more intentional but fun learning. We can stack them tall or short and count how many blocks does the tall one has and compare sizes
They are exploring nature, being able to be creative by choosing their play, the teacher dancing with the child getting to the child level and being able to be silly with the child, engaging in dramatic play with the children
Because it’s safe caring space for children to grow and learn while having fun. By responsive interactions, developmentally appropriate curriculum and strong safety standards.
ADAPTAR LAS CATIVIDADESA LAS NECESIDADEESY CAPACIDAD DE LOS NINOS. LE PEDIRIA A LAS FAMILIAS INFORMACION PARA SABER CUALES SON LAS FORTALEZAS E INTERES DE SUS NINOS. , Y TENDRIA SIEMPRE PENDIENTE QUE CADA NINO APRENDE DE MANERA DIFERENTE.
SI UN NINO MUESTRA INTERES POR LOS INSECTOS YO LEERIA LIBROS DE CUENTO Y LE PONDRIA LIBROS DE INSCTOS EN EL RINCON DE LECTURA . TAMBIEN LO SACARIA AL PATIO A EXPLORAR , TAMBIEN CREARIA UN AREA DE CIENCIA DONDE ABRIA INSECTOS.
UNA ACTIVIDAD PARA UN NNINO QUE AUN NNO CAMINA ES EL MOMENTO DE CIRCULO . LEER UN CUENTO Y HACER LA IMITACION DE LOS PERSONAJES INTRODUCIENDO MOVIMIENTOS DE GATEAR, ARRATERSE Y DE PIERNAS.
LE PONDRIA BLOQUES DE MADERA , DE DIFERENTES TAMANOS Y BLOQUES DE FOAMI . TAMABIAN LE PONDRIA NUMEROS A LOS BLOQUES PARA QUE ORGANICE Y CUENTE.
If a child is interested in bugs, I would get books on bugs and purchase real looking bug figures to add to sensory play.
Focus: Stacking, balancing, and problem-solving
Offer blocks of different sizes, shapes, and materials.
Encourage the child to build tall and short towers.
Introduce simple vocabulary:
Tall, short
Up, down
Big, small
Fall, balance
Actividades que los ninos puedan explorar,como seria colocar un contenedor con arena con ciertos animalitos y ellos pueden buscar con pinzas y que sean de acuerdo a las edades
Cambiar estrategias en las actividades siempre que valla acorde con las edades e intetese de los ninos,tomando en cuenta el avanse que han logrado en las diferntes areas del desarrollo.
Esimportante que las actividades sean de acuerdo a las edades e intereses de los ninos para que su desarrollo y aprendisaje sean mas eficaz .
Ademas tener en cuenta que las actividades sean estimulantes mas no abrumantes.
Cada semana es importante cambiar materiales tales como bloques,legos entre otros,porque los ninos se sienten mas motivados cuando tienen materiales y le ponen mas interes en aprender cosas nuevas.para su aprendizaje.
One change you could make is to add more hands-on activities and let children choose how they explore materials. This helps match different skill levels and keeps learning fun, active, and appropriate for young children.
If a child shows an interest in bugs, you can build a mini unit around exploring insects through bug hunts, observing bugs outdoors, reading simple books about insects, creating bug art, singing bug-themed songs, and discussing where bugs live and what they do. This supports curiosity, science learning, language development, and observation skills through hands-on experiences.
For a child who is not yet walking, place the blocks within easy reach while they are sitting on the floor or supported in a chair, and encourage them to stack, knock down, sort, or pass blocks between containers. This adaptation allows the child to participate fully while developing fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and early problem-solving skills.
You can turn a 2-year-old’s interest in stacking blocks into a mini unit by offering activities that explore building tall and short towers, sorting blocks by size or color, counting blocks as they stack, comparing structures, and reading simple books about building. This supports early math, problem-solving, language, and fine motor development through play.
Question #1: Watch this video and answer the question: How is your childcare program a high-quality program?
My childcare program is a high-quality program because it provides a safe, nurturing and engaging environment where children can learn and grow. As a licensed family childcare provider, I offer developmentally appropriate activities that support children’s social-emotional, cognitive, language and physical development. I maintain consistent routines, build strong relationships with children and families and create opportunities for hands-on learning through play, nature exploration and creative experiences.
Question #2: • Look at the video and describe three factors of why these children are in a developmentally appropriate program? Preschool –
The children were engaged in hands-on activities that supported their learning and development. They used imagination and communication skills while playing with the phone in the dramatic play area.Also, used the felt board to explore animals and build vocabulary through hands-on learning. Drawing outside with crayons helped develop their creativity and fine motor skills in a meaningful way.
Question #3: Case Scenario: A 2-year-old shows interest in stacking blocks—how can you expand this interest into a developmentally appropriate mini-unit?
If a child is not yet walking, I would first adapt a ball activity by allowing the child to sit on the floor and roll the ball back and forth with a teacher or peer. This allows the child to participate fully while supporting social interaction and motor development. Then, I would expand the ball activity into a mini-unit by introducing different ways to explore balls, such as rolling, tossing, bouncing and sorting balls by size or color. A child who is not yet walking can participate while sitting on the floor, rolling balls with peers, placing balls into containers or exploring different textures. This mini-unit supports gross and fine motor skills, social interaction, language development and early math concepts through hands-on play.
You can expand a 2-year-old’s interest in stacking blocks into a mini-unit by providing different types of blocks and encouraging exploration of building, balancing and knocking down structures. Read books about buildings and construction, introduce simple counting while stacking and talk about concepts such as tall, short, big and small. Children can also create block structures, draw their creations and explore how different materials stack, supporting cognitive, language and fine motor development through play.
Question #4: Scenario-Based Discussion: “What would you do if…?” (e.g., child shows strong interest in bugs)
If a child shows a strong interest in bugs, I would create a mini-unit focused on insects. Children could observe bugs outdoors, read books about insects, create bug-themed art, sing songs and use magnifying glasses to explore. This builds on the child’s interests while supporting science, language, fine motor, and social-emotional development through hands-on learning.
Question #5: • What is one change you could make to your weekly curriculum plan to ensure it is more developmentally appropriate?
One change I could make to my weekly curriculum plan is to provide more hands-on learning experiences rather than relying on teacher-directed activities. This would give children more opportunities to explore, experiment and learn at their own pace in a developmentally appropriate way.
Well I teach the children that bugs are delicate they and how they play an important role in maintaining our earth and to some creatures and humans they are a nutritious food source you have to be careful with them, we talk about the size and color weather they fly or crawl ?do you know what kind of bug it is , does anyone want to touch it gently ? we take pictures I have a bug book of all the bugs we have caught taken pictures and let go the children love it and look through it quite often we constantly add to it and have discussions.
Teaching kindness is an amazing skill. What better way to do this than with bugs. Thanks for all of your work!
i am making a comment on the two yr. old playing with blocks . I would ask what are you making ? How many blocks did you use? Stand up so we can see if you are taller then your building ..
Y creo que puedo ampliar el concepto de los bloques en una clase de matematicas les puedo pedir a los ninos que apilen los bloques por colores mientras los van contando y asi podemos practicar colores y matematicas y a ellos les gusta cuando cada uno tiene un grupo diferente para contar y agrupar por colores.
Al observar mi cuido yo considero que si es de alta calidad pues yo brindo a mis ninos y sus padres un caluroso saludo al entrar y al salir. Se le da la oportunidad a los ninos de interactuar y participar en las actividades del dia as cuales trato de que sean de gran interes para todas las edades y trato de modificar las actividades para que todos participen. Los tiempos son flexibles tanto para los mas pequenos como para los mas grandes. Cada juego tiene una ensenanza diferente sin que se vea aburido y asi puedan aprender mas. Trato de que los padres cuando puedan participen en las actividades del dia sea leyendo a los ninos o acompanandonos a cualquier salida al parque, museo o biblioteca.
Al observar el video podemos ver como los ninos pueden interactuar con otros ninos, se ejercitann tanto adentro como afuera, las actividades los motivan a usar su imaginacion en diferentes actividades como el juego con agua y varro, el hacer cascadas para echar el agua a correr. tambien los podemos ver jugar solos o con su maestra nada mas. Hay muchas cosas mas las cuales nos hacen sentir que si estan en un programa apropiado para su desarrollo.
Ana, bonita refleccion. Muy cierto que podemos observar las caracteristicas de una buena refleccion en este video.