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If you have questions or comments, you can communicate with your instructor by email at professionaldevelopment@clarendonees.org.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
- Completeall lessons and activities.
- Share your thoughts on the Course Discussion Boardwhen 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.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
PARTICIPANTS WILL:
- Identify the major developmental domains.
- Recognize age-appropriate milestones.
- Describe key developmental theories and how they apply to FCC settings.
- Understand the purpose of developmental screenings.
- Strengthen observation and documentation skills.
- Communicate developmental concerns with families sensitively.
- Use developmentally appropriate practice (DAP) in planning environments and routines.
Course Discussion
Activity: Please respond to Question 10 on the Course Message Board: What is one change you plan to make in your practice based on what you learned about child growth, development, and screenings?
Education Assistance
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Joanna Doyle
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Activity: Please respond to Question 1 on the course message board: Why is understanding development + screenings matters in FCC settings?
It’s very important since we are with the children a good amount of time and we see them develop right in front of our eyes screening them helps them get help in time of needed
Because of the import role we play in the child’s life because, the amount of time we spend with them is sometimes longer that they do with parents, that makes us a secondary home for them, therefore we have to make sure we screen their growth and development regularly and appropriately.
Because we work so closely with our infants and children we have to know what developmental milestones they should all be reaching at what time. By working with them to help improve other areas we can help aid in their overall learning and growth
Providers often spend more time with the children in their care than other adults do. We need to be aware of whether a child is developing appropriately for their age so we can inform the parents what we observe.
FCC providers are one of the first people outside of the child’s family to engage with and watch a child grow and progress. By monitoring a child’s developmental milestones, and challenges, closely they can be observed and addressed quickly. Providers with a good understanding of child development can help a child grow to the best they can be. They will also see where challenges are rising and discuss what they see with the parents, giving them knowledge to discuss with their pediatrician.
Activity: Please watch this video and answer question #2: https://youtu.be/JEAR8PlDXXc What age group do you work with? What can you do to help their development?
Currently working with a mixed aged group but mostly toddlers. I love that even the younger ones learn from the oldest ones. What I can do to help their development is let them be them selves and give them undivided attention, assess the children and give them the tools they need to help areas that may need help
I have children from 9months to 5 yrs old; we have an excellent routine that allow smaller children to watch and learn from the older ones. Our curriculum always mixes activities that benefits all ages.
We currently have 7months – 5 years. Our mixed-age group is wonderful in many cases because children are always learning from one another and there is far less competition for attention comparitivly to a same-age classroom
I currently work with children 2-4 years old and school age children. I adjust our activities so we all do the same things but at the level of their development. The older children like helping the younger and the younger children learn from the older.
I have a mixed age group. My license is for 6 + 2, meaning six children under 5 yrs and 2 school age children. With a wide range of ages from 3 months old to an afterschool 8 year old, I have to work within a wide range of developmental stages daily. I make notes during the day as I observe or interact with each child, then I gear my activities to encourage all to enjoy in some form.
Activity: Please respond to Question 3 on the Course Message Board: “What developmental changes have you noticed recently in your children?”
One of our children that we’ve had for 4 years now (since our opening day), his parents are going through a divorce right now. We have noticed a bit of emotional turmoil going on with him as he is trying to navigate this new territory. We are helping him through it by reminding him we are always here for him and creating a safe space for him to open up to us about what he’s going through. All staff does believe he is handling it well and shows healthy coping skills.
My 2 and 4 year olds have gone through changes consistent with their ages and abilities while my school age children have gone through more social changes due to their ages and interactions with peers.
Activity: Please respond to Question 4 on the Course Message Board: “Choose a child in your program. Which developmental theory best explains their behavior or learning style?”
I can see Vygotsky I’m one of my kids. Getting potty trained and getting frustrated with putting her clothes back on. With patience she’s getting more independent and able to do it on her own.
One of our children is right now in the The Zone of Proximal Dev with MANY things such as putting on his jacket independently, he’s so close and gets frusterated when he needs to ask for help
I see J in Bronfenbrenner’s theory and the way this child and the mother interact.
Activity: Please respond to Question 5 on the Course Message Board: Carlos (2.5) plays with blocks. He places two on top, then knocks them over repeatedly while laughing. What domain(s) do you see? What might you write in an anecdotal note? Would you monitor or consider screening?
Carlos should be able to stack more blocks, maybe Carlos is just trying to be funny. If he continues to just stack 2 and not be able to stack more I would make notes and watch closely he’s development
I believe by 2.5 he should be able to build taller towers with more patience, percision, and throughtfulness. Maybe the child is just being silly though? Keep observing and taking note if gross motor and fine motor skills are progressing
Carlos seems to be showing repetitive behavior. I would notate this but continue watching before suggesting screening.
Activity: Please respond to Question 6 on the Course Message Board: Describe three best practices in developmental screening?
Observation, screening and assessment
observe, document and communicate with families
observe, document and communicate with families
Activity: Please respond to Question 7 on the Course Message Board: Define an observation strategy and how to use it?
Taking notes with dates so you can compare behaviors and development
Observing with purpose, noting specific behaviors that you are attuned to
One strategy is note taking. I record my observations as soon as possible after observing and document it with dates and times and other important events such as before or after a meal.
Activity: Please respond to Question 8 on the Course Message Board: Juliana (3) hits other children during transitions. She has difficulty with waiting. How would you talk with the family?
Start by acknowledging the child’s positive interactions before bringing up concerns
Start with the child’s positive traits, then address concern and different strategies we are using to help her cope.
I would speak to the family during a private moment, without the child there, after engaging them in some positive observations.
Activity: : Please watch this video and answer question #9 : https://youtu.be/XGDOI3s1xoM How can you apply Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) in your setting to support children’s learning and development, and what is one specific example of an activity or routine you would change or implement as a result?
Giving the kids a separate space where they can have a quiet time. Giving them structured activities to promote developmental stages
Make sure that group circle time in the morning has different options for children’s different sensory needs. Developmentally, they should feel included and feel safe to join in if they are ready
I am going to change my child space for more separate areas for sensory and quiet spaces. I could also add more diverse supplies to my program. I already focus on effort and process over product and adapt activities to individual needs.
Activity: Please respond to Question 10 on the Course Message Board: What is one change you plan to make in your practice based on what you learned about child growth, development, and screenings?
Our Morning Greeting features singing, dancing, yoga and I’d like to do something that is more calming and quiet for children who may be over-stimulated by so much noise. I’d like to see if we can do a little building together, or do a quiet game together instead?
I am going to modify my environment to give the children more independence in choosing free play activities.
One change I am going to be adding to my program is a dry erase board in the main area with each child’s name on it. I will be able to quickly add observations for each child throughout the day. In addition I will also be adding open-ended items to our free play space, like empty boxes, tubes, serving cups and scraps of paper to help children foster their creativity and imagination.
I can support children’s learning and development by providing a physically safe, sensory-rich space. I will need age-appropriate materials and promote independence with choices. Adapting routines for all learners and celebrating differences will help meet individual children’s needs.
I will be adding open-ended items, like empty boxes, tubes, serving cups to my program to help children foster their creativity and imagination.
While discussing difficult behaviors you will need empathy, professional observation, and actionable support. Establishing trust through regular, positive interactions before raising any concerns helps parents trust that you want what’s best for their child too. While using plain language, focus strictly on what their child can do and what you have observed in the classroom. Offer actionable ideas that will help their child move past this behavior and onto the next developmental step. You can show parents you understand their concerns by allowing parents to speak without interruption and summarizing their concerns back to them. Validating their feelings goes a long way.
An observation strategy is objective note-taking. Write down specific skills you observe. Only document what you see and hear, not what you think is the cause or reason. Recognize everyone has a personal bias.
Use your observations to understand and support your screenings. By documenting the children’s development over time you can identify patterns and emerging skills. You can also use it to adjust your curriculum.
Three best practices in developmental screening are questionnaires/checklists. These are used to identify potential delays early. Next is observing and documenting the children’s development on a daily / weekly basis to help track progress and plan curriculum. Last is communicating your findings with families. By sharing your insights you will build a goal-oriented partnership between you and your families.
I would make a note stating that Carlos was having a great time with his blocks working on his motor and cognitive skills. Building 2 high and knocking them down repeatedly. He expressed his enjoyment by laughing. I would not be worried at this time because he could be learning cause in effect. However I would make time to sit with him and see if we can build the blocks higher.
To properly track the development and plan appropriate activities that will promote the growth of the children in our care.
One of my 3 year olds learns best using the Bandura theory. He watched everyone wash their hands including myself for months. We all use the same procedure. He is the most consistent child while washing his hands. He spends most of his time observing tasks or behaviors while trying to learn something new. Then one day it just clicks and he can do it with little struggle.
I have noticed several developmental changes in the kids I care for. For example an almost 3 year old is working on their Cognitive Skills, they are learning which height in the stepping stool will assist them in reaching the rock they wanted. Another example is an 18 month old. They are working on their motor skills, climbing up the stairs and sitting down to use the slide.
Infant – 4 years old. I can help their development by ensuring they feel safe, they’re learning their fine and gross motor movements, language skill, and self autonomy.
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Understanding the growth and development of the children we care for matters because we signed up to help guild small minds into being their best selves. Whether they are falling behind or excelling we need to continue to help them navigate to their next hurtle.
Antes, eu observava mais de forma geral. Agora, vou:
Além disso, quero melhorar a comunicação com as famílias, compartilhando não só preocupações, mas também os progressos e pontos fortes das crianças, criando uma parceria mais forte.
Essa mudança vai me ajudar a:
No geral, minha prática ficará mais consciente, preventiva e centrada nas necessidades de cada criança.
Recentemente, notei várias mudanças importantes no desenvolvimento dos meus filhos em diferentes áreas. No aspecto físico, percebi que estão mais coordenados, conseguindo correr, pular e manipular objetos com mais precisão, o que mostra avanço nas habilidades motoras grossas e finas.
No desenvolvimento da linguagem, observei que estão ampliando o vocabulário, formando frases mais completas e conseguindo se comunicar com mais clareza, além de compreender melhor instruções e participar de conversas.
Em relação ao desenvolvimento cognitivo, eles demonstram maior curiosidade, fazem mais perguntas, conseguem resolver pequenos problemas e mostram mais interesse em aprender coisas novas.
Já no campo socioemocional, percebi que estão começando a expressar melhor seus sentimentos, interagir mais com outras crianças e desenvolver habilidades como compartilhar, esperar a vez e lidar com frustrações.
Essas mudanças mostram como o desenvolvimento é contínuo, mas também apresenta momentos de avanços mais perceptíveis, reforçando a importância de observar cada criança de forma individual e apoiar seu crescimento em todas as áreas.
Understanding development and screening are key to making sure that a child is reaching or exceeding the milestones appropriate for their age and giving the appropriate activities and help to bring them up to levels for their age. These tools are guides for aiding children and families who may require early intervention to assist in developmental growth.
Support development, allow exploration, give the child individual attention, encourage autonomy. Use kind, but firns approach in conmunication. Give one direction at a time, increased social interaction and play with other.
Hi Aurelia, can you please the course activity questions. Many thanks, R