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Early Childhood/Pre-K Teacher
Published
Time-Based Apprenticeship
Industries
O*Net Code
25-2011.00
Rapids Code
Req. Hours
3400
State
PA
Created
Jul 16, 2021
Updated
Jul 16, 2021
Time-Based Skills
8 skill sets | 165 total skills
Identify key theories of child development - 1000 req. hrs
Demonstrate an understanding of how child development impacts the whole child.
Nurture positive relationships between children with their peers and others in the community.
Use information about family's strengths, interests, expertise, and vision for their child to support the child's learning and development.
Share enthusiasm and describe child's abilities and preferences during play.
Make connections between a child's development and how that impacts who they are.
Describe how child development depends on supportive and responsive relationships.
Consistently respond to children respectfully and in a timely manner.
Develop a list of 3-5 developmentally appropriate classroom norms.
Provide opportunities for one on one conversations between children and adults.
Talk with children about ideas related to their work, play and home life.
Arrange the environment so that children can work together on activities.
Describe how play fosters opportunities for children to learn and develop communication, problem solving and creativity skills.
Set aside large blocks of time for uninterrupted child directed play.
Observe play and identify examples of problem solving, communication and creativity.
Observe a child that may have been impacted by one of the following issues: Inclusion, Diversity, Brain Development, Children and Families at Risk, Poverty.
List ways that a child's growth, development and learning may have been impacted by: Inclusion, Diversity, Brain Development, Children and Families at Risk, Poverty.
List the different PA learning domains.
Talk to children about events that are going on in their lives.
Plan classroom activities using two different concepts from Child Development theorists.
Review the Pennsylvania 2014/16 Learning Standards Continuum (LSC).
Using the LSC discuss a time you have observed a child practice a developing skill.
Observe and identify an emerging skill in 5 children.
Create lessons to help develop an emerging skill in 3 children for your assigned age group.
Develop an age appropriate activity, using the Early Learning Standards, for an age group that you are not primarily responsible for.
Responsibly apply systematic observation, documentation, and other assessment techniques, in partnership with families and other professionals - 600 req. hrs
Recognize that caregivers can support parents/guardians in their role.
Offer parents/guardians information about health and social services and other resources in the community.
Encourage parents/guardians to talk about important family events and their children's special interests and behaviors at home
Share information frequently with parents/guardians about the child's experiences in the center.
Encourage parents/guardians to understand the program and classroom routines.
Respect and tries to understand the parents/guardians views when they differ from providers.
Work with parents/guardians to identify the strengths and needs of each child.
Develop skills in observing and recording information about children and their families in a nonjudgmental manner for use in planning and carrying out daily programs.
Create a system for observing children.
Maintain observation system with no less than two observations per child.
Use available evaluation tools and screeners.
Consider goals and objectives for each child as well as the group.
Implement a plan for each child by identifying developmentally and culturally appropriate activities and materials each day.
Recognize possible learning problems and work with parents/guardians and specialists to develop plans specific to the needs of each child.
Implement recommended treatments by following referrals and working with the family to meet goals for the child.
Recognize and helps others recognize the needs of children and families who speak a different language and operate in a different cultural context.
Send home projects for the families to see the child's work.
Share progress with families on a regular basis.
Tell parents/guardians about children's achievements and shares their pleasures in new abilities.
Share with families how the quality of program and indicators of quality are measured. (e.g., Keystone STARS, Pre K Counts, NAEYC accreditation)
Identify the skills being learned in activities, helping families to understand the role of play and active learning in the instructional process.
Demonstrate knowledge of how observations effect lesson planning.
Demonstrate knowledge of how lesson planning connect to assessments.
Describe the difference between an assessment tool and a screener.
Conduct a screening of at least 5 children in your care.
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: ENVIRONMENTDesign, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: ENVIRONMENT - 280 req. hrs
Provide space and a variety of age appropriate materials that encourage: Large motor development, Sensory exploration, Fine motor development, Creative arts, Problem solving, Social development, Family representation and presence
Use materials and books that demonstrate acceptance of child's sex, family, race, language and culture.
Balance active and quiet, free and structured, individual and group, indoor and outdoor activities.
Establish a clean and safe environment for children by washing hands before and after meals, toileting and contact with bodily fluids.
Make sure toys are cleaned after being mouthed and on a weekly schedule.
Communicate frequently about children's health, nutrition, communicable diseases, and medications.
Limit sugar, salt, processed foods, artificial color and flavoring in meals and snacks; encourage parents/guardians to do the same.
Help children develop basic health habits.
Provide affection for the child.
Include children in food preparation and provide other nutrition education activities for the children.
Plan lessons that meet various levels of development in five learning domains.
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: LANGUAGE AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT - 280 req. hrs
Engage in active instruction and modeling of positive social interactions.
Pose questions to children to initiate conversation or to encourage them to extend a conversation.
Participate in conversations with children that have 3-5 exchanges.
Use materials, books and equipment that are stimulating to each child and suitable to individual learning styles, including those of special needs.
Model correct book orientation.
Model turning pages carefully and in order.
Provide pointers and charts for children to practice tracking.
Reinforce children moving from top to bottom and left to right.
Provide rich environmental print in the classroom (e.g., posters, charts, word walls).
Provide a variety of materials (e.g., hands-on, print, and/or digital) for exploration of letters.
Provide opportunities in group and learning centers for identifying letters, words, numbers, and sentences.
Read to children daily in large groups, small groups, and individually.
Use strategies prior to reading to involve children in the text being read. (e.g., predict the topic of the text using front cover and/or illustrations, picture walk)
Attend to children's questions and comments during reading.
Ask questions about text during reading
Allow children time to warm up to new ideas or activities without expecting them to fully participate.
Introduce new materials and activities by explaining what they are and providing instructions on their use.
Describe appropriate strategies for children's participation or exploration of materials that may be challenging.
Demonstrate enthusiasm when introducing new materials.
Engage children in "what if" scenarios to discuss potentially dangerous or inappropriate responses and situations.
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT - 280 req. hrs
Arranges and encourages physical activities.
Provides a variety of materials from children's culture (s), such as dances, music, finger plays and active games.
Communicates with children and their guardians about the importance of outdoor play and physical activity for healthy growth and development.
Adapts the program to meet the special needs of children with disabilities.
Provide opportunities to point to body parts when asked.
Provide dolls and puzzles with body parts.
Make outlines of body and add details to body parts.
Provide experiences that highlight the functions of body parts (e.g., add turkey baster to water table and discuss how a heart pumps, play a smell-identification game).
Provide light balls that easily fit in a hand. Encourage child to throw with one hand while stepping forward.
Provide targets for children to throw toward. (e.g., hula hoops or baskets)
Include toys and equipment that encourage active play. (e.g., three- or four-wheeled steerable vehicles, balls, climbers and slides, ramps)
Provide outside time daily.
Create opportunities for children to participate in large motor movement games that involve partners.
Engage in physical activity with the children
Provide space and opportunities for children to walk, run, and climb.
Provide opportunities for children to engage in gross motor activities inside. (e.g., dancing and moving to music, bean bag toss)
Include large motor movements during transitional times. (e.g., hop to the table, jump five times while you wait to wash your hands)
Include motor games and songs. (e.g., Skip to my Lou and The Farmer in the Dell)
Create obstacle courses to practice gross motor movements.
Teach and encourage children to participate in finger plays.
Provide opportunities to use scissors to cut lines.
Encourage and allow the time for children to dress independently.
Supply tweezers and tongs to grasp objects.
Provide a variety of smaller objects to manipulate.
Provide opportunities for children to pour water or milk and to serve their own foods.
Provide many opportunities for children to write and draw.
Maintain an art center with a variety of art tools that are accessible to the children.
Provide child-sized tools for classroom jobs.
Encourage children to use utensils and drinking cups appropriately during snack and mealtimes.
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT - 280 req. hrs
Explicitly use vocabulary for elements and principles of music and movement. (e.g., rhythm, space, tempo, pitch)
Model appropriate use of instruments.
Call attention to the changes in music as children are listening.
Create opportunities for children to express themselves through a variety of music forms and through dance or body movements.
Encourage children to be creative during singing by changing words and song endings.
Model the use of various voice inflections and facial expressions during read-aloud.
Provide props and costumes associated with favorite stories.
Participate in dramatic play events as the audience, providing praise and applause
Provide opportunities for children to use three-dimensional materials. (e.g., clay, play dough, wood)
Allow for individual or group projects to extend over several days.
Display children's art work
Provide multicultural art materials for use in self representation.
Encourage children to use materials for individual expression of feelings or thoughts.
Display children's and professional art throughout the classroom at the child's eye level.
Discuss the various types and characteristics of photography, painting, dance, performance.
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children: MATH, NUMBERS AND SCIENCE - 280 req. hrs
Teach children counting songs, rhymes, and chants.
Provide and read books, poems, chants with numbers, and number concepts.
Use number words and numerals, including zero, in everyday situations.
Provide experiences with numbers through daily routines such as attendance and calendar.
Provide opportunities for writing numerals and representing numbers.
Play number recognition games Model counting and comparing of objects in daily experiences.
Explicitly teach mathematical vocabulary. (e.g., "more than," "less than," "equal to")
Notice children engaged in numerical play and describe what they are doing.
Ask open-ended questions to encourage children to talk about their thinking. (e.g., How do you know there are six blocks?)
Listen carefully to children's responses, and restate their responses using clear, age-appropriate, mathematical language.
Read books about animals and their adaptation to the changing seasons.
Take outside walks to watch for bird migration and to notice weather changes.
Display pictures of various animals during different seasons.
Use outdoor time as opportunities to explore and investigate the environment.
Compare and contrast animals.
Provide opportunities to sort by size, color, shape, and texture.
Explicitly use science vocabulary. (e.g., solid, liquid, texture)
Encourage children to actively care for non-toxic plants provided within the classroom or outside.
Demonstrate ethical and professional standards and make decisions as part of a continuous collaborative learning, informed reflective practice and diverse field experiences - 400 req. hrs
Discuss issues that affect the program with appropriate staff and follow up on their resolution.
Work as a member of a team with others in the classroom and the program, including substitutes, parents/guardians and volunteers.
Support staff by offering assistance and supervision when needed.
Know the language resources of each family and uses these in the program.
Orient new or substitute caregivers and volunteers to routines and special needs and abilities of each child.
Implement procedures to help children transition from one age level classroom to another.
Know the social services, health and education resources of the community and use them when appropriate.
Continually evaluate own practices and performance to identify needs for professional growth.
Continue to gain knowledge of physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social development.
Take advantage of opportunities for professional and personal development by joining appropriate professional organizations and attending meetings, training courses and conferences.
Seek information relevant to the children they are providing care for.
Recognize that caregiver fatigue, low morale, and lack of work satisfaction decrease effectiveness and find ways to meet her/his own needs and maintain energy and enthusiasm.
Work cooperatively with other staff members, accepts supervision, and helps promote a positive atmosphere at the center.
Learn about new laws and regulations affecting center care, children and families.
Advocate for quality services and the rights of children.
Work with other professionals and parents/guardians to develop effective strategies to communicate to decision makers the needs of the children and families.
Is aware that normal developmental characteristics of children often make adults uncomfortable. The teacher can acknowledge these feelings in themselves, coworkers, and parents/guardians while minimizing their negative reactions.
Demonstrate ability to address disagreements or issues directly with colleague, rather than including others.
Adhere to strict confidentiality standards and make sure families and colleagues do also.
Acknowledge that family members are the child's primary teachers and are an expert on their child.
Create ongoing formal and informal opportunities to engage with families about their interests, strengths, expectations, concerns, joys, and achievements.
Use parents' preferred methods for communication.
Promote ongoing and reciprocal communication about day-to-day activities between staff and families.
Technical Instruction
Identify key theories of child development - 177 req. hrs
Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Integrating the Arts into Early Childhood Education
Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
Teaching English Language Learners
Introduction to Special Education and Inclusive Practices
Early Childhood Education Practicum
Introduction to Psychology
Child Psychology
Responsibly apply systematic observation, documentation, and other assessment techniques, in partnership with families and other professionals - 132 req. hrs
Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Family and Community Relationships
Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
Introduction to Special Education and Inclusive Practices
Early Childhood Education Practicum
Applied Computer Technology
Fundamentals of Writing
Reading Improvement
English Composition I
Design, implement, and assess differentiated curricula and experiences to positively influence the development of children - 391 req. hrs
Family and Community Relationships
Health, Safety and Nutrition for the Young Child
Integrating the Arts into Early Childhood Education
Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
Early Childhood Education Practicum
General Biology I
Fundamentals of Writing
Reading Improvement
English Composition I
Elementary Algebra
United States History - The 20th Century
MATH 1: Course TBD
MATH 2: Course TBD
Demonstrate ethical and professional standards and make decisions as part of a continuous collaborative learning, informed reflective practice and diverse field experiences - 80 req. hrs
Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Family and Community Relationships
Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
Teaching English Language Learners
Introduction to Special Education and Inclusive Practices
Early Childhood Education Practicum