Child Development Associate – Center-Based

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.

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.

Kerri Welch

Kerri Welch has over 20 years of extensive experience in the field of early childhood education. More specifically, with the CDA credential, she previously served as an instructor and field supervisor at Dutchess Community College in New York and as a PD Specialist for the CDA Council. She is currently teaching child development classes at Houston Community College.

Kerri has successfully trained a diverse population of students by helping them advance in their careers in early childhood development through implementing a child-centered, developmentally appropriate curriculum that uses positive guidance techniques. She has a Master of Science in early childhood education with a focus on students with disabilities, a bachelor's degree in elementary education, and an associate degree in early childhood education.

Kerri is on the advisory board of Informed Green Solutions, a national non-profit that has pioneered environmental education on green cleaning products for early childhood programs. She is extremely passionate about children's health, nutrition, and safety, especially regarding children with special needs.

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)