Not By Chance: Child Care That Supports School
Readiness
Half of Minnesota children are NOT
fully ready for kindergarten. |
Nearly a million students in
Minnesota
will begin a new school year this week. Of those about 60,000 will be
entering public school for the first time as kindergartners, and many are
not fully ready. Half of these children are not proficient in two crucial
areas: language and literacy and mathematical thinking. |
Supporting children's school readiness in child care settings
takes careful planning, knowledge and attention to each child's individual
needs. A newly released training, entitled Not by Chance: Child Care that
Supports School Readiness, will provide knowledge of three tools used in
Minnesota's early childhood and school age care and education system:
Not by Chance:
Child Care that Supports School Readiness is a training curriculum designed
to provide concrete information on Minnesota’s endorsed quality support
tools.
This learning system,
offered by Child Care Resource & Referral, is structured in three levels:
Foundations of Quality,
Tools to Create Quality, and
Quality in Practice. Building on the existing excellence of Minnesota
child care providers, the Not by Chance trainings provide information and
resources to measure this excellence and take it to the next level. This
educational series sets out to prepare the field for the changing face of
child care and a new era in which every provider is viewed and valued as an
early educator.
Not by Chance:
Child Care that Supports School Readiness offers three levels of learning to
meet your educational needs.
Each of the following training levels builds upon the others
to offer a sequence of learning. This sequence will help you master the
knowledge and skills needed to provide quality care and education for every
child.
-
Foundations of Quality:
This 2 -hour session begins the program by
discussing the core elements of child care that prepares children for
success in school and life.
This training offers you the concepts and background which you need to
become well-versed in Minnesota’s endorsed quality support tools: the
Minnesota Core Competencies for Early Childhood Education and Care
Practitioners ©, the Environment Rating Scales, and the
Early Childhood Indicators of Progress: Minnesota’s Early Learning
Standards 2005 ©. You can feel good about finishing this session,
knowing that you are ready to incorporate these critical tools into your
work.
-
Tools to Create Quality:
In this six -hour class (or 3 two hour
classes), we explore the three areas addressed in Minnesota’s quality
support tools including the knowledge and approach of the child care
provider, the knowledge and skills of the children in their care, and the
environment in which care is delivered. This session is designed to help
you build your knowledge and understanding of the quality support tools,
and ways in which these tools can support you and the children and
families you work with. You end the sessions confident that you are ready
to learn more about using these tools effectively in your program.
-
Quality in Practice:
Offering an in-depth understanding of each endorsed quality tool, this
comprehensive level of the curriculum engages you to apply your knowledge
and utilize the tools in your environment. This level is reached through
concrete instruction, guided self-assessment, and the opportunity to
reflect on assignments and practice new skills between sessions. This
training is offered over time, with several sessions spaced out
intentionally to offer practice use of the tools and follow-up discussion
and feedback. This model offers the depth to help you make the leap from
using portions of the quality tools to mastering the complete program,
using the tools in tandem, and achieving an overall philosophy of quality.
It’s well worth the time and has the power to inspire each element of your
work and the way you look at each child in your care! The benefits
of completing the Quality in Practice level also include enrollment in our
new Applause Program which rewards excellence with the latest in
educational toys and books from Kaplan Early Learning Co.
Here's how it works: child care providers who complete the
Not by Chance: Child Care that Supports School Readiness,
Quality in Practice level
training will receive a $50 gift certificate towards the purchase of new
materials from Kaplan Early Learning Co. We have resources to recognize
100 providers at this time. First
Come First Serve.
This level of training also earns the provider an extra point towards a
R.E.E.T.A.I.N. grant.
1.
Quality in
Practice for Family Child Care Environments:
This training is focused on the Family Daycare Rating Scale, an environment
rating scale developed specifically for family child care settings. The
FDCRS is a research-based tool that encourages
important but simple changes which will dramatically improve the
quality of your program. It is a learning tool that recommends best
practices centered on six main areas: Space and Furnishing, Basic Care,
Language and Reasoning, Learning Activities, Social Development, and Adult
Needs. Knowing how to utilize the rating scale will benefit not only your
child care business and the families you serve, but can also benefit your
community as a whole. With knowledge of this important tool at your
fingertips you will be ready to improve the quality of your program and to
intentionally, systematically impact school readiness for the children in
your care.
2.
Quality in
Practice for Infant Toddler Environments:
This training is focused on the Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale. The
ITERS is a research-based tool that encourages
important but simple changes which will dramatically improve the
quality of your program. It is a learning tool that recommends best
practices centered on seven main areas: Space and Furnishings, Personal Care
Routines, Language and Reasoning, Activities, Interaction, Program
Structure, and Parents and Staff. Knowing how to utilize the rating scale
will benefit not only your program and the families you serve, but can also
benefit your community as a whole. With knowledge of this important tool at
your fingertips you will be ready to improve the quality of your program and
to intentionally, systematically impact school readiness for the young
children in your care.
3.
Quality in
Practice for School-Age Care Environments:
This training is focused on the School Age Care Environment Rating Scale.
The SACERS R is a research-based tool that encourages
important but simple changes which will dramatically improve the
quality of your program. It is a learning tool that recommends best
practices centered on seven main areas: Space and Furnishings, Health and
Safety, Activities, Interactions, Program Structure, Staff Development, and
Special Needs Supplementary Items. Knowing how to utilize the rating scale
will benefit not only your program and the families you serve, but can also
benefit your community as a whole. With knowledge of this important tool at
your fingertips, you will be ready to improve the quality of your program
and to intentionally, systematically prepare the children in your care to
learn.
4.
Quality in
Practice for Early Childhood Environments:
This training is focused on the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale.
The ECERS is a research-based tool that encourages
important but simple changes which will dramatically improve the
quality of your program. It is a learning tool that recommends best
practices centered on seven main areas: Space and Furnishings, Personal Care
Routines, Listening and Talking, Activities, Interactions, and Program
Structure. Knowing how to utilize the rating scale will benefit not only
your program and the families you serve, but can also benefit your community
as a whole. With knowledge of this important tool at your fingertips you
will be ready to improve the quality of your program and to intentionally,
systematically impact school readiness for the young children in your care.
5.
Quality in
Practice for the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress:
This training is focused on the Early Childhood Indicators of Progress,
Minnesota’s Early Learning Standards. The ECIPS offer the latest research
on common developmental expectations for children ages three to five and a
framework for helping them get there. This learning tool gives an
understanding of child development, strategies for encouraging healthy
development, and highlights a community-wide responsibility for supporting
young children. This tool is centered on six main developmental areas:
Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language and
Literacy Development, Creativity and the Arts, Cognitive Development, and
Physical and Motor Development. The Early Childhood Indicators of Progress
for children ages birth-3 will be incorporated into this training as they
become available.
Child care providers who receive these trainings will be able
to:
- Recognize the importance of school readiness.
- Identify quality components of a child care program (family
child care or center-based) that lead to school readiness.
- Examine the relation between the core competencies, the
environmental rating scales and the early childhood indicators of progress
(foundational components) in relation to quality child care programs.
Not By Chance is currently offered through the Child Care Resource and Referral
Office in your area as part of their Professional Development Opportunities for
Early Childhood and School-Age Programs.
Check for the child care resource and referral
office for your area.
If you would like more information about Not By Chance training or for help in
finding educational opportunities in your area, please
contact me.
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