All About Child Care and Early Education

Description

• Presents the practical know-how of practitioners who work with children–birth to age 5–on a daily basis.
• Organization of the book corresponds to the 13 functional areas of the CDA-Child Development Associate, providing students with a comprehensive overview of early childhood in the context of group care.  As a result, students are well-prepared to pass the national CDA credentialing assessment.
• All curriculum, activities, and suggestions for classroom management have been field-tested in child care centers serving children from a wide-spectrum of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Easy-to-read and includes humorous anecdotes illustrating day-to-day realities. Compels a reader’s attention, and conveys that the authors understand the reality of working with young children in groups.
• Covers the full range of early childhood development birth to five, allowing students to “plot” individual development along the continuum and help children take their next steps.
• A separate TRAINEE’S MANUAL ( All About Child Care and Early Education: A Trainee’s Manual for Child Care Professionals) is available for sale and provides additional exercises and activities that stimulate class discussion and prompt students to reflect on their work. It also includes a section designed to help students write essays reflecting on their actual approach to early childhood work (required for national CDA assessment).

Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., a noted developmental psychologist, educator, and researcher specializing in early childhood education, founded the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University in the early 1970s. The Institute offers a variety of early child care and education programs, parent/child classes, and professional development opportunities. Dr. Segal has developed and implemented training programs for Head Start teachers, infant/toddler caregivers, family support workers, and Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates. She has also created three comprehensive early childhood curricula and is the author or co-author of sixteen books on early childhood development, including the popular Your Child at Play series. Dr. Segal earned her PhD. in educational research at Nova Southeastern University.

Betty Bardige, Ed.D., is an early childhood policy and program consultant and an expert on early language and literacy. As chair of a national early childhood foundation, she focused on strengthening programs for young children and their families and enhancing policies and systems to support the early care and education workforce. Dr. Bardige pioneered the development of educational software for preschoolers and developed related reading and math curricula. She has written numerous books and articles for parents, early childhood professionals, and the general public related to language and literacy development, early education policy, and the characteristics of high quality programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Family Child Care, and holds a doctorate in education from Harvard University.

M. Kori Bardige, MS.Ed.

, is an early childhood special education consultant for the Learning Resource Center-South, a grant project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Programs. Ms. Bardige works with school districts and early childhood centers to develop inclusive preschool programs that meet all children’s needs. She also provides training and individual consultation to professionals and families working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and regularly presents at local, state, and national conferences. She has worked extensively with children who have autism spectrum disorders or related developmental disabilities and taught for more than 10 years in a variety of early childhood settings, including public schools, inclusive classrooms and child care centers. She holds a MS.Ed. in severe special needs from Simmons College and is currently completing a doctorate in special education.

Lorraine Breffni, Ed.D., is the Director of Early Childhood at the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University. She oversees the operation of four early childhood programs serving children aged 6 weeks through 5 years and works in collaboration with a range of local and national leaders to advance early childhood public policy. Lorraine is an instructor for early childhood courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She develops and implements training on topics as diverse as best practices in emergent literacy, leadership, and early childhood curriculum. She also offers technical assistance to preschool teachers and administrators as they strive to enhance classroom practice and provides consultation to agencies working to promote quality community-based opportunities for young children.

Mary Jean Woika, M.Ed. is an instructor and course designer for early childhood practitioners in online and onsite courses leading to bachelor and associate degrees, CDA training, and a Director Credential. She has served as advisor for National CDA candidates. Ms. Woika serves on several state and local committees that make decisions regarding training of early childhood practitioners. She draws upon her teaching experience as a mentor, behavior consultant, child care director, as well as her work with children with special needs in inclusive settings. Ms. Woika holds a master’s degree in newborn, infants, and preschool special education from Pennsylvania State University and is currently a doctoral student in educational leadership with a minor in adult education.

This newly revised edition covers the basics of early education and care: providing safe, healthy, and appropriately stimulating learning environments; child development and developmentally appropriate practices and curricula in all domains (physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and creativity), positive guidance strategies, partnering with families, child assessment and program management, and professionalism. Filled with a plethora of practical suggestions for setting up classrooms, developing curricula for infants, toddlers and preschoolers; meeting children’s social-emotional needs, and working effectively with parents and staff for the Child Development Associate degree, this book will prepare students for diverse roles as educators of children ages 0-5.

• NEW! English language learners and children with identified special needs or risk factors receive increased attention throughout the text.  Examples, tips, and suggested activities and modifications help practitioners to intentionally support a variety of learning needs in a variety of inclusive settings. 
• NEW! Chapters on Cognitive Development and Communication contain a wealth of new material on language, literacy, and mathematics, reflecting new research, early learning standards, evidence-informed curricula, and assessment tools.
• NEW! Evidence-based strategies for building family-strengthening partnerships are integrated throughout the text.
• NEW! Reflective questions in each chapter engage adult learners in critical review of text material and its application to their practice.
• NEW! Cultural competence and inclusion strategies for working with young children and their families, including the latest anti-bias recommendations, are now incorporated throughout the text.

Marilyn Segal, Betty Bardige, M. Kori Bardige, Lorraine Breffni, and Mary Jean Woika

All About Child Care and Early Education: A Comprehensive Resource for Child Care Professionals, 2/e

All About Child Care and Early Education, 2/e is a comprehensive resource that provides a plethora of practical suggestions for setting up classrooms; developing curricula for infants, toddlers and preschoolers; for meeting children’s social-emotional needs, and for working effectively with parents and staff. This manual is used by thousands of Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates and similar students preparing for roles as educators of children ages 0-5.

This newly revised edition covers the basics of early education and care: providing safe, healthy, and appropriately stimulating learning environments; child development and developmentally appropriate practices and curricula in all domains (physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and creativity), positive guidance strategies, partnering with families, child assessment and program management, and professionalism.

Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., a noted developmental psychologist, educator, and researcher specializing in early childhood education, founded the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies at Nova Southeastern University in the early 1970s.  Dr. Segal has developed and implemented training programs for Head Start teachers, infant/toddler caregivers, family support workers, and Child Development Associate (CDA) candidates. She has also created three comprehensive early childhood curricula and is the author or co-author of sixteen books on early childhood development, including the popular Your Child at Play series.  

Betty Bardige, Ed.D., is an early childhood policy and program consultant and an expert on early language and literacy. As chair of a national early childhood foundation, she focused on strengthening programs for young children and their families and enhancing policies and systems to support the early care and education workforce.  Dr. Bardige pioneered the development of educational software for preschoolers and developed related reading and math curricula. She has written numerous books and articles for parents, early childhood professionals, and the general public related to language and literacy development, early education policy, and the characteristics of high quality programs for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Family Child Care, and holds a doctorate in education from Harvard University.

M. Kori Bardige, MS. Ed. is an early childhood special education consultant for the Learning Resource Center-South, a grant project of the New Jersey Department of Education, Office of Special Programs. Ms. Bardige works with school districts and early childhood centers to develop inclusive preschool programs that meet all children’s needs. She also provides training and individual consultation to professionals and families working with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, and regularly presents at local, state, and national conferences. She has worked extensively with children who have autism spectrum disorders or related developmental disabilities and taught for more than 10 years in a variety of early childhood settings, including public schools, inclusive classrooms and child care centers. She holds a MS.Ed. in severe special needs from Simmons College and is currently completing a doctorate in special education.

Lorraine Breffni, Ed.D., is the Director of Early Childhood at the Mailman Segal Institute for Early Childhood Studies, Nova Southeastern University. She oversees the operation of four early childhood programs serving children aged 6 weeks through 5 years and works in collaboration with a range of local and national leaders to advance early childhood public policy. Lorraine is an instructor for early childhood courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. She develops and implements training on topics as diverse as best practices in emergent literacy, leadership, and early childhood curriculum. She also offers technical assistance to preschool teachers and administrators as they strive to enhance classroom practice and provides consultation to agencies working to promote quality community-based opportunities for young children.

Mary Jean Woika, M.Ed. is an instructor and course designer for early childhood practitioners in online and onsite courses leading to bachelor and associate degrees, CDA training, and a Director Credential. She has served as advisor for National CDA candidates. Ms. Woika serves on several state and local committees that make decisions regarding training of early childhood practitioners. She draws upon her teaching experience as a mentor, behavior consultant, child care director, as well as her work with children with special needs in inclusive settings. Ms. Woika holds a master’s degree in newborn, infants, and preschool special education from Pennsylvania State University and is currently a doctoral student in educational leadership with a minor in adult education.

All About Child Care and Early Education, Second Edition, is a comprehensive resource for child care practitioners—or those looking to become child care practitioners—including teachers, care givers, family child care providers, administrators, and directors.

This newly revised edition covers the basics of early education and care: providing safe, healthy, and appropriately stimulating learning environments; child development and developmentally appropriate practices and curricula in all domains (physical, cognitive, language, social-emotional, and creativity), positive guidance strategies, partnering with families, child assessment and program management, and professionalism. Filled with a plethora of practical suggestions for setting up classrooms, developing curricula for young children, meeting children’s social-emotional needs, and working effectively with parents and staff for the Child Development Associate degree, this book will prepare students for diverse roles as educators of children ages 0-5. 

Section I – Setting the Stage: Creating Safe, Healthy, Learning Environments

Chapter 1 – Safety

Chapter 2 – Health

Chapter 3 – Learning Environments

Section II – The Performers: Understanding and Supporting Children’s Development

Chapter 4 – Physical Development

Chapter 5 – Cognitive Development

Chapter 6 – Communication

Chapter 7 – Creativity

Chapter 8 – Self

Chapter 9 – Social Development

Section III – Behind the Scenes: Building Relationships that Promote Healthy Development

Chapter 10 – Guidance

Chapter 11 – Families

Chapter 12 – Program Management

Chapter 13 – Professionalism

References and Resources

Additional information