CDA Practice Test #3 Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Program

You should read to your students every day, allow time for them to ask questions and share their experiences

Whenever you leave your classroom to go on a field trip or just a walk to a local park, you must have your First Aid kit with you in case of minor injuries.

Until the structure has been repaired, you cannot reasonably assure it is safe for your preschoolers. Advise your director and wait until she confirms it is safe to use it again.

Children learn best when they are allowed to explore their environment through guided free-play, open-ended activities and hands-on experiences.

Very young children, ages birth to eight months, begin to establish patterns of sleeping, waking, eating, and socializing. Mobile infants, ages nine to 17 months, may have difficulty separating from parents, even when caregivers are well-known and trusted. Toddlers, ages 18 months to 36 months, begin to develop their own individual routines and rituals which make them feel safe and secure. Caregivers can anticipate these behaviors and support the children in their care.

The director most likely does not want the students to use bar soap as it can help spread germs when used by multiple children. However, it is better than no soap at all. Help the children lather with the bar soap and rinse it between each user with warm water to lessen the chance of germs being transmitted.

Teachable moments can provide some of the best learning experiences for your students. If the children find a cocoon on the playground, take the time to explore the cocoon respectfully and, if you are not already, share with them the life cycle of a butterfly. This could turn in to a great lesson for another day. If a student does something special over a weekend or has an interesting event (such as receiving stitches) it is a great chance to share information with students and expand on their natural curiosity.

Asking your families to share with your students is a great way to develop a relationship with them and show them you respect their individual cultures, traditions and recipes. Your students will love the special activities and visitors.

If you allow children to bring toys from home, it is best to have a procedure for assisting the children with the difficult task of sharing their beloved belongings. Have the children share their toy in a safe environment, such as circle, so they understand they will get their toy back soon. Then set up a way to have them share. Helping your students learn to share is a big part of their preschool experience.

Any time there is an injury, no matter how minor, it is good practice to document the situation with an incident report. If there are any questions later, the written record will let everyone know what happened. The child's mother will appreciate you letting her know what happened, even though the injury is small.

A nice way to welcome your families is to let them come see the classroom, meet you and hear about what will be happening in your classroom this year. You can share information with them, have some kid friendly snacks and have a chance to chat with anyone who wants to get to know you a bit better.

When recording observations, it is important to keep them objective. While it may appear a child didn't want to play with the blocks, it may have been something else that was bothering him. Another way to phrase that so that it is objective would be, "Brandy did not participate during block time."

While some community members may wish to donate money or materials, the children will have a wonderful rich learning experience when the adults in their community come into the classroom and share with them. You will be surprised at what the parents, your friends, and other community members will be able to share with your children.

If a child is stung by a bee and you are not certain if he's allergic, you can start by putting ice on the sting and watching the child closely for any changes such as extreme swelling or trouble breathing. If you feel the child is having an allergic reaction, you must dial 911 immediately.

In this area, a paragraph which describes the specific ways you promote professionalism in your program and work. Several examples from your particular program should be included in the 500 word paragraph. The applicant should detail processes and procedures which reflect your professionalism and the professional development activities in which he/she has participated.

Caregivers working with ELL and bilingual children should seek to clarify issues related to bilingualism and multiculturalism. Children should not be "separated" from either their primary language or their cultural heritage. The caregiver should be knowledgeable about bilingual language development and cultural heritage so they can more accurately serve the needs of their charges.

When a child has regular accidents after successfully using the facilities on a regular basis, there can be factors you are not aware of causing this child to regress. Speaking to the child's parents can give you insight as to whether there is something going on at home, maybe a new baby or a recent move. It also allows the parents to work with you to resolve the issue for while they may not be happy he is having accidents, they will respect and trust you for sharing your concerns and being willing to do what it takes to support their child.

Children love to guess what will happen on the next page or by the end of the book. Help them to develop their prediction skills by using clues from the early pages to guess what will happen on the later pages. This will be easier for some students than others and you will be able to assess this skill easily by their answers.

Many children have trouble transitioning from one activity to another. Mrs. Cook can help these children by warning them that activities are going to change. This will give them time to finish what they are doing, clean up, and adjust their feelings about having to finish and move on. She might have a musical signal or a verbal one which cues children to the change. This will take some practice but eventually the children will adjust and transition more smoothly. Having consistent rules and procedures is the best way to keep programs running smoothly.

Everything that happens in a child's life, everything they share with you and everything you observe can be a teaching moment. If a child is concerned about a new sibling, taking the time to respond to that concern helps that child to learn and feel secure. You can expand the teachable moments, when appropriate, by reading books or having activities that also touch on these subjects.

When the children show an interest in the snow, a caring teacher will use this natural interest to help the children have meaningful experiences. Since they cannot play in the snow, you can provide a hands on concrete experience that will expand on your current theme.

Parents often have unrealistic expectations for their children, especially when they see older siblings or other children doing things their child is not yet doing. It is important to help them understand what realistic goals are for their child at his or her age. Providing examples of the wonderful developmentally appropriate things their child is doing will help the parents feel supported in their concerns and trust your feedback regarding their child.

Whenever there is a problem with a parent, it is best to speak to them in a non-confrontational manner. First ask them if they have a minute and provide a place where they can speak freely and not feel put on the spot. Be respectful and keep your tone even, don't raise your voice or use a condescending tone. Explain why you need their compliance in this situation, why this rule is in place. Often, when someone understands why they are being asked to do something, they will agree to cooperate even if they do not fully agree with the policy.

By using pictures and diagrams in conjunction with words, you can easily let everyone in the classroom know how to respond in an emergency even if they cannot read or do not speak the language.

The only sure thing about children is that there is no sure thing. Each student in an individual with their own likes and dislikes and levels of abilities in different areas. Plan a well-rounded curriculum with a lot of options during the day for individual growth and expression. Some children will want to try every activity while others will be more reluctant. Planning for their differences will allow you to feel confident each child is getting a positive preschool experience.

Mealtime is a wonderful time for a teacher to model appropriate conversation while encouraging interaction amongst her students. Asking students open ended questions thus allowing for more than "yes" or "no" answers will help children develop their communication skills.

When a student misses several days, unless your school policy says otherwise, it is always a nice gesture to contact the parents to see if the child is well. The child may be sick, or in some case, there may be something else going on and you need to be aware of.

Online courses and training are not acceptable for CDA certification. The course must be from a nationally recognized organization, such as the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. Specific training in pediatric CPR is required. On the day of the verification visit, the original certification document must be provided. Copies can be included in a professional portfolio.

Children at this age are developing their sense of self and should be encouraged to try to a variety of dress up clothes, with no defined gender roles. Little boys can wear dresses and little girls can be construction workers - for them, it’s fun and a chance to safely experiment in their environment.

Maintaining confidentiality is one of the professional obligations of a caregiver. The caregiver should arrive on time, work a full day, maintain a positive attitude and work ethic and dress appropriately for the responsibilities of the position. The organization should provide standards for professional behavior.

Children love to look at themselves and mirrors help them develop a sense of self. Kid safe mirrors should be hung at the child's eye level so they can look at themselves and experiment with making faces, become familiar with their facial features and interact with their friends.

It is important to create a warm safe environment with reliable routines for naptime. Reading a book or having soft music playing while they are settling and allowing them to have security items from home (ex: blanket, doll) will help them settle down and rest peacefully.

Respectfully advise the parents of the school rules. Let them know you understand their concerns, but must comply with the policies and procedures of your director. From time to time, your classroom parents will disagree with a policy or procedure of your school. While you may actually agree with the parents, it is best to listen to their concerns while supporting the school rules. You will not be able to make your parents happy 100% of the time, however, if you show them you are a professional at all times, the times you cannot agree with them will go smoother. Seeing that you respect and support the policies will help them do the same.

When children can share family photos, discuss their families with you and others and display important photos in their classroom, they feel a sense of self-worth in the classroom - i.e., they are important in your class. They also begin to develop a sense of self-identity when they see their families and how they are the same and different from other families.

Help him to change and then put his clothes in a sealed and labeled plastic bag. - To assure you follow proper sanitary procedures, it’s important to put soiled clothes in a labeled and sealed plastic bag so that nothing can leak from the bag and the bag goes home with the correct child.

Circle time should be short enough not to lose the attention of your students while keeping them actively engaged. This will help them to fully enjoy the activities and not lose focus and interest. It is acceptable to have two circle times in a day, if time permits.

Neurological damage can cause some developmental issues. Emotional ad social development issues include separation anxiety, dependency, shyness, and making friends. Cognitive issues relate to thinking and learning. Language skills include phonemic awareness, processing and fluency.

The most immediate source for feedback will be a professional mentor or supervisor. Caregivers can find sources for personal reflection by attending college courses, professional conferences, or by reading professional journals. Most parents will not have the professional knowledge necessary for accurate feedback and will not be present during service.

The above listed activities are all good methods in building pre-reading skills. Any time the children are exposed to literacy (such as being read a book or "reading" a book to someone else) or writing, tracing or coloring letters, they are getting valuable prereading experience. Expose your students to many opportunities to read, write and explore the written language.

In order to maintain the trust of both parents, it is important to share the information with both of them and work with them to come to a reasonable solution.

Your classroom should have all kinds of reading materials, including maps, atlases, menus, magazines, picture books and books with predicable text. Your students should be exposed to the written word as much as possible and in as many forms as possible.

When children engage in dramatic play, they are also engaging their non-verbal idea building skills. Even though they may be "talking", they are utilizing their creative brain. They can do this with dance, art and dramatic play.

Since Ezra seems fine and does not have a fever, it is best to let his mother know what happened and make a determination for the remainder of the day. If he stays, let her know you will call if anything changes.

When a child is upset, respect his feelings by addressing him directly and privately, down at his level. You can tell the children you are reading to that you will be right back and go over to speak with the child in the block area.

You are the children's main role model during the hours they are with you. By building and maintaining healthy relationships with those around you, you are teaching the children how to positively engage socially.

Reassure parents that the school is following all required sanitation rules. - The school can reassure parents that the school is doing all they can to prevent illnesses from spreading. These can be detailed in a bulletin. Parents can also be advised as to how to keep their children safe in all public areas by having them wash their hands frequently etc. Remind all parents that sick children should be kept at home until they are symptom-free. Children who have been ill should not be stigmatized.

If a child in your class is not coming to school with adequate outerwear, you will have to make decisions based on what you have available to you. If there is not a coat that can be borrowed for the child, you may have to leave him inside with another class. In some cases, this would not be an option as all classes are outside at the same time, a teacher may be at ratio or the child will be too upset to be left behind. In that case, you may have to choose not to go outside. You will also want to talk to the parents about the importance of sending their child to school with warm clothing. Building a relationship with your parents will help you navigate these tougher situations. If you get the sense the parents are unable to provide a coat for their child, talk to your Director about how you can help this family.

It can be easy to forget that children are not trying to be rude or misbehave when they interrupt. Preschoolers just get excited and want to share their feelings with you, they are just learning how to be sensitive to others' feelings. As their teacher, it is important you remember to stay respectful and remind them of the need to wait until you are done talking. You can make up a signal (such as two fingers over your lips) that will visually remind students to wait while you finish your conversation.

Andrew should not be allowed to kick. His mother should be informed of all procedures the center will use to end this behavior. She should be kept informed of any changes in his behavior. At an early formal conference, the director might suggest some actions the parent might take to help Andrew change his behaviors at home. If Andrew does not change his behavior, another conference can be called in which further actions are discussed.

While all the above will allow children to learn about bugs in a variety of ways, having them feel the dirt and move the bugs around in the dirt will give them a wonderful sensory experience.

At this age, it is best to distract or engage children in activities which they enjoy. Quinn may not be able to explain her anger. Engaging her in an activity she usually desires will distract her and give her time to work through her feelings. She will then be able to join in activities with the other children.

The most important thing you can initially do is talk to his parents or caregivers to see if they can explain why he's been so tired lately. It may be something they are aware of and can share with you what is going on at home. If not, it is important they know so they can help to find out what is causing this change and rectify it so their little boy can feel better.

Typically, children become aware of their gender identity during the first year of life, usually by the ages of 8 to 10 months. Children become aware of the physical differences between boys and girls by the ages of one year to three years. By age four, gender identity becomes stable.

Support standards for each child's culture, language, ethnicity and family structure. Confidentiality standards for assessment results or personal records should follow legal and ethical considerations. The guidelines should state:

1. Who can access records
2. Laws and regulations related to access (with special instances clearly noted)
3. Procedures for confidentiality
4. How information can be used

When assessing an individual child's developmental progress, multiple sources of evidence should be used. These should include written objective observations, information from parents, data collected using formal and informal observation tools, and work samples. Cultural influences and expectations should also be considered. Using this information, the caregiver can construct an individual learning plan for each child.

There will be times when a situation presents itself that can be just as much a learning experience for your students as one you may have planned for. In this case, let all the kids practice putting their shoes on, this is developmentally appropriate and the kids will have fun.

When a child shows dramatic changes in behavior, it’s always best to contact the parents and work directly with them to get to the bottom of the issue. They may not always be happy with what you're telling them but, if you are respectful and gentle in your approach, you will gain their trust and can then work best as a team to help the child.

In order to truly be in compliance with the program you are working with, it is important to know its policies, procedures, and philosophy.

While learning a few key phrases in Spanish will certainly help, it is unlikely you will be able to fully communicate in his native tongue right away. Having materials in your classroom that are in both English and Spanish will help him feel comfortable while exposing him to the English language. You will be surprised how fast the preschoolers pick up a second language.

Safety must always be a priority in a preschool setting. Regularly check to assure your emergency contact list is up to date and that each child has a contact listed, refill your First Aid kit so on case of an emergency you are not searching for the items you need and always check toys so you can throw away toys with broken pieces that can become jagged or splinter off and be swallowed.

Children will take great joy in making class books and a field trip is wonderful material for them. Have them write something they saw, something they did or how it made them feel. Use real pictures or have them draw them. Once the book is complete, put it in your classroom library for the children to read whenever they want to.

Your student is concerned and does not have the life experience to understand how this change will affect him. Be available to give extra hugs and support and talk to him about what he might be feeling. Help him find the words to use to share his feelings and have materials in the classroom, like books, that can help him work through these concerns.

At this stage, children are still exploring shapes and number. Mrs. Kline should challenge the children to create shapes and tell her about them. This will help them learn about the attributes of shapes. Mrs. Kline can discuss the concepts of closed shapes, polygons, sides, and angles. Four-year-old children would not be challenged by stacking blocks and they will most likely not be able to recreate a solid model in two-dimensions on paper. They may be able to identify various shapes and name them without knowing how many sides are used for each. This would be a teaching moment.