DCF Child Care 40 Hour Certification
Exam With Complete Solution
Why do childcare professionals observe and screen children? - Answer So they can
facilitate the growth and development of every child in their program, detect early signs
of development, delay or disability, and identify signs of child abuse or neglect.
Observation - Answer an ongoing process in which child care professionals recognize
and document identifiable developmental milestones as they appear using tools such as
checklists, anecdotal records, and running records
Screening - Answer is an ongoing process in which child care professionals use
specialized observation and documentation tools to identify, document, and monitor
typical development or possible developmental delay
Developmental milestones - Answer are observable behaviors, traits, skills, or abilities
that typically appear at specific age ranges
3 main reasons child care programs observe and screen children are to: - Answer -
foster growth and development
- detect early signs of delay
-identify signs of child abuse or neglect
Early intervention - Answer a system of services that helps children who have a
developmental disability or delay
Atypical - Answer same as not typical or not expected
Mandatory Reporters - Answer people that must identify themselves and must report
suspected abuse or neglect
Documented evidence - Answer written data collected by the program
Observation session - Answer trained adult monitors a child as they demonstrate
identified skills or abilities within a developmental domain, in their natural environment
Developmental Domain - Answer Characterize children's skills and abilties
-Physical Health and Motor Development
-Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
,-Language and Communication
-Social and Emotional
-Approaches to learning
Natural Environment - Answer places the child would typically be such as home, the
child care program, school, rather than a directors office or doctors office.
Developmentally Appropriate Practice - Answer research based framework based on
meeting children where they are individually, chronologically, and culturally
Individualized Care - Answer attention paid to a child that recognizes and adapts to his
or her unique character and physical emotional, and cognitive traits.
Screening Session - Answer Trained adults identify and measure specific skills and
abilities as indicated by a screening instrument
Screening takes place - Answer recurrently using an instrument that is proven to be
valid, accurate., and reliable
Family members involvement in screening - Answer May be active or passive, but
always involved
Benefits of Screening - Answer -identify specific areas of concern
-determine if assessment or evaluation may be necessary
-basis for referral
-give info to parents to make decisions
-open ongoing communication with parents and others
Assessment - Answer an agency or organization gathers and reviews multiple sources
of info about a child's suspected or confirmed developmental delay or disability and
uses data to improve a child's outcomes
Evaluation - Answer procedures used by qualifies personnel that determines a child's
eligibility for federal, state, and local programs and services
Role as a child care professional - Answer Observation, Screening and Referral
Guideline - Answer general course of action taken to achieve a desired result
Best Practice - Answer specific action taken by experts in the field to achieve a desired
result
Guidelines for Observation and Screening - Answer Be informed, objective and
accurate, honest and fair, focused
,Objectivity - Answer ability to set aside personal beliefs, values, opinions and biases,
and consider only facts
Subjectivity - Answer involves the application of one's point of view when determining a
course of thought or action
Presumption - Answer a belief about something or someone formed before experience
shows it is true
Good Faith - Answer moral concept that means to work with sincere intention of doing
the right thing, with honesty and integrity and perform with best effort possible
Validity - Answer screening instruments soundness and legitimacy
Correlated - Answer related
Replicated - Answer repeated
Involving families in the prcoess - Answer -permission to screen
-enrollment info
-results of previous screenings
-health records
-family dynamics
-health issues
-written consent
Confidentiality - Answer keeping personal info private
Quality programs have developmentally appropriate screening schedule for each child
and share it with the parents. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
screenings at: - Answer -9 months
-18 months
-24 months or 30 months
Child care professionals should: - Answer select the right screening tools, ask the right
questions, follow guidelines and best practices, involve families
checklist - Answer a list of skills and abilities to be observed.
anecdotal record - Answer write about the development of a skill or ability after it has
occured
conversations - Answer word for word accounts of what children said while being
interviewed by a provider
can be phonetically, non verbal communication and body language also included
, document children's ability to translate words into thoughts
documentation - Answer everything in a child's file
in regards to observation- refers to records that help identify a child who may be at risk
of maltreatment, delay, disability or to relay a suspicion of child abuse
frequency count - Answer how often a behavior happens
identify how often behaviors to be addressed or accommodated
running record - Answer write about what is happening while you are observing
standardized test - Answer compare a child's development to other children of the same
age. ability to compare contrast, solve problems, classify objects, put things in order,
arrive at conclusions tested
time sample - Answer document children's attention span. how much time they spend
doing an activity
work sample - Answer observe a child's skill by using a product they have created
can be 2d (drawing or writing) 3d (sculpture)
could be a photograph or video of child building or recording of them singing or telling a
story
rating scale - Answer used to measure behavior, skill, ability based on a series of quality
points or a continuum
Child care professionals do not - Answer diagnose
at risk - Answer describe a condition or situation of vulnerability or of being in danger
at-risk - Answer before a person or thing that is vulnerable or in danger
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) - Answer Mandates that children with
disabilities receive a free and appropriate public education (FAPE)
Who is at Risk? - Answer Males, living in poverty are at the highest risk for
developmental delay or disability
Developmental disability - Answer chronic condition that is diagnosed in childhood and
substantially limits major life activities in adulthood, and impacts a child's abilities to
perform activities in one or more developmental domain