Departments
Study guide

In Texas, the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) regulates the training of people who work in home- and center-based facilities.
Must training meet criteria? DFPS recognizes clock hours or continuing education units (CEU) from various sources including 1) workshops offered by local school districts, colleges or universities, or child care licensing; 2) conferences; 3) self-instructional materials; and 4) planned learning opportunities. See minimum standards, §746.1317 for center-based care and §747.1315 for home-based care for further details.
All training must include specifically stated learning objectives; a curriculum, which includes experiential or applied activities; an assessment to determine whether the person has met the objectives; and a certificate of successful completion.
Does DFPS approve training resources or trainers for clock hours? No. It’s your responsibility to obtain relevant training from reliable resources. DFPS does recommend, however, that you preview all training materials and ask trainers to verify their knowledge of the subject—both experience and education, and training qualifications.
What is instructor-led training? This is usually a class led by an instructor, who communicates and interacts with learners by answering questions, providing feedback, and offering guidance or information on resources. Advantages include getting a break from the isolation of your work, networking and support, sharing knowledge, and learning about different practices in early care and education.
What is self-instructional training? This is training in which an individual works alone, at her own pace, to complete lessons or modules without the direction, assistance, or feedback of an instructor. That is why CPR and first aid training cannot be obtained through self-instructional training.
DFPS limits the number of annual training hours you can obtain from self-instructional materials. Check your minimum standards for details on these limitations; for home-based care, see §747.1325. For center-based care, see §746.1327.
How do I verify training for DFPS? To be counted toward compliance with minimum standards, the trainer or training source should provide you with a certificate or letter showing: your name, date of the training, title or subject of the training, the trainer’s name or the training source for self-instructional training, and the length of the training specified in clock hours, CEU’s, or college credit hours.
Keep all documentation in a safe place like a file cabinet or personnel file. DFPS licensing representatives may ask to review self-instructional materials to ensure training criteria are met. Do not mail your documentation to child care licensing or to the Texas Child Care Quarterly.
Can I use Texas Child Care for self-instructional training? Yes. DFPS will recognize two clock hours of self-instructional training credit from this issue, provided you do the following: 1. Review the checklist at right. 2. Study all articles that relate to your work with children. 3. Respond to the checklist with documented evidence (written descriptions, photographs, and charts, for example). Continue to study the article until you can provide documentation and answer “Yes” to each skill. 4. Attach a copy of the checklist or a cover page to your documentation. Be sure to include your name, the date you completed the documentation, and identify the issue and titles of the articles you studied.

Learning objectives and evaluation checklist

I hate math: What we want young children NOT to learn (page 2)
I can tell in writing the story of my relationship to math.
I can list at least four ways to break the cycle of negative attitudes toward math.
I can document with pictures, anecdotal records, and lesson plans the ways in which I foster and support meaningful and authentic math experiences.

Old-fashioned games for timeless fun (page 10)
I can list five ways in which games support children’s cognitive, social, language, emotional, and physical development.
I can list in writing the ways I ensure safety in children’s play.
I can document with pictures, lesson plans, and activity logs children’s participation in at least five of the activities described in this article.

The achievement gap: What early childhood educators need to know (page 14)
I can provide in writing a definition of achievement gap and tell why it’s important for early childhood education.
I can tell in writing why closing the achievement gap has implications for the national economy.
I can list in writing at least five programs that have been successful in narrowing or closing the achievement gap.

Discovering the power of the pen: Awakening the author within (page 24)
I can describe in writing what I remember about learning to write.
I can list the significant milestones of literacy development.
I can document with pictures, videos, and work samples the ways in which I’ve observed children engage in writing activities.

Putting the power in action: Teaching young children “how to” write (page 28)
I can give evidence in pictures and lesson plans of how I compose and use morning messages.
I can describe in writing the “I do, we do, you do” processes and why they are effective.
I can provide examples of completed journal writing rating scales for the children in my group.