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

Early literacy: Phonological awareness and the alphabet (page 2)
I can describe in writing the difference between phonological and phonemic awareness and give anecdotal examples from the children in my care.
I can document with photographs and samples the way I adapted at least five of the activities in this article.
I can list at least five ways I give children access to the alphabet and print in my classroom.

School-age care: Support literacy with fun activities (page 8)
I can document with photographs, dictations, and samples at least 10 ways in which I maintain a language-rich environment.
I can list seven developmental domains and give examples of how I help children build literacy skills in each.
I can list at least three new songs, rhymes, or fingerplays that I use to support literacy.

What to do when you can’t find you: Exposing children to culturally reflective literature (page 18)
I can write an essay that describes culturally reflective literature and why it is important.
I can list at least ten culturally reflective books that I will include in my classroom library within six months.
I can list at least eight criteria for choosing culturally reflective literature.

A new tool for the classroom: The digital camera (page 24)
I can respond in writing to the questions on page 25 that guide the purchase of a digital camera.
I can document with pictures and descriptions the steps I take in introducing new technology to children.
I can document with pictures and samples at least five ways in which I use a digital camera to support learning.

Cook smart! Eat smart! (page 34)
I can list at least eight ways in which I keep cooking activities safe and sanitary.
I can list at least five classroom cooking tools and how children safely use them.
I can document with pictures and descriptions at least five cooking activities that increase complex carbohydrates and lower fat in foods.