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 the minimum standards, 746.1317 and 747.1315).
All training must include specifically stated learning objectives; a curriculum with experiential or applied activities; an assessment to determine whether the person 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 qualifications—both experience and education.
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, and self paced, to complete lessons or modules. The training must include an evaluation or other evidence of learning. It cannot be used for CPR and first aid.
Self-instruction may be used for no more than 16 of the 20 required clock hours for a program director or in-home care administrator, and no more than 12 of the required 15 hours for program teachers and caregivers and in-home assistant or substitute caregivers.
How do I verify training? You must receive a certificate that includes your name, date of training, title or subject of the training, trainer’s name, and length of training in clock hours or CEUs. CPR and first-aid training certificates must also state an expiration date.
Keep all documentation in a safe place like a file cabinet or personnel file. DFPS representatives may ask to review self-instructional materials to ensure criteria are met.
How do I use Texas Child Care for self-instruction? For each article you choose for training: 1. Review the checklist at right. 2. Study the article. 3. List any additional resources you used. 4. Review the checklist again to evaluate your learning. If you cannot document and answer “Yes” to each skill or practice, study the article again. 5. Document changes you made based on your study (written description, photograph, video) and attach a cover page that includes your name, the date, and the issue and titles of the articles you studied.

Learning objectives and evaluation checklist

Early literacy: Sharing books and asking questions (page 2)
I can list and describe at least six types of children’s books and tell why the type is important.
I can document with photographs my ability to share books effectively.
I can document in writing my interactions with a group of children about a particular book.

Dramatic play—Every day (page 8)
I can list at least five skills children learn in each domain of development through dramatic play.
I can document with photographs and journals the ways I have improved the quality of my dramatic play center.
I can document with photos, journals, and lesson plans at least six new activities for the children in my care.

Parent bulletin boards: Communicate with style (page 20)
I can list at least five ways in which parent communication improves the quality of my program.
I can describe at least four ways to improve the appearance of bulletin boards.
I can list at least four bulletin board dos and don’ts.

When parents divorce: Putting children first (page 24)
I can list the five basic emotional responses to family trauma including divorce.
I can describe in writing at least four ways I can effectively support children when their parents divorce.
I can list and give examples of at least four ways I can support co-parenting and custodial parents.

Baby care: Turn dressing into learning (page 30)
I can define self-help skill and give three examples.
I can document with photos, journals, and lesson plans at least six activities that help turn dressing into learning.
I can document with photos and lesson plans at least four new activities for the babies in my care.

Revisiting Bloom’s Taxonomy: Asking better questions (page 40)
I can describe in writing the purpose of Bloom’s Taxonomy.
I can list the six levels of thinking the taxonomy describes.
I can document with photos and anecdotal records at least three occasions in which I used Bloom’s Taxonomy to improve questions in my classroom.