Welcome Mentors!

1. Welcome Mentors! Alignment Document Training Approximately 1 hour

2. Menu: This training is in 3 segments: 1. Orientation to the Milestones of Child Development (20 minutes)2. Using the Professional Development Lattice and the Competencies for Child Care Professionals for QIPs (30 minutes)3. Review and Certificate (10 minutes)Return to each of the segmentsas often as needed.

3. You’ll need: • Alignment documents: Milestones of Child Development, Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals, Early Childhood And Child Care Professional Development Career Lattice and your folder of handouts.Click here for documents. • Pen and paper • You may also wish to have your rating scales booklets, nearby.

4. You may wonder why it is important to use the Alignment Documents as you work to improve quality. • Rationale: By using core documents, we can begin to create a more coherent approach to quality improvements across the state. Therefore, our Training Goal is: To learn to use the Virginia Alignment Documents as a resource for improving quality in programs participating in the Virginia STAR Quality System.

5. You’ll need to use these Alignment Document throughout the training. If you want to know how these documents were created and who contributed to their development, refer to page iii of the Milestones Booklet.For e-copies to use in mentoring, click on the booklets to open and then save to “Desktop.” Encourage teachers to copy and use these resources.

6. The Alignment documents were developed to ensure that early educators … • Have access to research-based resources for planning and curriculum development. • Use approaches that reflect best practices for supporting children’s optimal development. • Understand the competencies and credentials that early educators need to pursue a career path in early care and education.

7. The Milestones Document illustrates milestones in development for young children. As mentors, you help teachers accomplish teaching milestones, enabling them to support children’s developmental outcomes. Rater’s summary reports will help you target some teacher milestones to facilitate.

8. As you look through the Milestones Booklet… • Note the suggestions for ways teachers can use the Milestones booklet to respond appropriately to children. Challenge yourself to generate additional examples. • Consider also, how you can respond to teacher behaviors in supportive ways, and facilitate teacher development. • Think of some possible milestones teachers may need. You may mentor teachers to achieve milestones of their own! Possible Teacher Milestones: 1) To begin to view the child holistically, 2) To view self as a learning partner

9. Let’s look at how the Milestones Booklet presents these Domains: Domains: • Social and Emotional Development • Approaches to Learning • Language and Literacy • Cognition and General Knowledge • Fine Arts • Physical Development

10. The Milestones booklet is organized for flexibility. Sometimes, you may need thumbnail sketches. At other times, a more comprehensive view with background information will be more helpful.

11. Three formats are provided.Format 1 Provides the domain overview and strands within domains . On page 3, find the Social Emotional Domain, strands, and developmental indicators.

12. Three formats are provided.Format 1 Provides the domain overview and strands within domains . On page 3, find the Social Emotional Domain, strands, and developmental indicators.

13. Three formats are provided.Format 1 Provides the domain overview and strands within domains . On page 3, find the Social Emotional Domain, strands, and developmental indicators.

14. Three formats are provided.Format 1 Provides the domain overview and strands within domains . On page 3, find the Social Emotional Domain, strands, and developmental indicators.

15. Format 2, page 4 ”Strands-at-a-Glance” This format shows age groups, includes samples of children’s behaviors (milestone indicators), and teacher strategies to support development. • Because children have their own individual rates of development, some children may exhibit indicators at different times or in a different sequence. Indicators are not intended to be used for assessments. .

16. Format 2, page 4 ”Strands-at-a-Glance”This format shows age groups, includes samples of children’s behaviors, and teacher strategies to support development. • Because children have their own individual rates of development, some children may exhibit indicators at different times or in a different sequence. Indicators are not intended to be used for assessments. .

17. Format 2, page 4 ”Strands-at-a-Glance”This format shows age groups, includes samples of children’s behaviors, and teacher strategies to support development. • Because children have their own individual rates of development, some children may exhibit indicators at different times or in a different sequence. Indicators are not intended to be used for assessments.

18. Format 2, page 4 ”Strands-at-a-Glance”This format shows age groups, includes samples of children’s behaviors, and teacher strategies to support development. • Because children have their own individual rates of development, some children may exhibit indicators at different times or in a different sequence. Indicators are not intended to be used for assessments.

19. Format 2, page 4 ”Strands-at-a-Glance”This format shows age groups, includes samples of children’s behaviors, and teacher strategies to support development. • Because children have their own individual rates of development, some children may exhibit indicators at different times or in a different sequence. Indicators are not intended to be used for assessments.

20. Format 3 provides the most expanded, comprehensive version of the domains. Please see page 47 for the Social-Emotional example. • Format 3 - Each domain section opens with an introduction to the domain, rationale, and definitions for the strands.

21. Page 48 Format 3, The Expanded Version • On the left are milestone indicators (click). Supportive teacher strategies (far right) are given to support each developmental milestone (click). You may help teachers generate lists of similar strategies or activities. indicators strategies

22. Note the color coding (light-dark shading) to indicate a continuum of development, suggesting that teachers should expect that children may accomplish the milestones at different rates and often in different sequences.

23. Find A3 in your booklet.

24. After reading the suggestions for supporting the milestone given in A3 (far right column), could you mentor teachers to think of other suggestions for supporting the milestone in A3? Click to expand More ideas Sing while playing rhythm instruments; or play with puppets, using an animated voice

25. If your rating scales booklets are handy, explore some of the rating scales indicators that relate to A3. • Consider how A3 relates to the Rating Scales. • You may need to use the rater report to target competencies teacher’s need in order to support this Emotional Milestone. CLASS: Emotional Climate, Instructional Learning Formats, Language Support; ECERS-R & ITERS-R: Interactions and Activities

26. Now, let’s get our feet wet! Prepare to fly though the Milestones booklet and see what you can find! • For each of the following indicators, give domain, strand, page #, age of child, and support strategy. • When you’ve found the answer in the Milestones booklet, click on the icon and check to see if your answer is correct. Be sure to try to find the answer in the booklet before clicking to peek, though!

27. When do children usually refrain from doing something that will make another child cry? Social Emotional, Strand 2 learning about self Answer: 48 mo + Pages 3, 5 Reference B13

28. When might you see children begin to use familiar words (e.g., mom, love) in writing and drawing? Language and Literacy -Strand 5: Early Writing; Answer: 48 mo. Pp.12, 17 and 81; ref. E11

29. Children, within what age, range try to find and use materials to follow through on an idea? Approaches to learning - Strand 2 Initiative and Curiosity Age: Answer: 36 – 48 mo. and 61; ref. A 9

30. Within what age range is it appropriate to expect children to use a tissue to wipe nose or to cover mouth when coughing? Physical - Strand 3: Health and Well-Being Answer: 36-48 mo. Pp. 40, 43, 129; ref. C7

31. At which age range do children depend on others to provide for their wants and needs? Social and Emotional Answer: Birth – 18 mo. Pp. 3,4, 48; ref. A1

32. When do children learn to set goals, develop plans, and complete tasks? Approaches to LearningAnswer: 48 mo + Pp. 7, 8, 59; ref. D3

33. When is the earliest age range when children begin to show an increased understanding of gestures and words? Language and LiteracyAnswer: Birth to 18 mo. Pp.12, 13, 70; Ref. A3

34. When do children begin to show an awareness of the relative size of objects? Cognition and Knowledge Answer: Birth – 18 mo. Pp. 18, 21, 86; ref. B2

35. At what age range do children respond to variations in music, such as change in pitch, volume, tempo, beat, rhythm, and pattern? Fine Arts Music Answer: 48mo.+ Pp. 35, 37, 115; ref. B10

36. At what age could you expect children to have coordinated movements to perform tasks such as throwing a ball into a basket or catching a large ball with two hands? Physical Answer: 48 mo. + Pp. 40, 41, 124; ref. A9

37. Congratulations! You have a few more flight feathers and are almost ready to take off. Using the Milestones booklet can help you target supportive behaviors children need from adults. Can you think of other ways to use the Milestones booklet?

38. Here are some other ways the Milestones have been Used. The Infant Toddler Specialist Network power point for I/T Math is a great example. Check out this link: www.va-itsnetwork.org/files/Early-Math-workshop-presentation.pdf Other ideas: • Illustrate the importance of supporting a “whole child” approach to development • Parent Conferences • Best Practice Lesson Planning • Tracking Development • Developing prop boxes and activity cards • Training and mentoring resource

39. Return to the home page and review segment 1 or continue to the next segment. Click image to return to menu page Click here to continue

40. Training Segment 2Please refer to your Competencies booklet and the related handouts in your folder.

41. The Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals is a . . . A best practice guide for adults - supporting the growth and development of children from birth to kindergarten entry Illustrates: • What early childhood professionals should know and be able to do to provide quality care and education

42. 8 Competency areas detail specific competencies needed to deliver quality care and education in programs for children. • Health, Safety, and Nutrition Practices • Understanding Child Growth and Development • Appropriate Child Observation and Assessment • Partnering with Families and Communication • Learning Environments • Effective Interactions • Program Management • Qualifications and Professional Development

43. Let’s take a look at the Competency Areas Each area includes: • rationale, • related knowledge base, • practices based on knowledge (example: pages 1 & 2).

44. There are 4 Competency Levels (p.3)

45. There are 4 Competency Levels (p.3)

46. There are 4 Competency Levels (p.3)

47. There are 4 Competency Levels (p.3)

48. There are 4 Competency Levels (p.3)

49. The Competencies Document serves as a resource for many and has a myriad of possible uses. Who uses it? • Teachers • Counselors • Directors • Trainers • Mentors • Curriculum Developers • Higher Education • Policy Makers

50. HOW? Early Education Professionals use the Competencies document … • As a resource for assembling a professional development portfolio • To track professional development activities • For self-assessment: Staff, Administrators, Trainers • As a Director resource for developing job descriptions, training plans, salary schedule (H/O)