Safe Environment
16-17%of exam
SafetySupervisionCPRHazardsEmergency Plans
Healthy Environment
16-17%of exam
HandwashingNutritionSanitationIllnessRest
Learning Development
16-17%of exam
Social Emotional
16-17%of exam
Families + Program
16-17%of exam
Professionalism
16-17%of exam
Quick Facts
- Credential
- CDA
- Exam
- 65 questions
- Scenario
- 5 questions
- Time
- 105 min
- Visit
- Verification Visit
- Education
- 120 hours
- Experience
- 480 hours
- Renewal
- 3 years
Safety First
Scan, remove, document
SuperviseRemove hazardReport facts
Safety Picker
- Immediate danger→Remove hazard
- Child injured→First aid
- Serious injury→Call emergency
- Chemical accessible→Lock away
- Missing child→Follow plan
- Incident occurs→Document facts
Safety Basics
- Active supervision
- Watch and scan
- Ratio
- Adult-child count
- Hazards
- Remove immediately
- Chemicals
- Locked storage
- Medication
- Locked labeled
- Evacuation
- Practice route
- Incident report
- Document facts
Sanitize vs Disinfect
Sanitize
- Reduce germs
- Food surfaces
- Routine use
Disinfect
- Kill pathogens
- Body fluids
- Stronger product
Reduce vs kill
Health Basics
- Handwashing
- 20 seconds
- Gloves
- Body fluids
- Sanitize
- Reduce germs
- Disinfect
- Kill pathogens
- Exclusion
- Illness policy
- Nutrition
- Balanced meals
- Rest
- Individual needs
DAP
Age, individual, culture
AgeIndividualCulture
Adaptation vs Modification
Adaptation
- Access support
- Same goal
- Environmental change
Modification
- Changed goal
- Different expectation
- Individualized
Access vs goal
Development Picker
- Large movement→Gross motor
- Finger skills→Fine motor
- Problem solving→Cognitive
- Words/sounds→Language
- Pretend art→Creative
- Peer play→Social
Learning Environment
- DAP
- Age appropriate
- Centers
- Choice areas
- Routines
- Predictable day
- Transitions
- Plan movement
- Materials
- Accessible choices
- Scaffolding
- Support next step
- Play
- Primary learning
Development
- Physical
- Body skills
- Fine motor
- Small muscles
- Gross motor
- Large muscles
- Cognitive
- Thinking skills
- Language
- Communication skills
- Creative
- Expression
- Observation
- Track growth
Guidance Flow
Calm voice, clear choice, redirect
CalmName feelingOffer choiceRedirect
Guidance vs Punishment
Guidance
- Teaches skills
- Respectful tone
- Future behavior
Punishment
- Controls behavior
- Fear/shame risk
- Short term
Teach vs control
Guidance Picker
- Minor conflict→Coach words
- Unsafe behavior→Stop calmly
- Repeated behavior→Observe pattern
- Frustrated toddler→Offer choices
- Off-task child→Redirect
- Strong emotion→Name feelings
Guidance
- Positive guidance
- Teach behavior
- Redirection
- Shift activity
- Modeling
- Show behavior
- Choices
- Support control
- Natural consequence
- Related result
- Self-regulation
- Manage emotions
- Conflict
- Coach words
Objective vs Subjective
Objective
- Observed facts
- Exact words
- Measurable
Subjective
- Opinion
- Assumption
- Judgment
Fact vs opinion
Families
- Partnership
- Shared goals
- Culture
- Respect practices
- Communication
- Two-way exchange
- Resources
- Community supports
- Confidentiality
- Protect information
- Home language
- Honor identity
- Family input
- Guide planning
Family vs Professional
Family
- Child expert
- Home culture
- Daily insight
Professional
- ECE practice
- Confidential records
- Mandated duties
Partner roles
Observation
- Anecdotal
- Brief narrative
- Checklist
- Skill list
- Running record
- Detailed sequence
- Objective
- Facts only
- Subjective
- Opinion
- Assessment
- Inform planning
- Documentation
- Evidence collection
Program Management
- Schedule
- Balanced day
- Policy
- Program rules
- Records
- Current files
- Environment
- Organized space
- Inclusion
- All participate
- Adaptation
- Change support
- Quality
- Continuous improvement
CDA Process
Portfolio, exam, visit, decision
PortfolioExamVerificationCouncil decision
Portfolio vs Visit
Portfolio
- Written evidence
- Resource collection
- Prepared before
Visit
- Observation
- Dialogue
- PD Specialist
Evidence vs observation
Portfolio Picker
- Training proof→Education record
- Work proof→Experience record
- Family feedback→Questionnaires
- Practice beliefs→Philosophy statement
- Competency evidence→Resource collection
- Visit prep→Review portfolio
Portfolio
- Philosophy
- Practice beliefs
- Resource collection
- Required evidence
- Family questionnaires
- Feedback evidence
- Competency statements
- Written reflections
- Transcripts
- Training proof
- Experience hours
- 480 proof
- Education hours
- 120 proof
Assessment Process
- CDA Exam
- 65 questions
- Scenario items
- Photo narratives
- Ready notice
- Schedule exam
- Verification Visit
- Observed practice
- PD Specialist
- Council observer
- Reflective dialogue
- Discuss practice
- Credential decision
- Council review
Common Traps
Observation wording
Facts only ≠ Avoid labels
Family respect
Partner with families ≠ Do not judge culture
Safety response
Remove hazard first ≠ Document after safety
Guidance goal
Teach self-control ≠ Avoid shame
Confidentiality
Share need-to-know ≠ Protect child records
Exam process
Exam plus visit ≠ Council decides credential
Last Minute
- 1.Exam: 65 questions, 105 min
- 2.Five scenario questions
- 3.CDA uses exam plus visit
- 4.Portfolio ready before visit
- 5.Observe facts, not opinions
- 6.DAP = age, child, culture
- 7.Guidance teaches behavior
- 8.Safety first, paperwork second
- 9.Families are partners
- 10.Confidentiality protects records
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