Curriculum

CDA Certificate Course Curriculum

In Penn Foster's CDA Certificate course curriculum, you'll cover lessons that will help you fulfill the educational component and build a professional portfolio — which are some of the key items necessary to begin your application to the Council for your Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential. You will prepare portfolio items, participate in live webinars, and complete course assignments specific to CDA requirements. All instructors in our program are Professional Development Specialists as approved by the CDA Council. Additionally, the CDA Competency Standards book is included in your program and will align with the setting that you choose.

CDA Credential Prep

Undergrad. Cert.

8 months

As low as $59/mo

Full Program Overview

1-800-471-3232 (9AM - 9PM ET)

CDA Certificate Course Curriculum

13 credits

Estimated completion time:

Fast track = 8 months
Average time = 14 months

With Penn Foster, you can learn at whatever pace works best for you. Some learners will be more comfortable moving faster, and dedicating more time, and the fast track estimate will apply to them. The average track will apply to most learners who can dedicate a few hours per week to completing their coursework. The estimated completion times per semester are based on completion times for learners enrolled in this program from November 2020 - October 2021, excluding withdrawals.

Setting 1: Infant/Toddler

(1 CREDIT)

This course provides a snapshot of contemporary child day care and the need for professionals, as well as strategies for completing the Early Childhood Education Program as an independent learner.
- Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
- Express your goals and expectations in the field of Early Childhood Expectations
- Assess the responsibilities of a caregiver and the changing concept of child care settings
- Identify the steps needed to complete the CDA process
(3 CREDITS)

This course presents information on the importance of health, safety, and nutrition as crucial factors in the development of young children. Provides strategies for the monitoring of standards in the care environment and development of good habits in young children.
- Describe the environmental and biological threats to children’s health and safety and how to prevent them
- Describe the importance of nutrition, physical, and health education
- Describe activities for children with special health needs and appropriate environments to meet those needs
- Create a weekly feeding plan and/or menu that meets USDA guidelines
- Describe how the weekly menu supports the nutritional needs of young children
- Create a weekly lesson plan that reflects age and developmentally appropriate activities within an appropriate environment
- Describe how the weekly lesson plans and well-designed environments supports developmentally appropriate practices, children’s developmental needs
This course serves as a guide for students of early childhood education to the body of current research on interactions between families, schools, and communities.
- Describe the various teaching practices that promote positive, responsive, and cooperative relationships with families
- Describe forms of two-way communication between families and caregivers
- Create a list of various educational and community resources available to families
- Evaluate professional practices based on family surveys
This course presents a variety of theoretical viewpoints to provide students with a well-balanced view of a child’s developmental process. Current studies and research provide students with an understanding of the principal topics of child psychology as well as recent trends in socially relevant problem areas.
- Describe knowledge of the developmental domains (physical, intellectual/cognitive, language, emotional, and social) and how activities in each of the following areas are important in growth and development: large/small muscle, language/literacy, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)
- Explain how adult modeling and DAP curriculum activities support children’s self-esteem, self-regulation, socialization, cultural/individual identity
- Explain how to adapt and accommodate curriculum activities and classroom environments for children with special needs and dual language learners
This course focuses on how to create a safe, healthy learning environment that helps infants and toddlers increase their physical, intellectual, and social qualities.
- Describe DAP strategies to guide young children’s behaviors, how to implement conflict resolution, and how to deal with challenging behaviors
- Identify appropriate record-keeping forms to be utilized in the early childhood setting
- Describe appropriate practices that promote a well-run, purposeful program to meet participant needs
- Create a bibliography of 10 age and developmentally appropriate books for young children that support children’s cultural and self-identity as well as life experiences and challenges
- Conduct developmentally appropriate and ethical observations using an appropriate observation tool
- Describe the importance of observation and assessment in the early childhood setting and practices used to ensure that observations are reliable, valid, and fair

Setting 2: Preschool

(1 CREDIT)

This course provides a snapshot of contemporary child day care and the need for professionals, as well as strategies for completing the Early Childhood Education Program as an independent learner.
- Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
- Express your goals and expectations in the field of Early Childhood Expectations
- Assess the responsibilities of a caregiver and the changing concept of child care settings
- Identify the steps needed to complete the CDA process
(3 CREDITS)

This course presents information on the importance of health, safety, and nutrition as crucial factors in the development of young children. Provides strategies for the monitoring of standards in the care environment and development of good habits in young children.
- Describe the environmental and biological threats to children’s health and safety and how to prevent them
- Describe the importance of nutrition, physical, and health education
- Describe activities for children with special health needs and appropriate environments to meet those needs
- Create a weekly feeding plan and/or menu that meets USDA guidelines
- Describe how the weekly menu supports the nutritional needs of young children
- Create a weekly lesson plan that reflects age and developmentally appropriate activities within an appropriate environment
- Describe how the weekly lesson plans and well-designed environments supports developmentally appropriate practices, children’s developmental needs
This course serves as a guide for students of early childhood education to the body of current research on interactions between families, schools, and communities.
- Describe the various teaching practices that promote positive, responsive, and cooperative relationships with families
- Describe forms of two-way communication between families and caregivers
- Create a list of various educational and community resources available to families
- Evaluate professional practices based on family surveys
This course presents a variety of theoretical viewpoints to provide students with a well-balanced view of a child’s developmental process. Current studies and research provide students with an understanding of the principal topics of child psychology as well as recent trends in socially relevant problem areas.
- Describe knowledge of the developmental domains (physical, intellectual/cognitive, language, emotional, and social) and how activities in each of the following areas are important in growth and development: large/small muscle, language/literacy, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)
- Explain how adult modeling and DAP curriculum activities support children’s self-esteem, self-regulation, socialization, cultural/individual identity
- Explain how to adapt and accommodate curriculum activities and classroom environments for children with special needs and dual language learners
This course shows how the learning environment can facilitate the teaching of preschool children. The use of learning centers is emphasized.
- Describe DAP strategies to guide young children’s behaviors, how to implement conflict resolution, and how to deal with challenging behaviors
- Identify appropriate record-keeping forms to be utilized in the early childhood setting
- Describe appropriate practices that promote a well-run, purposeful program to meet participant needs
- Create a bibliography of 10 age and developmentally appropriate books for young children that support children’s cultural and self-identity as well as life experiences and challenges
- Conduct developmentally appropriate and ethical observations using an appropriate observation tool
- Describe the importance of observation and assessment in the early childhood setting and practices used to ensure that observations are reliable, valid, and fair

Setting 3: Family Child Care

(1 CREDIT)

This course provides a snapshot of contemporary child day care and the need for professionals, as well as strategies for completing the Early Childhood Education Program as an independent learner.
- Identify skills needed to be a confident and independent online learner
- Express your goals and expectations in the field of Early Childhood Expectations
- Assess the responsibilities of a caregiver and the changing concept of child care settings
- Identify the steps needed to complete the CDA process
(3 CREDITS)

This course presents information on the importance of health, safety, and nutrition as crucial factors in the development of young children. Provides strategies for the monitoring of standards in the care environment and development of good habits in young children.
- Describe the environmental and biological threats to children’s health and safety and how to prevent them
- Describe the importance of nutrition, physical, and health education
- Describe activities for children with special health needs and appropriate environments to meet those needs
- Create a weekly feeding plan and/or menu that meets USDA guidelines
- Describe how the weekly menu supports the nutritional needs of young children
- Create a weekly lesson plan that reflects age and developmentally appropriate activities within an appropriate environment
- Describe how the weekly lesson plans and well-designed environments supports developmentally appropriate practices, children’s developmental needs
This course serves as a guide for students of early childhood education to the body of current research on interactions between families, schools, and communities.
- Describe the various teaching practices that promote positive, responsive, and cooperative relationships with families
- Describe forms of two-way communication between families and caregivers
- Create a list of various educational and community resources available to families
- Evaluate professional practices based on family surveys
This course presents a variety of theoretical viewpoints to provide students with a well-balanced view of a child’s developmental process. Current studies and research provide students with an understanding of the principal topics of child psychology as well as recent trends in socially relevant problem areas.
- Describe knowledge of the developmental domains (physical, intellectual/cognitive, language, emotional, and social) and how activities in each of the following areas are important in growth and development: large/small muscle, language/literacy, science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM)
- Explain how adult modeling and DAP curriculum activities support children’s self-esteem, self-regulation, socialization, cultural/individual identity
- Explain how to adapt and accommodate curriculum activities and classroom environments for children with special needs and dual language learners
This course includes the practical consideration of issues and responsibilities in providing family child care for infants and young children. Topics include developmental domains, developmentally appropriate practices, curriculum and creating a successful environment.
- Describe DAP strategies to guide young children’s behaviors, how to implement conflict resolution, and how to deal with challenging behaviors
- Identify appropriate record-keeping forms to be utilized in the early childhood setting
- Describe appropriate practices that promote a well-run, purposeful program to meet participant needs
- Create a bibliography of 10 age and developmentally appropriate books for young children that support children’s cultural and self-identity as well as life experiences and challenges
- Conduct developmentally appropriate and ethical observations using an appropriate observation tool.
- Describe the importance of observation and assessment in the early childhood setting and practices used to ensure that observations are reliable, valid, and fair

Note: We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.