Childmate A Guide to Appraising Quality in Child Care

9781401816223

1401816223

PERFECT FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE OWNERS, ADMINISTRATORS AND EDUCATORS ALIKE, Childmate: A Guide to Appraising Quality in Childcare will assist early childhood educators in their desire to provide quality services to young children and families. The ideas presented in this guide will help educators think more critically about their work with young children. The Childmate checklists provide a tool for systematically observing key environmental components. By incorporating the suggested outlines in each section, early childhood educators can create a program that is responsive to the needs of children in different stages of development. The guide emphasizes the importance of establishing meaningful partnerships with parents, of family culture and traditions and of child-centered approaches. The authors put particular focus on the need to individualize the learning experience and the belief that children learn through play. The guide is divided into sections covering the infancy, toddlerhood and preschool years, making it very user-friendly. The reader will benefit from checklists identifying quality practices related to caregivers behaviors, toys and materials, environmental design and caregiver do's and don'ts.