General information

Council for Children and Families Inc. offers basic and advanced early childhood training designed for teachers who work with children ages 0 – 5 years old. Training is suitable for family day care settings as well as day care centers and Head Start. All CFCF training can be used to apply for a new Child Development Associate Credential (CDA) or renew existing CDA. Students outside of Washington State can take correspondence classes. In person classes are only available to Washington State residents living in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

All CCF training is approved by the Washington State and Registry System (STARS) to fulfill education requirements (WAC 170-29A-1800). We work with Managed Education and Registry Information Tool (MERIT) to report classes and advance students on career ladders for early care and education professionals. Professionals who currently work in child care facilities licensed or certified by Washington State DEL can receive a cost reimbursement for all CFCF classes.

The high quality of the classes and follow up support is extremely important to us. All classes are written by Tatiana Strachan, president of the Council for Children and Families, Inc. She holds M.Ed. and has over 26 years of experience in teaching and curriculum development. She is also a top level trainer in Department of Early Learning Washington State. The curriculum is updated to include new research as it develops. We strive to make information practical and interesting for all type of learners. All training is part of core competency system as described in Washington State Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals www.del.wa.gov/publications/partnership/docs/CoreCompetencies.pdf.

Cost of classes

Council for Children and Families Inc. charges 10 dollars per hour per person for all classes. Special arrangements can be made for a large group of students. Each student is responsible to make the full payment before each class. Students can pay with a scholarship, if one is available. Council for Children and Families Inc. cannot itself, obtain scholarships for students.

Washington State students only.

All our students who are registered teachers working in licensed early childhood facility in Washington State may be eligible for training reimbursement. Funds vary from year to year and are not always available. To receive reimbursement, the student must have a STARS ID number and use that number to fill out the reimbursement application.

More information about this process can be obtained by contacting Department of Early Learning, P.O. Box 40970, Olympia, WA 98504-0970, 360.725.4665 Toll-free: 1.866.482.4325 360.586.0052 (fax: first floor) 360.725.4925 (fax: second floor) or E-mail http://www.del.wa.gov/requirements/professional/financial.aspx.

Types of the early childhood classes.

Students can choose between Correspondence classes and In-person classes.

Correspondence Classes

Students will receive training materials through mail or E-mail to study at home at their convenience. They will have to do homework and pass a test to receive certificate. Students can contact CCF as many times as necessary to ask questions and receive assistance. For students with limited computer access all contact will be through mail and phone.

Presently we have following 10-hour correspondence training available:

1. Science for very young children. STEM education.
2. Helping children make friends.
3. Preparing your family daycare for licensor visit.
4. Discipline techniques for early childhood classroom.
5. Creating an anti-bias environment with low-cost materials
6. Managing your time successfully
7. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and what every early childhood teacher must do.
8. Using observation for curriculum planning
9. Puppetry series class #1 Teaching Mathematics with homemade puppets.
10. Puppetry series class #2 Developing emotional and social skills with homemade puppets
11. Puppetry series class #3 Easy puppet making with children and teachers.
12. Puppetry series class #4 Introduction to making and using hand puppets.

 1.Science for very young children. STEM education.

10-hours advanced class. Content area: Curriculum and learning environment. Level 4

Many caregivers want to teach science to very young children, but they do not know how. The class is designed to help teachers have confidence in developing a science curriculum, customized to their children and available resources. Students will learn about early S.T.E.M. education in general and about science learning in particular. They will practice effective strategies that promote inquiry and discovery approaches to learning from infancy to preschool. Training will address intentional, careful planning of the environment, preparing focused learning experiences, extending children’s play, and creating an integrated science curriculum.

 2.Helping Children Make Friends.

10-hours advanced class. Content area: Interaction. Level 3

Childhood friends are important. But some children don’t have any. Children who are disliked or ignored by other children may grow up without anyone to play with, talk to, or just enjoy. Learn how to help children be more socially accepted by teaching them friendship techniques. Change your classroom environment and include specific activities designed to encourage children to form friendships. This class gives teachers many practical techniques on teaching children friendship skills.

3. Preparing your family childcare for licensor visit.

10-hour basic class. Content area: Program planning and development. Level 1

Preparing for licensor visit class is recommended for all daycare owners. If you are due for a licensor visit, make the preparation less stressful and more effective with step-by-step instructions. Class also explains what usually happens during licensor visit and how to correct noncompliance. There is a lot of practical advice from an experienced family day care provider.

4.Discipline techniques for early childhood classroom.

10-hour basic class. Content area: Interaction. Level 1

Today’s children are “give-it-to-me-now” kids. They need boundaries. They need discipline. In that entry level training, new childcare providers can learn practical, age-appropriate discipline techniques that will change children’s lives and save providers a lot of frustration. If you have never taken training on guidance, it is good introduction that will give student practical solution to most common behavior problems.

 

5.Creating an anti-bias environment with low-cost material.

10-hour basic class. Content area: Curriculum and Learning Environment. Level 1

All early childcare and education professionals must respect and accept cultural differences of day care children, their families, and other people. An important part of understanding many cultures is creating an anti-bias environment. In that entry level training, new childcare providers can learn how to use simple materials and techniques to make the existing environment culturally appropriate. For teachers with small budgets, training will describe ways to make free or low-cost multicultural toys and materials.

6.Managing your time successfully.

10-hours basic class. Content area: Professional Development and Leadership. Level 2

Managing your time successfully class helps busy early childhood teachers prevent “burn-out” by effectively organizing their professional as well as personal time. There are lots of possible sources of stress in childcare. Teachers must learn how to better handle stress provoking situations. The class describes practical conflict and time management techniques like: listing goals, developing daily schedule, organize your space and to delegate tasks.

7.Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)

10-hour advance class. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and what every early childhood teacher must do.

Content area: Professional Development and Leadership Level 3
Training summarizes the newest and one of the largest investigations ever conducted, to assess association between early childhood maltreatment and its devastating effects on later-life health and well-being. It describes ways childhood teachers can use to lessen effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and help young children develop resiliency.

8. Using observation for curriculum planning.

10-hour advance. Content area: Ongoing Measurement of Children’s Progress Level 5  

Using observation for curriculum planning is high-level training designed for very experienced early childhood professionals who love a challenge and want to create a unique learning environment that will put fun back into learning and reduce competition. The training explains simple techniques of curriculum planning by applying observation, webbing, and changes to environment and activities. Correct implementation of these techniques guarantees strong growth of knowledge, joy, and excitement in children as well as in teachers.

9. Teaching Mathematics with homemade puppets.

10-hours advance class. Content area: Curriculum and Learning Environment. Level 3

Puppets are exciting and extremely valuable teaching tools and should never be overlooked in early childhood environment. Teacher can easily make math puppets from cheap, recyclable materials. Class teaches how to effectively make and use puppets as an alternative learning experience in helping children understand early mathematical concepts. It describes developmentally appropriate, practical ideas for learning numbers, operations, geometry, spatial sense, measurement, comparison, patterns, and data analysis. Many printable puppets are included.

10. Developing emotional and social skills with puppets.

10-hours advanced class. Content area: Curriculum and Learning Environment. Level 3

Puppets are extremely valuable social/emotional teaching tools. They can help children identify, understand, and verbalize inner thoughts and feelings. Students will learn guidelines for facilitating expressing feelings through puppets. They will practice using puppets to help children traumatized by fear of monsters, new school, haircut, moving, dentist, divorce, death and many more.

11. Easy puppet making for children and teachers.

10-hours basic class. Content area: Curriculum and Learning Environment. Level 2

Early childhood teachers need new tools which will hold children’s attention and make learning fun. Puppets make a difference! Learn how to work with children to make simple puppets from recycling materials, found objects, paper and fabric to encourage language skills and creativity. Class filled with activities, ideas, and puppet patterns.

12. Introduction to making and using hand puppets.

10-hours advanced class. Content area: Curriculum and Learning Environment. Level 2

Hand puppets are the best for a beginning puppeteer. They are the most natural and direct to use and are the easiest to construct. The puppeteer can express himself directly throw the hand puppet without having to overcome the complex problems of control by rods or strings. Class will show you how to make basic type of hand puppets, how to dress them and how to handle them to make them come alive. New puppeteer will not need special talents and with practice he will be able to use new puppets for the benefit of children in school, Christian ministry or at home.

In-person classes

In-person classes are held in private homes or day care centers in different locations in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Students can request classes at their location. Classes can be customized. Five students minimum required for 10 hours. Discounts for groups of more than 10 students.

In-person classes are usually delivered in the following ways:

1. One Saturday 10-hour class. (6 hours in person + 4 hours homework)

2. Two Saturdays 10-hour class (5 hours and 5 hours)

3. Weekdays. (2.5 hours each evening)

However, duration of all classes can be adjusted according to group training needs. Day care directors can choose any of the proposed training or combination of shorter classes.

Presently we have following 10 hour in-person classes available:

1. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and what every early childhood teacher must do.
2. Basic Creative Puppetry. Teacher using puppets as teaching tools.
3. S.T.E.M. education series #1. How to teach science to very young.
4. S.T.E.M. education series #2. Using art of puppetry to teach early math.
5. Games and other outdoor activities for small children.
6. Understanding guidance series # 1. Teaching social/emotional skills with puppets.
7. Understanding guidance series # 2. Friendship skills.
8. Working with modern children.
9. Developing executive function skills by using puppets and creative dramatics.
10. How to make and use hand puppet.

1.Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and what every early childhood teacher must do.

Class description

Training summarizes the newest and one of the largest investigations ever conducted, to assess association between early childhood maltreatment and its devastating effects on later-life health and well-being. It names ways childhood teachers can use to lessen effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) and help young children develop resilience.

During this training, students will learn about:

• New brain science
• How early childhood experiences shape people’s lives
• What can be done to promote resilience?

2. Basic Creative Puppetry. Teacher using puppets as teaching tools.

Class description

Early childhood teachers need new tools which will hold children’s attention and make learning fun. Puppets make a difference! Learn how to incorporate teacher-operated puppets in your program and how to make simple puppets from recycling materials to encourage language skills and creativity.

During this training, students will examine how to:
• Make and operate a special “Buddy Puppet”
• Use puppets with a book or special story
• Make peek-a-boo boards
• Use puppets to teach academic concepts

3. S.T.E.M. education series #1. How to teach science to very young.

Class description

It is the first part of classes explaining a new trend to incorporate S.T.E.M. education in early childhood classrooms. Students will learn about early S.T.E.M. education in general and about science learning in particular. They will practice effective strategies that promote inquiry/discovery approaches to learning from infancy to preschool. Training will address intentional, careful planning of the environment, preparing focused learning experiences, extending children’s play, and creating an integrated science curriculum. Most importantly, training will also show how teaching science to very young children can be exciting and fun and not as difficult as everybody thought it to be.

During this training, students will learn about:

• S.T.E.M. education in early classroom
• How early science enhances brain development
• Learning science for infants and toddlers
• Wrong approaches to early childhood science
• Early childhood science areas
• Teacher’s role and how to get science materials for free
• Steps in science activities

4. S.T.E.M. education series #2. Using art of puppetry to teach early math.

Class description

Puppets are exciting and extremely valuable teaching tools and should never be overlooked in early childhood environment. Teacher can easily make math puppets from cheap, recyclable materials. Class teaches how to effectively make and use puppets as an alternative learning experience in helping children understand early mathematical concepts.

During that training, students will explore:

• S.T.E.A.M. education in early classroom
• Essential mathematical concepts for young children
• Benefits of creative puppetry for children and teachers
• Patterns and ideas for making and using math puppets

5. Games and other summer outdoor activities for small children.

Class description

Daily outdoor time is a necessary component of every early childhood program. Unfortunately, it is common to see teachers who are active and creative indoors limit themselves to supervise safety and discipline conflicts outdoors. We can do better than that. During that, hands-on, interactive training, teachers will learn how to change the playground into extension of the classroom where children happily play in outdoor play areas. It can be as easy as bringing boxes and other free materials. Students will break into small groups to learn new, active, non-competitive games. Each group will play its game in front of a whole class and talk about how that game can be adapted to their specific classroom needs. Everybody will receive handouts with descriptions of all the games and additional resources.

During this training, students will learn about:

• Organizing outdoor interest centers
• Selecting free or low-cost material for outdoor play
• Planning outdoor activities for children
• Playing fun age-appropriate games outdoor

6. Understanding guidance series class #1 Teaching social/emotional skills with puppets

Class description

Children life can be difficult, full of fears, sadness and drama. Changes and losses can be devastating. Understanding and accepting emotions is necessary for normal development. Puppets are very effective in helping children identify, understand and verbalize inner thoughts and feelings. Child feels no responsibility for the action and words he projects since, in his own mind, they are words and actions of someone else. Likewise, when a puppet is placed on a hand of an adult, the child ignores the adult’s existence and focuses on the puppet, thus eliminating any communication barriers which might have existed. Teaching social/emotional skills with puppets class is full of practical techniques for teachers and children. Students will have opportunity to make puppets and use them in social role play.

During this training, students will learn about:

• Benefits of creative puppetry for children and teachers
• Guidelines for facilitating expressing feelings through puppets
• Practical examples of using puppets for helping children work through fears, medical and dental checkup, sickness, divorce, death and much more.

7.Understanding guidance series class# 2. Friendship skills.

Class description

Childhood friends are important. But some children don’t have any. Disliked or ignored by other children, they grow up without anyone to play with, talk to, or just enjoy. Learn how help children be more socially accepted by teaching them friendship techniques. Change your classroom environment and include specific activities designed to encourage children to form friendships.

During this training, students will learn about:

• Connecting friendship skills to other areas of social-emotional development
• Teaching children friendship techniques
• Setting a stage for friendship
• Scheduling specific activities that will help children form friendships

8.Working with modern children.

Class description

Modern children’s needs are changing each decade. There is pressure to learn more and perform better to keep up with the rest of the world. How can family child care providers help day care children become happy successful adults? Our ten- hour training will answer that question and more. We will discuss newest findings in brain research and show how your work can affect children twenty years after they leave your child care. We will talk about STEM curriculum and ACES research. We will talk about new guidance techniques designed especially for modern children. We will send you home with a pocket full of ideas and activities that you can try right away.

During this training, students will learn about:

• Historical influences shaping the life of past and present generations
• How to make modern children smarter
• How you can help modern children to be happier
• Fun activities you can start doing tomorrow to change children’s future

9.Developing executive function skills by using puppetry and creative dramatics.

Class description

Science predicts that in the future, people will need Executive Function skills to find a job. It is urgent to start developing skill now, in very young children. Class offers learning through play approach by teaching using puppets and dramatic play to develop Executive Function in preschool and kindergarten classes.

During this training, students will:

• Learn what Executive Function is and why it is important.
• Learn what Executive Function activities are recommended for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
• Practice effective techniques of using puppetry and creative dramatics for development of Executive Function in four- and five-year-old children.

10.Making and using hand puppets.

Class description

Hand puppets are the best for a beginning puppeteer. They are the most natural and direct to use and are the easiest to construct. The puppeteer can express himself directly throw the hand puppet without having to overcome the complex problems of control by rods or strings. Class will show you how to make basic type of hand puppets, how to dress them and how to handle them to make them come alive. New puppeteer will not need special talents and with practice he will be able to use new puppets for the benefit of children in school, Christian ministry or at home.

During this training, students will:

• Learn how can puppets improve your work with children
• Make hand puppets.
• Practice making puppet move and talk
• Decide how to effectively use new puppets in their programs.