Educator/Provider Fact Sheets

DIRECT GUIDANCE SKILLS

There are two ways to guide children’s behavior- direct and indirect. This fact sheet will discuss direct guidance.

What is direct guidance? Direct guidance involves actions that are verbal and those that are nonverbal. Forms of verbal actions are when we use our words to direct children. Forms of nonverbal actions involves our facial expressions and body language.

DEATH- WHEN A CHILD NEEDS HELP

After a death in a child’s family, it is important to monitor how the child is feeling. All children grieve and some of these symptoms may be normal reactions, however when they last a long time or seem to be getting worse, it is time to encourage parents to seek medical health. The pediatrician can recommend a trained therapist or counselor to help the child.

As a provider, it is a good idea to document your observations. It is often easier for a parent to accept written documentation than what they may perceive as your opinion.

DEATH- HOW CHILDREN PROCESS

Young children understand death in progressive stages. There is no easy way to help a child deal with death. No child exhibits the same reaction. Some children may grieve for a longer period of time than others. There is an adjustment period they must go through and there is no set timetable for that to happen. Also depending on the child’s developmental age, they may have different understanding of death.

Here are some ways a child may understand death:

UNDER 5 YEARS OF AGE

• They cannot understand the causes of death

COVID-19: HELPING CHILDREN DEAL EMOTIONALLY

COMPLAINT PROCESS- EVALUATION

Evaluation is a very important part of resolution when a complaint has been made. Once you have resolved the allegations filed against you, by correction, or successful challenge, or entering into some type of interim agreement. You should determine what comes next. As difficult as the complaint process is, it can also provide a valuable learning experience and an opportunity to evaluate your program and the complaint process. Here are some questions you should ask yourself:

COMPLAINT PROCESS – FOLLOW-UP

What you do prior to a complaint investigation and how you conduct yourself during the complaint investigation are both very important. However, often what occurs after a complaint investigation takes place can have the greatest impact on whether or not you continue to operate your business.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS-SCHOOL-AGE

School age children (6 to 12 years) talk in full sentences and have a good understanding of language. They ask many questions and are curious about the world around them. They can recount experiences and amaze you with the details they remember. They are beginning to understand how their actions affect others. They can see things from different perspectives. With help from adults, they can begin to set goals and to learn how to solve problems. They also enjoy playing with their friends.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS - INFANTS

How you communicate with the children in your care will have an impact on how they develop their self-esteem, language, socialization, healthy relationships and perception of the world around them. One of the most important things you can do is talk to the children and listen to them. Have lots of positive communication and interaction on a regular basis.

As a Childcare Provider you know how wonderful it is when you smile at an infant and they smile back. Smiling at an infant is one of the first things you can do to build the child’s self-esteem. Building a good self-esteem is essential for a child to be able to cope with challenges that arise as they learn to socialize with others and as they grow and learn new skills. Learning what they are capable of and how to interact with others helps them to develop a positive self-concept.