In an effort to continually provide up-to-date and relevant information, all 15 Foundational Courses have been reviewed and revised across the Infant & Toddler (IT) and Preschool (PS) tracks. Revisions include new content and activities, updates to the CDC Developmental Milestones, and useful information regarding early childhood theories not previously included in the courses. Examples of edits include:
- Revisions made to the “Signs of Impaired Physical Development” list in IT, Physical Development, Lesson 2.
- Updates to the list of accommodations in the “Materials for Experiences that Support Physical Development” chart in IT, Physical Development, Lesson 3.
- New content added to the Social & Emotional Development course describing Urie Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory and the impact of the social environment on human development in both Infant & Toddler, Social & Emotional Development, Lesson 3 and Preschool, Social & Emotional Development, Lesson 3.
- New Apply Activity added to IT, Social & Emotional Development, Lesson 1 and PS, Social & Emotional Development, Lesson 1, encouraging the use of the Social and Emotional Learning Framework developed by The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL).
- New content in IT, Social & Emotional Development, Lesson 5 which provides a helpful chart highlighting specific caregiving practices that support IT Social & Emotional Development.
- Updates made to IT, Positive Guidance, Lesson 3 to highlight the role of the physical design of the environment in guiding and evaluating young children’s behavior.
- New Apply Activity added to IT, Professionalism, Lesson 1 which provides a list of professional organizations that offer standards and competencies to guide professional behavior.
The VLS team is working to update the Foundational Courses across all tracks on the site with new information, activities, and resources. Courses that have been updated across all direct care tracks, include Safe Environments, Healthy Environments, Cognitive Development, Communication & Language Development, Creative Expression, Child Abuse: Identification & Reporting, and Child Abuse: Prevention. Updates to the remaining courses in the School Age and Family Child Care are coming soon.