This exciting course is designed to provide you with a working knowledge of early childhood education and prepare you for the Child Development Associate (CDA) certification process of the Council for Professional Recognition with content review, assessment practice, and portfolio preparation.The course will include a thorough introduction to early childhood education. Topics covered include how children learn and grow, safe and healthy environments, physical and cognitive growth, social and emotional development, guidance, relationships with families, creativity and the young child, play, research-based planning of developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculums, and activities, program management, and professionalism. With an integrated approach to child development, students will learn the principles of child growth and development from birth through age five and how they align with the eight CDA competencies and National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) professional standards.In a guided step-by-step process, you will culminate your learning experience by gathering all your assignments to build a portfolio and receiving instructor feedback from a certified CDA Professional Development (PD) Specialist to be well prepared for the CDA Verification Visit. Upon course completion, you will be ready for your early childhood education certification.