Early Childcare Assistant

Beyond Play: What Is an Early Childhood Educator’s Role?

January 17, 2024

Early childhood educator in a classroom after taking early childhood education courses

Play is the language of children. It is a dynamic and enriching means through which they explore the world, express themselves, and connect with others. Far from being mere entertainment, play is vital to a child’s holistic development. It fosters cognitive growth, nurtures emotional maturity, enhances social skills, and boosts physical health. In essence, play is the fulcrum of a child’s developmental and educational journey. It shapes their understanding and abilities and prepares them for life’s challenges and opportunities.

Speaking of education, few roles carry as much influence and responsibility as those of an early childhood educator. Beyond simply being a guide during playtime, these educators set the foundation for lifelong learning, facilitating the holistic development of children. In this blog post, we’ll explore how play nurtures the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social development of children, and highlight how early childhood educators facilitate this development. 

What is an Early Childhood Educator?

First things first, what is an early childhood educator?

At the foundational level, an early childhood educator is a trained professional specializing in the developmental and educational needs of children from birth to around eight years old. While play is essential, an educator’s scope extends far beyond just facilitating play. The role of an early childhood educator intertwines multiple dimensions of teaching, mentoring, and caregiving.

Early childhood educators design, coordinate, and launch activities to foster children’s intellectual, physical, and emotional growth. They engage with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged kids in diverse environments. Additionally, they cultivate relationships with parents and collaborate with other professionals in the field.

Becoming an early childhood educator allows you to shape young minds during their formative years, fostering a love of learning while also making a lasting impact on their lives.

Early childhood educator interacting with a child after finishing an early childhood education course
Early childhood education courses help you understand the role of an early childhood educator.

Transforming Play Into Developmental Opportunities

One of the most important duties of a skilled early childhood educator is to harness the power of play, understanding that play is not just recreation; it’s a potent tool for development. In their efforts to facilitate growth through play, educators use various methods.

They use game-based options, such as puzzles, board games, and interactive storytelling sessions, to challenge a child’s thinking, fostering problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and enhancing memory. Beyond this, traditional games like ‘hopscotch’ or ‘duck-duck-goose’ serve a dual purpose: they’re not only fun but also instrumental in improving motor skills, balance, and physical coordination.

Engaging with the families of children is a key role of an early childhood educator
Engaging with a child’s family is part of the duties of an early childhood educator.

On the emotional front, activities like painting, crafting, and music sessions provide platforms for children to express their feelings, introducing them to the nuances of emotions, self-awareness, and the joys of creativity. Group activities also play a key role in imparting vital life skills. A mere game of ‘pass the parcel’, for example, can become a lesson in patience, turn-taking, and collaboration.

Above all, the role of an early childhood educator extends to ensuring a structured environment. Through the use of tools like visual schedules, designated play zones, and gentle reminders, they create spaces where children can understand routines, recognize boundaries, and ultimately thrive in a group setting.

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Early Childcare Assistant

Seeking A Rewarding Career? Learn All About Early Childcare Assistant (ECA) Path

August 11, 2023

early childcare assistant displaying artwork with students

Childcare and education is one of the most crucial fields for the positive advancement of society. Afterall, it involves nurturing the next generation of happy, healthy individuals who will make positive contributions to the world. If you wish to make a positive impact on the lives of children, you can succeed as a childcare assistant (ECA). Keep reading to discover the role, the required skills, and how our training program will help you succeed. 

What Is The Role Of An Early Childcare Assistant (ECA)? 

A common question is: What is a childcare assistant? Early childcare assistants or ECAs are employed by childcare and educational institutions to provide developmentally appropriate care. They strive to instill positive social and intellectual skills in their students. Young children have limited attention spans and certain developmental barriers that need to be taken into consideration during lesson plans so early childcare assistants often lead games and activities that are designed to capture the attention of their students and teach them skills that will stay with them well into their adulthood. Cooperative play, for example, helps children to learn essential social skills like sharing, teamwork, and communication. Storytime, on the other hand, can help children expand their vocabularies.

early childcare assistant reading a story to children
Your role as an early childcare assistant is multi-faceted.

Inevitably, conflicts arise when you work in a childcare setting. As an early childcare assistant, you’ll need to intervene to resolve behavioral issues and help children with their emotional regulation. Your role will likely also involve collaborating with other childcare and education professionals and completing anecdotal reports. Naturally, you’ll also be responsible for helping children with their washroom routines, dressing, and feeding as needed. 

Essential Skills For The Role

The role of an early childcare assistant is multi-faceted requiring specialized knowledge and skills. A profound understanding of child development will be essential to the effective planning and implementation of educational activities. When you understand the key challenges of each student’s developmental stages, you can better anticipate their needs and make adjustments accordingly. Success in this field depends on various soft skills. Communication will help you  relate well with children and the colleagues with whom you’re collaborating. Problem-solving skills will allow you to resolve conflict, adjust activities to resonate better with students, and address the concerns of parents.

early childcare assistant helping a student with their writing
You’ll need a solid understanding of child development and various soft skills to succeed as an early childcare assistant.

To succeed in early childcare assistant jobs, you’ll need to recruit strong observational skills in order to notice any concerning behavioral patterns in the children under your care, health concerns, threats to safety, and developmental issues. Perhaps you have some of these skills naturally but a reputable childcare assistant training program will fully prepare you to be a competitive candidate in the eyes of employers. 

How Early Childcare Assistant Training Will Help You Succeed

The early childcare assistant diploma at Medix College employs several teaching strategies to encourage active learning in students. Case studies, simulated daycare environments, role play, and class discussions, and hands-on activities come together to create a holistic, immersive learning experience. You will graduate fully prepared to meet the demands of any childcare role with mastery and confidence. Our expert faculty are invested in the success of our students and are available to provide guidance and support wherever it’s needed. Start your career with us today! 

FAQs To Consider:

What does an early childcare assistant do?

Early childcare assistants provide developmentally appropriate care. They lead games and activities that are designed to capture the attention of their students and teach them skills that will stay with them well into their adulthood.

What is a childcare assistant?

Early childcare assistants or ECAs are employed by childcare and educational institutions to provide developmentally appropriate care. They strive to instill positive social and intellectual skills in their students.

Are you ready to start our early childcare assistant program?

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Early Childcare Assistant

3 Signs An Early Childcare Assistant Course Is The Right Career Move For You

August 02, 2023

Student in early childcare assistant course teaching children

Amidst many career paths, few are as rewarding and impactful as working with young children. If you genuinely love children and want to make a difference in their lives, pursuing an early childcare assistant career could be the perfect path for you. The early years of a child’s life are crucial for their overall development, and as an early childcare assistant, you can play a significant role in shaping their future.

Their mission extends far beyond the boundaries of a job. It is a calling to shape young minds, ignite curiosity, and create a nurturing environment that fosters growth and a foundation of learning. From instilling a love for learning to promoting creativity and resilience, early childcare assistants play a pivotal role in a child’s early years and foundation. Their responsibilities include planning and engaging in educational activities, providing emotional support, and building solid relationships with children and their families through quality child care.

1. Genuine Love for Children and Strong Observational Skills

A genuine love for children and solid observational skills indicate that an Early Childcare Assistant Course is the right career move for you. Your deep affection for children and your keen ability to observe their behaviors and needs will set the stage for a rewarding and impactful career in early childhood education.

Your love for children goes beyond enjoyment; it involves a sincere desire to nurture their well-being and development. Your strong observational skills allow you to understand their personalities, interests, and challenges, enabling you to provide tailored support and create a nurturing environment. With your ability to keenly observe and connect with children, you can make a lasting difference in their lives, promoting their growth, learning, and happiness.

Student in early childcare assistant course playing with children
Observational skills will benefit you if you join or ECA course.

2. Ability to Communicate Effectively With Children and Parents

Having the ability to communicate effectively with both children and parents is a crucial sign that you should consider an early childhood assistant course online or in class. As an early childcare assistant, you will foster positive and open communication with children, creating an environment where they feel heard and understood.

When working with children, effective communication involves using age-appropriate language, active listening, and non-verbal cues to engage with them. You should express yourself clearly, provide instructions, and engage in meaningful conversations encouraging language, social development and self help skills.

Communicating with parents is vital for building trust and maintaining strong partnerships. You must convey important information about a child’s progress, daily activities, and concerns or achievements. Good communication skills will help you establish rapport, address questions or concerns, and work collaboratively with parents to ensure the child’s well-being and learning.

Student in early childcare assistant course in a game session
As an ECA, you can foster children’s well-being.

3. Responsible and Reliable Nature Helps in an ECA Course

A responsible and reliable nature is a crucial sign that an ECA course is right for you. Childcare professionals are entrusted with the safety and welfare of young children, and being responsible and reliable is essential to meet these expectations.

As an early childcare assistant, you must adhere to schedules, routines, and policies to ensure a stable and secure environment for children. Being punctual and reliable demonstrates your commitment to the job and creates a sense of stability for both children and parents. Moreover, responsibility extends to maintaining cleanliness, hygiene, and safety standards within childcare. 

You will be responsible for organizing activities, preparing meals, and supervising children during playtime, among other duties. Reliability and responsibility are fundamental in building trust with parents, as they rely on your consistency and ability to care for their children.

FAQs To Conisder:

Q: How do I become an early childhood assistant? 

A: To become an early childhood assistant, complete a recognized education program or obtain relevant certifications.

Q: What is an early childcare assistant? 

A: An early childcare assistant is an individual who supports the care and development of young children in childcare settings. They assist with daily activities, provide supervision, and create a safe and engaging environment for children.

Q: How much does an early childcare assistant earn? 

A: The annual salary of an early childcare assistant in Canada can vary depending on location, experience, and qualifications.

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Early Childcare Assistant

3 Record Keeping Tips to Remember After Early Childcare Assistant Training

May 03, 2023

Caregiver interacting with a female child after Early Childcare Assistant Training

Record-keeping provides a detailed account of a child’s development and well-being in a childcare setting, which makes it an essential aspect of early childcare. It is crucial to ensure that children receive the best possible care and that parents are well-informed about their child’s progress. 

As an Early Childcare Assistant, you must maintain accurate records of children’s learning, development, and interactions. In this blog post, we will discuss three record-keeping tips that every early childcare assistant should remember.

1. Be Consistent After Early Childcare Assistant Training

Consistency and timeliness are key elements of effective developmental record-keeping. After Early Childcare Assistant training, it is essential to establish a routine for maintaining records. This means taking the time to record observations, incidents, and interactions as they happen. Waiting until the end of the day or week to update records can lead to missing or forgotten important information.

Caregiver observing a little girl after Early Childcare Assistant Training
In your Early Childcare Assistant training, try to be consistent and timely with your records

A common question is: How do you record information accurately? Timely developmental record-keeping ensures accurate and up-to-date information, providing a clear picture of a child’s progress. It’s important to be consistent to ensure that records are complete and easy to read, reducing the risk of errors and misunderstandings.

2. Use Appropriate Language in Your Early Childcare Assistant Career

Using appropriate language in developmental record-keeping after completing your Early Childcare Assistant courses is another important tip to remember. The language used in developmental records should always be objective, non-judgmental, and focused on the child’s development and well-being. You’ll want to avoid using language that could be seen as critical or negative towards the child, their family, or their culture.

Childcare professional taking records after Early Childcare Assistant Training
Use appropriate language while writing your records during your Early Childcare Assistant career

For example, instead of writing “the child was disruptive during circle time,” you could write “the child struggled to engage in circle time activities and required additional support.” This approach is more objective and focuses on the child’s needs rather than the behaviour itself.

3. Always Ensure Records are Kept Secure and Confidential

As an Early Childcare Assistant, keeping records secure and confidential is essential to protecting the privacy of children and their families. Early childcare assistants must ensure that records are kept in a safe and secure location, such as a locked filing cabinet or password-protected computer. Only authorized personnel should have access to records, and they should be trained in how to handle confidential information.

It is also essential to ensure that information is shared only on a need-to-know basis. For example, sharing information about a child’s health or development with other parents or staff members without permission could breach confidentiality and damage relationships.

Effective developmental record-keeping is essential to early childcare, providing a detailed account of a child’s progress in a childcare setting. Early childcare assistants must consistently and timely maintain records, use appropriate language, and keep records secure and confidential. By following these tips, you can be sure your developmental records will be effective and helpful for children and their parents while ensuring they receive the best possible care.

FAQ To Consider:

How do you record information accurately?

Timely developmental record-keeping ensures accurate and up-to-date information, providing a clear picture of a child’s progress. It’s important to be consistent to ensure that records are complete and easy to read, reducing the risk of errors and misunderstandings.

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Early Childcare Assistant

4 Tips for Collaborating With Teachers After Early Childcare Assistant Training

February 10, 2023

Early Childcare Assistants (ECAs) have the opportunity to work with young children in a variety of educational settings. In recent years, Canadian schools have recognized the importance of acknowledging the developmental needs of children entering the school system. There’s a need for interprofessional collaboration to offer children the support they require, particularly during their transition from preschool to kindergarten. If you’re considering Early Childcare Assistant training, collaboration skills will be an essential part of your success. Keep the following practices in mind while on the job to provide the children in your care with the best possible support. 

1. Work to Establish Shared Goals When Collaborating With Teachers

In all work environments, shared goals help a team harness the combined strengths of each professional’s perspective and expertise to achieve the desired result. Even though you’ll come from a different professional background than the teachers you’ll work with after training, it’s certain that you’ll have goals in common. On the job, try your best to establish these early by being specific and thinking carefully about realistic strategies for achieving your objectives. This will not only demonstrate initiative in your new position, but it will provide you and the teachers you collaborate with some common ground and clear direction. After Early Childcare Assistant training, consider initiating a conversation on shared objectives.

Work on common goals after completing Early Childcare Assistant training.

2. Keep the Lines of Communication Open After Early Childcare Assistant Training 

Effective communication will facilitate the planning and evaluation of educational activities. In addition, when you communicate well with teachers, you’re better equipped to anticipate the assistance you’ll need to perform your duties to the best of your ability. Be straightforward about anything that isn’t working, but also be quick to communicate positive feedback. Many childcare and educator teams use an online communication platform to make collaboration convenient. The classroom also can be adjusted to facilitate communication through open-concept layouts and seating plans–making it easier for staff members to work together. 

3. Focus on Creating a Sense of Community

After Early Childcare Assistant courses, establishing a sense of community among staff members in the classroom is essential. It will not only make your collaboration more pleasant, but it will facilitate trust building, productivity, and increase each individual’s sense of personal investment. How might you build a sense of community in your first ECA role? Start by establishing an authentic connection with teachers. You can do this by asking questions and sharing an interest in what the class needs most. By using self-disclosure to share pertinent information about yourself, you may find that fellow teachers better understand your role in addition to you as a person.

Building a sense of community will help your team succeed after Early Childcare Assistant training.

4. Work Through Conflict Proactively 

While working with teachers, or anyone for that matter, conflict is bound to come up. This is normal, but what really matters is how you choose to deal with it. Ongoing conflict makes it difficult to work together towards a common goal–which, as discussed, is an important part of providing adequate support for young students. Remember to apply the golden rules of conflict resolution: 

  • Go into conflict resolution aware of the biases you bring to the situation 
  • Avoid escalating the situation with personal attacks or provocation 
  • Overcome the ‘me vs. them’ perspective 
  • Get to the root of the conflict rather than addressing superficial issues
  • Define acceptable behaviour going forward 
  • Focus on the positive

Interprofessional collaboration can be a challenge, but when you’re able to make it work, significant professional growth can occur. Not only this, but the students in your care will benefit significantly from the combined expertise and efforts of your team. Our Early Childcare Assistant Diploma program leaves students fully equipped to be valuable members of any educational or childcare team. The program covers all aspects of child development and provides students hands-on experience through labs. 

 

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Early Childcare Assistant

4 Ways to Make a Positive Impact After Early Childhood Assistant Training

January 27, 2023

Early childhood is a fundamental stage in a child’s development. During the early years of a child’s life, an estimated one million neural connections are formed every second. This intense and focused learning period is never repeated during our lifetime. That’s why Early Childhood Assistants (ECAs) and educators play such a key role in positively impacting the lives of children emotionally, intellectually, and socially. 

If you’re considering Early Childhood Assistant training, read on to learn four ways you can make a positive impact on children during your career.

1. Make the Children You Work With Feel Safe

One of the key ways to make a positive impact during your ECA career is by ensuring that the children have a safe and healthy environment. Children are more likely to excel and mature in environments where they feel that they can grow. In the classroom, it is the role of the teacher and the ECA to establish that environment. This can be done by helping children when they need it, ensuring no bullying happens, and focusing on building relationships with the children. 

During Early Childhood Assistant training, you will learn how best to interact with children, and you will pick up some ideas for establishing healthy relationships with them, ensuring that they feel safe at all times. For example, by practicing active listening, when children try to communicate with you, you will pick up on any troubles they may be having or things they may excel at. This will allow you to help with struggles and praise achievements effectively, motivating the children to consistently communicate openly.

2. Play Fun and Educational Games After Early Childhood Assistant Training

Fun and educational games enable children to learn and understand concepts they may struggle with. They are also a good way to encourage children to socialize with their peers, helping them build connections with others. There are several conceptual games you can play with a classroom of children, including ones that are social-focused, like duck-duck-goose, hide-and-seek, or musical chairs. Learning-focused games can include shape sorters, jigsaw puzzles, and sensory activities. During your Early Childhood Assistant courses, you will learn what role these games have when to use them, and how they can impact a child’s development. For example, duck-duck-goose can help children improve their social skills while teaching them to pay attention to rules and be fair to others. This can positively impact a child’s social and emotional development.

During early childhood assistant training, you learn what fun and educational games to play with children.

3. Lend a Helping Hand

While it’s important for children to develop their independence, it’s only natural that they will need help at some point since they cannot do certain things on their own. This is where the ECA will need to step in to help. Some things they might need help with include routine activities, such as dressing, eating, and going to the washroom, as well as academic activities. 

As an ECA, it will be important to observe the children attentively, noticing when they need help with their routine activities or learning materials. Children may not ask for help themselves–this can be because they are shy or simply have a hard time communicating–so it will be important for you to step in an lend your helping hand when you feel it is needed.

During Early Childhood Assistant training, you will learn the positive impact helping children when they need it has.

4. Assisting The Educator When Needed

Assisting the educator as an Early Childhood Assistant will benefit not only the educator but the children as well. Educators have a lot on their plate, and as an ECA, you will be needed to assist them in planning, developing, and implementing activities. Doing this will help reduce the teacher’s workload and allow you to play an essential role in what the children are learning and doing in the classroom.

By assisting the educator, you’ll also get to spend more time with the children, becoming more involved in their development and ensuring a positive impact is made during this time.

 

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Early Childcare Assistant

4 Safety Practices to Employ After Early Childcare Assistant Training

December 02, 2022

As an early childcare assistant, your primary objective will be to safeguard the safety and well-being of the children in your care. This is a huge responsibility, but by adopting some simple habits on the job, effective childcare safety practices can become second nature to you. What are some of the hazards to keep in mind? And what systems can you and your team put in place in order to create a safe environment for children? Find the answers to these questions below and learn how you can excel in your childcare career after training. 

1. Select a Designated Gatekeeper After Early Childcare Assistant Training

One of your responsibilities as an early childcare assistant is to keep children occupied and engaged in educational activities. It’s highly likely that children will be in several different settings in and out of the daycare centre throughout the day. This makes it harder to ensure that each and every child in the vicinity is safe. Consider choosing a designated gatekeeper–someone who ensures that each person who enters and exits the centre is accounted for. After early childcare assistant training, you’ll find that many centres choose to use a management system (on paper or digitized) where each visitor is required to sign in and out. The gatekeeper may also be responsible for safeguarding records that may contain sensitive information about the children.

Choose a gatekeeper to keep track of each person entering and exiting the centre after early childcare assistant training.

2. Stay on Top of Attendance and Ratios 

Young children are highly energetic, and as fun as that can be, it makes it a challenge to keep up with them. You may find children who tend to run away or simply wander to unsupervised areas of the centre, which can pose a risk to their safety. This is why it’s imperative to know who is present each day at all times. 

In addition, you must always keep track of caregiver-to-child ratios, which ensures that supervision is adequate and equally distributed. Commonly accepted ratios are one caregiver to four to six children within the toddler age range, and one caregiver to ten children for preschool-aged children, though these vary from province to province. Be aware of the rules in your area and keep a close eye on curious wanderers by maintaining the correct ratios. 

3. Childproof the Environment 

Sometimes young children will encounter danger in their immediate environment, even under the watch of safe and attentive professionals. Be sure to remove all choking hazards from the area, install outlet covers to protect children from electricity, get rid of any sharply edged furniture, disinfect toys and surfaces regularly, and keep blinds out of reach. This sounds like a long list of actions, but remember that many of these things should already be taken care of by the daycare where you work. All the same, don’t hesitate to alert higher management when you notice a safety hazard in the environment.

Make sure your work environment is childproof after early childcare assistant college.

4. Get Adequate Childcare Safety Training 

There’s so much more to childcare safety than the points we’ve discussed. In order to be fully prepared to supervise a group of children safely, comprehensive training at an early childcare assistant college is your best option. Our Early Childcare Assistant Training Program at Medix College will leave you feeling confident and ready to make a positive impact on the children in your care. Through case studies and the opportunity to gain practical experience in a simulated daycare environment, you’ll receive a holistic education that will lead to a rewarding career nurturing future generations.  

 

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Early Childcare Assistant

Promoting Positive Social Skills in Children After Early Childcare Assistant College

September 23, 2022

If you’re an aspiring childcare assistant, you’ll know that your future role will give you the opportunity to impact the lives of the children you work with positively. Gaining social skills is a crucial part of a child’s development, as it facilitates their ability to build relationships, share, cooperate, and even enjoy better mental health later in life. 

Unfortunately, due to frequent lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic, many little ones have missed the opportunity to socialize with other children. Now more than ever, it’s critical that childcare professionals strive to promote positive social skills. Below, discover a few tips to keep in mind in order to cultivate healthy socialization among children during your career as an early childcare assistant.

Arrange the Environment for Socialization After Early Childcare Assistant College

You can encourage children to practice their social skills by creating an environment that encourages them to interact with their peers. Seating, for example, should make it easy for children to speak to their fellow classmates while affording them enough personal space. Group pods and roundtables are a couple of seating plans to consider. In addition, try to provide toys that encourage parallel and cooperative play. For example, puzzles, blocks, cars, and dolls enable children to come together and use their creativity to have fun. After childcare assistant college, be sure to make it a habit to evaluate the environment of the children’s centres where you work and make adjustments in order to encourage positive social interactions.

After childcare assistant college, try to design an environment that encourages children to interact.

Prioritize Both Structured and Unstructured Play 

Play is essential for child development on multiple levels. Not only does it aid physical development by allowing children to practice their strength and dexterity, but it also presents a great opportunity to understand the people around them and develop prosocial behaviours. It’s important to facilitate both structured and unstructured play in order to foster a holistic variety of social skills. Structured play, for example, pushes children out of their comfort zones, encourages teamwork, and allows children to experience healthy competition. Unstructured play is just as valuable, and it’s important to ensure that children’s time is not overly controlled. Unstructured play aids children’s problem-solving skills, imagination, and ability to interact without too much adult intervention. 

Embrace Differences Among Children

Tolerance and acceptance are social skills that many adults struggle with, but both are essential to building meaningful relationships and becoming socially responsible adults. You can encourage these valuable behaviours by honouring the many differences that exist among children and staff, whether these refer to different personalities, preferences, and cultures. For example, there will be a varying degree of introversion within each child’s personality. One way you can demonstrate acceptance and embrace differences is to avoid trying to change a shy child by putting them in positions that make them uncomfortable. In fact, try complimenting them on how thoughtful and observant they are. Likewise, there will be some firecrackers in the group. Instead of trying to subdue their personalities, commend them for how fun and outgoing they are. 

Model and Teach Positive Social Behaviours 

As you’ll learn while earning your early childcare assistant diploma, children often learn by mirroring adult behaviour. This is why it’s so important for you as a childcare professional to lead by example and exhibit positive social behaviours, as you never know when a little one is watching. Sometimes, leading by example isn’t enough to effectively teach a child the importance of certain social behaviours, such as sharing or apologizing sincerely when they’ve done something wrong. In this case, they might require a one-on-one discussion where you directly teach a child how to handle a particular social situation. 

In your work after early childcare assistant college, children will look to you as an example of positive social behaviours.

The tips we’ve discussed seem simple; however, a theoretical understanding of childhood development, in addition to the experience that will prepare you for the workforce, will be essential to your success in the field. At Medix College, we equip students in our early childcare assistant program with the knowledge and practical skills they need to succeed.

 

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A Day in the Life of an Early Childcare Assistant College Grad

May 13, 2022

For an aspiring early childcare assistant, the role you play when assisting childcare educators in the development and nurturing of children is such an exhilarating feeling. Your role helps promote the cognitive, physical, emotional and social development of children, as you become their role model. That’s why it’s important to understand what an early childcare assistant’s day is like, as you prepare to launch your career in the field. 

At Medix College, you’ll receive hands-on training that’ll prepare you to become an early childcare assistant. You’ll learn how to collaborate with teachers, assist children in various activities and more. Below, take a closer look at what an early childcare assistant’s day is like!

Help Children Develop Coordination and Social Skills After Early Childcare Assistant College

When you start your day alongside early childhood educators, you’ll assist with children being dropped off by their parents. You’ll ensure that all the children are ready to start their day, and that everyone is safe and accounted for. 

Morning time is when the fun kicks in. Under the guidance of the teacher, you’ll probably gather the children in a circle to begin carrying out some fun and engaging activities. Your early childcare assistant college training will provide you with the skills needed to support teachers in carrying out activities in singing, stretching and other movement-related activities. Other hands-on activities may include creating seasonal arts and crafts. These all help with the development of the children’s social skills, coordination and creativity.

Prepare Snacks to Fuel Young Minds for the Rest of the Day

After you attend an early childcare assistant college in Ontario like Medix College, you’ll learn how to plan and prepare nutritious meals for children based on the Canada Food Guide. You’ll help with snack preparation and get the children ready in their assigned areas to eat. Snack time is important as it provides children with the energy they need to continue with their learning and other fun activities throughout the day. You’ll ensure that the children wash their hands properly and sit down quietly as they eat their healthy snacks, which may consist of fruits, vegetables, yogurt and granola.

After early childcare assistant college, you’ll be responsible for preparing snacks and meals for children

Playtime and Group Activities Are Followed by Lunch

After snack time, the children will be energized to take on the work you’ve planned for the day. You’ll probably have them participate in fun activities outside or inside the classroom that promote intellectual, physical and educational development. These may include reading, drawing, puzzles or participating in a scavenger hunt outside. 

By lunchtime, the children will start to get tired and be ready to eat their midday meal. Some children will have their parents provide them with lunch, while others may be eating what you and the teachers have prepared. 

After lunch, you’ll help teachers organize educational and fun activities for the children

Nap Time and More Activities to Follow Before the End of the Day

After all the children have had their lunch, it’s time for you, the teacher and the children to take a nice quiet break. This is when you let the children take a nap in between. This is also a time for you to regroup with the teachers and prepare the schedule for the remainder of the day. After the children have had their naps, you’ll have them enjoy some other fun and educational activities. Finally, you’ll get them to tidy up the classroom together, which encourages good life habits in the children and builds a sense of responsibility and teamwork. 

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Early Childcare Assistant

Techniques Every Early Childhood Assistant Can Use When Working with Children

March 01, 2022

If you are great with kids and are in search of a fulfilling career, you might consider Early Childcare Assistant college. Early Childcare Assistants collaborate with educators to support the development of young children in the classroom. These professionals ensure that children’s developmental needs are met by implementing and facilitating a number of different daily activities while observing children closely to gain more knowledge about their behaviour. 

When working with children, successful Early Childcare Assistants use a number of different strategies to create a classroom environment that’s stimulating, nurturing, and safe. If you are considering earning your Early Childcare Assistant diploma, check out this infographic to discover some helpful techniques for working with young children.

[Infographic] Techniques Every Early Childcare Assistant Can Use When Working with Children

Provide Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement builds

  • Confidence
  • Self-esteem

Make sure that:

  • You provide opportunities for children to succeed
  • Praise children when they do a good job

Ask Strategic Questions 

Asking children questions helps them to:

  • Engage their personal thinking process
  • Challenge children to communicate
  • Enhance logical decision-making

For example:

  • “How do you know that’s the answer?”
  • “Where else have you seen something like this?”

Create a Predictable Environment 

Making your classroom safe and predictable helps children to:

  • Feel comfortable
  • Build confidence
  • Become dependent on visible cues
  • Reduce stress

Encourage Social Interaction IMAGE

Help children to develop their social skills by:

  • Providing opportunities for group work
  • Introducing games to boost communication
    • The “Telephone” game works well for this

With these techniques, you’ll be ready to give children the support they need!

 

Sources:

11 strategies to use with aggressive children in class | Stonebridge

10+ Strategies – Learning for All (learningforallab.ca)

Social Skills Games for the Kid-Friendly Classroom – Proud to be Primary

How to be a good teaching assistant (theclassroompartnership.co.uk)

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