All training experiences--whether offered in the context of courses, workshops, or one-on-one--should address the profession's standards and lead to career advancement. Standards for early childhood professionals have been developed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition. Teaching Strategies' "Caring for..." series addresses these standards for programs serving infants, toddlers, preschool and school-age children in center-based and family child care settings.

Each of the books in the "Caring for..." series of training materials provides an easy-to-implement self-paced program to help you make sure that your staff possess the basic skills and competencies of our profession.

Each set of books is organized into modules that can be used for individualized staff development, the content for a college course, or the focus for ongoing workshops. The modules include readings and learning activities that help build skills and knowledge as staff work with children every day. The personal, friendly tone of the books makes them practical and easy to use. This program is appropriate for new or experienced staff.

The "Caring for..." series addresses the professional competency standards which form the core of accreditation and credentialing programs. Modules are organized around the 13 functional areas of the CDA Competency Standards:

Volume I

• Safe
• Healthy
• Learning Environment
• Physical
• Cognitive
• Communication

Volume II

• Creative
• Self
• Social
• Guidance
• Families
• Program Management
• Professionalism

Trainer's Guides

Each of the "Caring for . . . " sets has an accompanying Trainer's Guide. The Guides offer specific suggestions for implementing the program and providing feedback to staff. They include knowledge assessments, answer sheets, observation forms with checklists, and tracking forms.