It’s important for our future childcare educators get hands-on opportunities to apply their skills. This is an essential part of a childcare career pathway and necessary to prepare students for their future career. With about 56,821 jobs for childcare educators currently available, this is an in-demand career path that students should consider when thinking about their future job.
When it comes to creating a capstone project for future childcare educators, hands-on opportunities are the best way to evaluate students’ skill and knowledge. At this point, they’ve explored the career pathway and learned all the foundational knowledge. It’s time for your students to show you what they can do and work on more advanced leadership soft skills. However, opportunities to work with real children aren’t always available. That’s where simulation and hands-on programs come in.
The following learning aids can help provide hands-on application of skills for senior students interested in being childcare educators. We’re also offering an activity from our Child Care Experience™ Program curriculum for FREE. You can use this activity to help your students imagine their own childcare center today.
Engaging Tools for Applying Future Childcare Educators’ Skills
1. Child Care Experience Program
The Child Care Experience (CCE) is a complete simulation involving hardware, software, and curriculum to provide a capstone project for future childcare educators. It offers the most realistic childcare simulation possible. Each student takes part in an in-class simulation during which they manage the care of multiple infants simultaneously
2. Leadership Soft Skills Program
Use this comprehensive Leadership Soft Skills Program as a standalone course or to supplement a current program. Teach 18 different leadership soft skills, from conflict management and honesty to team building and positivity. Use the program’s teacher guide, student workbooks, slide presentation, and 20 scenario cards to teach important soft skills for future childcare educators.
Additional Resources
Looking for more resources and activities to teach future childcare educators and enhance your childcare career pathway program?
- Explore our childcare program implementation page to see how you can work these resources into your program
- Watch our recently recorded webinar on creating an ideal childcare pathway
- Make sure you get your free childcare center activity
- Read our blog on tools for teaching child development classes
