Summary - Supporting At-Risk Young Learners & Their Families V26.4401. Online registration by Cvent

This course is designed to help Early Childhood Educators gain strategies to reach and teach young children who are at risk of not meeting their potential. Participants will learn the internal and external factors that place a child at risk, how heredity and environment affect a child’s development, the characteristics of various risk factors, and interventions for each risk factor. A major emphasis will be on the family’s influence on the child’s development and how Early Childhood Educators can work with families to support their child’s growth in all areas of development.

The course is divided into four chapters. The first chapter defines “at-risk” factors, reviews early childhood development, and presents information about adverse childhood experiences. The second chapter presents the various external environmental and family factors that contribute to a child’s being at risk. The third chapter discusses the internal, child-centered factors of risk. And the fourth chapter presents the problems trauma and abuse cause the developing child. The chapters are sequential and should be completed in the order in which they are presented. At the end of each chapter, there will be an examination covering the material. Students must complete the examination before proceeding to the next chapter. In some of the examinations, questions will involve case studies to provide further practice in the application of knowledge. This course is appropriate for educators who seek training in working with children ages birth to 8 years and for professionals who work directly with families.

Although this course is a comprehensive presentation of the educational issues surrounding adverse childhood experiences and their influence on a child’s development, there is certainly a wealth of research and topics that are not covered in the scope of this course. The instructor highly recommends that you augment your readings from this course with further research to gain a fuller understanding of the complexities of this subject. However, the material presented in this course will give you a broader understanding of the topic. It will also give you information to apply directly to your work with students in the classroom and the community.

Expected Learning Outcomes

Understand the educator’s role in identifying and providing interventions for at-risk young children
Recognize the symptoms of a child and/or their family being at risk
Understand what adverse childhood experiences are and how they affect a child’s growth and development
Understand the external and internal causes of a child’s being placed at risk in families and society
Understand the special learning needs these students bring to the classroom
Gain techniques for supporting students and families affected by negative factors
Learn intervention techniques applicable to early childhood settings
Gain a wider knowledge of available outside resources and support systems
Understand the educator’s role in the intervention and prevention of developmental delays
Understand how the family is the child’s primary influence and the role their choices make in the child’s early development

Course Syllabus This is a preview syllabus only. The official syllabus will be provided to you by VESi.

Methods of Instruction - Reading, examinations, essays: critical thinking questions, and journal article summations. All readings are within the online environment.
Course Grading Rubric

Grade Level: PK-3