Level 1 Core Competencies

Includes the knowledge and skills expected of a practitioner new to the early education and care field, with minimal specialized training or education.

On this page:
Content Area I
Content Area II
Content Area III
Content Area IV
Content Area V
Content Area VI
Content Area VII
Content Area VIII

Content Area I: Child Growth and Development: Level 1

• Recognizes children learn through play.
• Recognizes individual personalities and temperaments of children.
• Accepts cultural and linguistic variations and the effects those variations may have on behavior and development.
• Accepts special needs variations and the effects those variations may have on behavior and development.
• Addresses the individual needs of children.
• Understands the need to help each child feel accepted in the group.
• Helps children learn to communicate and get along with others.
• Encourages feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults.

Content Area II: Level 1

A: Creating the Learning Environment and General Curriculum

• Follows a daily routine.
• Gives children choices.
• Supports and encourages children’s participation in a variety of activities.

B: Promoting Physical Development

• Actively participates in children’s activities.
• Interacts appropriately with children during physical activities.
• Spends time with children in “floor time” activities.

C: Promoting Language Development and Literacy

• Listens and responds to children’s verbal and non-verbal attempts to communicate.
• Encourages children to ask questions and actively listens to their responses.
• Talks with children and stimulates conversation among children.
• Demonstrates realistic expectations for children’s understanding and use of speech.
• Responds to children’s communication in home language.
• Shares books with children, re-reads favorite stories, and models reading behaviors.
• Asks children questions about stories read and told together.
• Encourages children to predict what will happen next in a story.
• Plays word and rhyming games.
• Models appropriate handling and selection of books.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Mathematics

• Encourages children to explore, group, and order objects and materials in the environment.
• Provides opportunities for conversation using everyday words to indicate space, location, shape, and size of objects.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Science

• Takes walks in the neighborhood or community to observe natural objects and events.
• Discusses objects and events that have been observed indoors and outdoors.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Social Studies

• Talks about jobs people do in the family and community.
• Discusses program roles, jobs, and rules.

E: Promoting Personal and Social Development

• Engages in everyday conversation with infants, toddlers, and young children.
• Treats children as individuals with their own strengths and needs.
• Recognizes that periods of stress, separation, and transition may affect children’s personal and social development.
• Shares children’s excitement in discoveries, exploration, and manipulation of items in the environment.

F: Promoting Creativity and the Arts

• Values the process of creating as more important than the end product.
• Encourages individual creative expression.
• Accepts cultural differences that may affect children’s ways of expressing themselves creatively.
• Provides opportunities for children to use a variety of media for creative activities.

Content Area III: Assessment and Planning for Individual Needs: Level 1

• Understands that each child develops at his/her own rate.
• Assists with collection of information about each child’s development.
• Raises concerns about children's development to supervisors.
• Maintains confidentiality between the program and families regarding each child’s observation and assessment.
• Is aware of the signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect and complies with mandated reporting procedures for child abuse and neglect.

Content Area IV: Interactions with Children: Level 1

• Uses positive behavior guidance.
• Avoids actions that would cause physical and emotional harm.
• Provides appropriate supervision.
• Understands and supports child-directed play.
• Interacts in a manner reflecting respect for self and others.
• Addresses behaviors or situations, rather than labeling the child.
• Shows respect for children in all situations.

Content Area V: Families and Communities: Level 1

• Respects the family’s role as primary educator.
• Establishes positive communication and relationships with families.
• Responds appropriately to parent questions, and/ or refers them to supervisor or service agency in the community.
• Acknowledges the varying structures and cultures of children’s families.
• Accepts individuality of each child.
• Follows rules of confidentiality.

Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition: Level 1

Health

• Practices appropriate hand-washing techniques.
• Helps children practice appropriate hand-washing techniques.
• Practices safe diapering procedures.
• Implements practices to avoid and control blood-borne pathogens.

Safety

• Is aware of environment and the potential for hazards, corrects those that are correctable, and alerts supervisor to any others.
• Actively supervises and interacts with children to ensure safety both indoors and outdoors.
• Releases children only to authorized persons.
• Follows safety regulations and participates in emergency and disaster drills.

Nutrition

• Practices safe food handling and observes general sanitation practices.
• Maintains sanitary environments.
• Recognizes health hazards in meals (choking, allergies, etc.) and takes steps to prevent dangerous situations.

Content Area VII: Program Planning and Evaluation: Level 1

• Behaves as a responsible staff member.
• Participates as a team member in the program.
• Keeps appropriate records.
• Complies with program policies and licensing requirements.
• Communicates and works effectively with other staff, volunteers, and administrators.
• Has or is gaining functional technological skills (e.g., computer, fax machine, speaker phone, etc.)
• Is able to receive and use constructive feedback.

Content Area VIII: Professional Development and Leadership: Level 1

• Enjoys working with children and models a positive attitude.
• Exhibits good hygiene and personal appearance.
• Demonstrates good work habits.
• Consults with supervisor or resource person regarding concerns.
• Works cooperatively with colleagues.
• Is aware of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) code of ethics for early education and care and its main topics.
• Behaves ethically, maintaining confidentiality and impartiality.
• Shows commitment to the program’s goals.
• Seeks out knowledge and skills to improve practice.