Supporting Children’s Learning and Safety

Literacy Link South Central supports the adult literacy community by working with partners, funders, and the government to advocate for and build connections between literacy programs and those who could benefit from them.

Early Childhood Assistant Skills Sprint

The Early Childhood Assistant Skills Sprint involves a total of 27 hours:
3 hours of learning, 3 times a week, for 3 weeks.
This progressive badge indicates that both the first and second week of the Early Childhood Assistant Skills Sprint has been completed.

A Learning Participation badge recognizes participation, usually in a cohort-based course or learning event (e.g. webinar or workshop), perhaps including formative assessment such as “knowledge checks”, discussion, application and/or opportunities for reflection, but not requiring a rigorous summative assessment to demonstrate that learning outcomes have been met.

Adapted from the Institute for Credentialing Excellence

NB: This type of learning is an example of what UNESCO terms Non-formal education.

Type of recognition

Learning Participation (not assessed)

Aligned to the Learning Agents Flexible Recognition Framework:

Overall Learning Objectives

This 3-week skills sprint is designed to build the foundational skills needed for entry-level childcare positions. The curriculum emphasizes practical workplace readiness, including communication, collaboration, adaptability, emotional intelligence, professional conduct, digital navigation, and the ability to understand and respond to expectations in real childcare settings.

Week 2: Learning Modules

Child Development, Observation and Communication
How Children Learn: Engagement and Activity Design
Safe and Healthy Childcare Environments

Learning Content

1. The Child Development, Observation and Communication module includes:
   
   ● Child development
   ● Reading and communication practice
   ● Objective observation
   ● Strength-based language
   
   

2. The How Children Learn: Engagement and Activity Design module includes:
   
   ● How children learn
   ● Child-led practice
   ● Designing activities
   ● Communication practice
   
   
   

3. The Safe and Healthy Childcare Environments includes:
   
   ● Ratios and supervision
   ● Allergies and meal-time safety
   ● Physical safety and sight lines
   ● Numeracy practice
   
   
   

Learning Experience, Activities

Workshops featuring:

• Text and multimedia presentations that introduce key concepts and apply them to the workplace
  
  
• Interactive opportunities for discussion, recall and application

Assessment

The session leader engaged learners in discussion and activities to apply the learning as described.
Role-specific procedures and practices are typically reinforced through employer onboarding, training, and mentorship.

Learning Participation badges are not assessed but provide useful signals of interest and engagement by the individual.

Estimated learning effort

3 hour(s) a day, 3 days a week = 9 hours for this week

This Skills Sprint runs for 3 weeks in total. This badge is issued after weeks 1 and 2 weeks are completed, for an accumulated total of 18 hours of learning effort.

The Skills Sprints pilot program aims to help job seekers quickly build and showcase foundational skills. Each Skills Sprint provides a short, three-week training program that results in targeted and accessible upskilling.

‘Skills Sprints’ is funded by the Future Skills Centre through the Government of Canada’s Future Skills Program. Le projet ‘Skills Sprints’ est financé par le gouvernement du Canada dans le cadre du programme Compétences futures.

About Future Skills Centre
The Future Skills Centre (FSC) is a forward-thinking centre for research and collaboration dedicated to driving innovation in skills development so that everyone in Canada can be prepared for the future of work. We are funded by the Government of Canada's Future Skills Program.