CDA Competency Goals and Functional Areas Functional Area Definitions I. To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment 1. Safe 2. Healthy Student provides a safe environment to prevent and reduce injuries. Student promotes good health and nutrition and provides an environment that contributes to the prevention of illness. 3. Learning Environment II. To advance physical and intellectual competence 4. Physical 5. Cognitive 6. Communication Student uses space, relationships, materials and routines as resources for constructing an interesting, secure, and enjoyable environment that encourages play, exploration, and learning. Student provides a variety of equipment, activities and opport unities to promote physical development of children. Student provides activities and opportunities that encourage curiosity, exploration and problem solving appropriate to the development levels and learning styles of children. Student actively communicates with children and provides opportunities and support for student to understand, acquire and use verbal and nonverbal means of communicating thoughts and feelings. 7. Creative III. To support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance 8. Self 9. Social Students provides opportunities that stimulate children to play with sound, rhythm, language, materials, space and ideas in individual ways and to express their creative abilities. Student provides physical and emotional security for each child and helps each child to know, accept and take pride in him/herself and to express their creative abilities. Student helps each child feel accepted in the group, helps children learn to communicate and get along with other and encourages feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults. 10. Guidance IV. To establish positive and productive relationships with families. 11. Families