Day Care Assistant Interview Preparation Guide

Download PDF

Their enthusiasm. Each child that I have had the good fortune to look after, has been a complete joy owing to his or her individuality. Children have so much capacity to learn and as a mentor and caregiver, I like the fact that I can be a positive influence on how they will lead their adult life.

When you have cared for a child for a certain period of time, you see him or her developing the exact habits that you have taught them. That is satisfaction in itself. Seeing success of my work in little people’s eyes, speech and actions is gratifying.

Most likely as a preschool teacher you will be working with students from ages three to five. The interviewer wants to make sure your curriculum will be relevant to the entire range of age groups.

"The most important thing I keep in mind when working with children of different age groups is to keep each child engaged and mentally stimulated. Everyone must have equal attention because often if a child feels neglected they will start to act out. All students physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs should be met and further developed. I make sure to keep a diverse curriculum that is specified and beneficial to each age. I develop cross-age activities as well."

I was told once not to do something and if I didn't listen I would be put in time out. I wouldn't really do anything differently with my own I feel I would be strict but not super strict but I would teach them to have respect for me and to listen.

I took a semester of ece I have babysat for relatives and I did co op at a daycare during high school I also worked at a home base daycare with a family friend.

Your answer needs to show an employer you have knowledge, experience and understanding of relevant legislation within areas like mental health or child protection. These are always changing so it's essential you keep up-to-date. You may then delve deeper into your areas of expertise in your answer. Refer to specific regulations or guidance, acknowledge why the legislation is important and how you would use it in the role.

Often, interviewers will ask questions to find out the level of technical knowledge that a candidate has concerning the duties of a care assistant. In a question such as this, there is an opportunity to demonstrate professional knowledge and awareness. The confidentiality of a person’s medical records is an important factor for a care assistant to bear in mind.

Interpersonal relationships are a very important part of being a successful care assistant. This question is seeking a solid example of how you have used powers of persuasion to achieve a positive outcome in a professional task or situation. The answer should include specific details.

Again this is a very common question and one you should prepare for in advance. Try to be original and imaginative in your response as opposed to the standard ‘I am a hard worker’.

To prepare, create a list of all your knowledge based skills, transferrable skills and personable skills. Then read the job specification and try to identify which skills would be relevant to the job in question. Once identified, narrow the list down to three core skills and try and think of examples to demonstrate your key strengths.

A short question, but one that requires a lot of preparation to answer correctly. It is important that you give the employer a sense that you are passionate and interested in their business, their company and what they do. No employer wants to think that you would work just about anywhere – even if that is the truth!

The best way to answer this question is to ensure that you fully research the company in advance. Understand who they are, what they do, what they sell, where they are headed as well as understanding the achievements they have reached and the challenges they face.

Then think about what you will bring to the company in this context. It is important to outline how you will benefit the company and not focus on what the company will bring to you.
An example of an effective response is:

“I have researched and read widely on your company and consider it a market leader within the digital industry. I am particularly very interested in some of the new projects which I understand are coming down the tracks – such as the building of a new website for the publishing industry, as well as the development of an online e-commerce site. With over 5 years experience in this arena, I feel that I can play a key role in ensuring the success of these new projects by bringing all my knowledge and know-how to the company.”

If you've only got three words, you need to make sure the ones you choose will leave a big impression on the interviewer. The following words are always seen as desirable; Dependable, Punctual, Honest, Driven, Reliable, Organised, Positive, Achiever, Ambitious, Energetic, Dedicated, Friendly, Motivated, Flexible, Responsible.
In such a situation you can use positive words that bring about your most positive characteristics. The answer should also be ground in solid logic and should reference professional achievements.

I have provided care to newborn babies and children aged up to 10 years. I can handle children’s personal and nutritional needs perfectly and have helped older children with homework as well. Since I have been a child caregiver for 12 years, I have seen, experienced and managed even the toughest situations with children quite easily.

Children in their formative years require more out of a teacher than others. The interviewer wants to find out if you have any goals or takeaways for your preschoolers.

"I have a few goals I aim to achieve that allow me to measure my success as well. First, my overall objective is to instill a positive attitude towards education. Second, I strive to build independence and confidence in my preschoolers so that they use their full potential. Lastly, I teach my students to celebrate their differences and interact positively with one another. If they walk away with at least a little of each aspect, then I feel as though I have succeeded in my role."

I belive there are still a lot of barriers even if you cannot see them so to me all children even if they are 5 years of age should be watched as when it comes to play children of that age aren't really aware of their surroundings.

Washing dishes, dressing them selves, feeding them selves, cleaning behind them selves. Learning to read. See, hear, smell. There are a tons of things of every day life that you can do and go over and over through out from birth and really forever.

I think it's really important. Kids love socializing and playing so as long as there is supervision, there's absolutely no problem with them playing.

You need to explain what you'd look out for and the signs that someone is in a safe environment. For example, you need to look around at their surroundings; does the person look cared for, do they have somewhere clean to sleep, do they have food and water available, are there signs of abuse, and have there been any behavioral changes? The care worker would need to speak to the person to see if they reveal anything, and if they have ongoing concerns, report it to their manager. We need people who take the time to follow up with someone if they're worried.

Never. It doesn’t make sense. Things have changed drastically. A reasonable amount of discipline is very important but pulling strings too hard can actually have an adverse effect on children of today. I always keep a balance of discipline, understanding and leeway.

This is likely one of the most important interview questions for daycare workers you are considering. Asking about what he or she enjoys - and what they don't - helps you to really get to know the person you are interviewing. You will get a feel for what motivates or discourages them, and start to develop a picture of whether or not they will be happy working at your center for a long period of time. It can also provide you with a heads up about potential issues that could develop down the road, such as if a candidate mentions they love working with children, but finds it difficult to work with parents.

This gets candidates to think about how the other person is going to feel. They need to show they can do the job empathetically, encouraging the individual to do as much for themselves as possible, while offering support. The most important thing is to always communicate. Show you understand what needs doing, but highlight that you would give the person the choice as to whether they want to have a bath or go to the toilet, for example. Explain how you would promote the person's independence and help them over time gain the ability to do more for themselves. It shows us the candidate has a deep understanding of the role.

A good way to ask about a candidate's past experiences, this question will get the interviewee thinking about their previous jobs and how they have helped them grow as a daycare worker. Ask specifically about each job listed on their resume, and whether or not they gained valuable lessons from each. Their answers will reveal insights into how they currently work with coworkers, children and their families.

This is an effective question to get a deeper look into what the candidate knows about quality early childhood education. Do they talk about establishing an exciting curriculum, but neglect to mention aspects of safety? Do they mention anything about working well with other staff members and keeping parents involved? Pay careful attention to not only what they mention, but also what they exclude.

For disciplining them, putting them in a corner for at least 2 minutes. For limit setting, I've never had to, so I'm not sure.

☛ What do you like most about working with children?
☛ What do you like least about working with children?
☛ What age groups do you prefer to work with?
☛ Describe a time you resolved an issue with an unhappy parent.
☛ What’s the relationship between customer service and child care?
☛ How would you help new parents feel that you’re providing the best care for their baby?
☛ Define success as a preschool teacher.
☛ How do you know if your teaching strategies are effective?
☛ How do you handle misbehavior in the classroom?
☛ What five items would you put in an empty classroom?
☛ What would you do if children were fighting and got physical? (Biting, hitting, etc)
☛ How does the day of an infant in your classroom differ from the day of a toddler in your classroom?

I come from a conservative family which did not tolerate misbehavior of any kind. Religion played an important role in my upbringing as did discipline in everything, including games. It was a tough childhood but it made me who I am today so I am grateful for that.