Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Education Exam Prep

Education EN ↓ 70 episodes

Education Exam Prep is a free, daily podcast by OpenExamPrep covering the most in-demand teacher licensure and education certification exams — including Praxis Core, Praxis Subject Assessments (Math, ELA, Social Studies, Science, SLP, ESOL), ParaPro, CDA (Child Development Associate), CBEST, CSET, edTPA, FTCE, GACE, ILTS, MTEL, MTLE, MoGEA, AEPA, CEOE, CPACE, CTEL, FELE, RID/CASLI Interpreter Certifications, EIPA, and CELTA. Each 5-minute episode breaks down one exam topic with concrete classroom-style examples, scoring rubric insights, common exam traps, and memory tricks to help you pass on...

Author

Ran Chen, EA, CFP®

Episodes

CDA Exam Prep 45, Setting Limits — Clear, Few, Consistent, Positive 11.06.2026 3:26

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The three core safety categories that should form the foundati...

CDA Exam Prep 44, Positive Guidance Philosophy — Guidance vs Discipline vs Punishment 10.06.2026 3:40

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To distinguish between guidance, discipline, and punishment in...

CDA Exam Prep 43, Conflict Resolution Coaching — HighScope Six Steps 09.06.2026 3:08

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The educator's role in conflict is to be a coach who guides, n...

CDA Exam Prep 42, Inclusion of Children with Disabilities — IDEA Basics 08.06.2026 4:14

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - IDEA Part C covers children from birth to age three with a fam...

CDA Exam Prep 41, Peer Relationships — Parallel to Cooperative Play 07.06.2026 3:31

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The correct developmental sequence of Parten's social stages o...

CDA Exam Prep 40, Attachment Theory in Practice — Primary Caregiving 06.06.2026 3:31

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How Bowlby and Ainsworth's concept of a 'secure base' appears...

CDA Exam Prep 39, Building Self-Esteem — Descriptive Feedback vs Praise 05.06.2026 2:46

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Descriptive feedback ('You used three different colors') is su...

CDA Exam Prep 38, Cultural Identity and Anti-Bias Practice — Derman-Sparks 4 Goals 04.06.2026 3:14

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to apply Derman-Sparks' four anti-bias goals: Identity, Di...

CDA Exam Prep 37, Identity and Self-Concept — Mirrors, Names, Affirmations 03.06.2026 3:58

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to use child-height mirrors as active tools for self-disco...

CDA Exam Prep 36, Creative Thinking and Divergent Problem-Solving 02.06.2026 3:00

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To distinguish between divergent thinking (generating many pos...

CDA Exam Prep 35, Dramatic Play and Pretend — Symbolic Thinking 01.06.2026 2:49

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How symbolic thinking, the ability to have one thing represent...

CDA Exam Prep 34, Music and Movement — Beat, Rhythm, Expression 31.05.2026 3:43

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How music and movement directly support CDA Competency Goal II...

CDA Exam Prep 33, Process vs Product Art — Why Journey Matters More 30.05.2026 3:17

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to differentiate between child-led process art and teacher...

CDA Exam Prep 32, Read-Alouds and Dialogic Reading — PEER and CROWD 29.05.2026 3:03

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The four steps of the PEER sequence (Prompt, Evaluate, Expand,...

CDA Exam Prep 31, Pre-Literacy Foundations — Phonological Awareness 28.05.2026 1:21

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The critical difference between phonological awareness (hearin...

CDA Exam Prep 30, Conversation Strategies — Serve and Return 27.05.2026 3:17

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How 'Serve and Return' directly relates to CDA Competency Stan...

CDA Exam Prep 29, Supporting Dual Language Learners 26.05.2026 3:34

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To view a child's home language as the foundation for learning...

CDA Exam Prep 28, Language Development Milestones — Babbling to Grammar Explosion 25.05.2026 2:59

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The specific vocabulary counts and sentence structures expecte...

CDA Exam Prep 27, STEM in Early Childhood — Block Play as Engineering 24.05.2026 2:59

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How block play teaches core engineering principles like balanc...

CDA Exam Prep 26, Inquiry-Based Learning — Project Approach and Provocations 23.05.2026 3:25

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to define and use open-ended provocations to spark childre...

CDA Exam Prep 25, Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development 22.05.2026 1:15

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - To define the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) as the critic...

CDA Exam Prep 24, Piaget's Stages Applied in Early Childhood 21.05.2026 3:47

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Object permanence is a key milestone in the Sensorimotor stage...

CDA Exam Prep 23, Self-Help and Adaptive Skills — Independence 20.05.2026 3:02

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - Key developmental milestones for self-feeding (12-18mo), toile...

CDA Exam Prep 22, Sensory and Perceptual Development 19.05.2026 3:46

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - How to identify and support all seven senses in early childhoo...

CDA Exam Prep 21, Fine Motor Development — Pincer Grasp to Writing 18.05.2026 3:36

This podcast is made by Ran Chen, who holds an EA license, Insurance and Securities licenses (Series 6, 63, 65), and the CFP® designation. He is passionate about opening access to high-quality exam preparation resources and helping learners prepare more effectively for professional certification exams. In this episode you will learn: - The six key stages of grip development, from the reflexive pal...