EDU – Early Childhood Education

Historical development of early childhood education. Learning theories. Types of child care centers and programs. Assessment of young children. Setting up and maintaining physical environment in child care centers. Career possibilities in working with young children.

Theories of early childhood development are presented from birth through middle childhood. Prenatal development and birth. Genetic and other prenatal influences on early child development. Emphasis on psychological, social and emotional development, and early childhood mental health. Consideration of impact of social and emotional development on early childhood personality.

Health, safety, and nutritional needs of young children. Common illnesses and communicable diseases, emergencies, trauma, and first aid. Methods contributing to health, safety, and prevention of accidents. Child abuse recognition and prevention. Basic childhood nutrition, dietary analysis, and balance. Implementing nutritional programs with young children.

Use of recreation, art, music, dance and movement, literature, and other intellectual and creative activities in the development of young children. Consideration of physical and motor development, speech and language, math, and science activities. Method of using these activities to contribute to the optimal growth and development of young children. Includes lab.

Introduction and exposure to the nature and needs of individuals with exceptionalities across the lifespan, including those with chronic illness, mental illness, mental retardation, physical and developmental disabilities, and the gifted. Emphasis on related physical, social, and emotional factors, as well as meeting the needs of persons with exceptionalities at home, school, and in the community, exposure to the IDEA Act, laws, IEP process, assessment, and intervention for the child and family so as to ease the transition into adolescence and then adulthood as a functioning member of society.

This course includes a theoretical and research foundation for early childhood educators’ work with families, schools, and communities. As societal changes are mirrored in schools, the use of a contextualist model as a basis for family, school, and community partnerships makes sense. For early childhood educators, the current findings by neuroscientists about the importance of early stimulation for optimal brain development point to the importance of supporting families. Further, early childhood educators are in a position of having knowledge that should be used by communities to enhance the lives of children and families. New scientific information and current societal concerns about children’s safety have led to a change in the charge of early childhood professionals. Teachers of young children must effectively involve families and communities in educating all of our children. Neglecting to do this at this critical time in history demonstrates both a lack of knowledge and a lack of caring about providing the best possible education for all children.

Prepares Early Childhood students to observe, record, and assess young children’s developmental learning. This is for the purpose of planning appropriate programs, learning environments, interactions, and adopting for “individual” differences. The major focus will be to assist the beginning student in learning to observe, assess, plan, and implement strategies for the individualized learning of each child. Observation will be required in specifically collaborating early childhood programs that will expose the student to the application of the developmental continuum in a professional manner.

Prepares Early Childhood students to observe, record, and assess young children’s developmental learning. This is for the purpose of planning appropriate programs, learning environments, interactions, and adopting for “individual” differences. The major focus will be to assist the beginning student in learning to observe, assess, plan, and implement strategies for the individualized learning of each child. Observation will be required in specifically collaborating early childhood programs that will expose the student to the application of the developmental continuum in a professional manner.

This is a required course for all pre-service teachers. It encompasses effectively identifying, location, evaluating, designing, preparing and efficiently using educational technology as an instructional resource in the classroom as related to principles of learning and teaching. Candidates will develop increased classroom communication abilities through online course work.

This course will examine the importance of quality literature to the overall development of children and adolescents. Students will explore children’s literatures from a variety of genres.  Students will learn how to incorporate children’s literature into lesson planning and activities with children.  This course meet requirements for students entering early childhood education, elementary education, and secondary education.

The purpose of this course is to provide the early childhood educator with the knowledge and skills necessary to promote early literacy for birth to school age. Students will develop competency in the components of emergent literacy; phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, alphabetic principles, vocabulary, fluency, phonics, beginning writing, and technology. To that end, a variety of techniques will be examined which will enable the pre-service to design a multidimensional early education literacy program.

This course deals with the major theories of human development and learning, motivation, instructional strategies, assessment, and examines similarities and differences in learners. The role of factors in the students’ learning and development are considered.

Field placement for experience and interaction with children in an institutional or childcare setting. Observing, interviewing, assessing, participating in activities, documentation of children’s behaviors, case management, planning and implementation, reporting will be reviewed.

This course is taken in conjunction with Early Childhood Practicum (EDU 2290). Course includes discussion of the students’ field experiences and how their experiences relate to early childhood development and best practice and review/ application of theory.