Early Childhood Education

Focuses on age-appropriate guidance and observations techniques for individual children six week to six years. Topics include the ongoing dynamics of relationships, how values and belief systems impact guidance decisions, and the linkages between observation and guidance plans for individual children.

Observation and Guidance I will include basic observation and guidance techniques for individual children (infancy – six years). This course puts more emphasis on guidance techniques and the personal value and belief systems that underlie their usage, but also provides students with some basic observational tools (running records, anecdotals) that can be used in identifying, evaluating, and developing guidance strategies. 

This course is required for the Early Childhood Certificate and the A.A.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education. In order to count toward the Early Childhood Certificate or AAS degree, this course must be taken for a letter grade.

Students must have access to infants, toddlers, or young children (2.5 – 5 years) in order to complete observation assignments.

Covers theories of physical and social space, activities, experiences, and materials and the relationships between them for children ages six weeks-three years of age. Introduces the use of developmentally and culturally appropriate practices in planning, selecting, and evaluating environments and curriculum for infants and toddlers in home-based and center-based care. Reviews child development (social/emotional, cognitive, gross/fine motor, communication/language, self-help), relationship-based care, routines, transitions and play with infants and toddlers. Includes planning and implementing environments and curriculum for infants and toddlers.

Requires: Up to 10 hours of ECE site observations.

Covers developing meaningful and challenging preschool curriculum and environments with a focus on the importance of play. Incorporates developmentally and culturally appropriate pedagogy and inclusion to plan learning experiences, physical and social environments, routines and transitions, and family involvement. Covers assessing and documenting children's learning.

Requires: Ten hours of observations and field trips.

Reviews skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, focusing on the role of the teacher in implementing a developmental program of early childhood education in two interdependent components: seminar and practicum.

Participating students are expected to attend seminar as scheduled and on time, actively participate in all aspects of the seminar, and complete all required assignments for seminar.

Reviews skills necessary for supporting the total development of children, ages 6 weeks to 6 years, focusing on the role of the teacher in implementing a developmental program of early childhood education in two interdependent components: seminar and practicum.

Covers developing beginning level skills for working with children ages birth - 5 in a group setting. Includes the use of developmentally appropriate methods in recognizing and providing safe, responsive, and sanitary environments; using beginning-level guidance strategies; and acclimating to the field of early education.

Covers development of basic intermediate level skills to work with children ages birth - 5 in a group setting. Includes the use of developmentally appropriate methods to support guidance and conflict resolution; schedule and routine planning; fundamental curriculum development; and environmental modification.

Introduces the identification and utilization of different strategies to strengthen teaming and communication specific to early education settings. Covers culture and communication, including communicating with colleagues, staff and parents in early education environments.