I. General Information

1. Course Title:
Introduction to Early Childhood Education

2. Course Prefix & Number:
CDEV 1102

3. Course Credits and Contact Hours:

Credits: 3

Lecture Hours: 3

4. Course Description:

This course provides an overview of the Early Childhood profession through exploring and examining aspects such as: historical roots of the profession, theory, program types for children birth through age eight, career opportunities, personal characteristics of professionals, developmentally appropriate practice, and ethics.

5. Placement Tests Required:

Accuplacer (specify test):

No placement tests required

Score:

6. Prerequisite Courses:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

9. Co-requisite Courses:

There are no corequisites for this course.

II. Transfer and Articulation

1. Course Equivalency - similar course from other regional institutions:

Introduction to Early Childhood Education, (3) credits, ELECT member colleges

2. Transfer - regional institutions with which this course has a written articulation agreement:

Required course for the Early Childhood Education A.S. Transfer Pathway

III. Course Purpose

1. Program-Applicable Courses – This course fulfills a requirement for the following program(s):

Early Childhood Education Transfer Pathway A.S.
Early Childhood Education A.A.S.
Early Childhood Education Diploma

IV. Learning Outcomes

1. College-Wide Outcomes

College-Wide Outcomes/Competencies	Students will be able to:
Demonstrate written communication skills	Demonstrate written communication skills by using online or other electronic communication tools.
Demonstrate reading and listening skills	Discuss and interpret readings and chapter topics in small group seat time discussions.
Utilize appropriate technology	Complete assigned online research work by identifying and using trustworthy sources of information.

2. Course Specific Outcomes - Students will be able to achieve the following measurable goals upon completion of the course:

1. Examine the research base for and the best practices of early childhood education. (TECE 3.A.1.)
2. Examine the historical, philosophical, and social foundations of early childhood education and how these foundations influence current thought and practice. (TECE 3.L.1)
3. Explain developmentally appropriate practice.
4. Define physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development.
5. Identify and review early childhood careers, job requirements and the career ladder.  
6. Identify and compare different types of early childhood programs.
7. Examine county and state processes for licensing of home and center based programs.
8. Explore, discuss, and practice the National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethics.
9. Display professionalism in the classroom and on campus.

V. Topical Outline

Listed below are major areas of content typically covered in this course.

1. Lecture Sessions

1. Historical Roots of Early Childhood Education
2. Types of Early Childhood Programs
3. Developmentally Appropriate Practice
• Early Childhood Core Programs
• Quality Programs
• Career lattice and job requirements
• Licensing of center and home based programs
4. Defining the Young Child
• Developmental Domains – Ages and Stages
• Children with Diverse Abilities
5. Developmental and Learning Theories
• Past Research Base
6. Teaching: A Professional Commitment
• Becoming a Professional
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Code of Ethics
• Teacher Attributes and Qualities
• Team Teaching
7. Observation and Assessment of Children
• Diversity and Bias
• Developmentally Appropriate Practice and Observation
• Types of Observations
8. Guiding Children’s Behavior
• Understanding Children’s Behavior – Theories and Factors
• What is Guidance, Discipline, and Punishment
• Developmentally Appropriate Guidance Strategies
9. Families and Teachers as Partners
• Communicating with Families and Promoting Strong Partnerships
• Best Practices in Communicating
• Diversity and Communicating with Families
10. Creating Environments
• Developmentally Appropriate Learning Environments
11. Curriculum: Creating a Context for Learning and Play
• What is Curriculum?
• Developmentally and Culturally Appropriate Curriculum
12. Children’s Physical/Motor Development and Skills
• Effective Approaches to Promote Development within the Curriculum
• Teacher’s Role
13. Children’s Cognitive Development and Skills
• Effective Approaches to Promote Development within the Curriculum
• Teacher’s Role
14. Children’s  Language/Literacy Development and Skills
• Effective Approaches to Promote Development within the Curriculum
• Teacher’s Role
15. Children’s Psychosocial Development and Skills
• Effective Approaches to Promote Emotional, Social, Creative, and Spiritual Development
• Teacher’s Role
16. Historical and Current Issues and Trends in Early Childhood Education