The student will be able to:

1. Assess early care and education settings.
2. Examine the value of play as a vehicle for developing skills, knowledge, dispositions, and strengthening relationships among children.
3. Examine the relationship between the child's development and the creation of learning opportunities in the classroom.
4. Identify developmentally appropriate practice and its application in early care and education settings.
5. Identify, examine, and assess various types of early care and education programs.
6. Identify the underlying theoretical perspectives in forming a professional philosophy.
7. Critique issues in implementing high quality early care and education programs.
8. Evaluate the role and characteristics of the early care and education teacher.
9. Examine guidance and interaction strategies to increase children's social competence and promote a caring classroom community.
10. Analyze the relationships between observation, planning, implementation, and assessment in developing effective teaching strategies and positive learning and development.

1. Assess early care and education settings
   1. The influence of environment on behavior and learning
   2. Components of the daily routine
   3. Room arrangement and classroom environment
   4. Environmental safety and health standards
   5. Developmentally appropriate teaching materials
   6. Inclusion for children with disabilities and special needs
   7. Culturally relevant environments
2. Examine the value of play as a vehicle for developing skills, knowledge, dispositions, and strengthening relationships among children
   1. Definition of play
   2. Play as a vehicle for development and learning
3. Examine the relationship between the child's development and the creation of learning opportunities in the classroom
   1. Major theories in child development
   2. Developmentally appropriate practices for typical and atypical development
   3. Roles and responsibilities of the teacher in an early care and education setting
   4. The needs of the whole child
   5. Strategies for supporting children with special needs and disabilities
4. Identify developmentally appropriate practice and its application in early care and education settings
   1. Principles of child development and learning
   2. Domains of children's development (whole child) within cultural contexts
   3. Developmental process
   4. Varying developmental rates
   5. Individuality in children's development
   6. Unique needs of children ages birth to 3, preschool age, and children in after-school care
   7. Developmentally, culturally, linguistically appropriate practice - DCLAP
   8. Active learning and culturally transmitted knowledge
   9. Modalities of learning
   10. Development and learning within the context of community
   11. Guidelines for professional decision making
   12. How to construct developmentally appropriate curriculum
5. Identify, examine, and assess various types of early care and education programs
   1. Licensing, regulations, and personnel requirements in early care and education programs
   2. Delivery systems in early care and education
   3. Early care and education program types
   4. Characteristics of early care and education programs serving children with special needs
   5. Identify various indicators of quality early childhood practices and strategies that support all children
   6. Early childhood accreditation, assessment tools, state foundations
6. Identify the underlying theoretical perspectives in forming a professional philosophy
   1. Major current and historical models, influences, and approaches in early care and education
   2. Historical trends and figures
   3. School readiness and brain development research
   4. Develop personal teaching philosophy and professional goals
7. Critique issues in implementing high quality early care and education programs
   1. Quality indicators for early care and education programs
   2. Key elements of culturally sensitive curriculum
   3. The importance of family, culture, and community interrelations
   4. Principles of family centered care
8. Evaluate the role and characteristics of the early care and education teacher
   1. Career options/paths in the field of early care and education
   2. National Association for the Education of Young Children - Code of Ethical and Professional Behavior
   3. Professionalism and ongoing professional development
9. Examine guidance and interaction strategies to increase children's social competence and promote a caring classroom community
   1. The importance of relationships and interactions
   2. Positive guidance strategies
   3. Critical nature of relationships, attachment, responsiveness, and respectful relationships
   4. Constructivism theory as the basis for guidance
   5. Steps to supporting conflict resolution
   6. Strategies for encouraging cooperative behavior and problem solving
   7. How to support the social emotional needs of young children
   8. Partnerships between staff and families and collaboration with other professionals
10. Analyze the relationships between observation, planning, implementation, and assessment in developing effective teaching strategies and positive learning and development
    1. The interrelationship of planning, observation, and assessment
    2. Essential components in program planning
    3. The role of assessment in learning
    4. The role and implementation of reflective practice
    5. Objective observation strategies
    6. Types of observations

Not applicable.

Student participation
Reports on assigned topics
Writing assignments based on field experiences such as teacher interviews and environmental assessments
Written child observation
Tests
Final evaluation paper

Lecture
Cooperative learning and small group activities
Discussion of assigned readings
Observations
Oral presentations
Final assessment paper
Field trips
Guest speakers

Copple, Carol, and Sue Bredekamp. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, 3rd ed.. 2010.

Feeney, Stephanie, Doris Christensen, and Eva Moravacik. Who Am I in the Lives of Children? 11th ed.. 2018.

Stephens, C., G. Peterson, S. Eyrich, and J. Paris. Principles and Practices of Teaching Young Children. 2021.

Although some of these texts are older than five years, they remain relevant to course content.

The Stephens, et al., text is an OER resource, retrievable from: https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@go/page/86379

1. Reading and study of the text
2. Reading and written response to test questions, assignments and relevant articles and online reading material
3. Reaction writing assignments to guest speakers, video viewings, and experiences, such as research projects and field trips
4. Research, planning, and written evaluation of individual or group creative projects