Objectives:
A. Investigate and apply developmentally appropriate principles and teaching strategies to
positively influence all young children's development and acquisition of knowledge and
skills.
B. Evaluate the teachers’ role in providing best and promising practices in early childhood
programs.
C. Compare and contrast play-based curriculum that supports children’s cognitive, language,
creative, physical and social/emotional development.
D. Design and implement curriculum based on observation and assessment to support play
and learning using developmental, inclusive and anti-bias principles in collaboration with
families to support all children.
Course Content & Topics:
A. Learning theories
1. Developmental theory as it applies to curriculum development
2. Developmentally, linguistically and culturally appropriate curriculum to support the development of the whole child
3. Impacts of language and culture on children’s play and learning
4. Play as the central modality of young children’s learning
5. Joy and trust as the first steps in children’s learning
6. Children as sensory learners
7. Concept development
8. Individual learning styles and modalities
9. Impacts of special needs on learning and development
10. Impacts of social identities on learning
B. CHDV/ECE Classrooms
1. The early childhood classroom learning centers: e.g. dramatic play; blocks; manipulatives; art; library; science & nature; sensory/motor; etc.
2. Physical/temporal/interpersonal and aesthetic components of learning environments
3. Social/emotional learning environments based on delight and engagement
4. Classroom environments that reflect the children, families, cultures and languages of the communities served
5. Assessing all curriculum for access and appropriate inclusion approaches
6. Infant and toddler use of materials and environments
7. The curriculum planning process
8. Key in planning... a continuum, scaffolding: simple to complex, concrete to abstract
9. Observation and documentation as related to curriculum development
10. The continuing cycle of observation, assessment, curriculum planning, documentation
11. Curriculum planning that reflects the value and sequence of the child’s ability to construct and represent her/his world through symbols
12. Emergent curriculum, webbed curriculum, themes, project approach
13. The environment as teacher: balance between naturalistic and structured spaces; soft and hard space; traffic patterns; protected and open space; visual/aesthetic messages
C. The CHDV/ECE teacher
1. Role of the teacher in fostering social attitudes, values and skills
2. Role of teacher as informed, caring, thoughtful decision maker
3. Teacher language which honors linguistic diversity and reflects knowledge and understanding of power issues related to language
4. Selecting activities, materials and equipment, meeting goal
5. Teacher reflection and self evaluation as essential to curriculum development
6. Collaboration: all levels of staff; teaching staff and families; across classrooms
D. Curriculum topics:
1. Nutrition and cooking
2. Language and literacy, dual language support strategies
3. Dramatic play
4. Block play and physical science
5. Science and Nature
6. Sensory Motor learning
7. Math and the construction of mathematical thinking 0-6
8. Art and creative development
E. Research, assessment, other issues
1. Various theories and approaches to curriculum (e.g. Reggio, Montessori, computer based, High Scope, etc.)
2. Innovative approaches
3. Current research
4. The world wide web as a resource
5. NAEYC “Beyond the Journal”
6. State of
7. Formal assessment tools