2101. Child Development, Birth to Nine (3 s.h.)

This class introduces students to trends and variations in children’s physical, cognitive, and socioemotional development from the birth through the start of adolescence (around 4th grade). Specifically we will discuss how children’s development proceeds in terms of physical changes to the body (and the brain), thinking skills, and social competence. We will also examine developmental differences across individual children (including those with exceptional characteristics and/or special needs) and, more broadly, across cultures within and beyond the US. Six hours of field experience required for this course.

2105. Cognition and Learning in the Classroom (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

Understanding how people learn is a critical part of understanding how best to teach. This course will address theories of cognition and learning and provide practice in weaving key ideas into the design, implementation, and assessment of classroom instruction. This class is not a methods class; rather, it is a perspectives class designed to help students flexibly organize and use the teaching methods that you will add to your “tool belt” in the coming semesters. NOTE: Background clearances needed.

2106. Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood: Birth through Kindergarten (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

The main focus of this course is to develop an understanding of the development of language skills and how language lays the critical foundation for pre-literary skills, which are necessary for learning to read. The course will cover the important theories of language development and the developmental course of language acquisition. Woven throughout the class will be a discussion of dual language learners and ESL learners as they encounter the task of reading at the same time that they may be learning to speak English. Early childhood classroom activities will be discussed in relation to the six critical language and pre-literacy precursors suggested by the National Early Literacy Panel (2009). A unique emphasis is on the children’s language and literacy development from birth to 6 years of age. There has been a dramatic shift in how early childhood language and pre-literacy development is perceived, taught, and learned. However, these new theoretical understandings have not translated into effective classroom practices. Through current readings and class discussion the following questions will be addressed: How should we think about language and the learning and teaching of literacy? How will we prepare young children for a world in which reading, specifically vocabulary development and comprehension will be increasingly important? How can activities be developed that embody the changes in reading teaching and learning advocated by recent recommendations? How can we form these changes to include all children, especially children in poverty and ESL children? NOTE: Background clearances needed.

2108. Engaging Children in the Learning Process through Classroom Management (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

The purpose of this course is to prepare pre-service early childhood educators with the knowledge and skills required to create classroom climates that support positive social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all learners. This course follows Child Development and is taken in conjunction with Cognition and Learning because we will work on applying these ideas about how children learn and grow in service of creating an optimal environment to foster this change. Specifically, this course will address relationship-building approaches and classroom management techniques and strategies that have been shown to promote resiliency, and mediate/moderate risk factors. Course work will focus on prevention of learner problem situations, preparation to deal with learner problem situations that cannot always be prevented, and proactively responding to learner problem situations in the future, all in the context of developmentally appropriate practices for young learners. Prevention content will explore how to create a classroom ecology that promotes safety and access to the social and academic curriculum; creating a positive and psychologically safe classroom climate; establishing relationships; using class rules and routines; and making instructional and curricular decisions that foster pro-social and emotional growth along with positive academic outcomes. Preparation to deal with concerns as they arise will include collaborative problem-solving for group and individual interventions (e.g., conflict resolution, social skills). Content on how to proactively respond to problem situations in the future will include methods on how to collaborate in the design, implementation, and monitoring of individual interventions for young learners with challenging behaviors, regardless of disability classification status and the role and function of early childhood educators in crisis responding. Across these topic areas, we will discuss how to adjust real-world techniques to a variety of children (i.e., taking a focus on every child), with attention to gender, ethnicity, language learning status, special needs, or levels of classroom engagement and attention. NOTE: Background clearances needed.

2321. Curriculum Development and Implementation in Early Childhood Program (3 s.h.) F S SS.

(Formerly: ECH ED 0320.)

This course provides an introduction to the field of early education. Special emphasis is placed on understanding diverse program models and practices for children from birth to age eight. Students learn how to organize the classroom and plan educationally appropriate experiences for young children. Practicum experiences in local schools and child care centers provide opportunities for students to implement curricular activities in areas such as language and literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, expressive arts, and play.

Note: This is an introductory course that serves as a prerequisite to all other early childhood courses.

2322. Family/School/Community Environments for Young Children (3 s.h.) F SS.

(Formerly: ECH ED 0321.)

The purpose of this course is to provide early childhood educators with information about (a) what school-family-community relations are, (b) how they can promote children’s early academic and social development as well as other family and school outcomes, and (c) how teachers and other educators can build strong, healthy, mutually beneficial relationships with families and communities.

3106. Literacy Foundations for the Primary Grades: First Grade through Fourth Grade (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

The main focus of this course is to develop knowledge of the theories, methods and materials that can be used to teach reading concepts and skills in the elementary classroom (from first grade through fourth grade). The core curriculum for reading education should equip graduating teachers with the theoretical and practical knowledge to teach young children how to read and comprehend written text and to produce readers who are successful in the classroom and on standardized tests and use reading effectively to negotiate the world. There is growing consensus around a set of six foundational elements that teachers must use to produce proficient readers that should be included in any systematic program of study. These six foundational elements-- foundations in theory and research, word-level instructional strategies, text-level comprehension strategies, reading and writing connections, Instructional approaches and materials, and integrated assessment-- are the key components of the syllabus. Current research has provided important insight into how young children acquire literacy skill-- reading, writing, and comprehension of text. However, these new theoretical understandings have not entirely translated into effective classroom practices. Through current readings and class discussion the following questions will be addressed: How should we think about reading and the teaching of reading? How will we motivate young children to learn to read? How do we approach instruction for children who are struggling to learn to read? How do we prepare young children to approach different types of text and text from different subject areas? How can classroom activities be developed that emphasize reading and comprehension? How can assessment be used to help tailor the literacy curriculum? How can these changes to include all children? NOTE: Must be admitted to candidacy.

3107. Learning Mathematics for the Primary Grades: First through Fourth Grade (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

The main focus of this course is to develop knowledge of the theories, methods and materials that can be used to teach mathematics concepts and skills in preschool through fourth grade classrooms. Students will develop both a) a conceptual understanding of the important identified math concepts for first through fourth graders and b) procedural knowledge of how to teach children mathematical concepts using developmentally appropriate strategies and activities. The purpose of this course is to help pre-service teachers discover how early childhood and elementary children think about and learn mathematics. The overall objective of teaching mathematics should be to help each child to understand mathematical concepts, enabling them to become mathematically literate. The foundations for this course are the Professional Standards for Teaching Mathematics set forth by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. These standards propose significant change in mathematics teaching in the Pre-K – 12 classrooms, as well as how mathematical learning is assessed and evaluated. They are available online at http://www.nctm.org/standards/. NOTE: Must be admitted to candidacy.

3108. Social Studies for the Early Years, Pre K-4 (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

The main focus of this course is to develop an understanding of the development of social skills and how they lay the critical foundation for civic and citizenship skills and habits, which are necessary for being a citizen in a democracy. The course will cover the important theories of social education and the developmental course of learning history, economics, civics, and geography. Woven throughout the class will be a discussion of culture and diversity as children encounter the world. A unique emphasis is on the children’s social development from pre-K to grade 4. There has been a dramatic shift in how young children understand cultural universals, the core of the early childhood social studies curriculum. These new theoretical understandings are slowly being translated into effective classroom practices. Through current readings and class discussion the following questions will be addressed: What do young children understand about cultural universals (e.g., food, clothing, shelter)? How will we prepare young children for a world in which respect for the environment, diversity, and the principles of democracy have become increasingly important? How can activities be developed that embody the principles of children’s concept development in history, economics, geography, and citizenship? How can we create learning experiences that include and value all children’s backgrounds? NOTE: Must be admitted to candidacy.

3109. Science for the Early Years (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

This three-credit course will draw on inquiry, instructional technology (e.g., video vignettes of classroom activities and science websites), and collaborative lab-based activities to explore current issues of teaching and learning science in the pre-K and early elementary school classroom. It is very important that young children develop scientific habits of mind from the outset. As a result, this course will be based on developing these habits of mind while giving students an understanding of the “Big Ideas” in the field. Therefore, the first part of this course will be devoted to developing an understanding for those habits of minds and how to engage young children. The second part of the course will examine the Big Ideas in science as a whole, focusing heavily on scientific inquiry as a pedagogical approach and a learning goal. Throughout the course, investigating the preconceptions that young children bring to the science classroom will be emphasized, as well as discovering the pedagogical approaches to uncovering and addressing them. Students will apply, evaluate, and reflect upon early childhood science teaching methods through class activities and field experience assignments that address the interdisciplinary nature of science. The assignments for the course will use the foundation fostered in the course to (a) examine science content, (b) student conceptions, (c) the meeting of theory and practice, (d) instructional resources (e.g., museums, websites, children’s literature), and (e) lesson planning. Students will have opportunities to develop their own philosophy of science education and explore each of the major content domains in science. NOTE: Must be admitted to candidacy.

3187. Practicum for the Primary Grades (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Special authorization required for all students.

This practicum is a continuation of the early childhood field experiences with 3- to 5-year-old children. For this practicum with school age children, students will be placed in 1st through 4th grade classrooms for the purpose of implementing lessons and activities in reading, math, science, and social studies. Students will be expected to implement activities and lessons with individual children, as well as small and large groups. This practicum experience is an integral part of the methods courses with which it is associated and is under the direct supervision of a university instructor and the cooperating teacher. NOTE: Must be admitted to candidacy.

3205. Assessment in Early Childhood Education (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Background clearances required.

This course is designed to provide early childhood educators with the ability to use a variety of assessment methods to determine the developmental levels and needs of young children. Learners are introduced to the meaning and uses of authentic assessment as well as various tools and assessment strategies. The course addresses the interpretation of observational and assessment data to monitor children’s progress, guide instructional practice, and identify at-risk children. This course requires 15 hours of field experience and, therefore, background clearances prior to enrollment. The purpose of the field work is to provide experiences for students to learn how to conduct focused, systematic, and unbiased observations useful for making informed instructional and assessment decisions on an individual case study child. In addition, students will learn ways to gather documentation on all the children in the class in multiple developmental areas.

3209. Teaching English Language Learners in the Early Grades (3 s.h.)

Prerequisite: Background clearances required.

This course offers students an introduction to theory, research and practice in teaching English language learners in the early grades (i.e. PreK-4). The course begins with an overview of sociocultural characteristics of ELLs, legal responsibilities, and educational and language policies in the United States. Students will also learn the basic theories and principles associated with second language acquisition. Students will explore the philosophies of bilingual and ESL education as well as different program models that address the education of linguistically diverse students. Students will be introduced to an array of contemporary, research-based instructional approaches, including content-based instruction, task-based language teaching, and sheltered English instruction. As a result, they will gain an understanding of how to adapt standards-based lessons for English language learners. Through a practicum component, students will learn to design lessons and assessments for small-group instruction. Students will also develop cross-cultural competence through interactions with ELLs, teachers and school staff in the middle grades.

3296. Differentiated Reading Instruction in the Early Grades (3 s.h.) RCI: WI.

This course will focus on four basics classroom elements in discussing differentiated instruction —content, process, product, and learning environments. The content is what the student needs to learn about reading and what various methods will be used to help the student access that information. The process is the specific activities that the student will engage in order to master the reading content. The products are the various projects and activities that require the student to rehearse, apply and extend the information that he has learned. The learning environments are the way the classroom is structured to support the differentiate instruction activities and grouping practices. Key aspects to differentiated instruction are a) the understanding of cognitive development and the different ways in which students’ process and encode information and b) the understanding of the role that ongoing assessment and flexible grouping plays in varying instruction to meet individual students’ needs. This course requires obtaining background clearances prior to conducting observations.

3322. Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Young Children’s Learning (3 s.h.) S.

(Formerly: ECH ED 0322.)

This course gives students experience in using effective methods for observing and documenting young children’s development. Various recording methods are featured along with principles of child development and appropriate practice. Practicum experiences in local schools and centers provide opportunities for students to conduct focused, systematic, and unbiased observations useful for making instructional and assessment decisions.

4101. Integrating the Arts into Early Childhood Education (3 s.h.)

This course is a joint project between the College of Education and the Boyer College of Music and Dance. It is designed to provide an overview of the role and the significance of the arts in the education of children from Pre-K through fourth grade. Pre-service teachers will be exposed to art experiences that support standards, increase learning of content, teach basic aesthetic principles, and help them learn specific techniques and ideas. Through numerous hands-on experiences, students will start with their own skills and perspectives as creators of art and then move to explore the power and potential of the arts to reach children in new and effective ways. Students will be introduced to three art forms --dance, music, and the visual arts-- and their unique histories and pedagogies. Students will learn from disciplinary experts in each of these three domains, who also have expertise in engaging young children in developmentally appropriate ways. NOTE: Background clearances needed.

4102. Children’s Literature: Pre-K through Fourth Grade (3 s.h.)

Books are a valuable source of learning and pleasure for children at every stage of development. This course focuses on literature for children in pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. Students in the course will engage in selecting, interpreting, discussing, and evaluating children’s books in preparation for their professional careers. They will also examine theory and research as well as classroom practice relating to children’s literature, with and without pictures, in a variety of genres. The field of children’s literature is expanding rapidly. Vibrant picture books display many artistic media, styles and text-picture relationships. Works of fiction and non-fiction not only pertain to an increasing diversity of themes and issues but also exhibit an array of writing styles and formats. This introductory course surveys literature written for children with varied abilities, cultural backgrounds and book preferences. Its ultimate purpose is to develop future teachers’ appreciation of (and passion for) a broad range of children’s literature that they will be able to use effectively in the classroom.

4196. The Learning Community: Family and Community Relationships (3 s.h.) RCI: WI.

The purpose of this course is to provide pre-service early childhood and elementary-grade teachers with critical information about what school-family-community relationships are; how they can promote children’s early academic and social development as well as other family and school outcomes; and how teachers and other educators can build strong, healthy, mutually beneficial relationships with families and communities. An important theme in this course is that all children, families, school, and communities are different, thus students in this course will learn about this diversity, develop knowledge about general guidelines for good practice, and spend time tailoring these guidelines to specific situations that they have encountered or are likely to encounter in their careers as educators. Special attention will be devoted to diversity in terms of family culture, language, ethnicity, income, household structure, and disability status of children. In addition, as this is a writing intensive course, the course will help you understand how to write cogently and effectively in the social sciences, as well as increase your awareness of teacher-friendly and academic resources addressing school-family partnerships.

4324. Integrated Programming for Young Children (3 s.h.) F S SS.

(Formerly: ECH ED 0324.)

This advanced seminar is designed to prepare students for educating infants, toddlers, and young children who are at risk or have disabilities. The main focus is on differentiation of teaching method, curriculum content and resources considered to be key components of inclusive classroom practice.

Note: This is an advanced seminar and should be taken as the final early childhood course.