ECE - Early Childhood Education Courses
ECE 101 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education – The Child’s Learning Environment
3 credits/3 contact hours
The student explores theory and application of early childhood programs, past and present. The student examines the professional qualities and skills necessary for working with young children from six weeks to eight years using the National Association for the Education of Young Children guidelines. Based upon developmentally appropriate physical, cognitive, and social environments, the student studies appropriate materials and best practices - multicultural and inclusive, which meet the diverse needs of the child. Observation of learning environment components in existing programs, portfolio development, and expositions of acquired learning outcomes are integral parts of this course.
Prerequisite: C or better in ENG 095 or Appropriate Reading Placement Exam
ECE 108 - Health, Safety, & Nutrition of Young Children
3 credits/3 contact hours
This course is designed to help students understand the connections between health, safety and nutrition in the child’s learning environment. Students explore ways in which children can become involved and responsible for their own well-being. Emphasis is placed upon adults assisting young children to develop good habits and attitudes regarding health, safety, and nutrition. Students research current safety and health issues. They develop appropriate policies and procedures for use
in the classroom. Students explore the current state regulations for licensed sites and home care facilities. Course content focus includes the basic concepts of preventive health care. The students use portfolio documentation of coursework including but not limited to observation of a health care site and interview of site administrator about the application of health, safety and nutrition policies.
Prerequisite: C or better in ENG 095 or appropriate Reading Placement Exam score.
ECE 111 - Child Growth and Development
3 credits/3 contact hours
Development of the child from conception to preadolescence will be studied in this course. Topics include the physical, social, emotional, psychological and cognitive development of young children. Students document and apply their research and learning pertaining to developmental theory in several formats including but not limited to observation, presentations, developmentally appropriate practices and portfolio development.
Prerequisite: C or better in ENG 095 or appropriate Reading Placement Exam score.
ECE 170 - Observation and Assessment
3 credits/3 contact hours
This course is designed to increase objectivity and detail when interpreting performance. Each student completes forty-five hours in the field. The student observes and records developmental characteristics and skills and patterns of behavior. Students attend weekly seminars to explore, review and revise recorded forms of observation completed at an approved site. Students research various assessment measures and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) guidelines pertaining to assessment. Each student uses the information observed at a site to create a teacher-made assessment activity and documentation tools. The student performs the assessment in a field site. The student documents, assesses, and reports the outcome of the field application in portfolio format.
Prerequisite: C or better in ECE 111
ECE 190 - Guidance of Young Children - Birth to Primary Age
3 credits/3 contact hours
The students examine the various theorists’ philosophies to guiding young children’s behavior and the application of techniques that will help each child learn to care about themselves and others. The students review the diverse needs of a young child’s development - specifically detailing social/emotional growth. The course content addresses learning styles, personality types, parenting styles, adult/ child peer group interactions, and other criteria that influence behavior. The students develop and practice their own guidance philosophy and techniques based upon research and observation of best
practices.
Prerequisite: ECE 111
ECE 202 - Language and Literacy Curriculum Practices
3 credits/3 contact hours
This course reviews the development of language in infants, toddlers, and young children. Students explore the theories of language acquisition and the components of speech and language development. Students learn how to encourage and enhance children’s verbal and non-verbal skills by creating an interactive and communication-rich environment filled with oral and written resources. Students evaluate and select literature, poetry, and music for the enrichment of the child’s natural learning environment. Students practice the appropriate methods for using stories, books, finger plays, poetry, puppetry, flannel boards, dramatic play and thematic play with infants, toddlers and preschoolers.
Prerequisites: ECE 101 and ECE 111
ECE 206 - Education of Children with Special Needs
3 credits/3 contact hours
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of special education. Students explore causes and characteristics of various disabilities. Students learn to identify special needs in children, to refer children to appropriate professional resource personnel and to collaborate with parents and with special education professionals. Students learn the appropriate methods to care for and to teach children with special needs in inclusive or special home and facility settings. Students explore appropriate early intervention and interaction strategies for young children with disabilities such as collaboratively developing an individual family serve plans (IFSP).
Prerequisite: ENG 101 and C or better in ECE 111
ECE 207 - Infant & Toddler Curriculum Development & Practices
3 credits/3 contact hours
The students review and re-examine the developmental areas of child growth from birth to age three years. This in-depth study of social-emotion, cognitive, physical, and language development in the very young child provides a basis for implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum through the selection of materials, the modeling of language, and the creation of nurturing environments. Students explore concepts and methods dealing with inclusion programs for exceptional children. Students research and select pedagogy that encourages and enhances cognitive, physical and social/emotional growth through the role of play in the learning environment. Also, they explore the influence of various issues of development such as attachment and brain growth research to the selection of pedagogy and activities for the very young child. The students create a working professional curriculum portfolio.
Prerequisite: ECE 111
ECE 210 - Management of Child Care Centers
3 credits/3 contact hours
The emphasis of this course is on the methods of organizing and operating childcare centers. Students explore legal regulations, equipment needs and selection, community relations, and resources, budgetary needs and resources, employment procedures and child placement in the program. The students evaluate all components of a successful program: development of ethical, appropriate program philosophy, placement and transition of children, establishment of hiring practices, schedules, health and safety procedures, creation of staff and parent handbooks, and other aspects of program to meet children’s individual needs.
Prerequisite: ECE 101
ECE 219 - Curriculum Preschool through Primary-age
3 credits/3 contact hours
The course focus is upon major elements of curriculum planning in early childhood education. Students learn to use skill and developmental growth assessment of children to design daily, weekly and long-range instructional planning. They research various types of schedules to meet the individual learning needs of preschool to primary-age children. The students research learning styles and learning theories as well as the use of commercial curriculum materials. The students develop lesson plans and behavioral objectives for learning activities. The students explore and design instructional materials for use in child-centered developmentally appropriate activities with a community of young learners three years – eight years of age. Prerequisite: ECE 111
ECE 255 - Practicum I
3 credits/3 contact hours
In this course students perform a supervised teaching experience in an approved licensed early childhood program in the community. Each student will complete 135 hours during the 14 weeks of practicum in the placement site and attend weekly seminars on campus. Students research, design, perform and assess developmentally appropriate practices with a specified group of young children between the ages of six weeks and eight years. The students develop a professional teaching portfolio as a documentation tool including professional observation materials, lesson plans, curriculum design, facility information and reflective assessment through journal entries. The students are observed at least twice during the semester by a college supervisor.
Prerequisite: 30 credits in the ECE program and a 3.0 GPA in the program.