Course Description
This course provides an overview of current practices related to curriculum, instruction and assessments of and for young children ages 3-6. Candidates will also enhance their knowledge related to classroom environments as well as the relationship between appropriate classroom management strategies, adult-child interactions and children’s social and behavioral skills.
Candidates will become familiar with NAEYC’s Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation, Connecticut’s Common Core of Teaching, edTPA (teachers’ pre-service assessment), CEC (Council of Exceptional Children, Connecticut’s Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and the Connecticut ELDS (Early Learning Development Standards). Connecticut’s Common Core for Kindergarten content areas is included. Connecticut’s DOTS: Documentation & Observation for Teaching System (DOTS) will be used.
Prerequisite
- Acceptance into the program.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Design and discuss developmentally appropriate learning experiences for preschoolers and kindergartners that include all content areas (music, language/literacy, science, art, movement, numeracy) and that are aligned with the CT’s Early Learning Development Standards and/or CT’s Common Core for Kindergarten science, literacy and mathematics.
- Apply the standards of Universal Design to analyze a preschool or kindergarten classroom to determine its effectiveness. Ask yourself, is this classroom conducive to learning for all children including those who have disabilities and/or those who are dual language learners.
- Discuss the processes of how preschoolers and kindergarteners most effectively learn through interactions with their environment and caregivers.
- Apply preschool/kindergarten learning theories to the curriculum cycle including engaging and supportive interactions.
- Design and share standards-based instructional strategies that support the learning of ALL children including those who have special needs and/or those children who are dual language learners.
- Craft and implement a plan for engaging parents that encourages a reciprocal relationship with the teacher, classroom, center and/or school.
- Discuss appropriate and effective classroom management techniques for preschoolers/kindergartners.
- Examine appropriate and effective uses of technology in the preschool/kindergarten classroom.
- Analyze assessment data and use the data to inform instructional planning and implementation.
Course Activities and Grading
Assignments | Points | Weight |
Discussions (12 @ 12pts each) | 144 | 38% |
Universal Design Paper | 56 | 15% |
Child Portrait Project, Part 1 | 30 | 8% |
Child Portrait Project, Part 2 | 55 | 14% |
Family Engagement Plan | 68 | 18% |
Family Engagement Plan Presentation | 28 | 7% |
Total | 381 | 100% |
Required Texts
Brown, Kathy & Sarah Martino. Kindergarten and the Common Core: It’s as Easy as ABC! Maupin House Publishing, Inc. North Mankato, MN 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1-62521-506-2
Kostelnik, Marjorie, et. al. Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum IN ACTION. Pearson Education, Inc. 2014. ISBN-13: 978-0-13-705807-5
Additional Resources
Connecticut State Department of Education publications: Early Childhood: Early Learning Development Standards: 2014
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignments |
1 | 3,6 | Early Childhood: Effective Practices to Promote Positive Outcomes for Children
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2 | 1,3,4,5 | Developmentally Appropriate practices and principles
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| 3 | 1,3,4,5,6,7 | Social and emotional development
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4 | 1,2,4,5,6 | Child Guidance and Classroom Management
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5 | 2,3,5,6,7 | Creating a caring community with appropriate environments (indoor and outdoor) and child guidance
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| 6 | 1,4,5,6,9 | Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment cycle. Integration
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| 7 | 1,3,4,5,6,8,9 | Everybody’s IN: Intentional, Systematic & Effective Planning
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| 8 | 1,2,6 | A Quartet of State Initiatives & Instructional Groupings
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| 9 | 1,5,9 | Language, early literacy and creative expression
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| 10 | 1,2,3,5,6,9 | Physical development, health and safety
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| 11 | 1,3,4,5,8,9 | Cognitive Development including Science, Social Studies and Math
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| 12 | 1-9 | Putting it altogether for children and families
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COSC Accessibility Statement
Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.
COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources
Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.