Course Description
This course will focus on an examination of development from prenatal through the early childhood years (to age eight). The course will explore current theory and research of early childhood development and how to translate this into practice in the lives of young children today. The developmental domains of cognitive, physical, and social/emotional are studied from an ecological perspective. Students will consider developmentally appropriate practices for children's diverse and individual differences, including special needs, gender, age, and multicultural dimensions. Field Experience: 20 hours. Observations required. (3 credits)
Prerequisite
- None
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
At the Associate of Science level, students will:
- Promote Child Development and Learning- understand how young children develop and learn and how to use developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments inclusive of all young children (NAEYC, Standard 1).
- Establish Family and Community Relationships- understand and support diverse family and community characteristics and engage with families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships (NAEYC, Standard 2).Observe, document and Assess- utilize a variety of assessment tools to observe and document development and to plan for future instruction respective of each child’s developmental needs (NAEYC, Standard 3).
- Observe, document and Assess- utilize a variety of assessment tools to observe and document development and to plan for future instruction respective of each child’s developmental needs (NAEYC, Standard 3).
- Utilize Developmentally Effective Approaches- develop positive relationships and supportive interactions with young children and using effective strategies and tools for teaching and learning in early education, (NAEYC, Standard 4). NAEYC, Standard 3).
- Use Content Knowledge to build Meaningful Curriculum- develop experiences within environments that are safe, healthy, inclusionary and culturally pluralistic and reflect understanding of developmentally appropriate practices, (NAEYC, Standard 5).
- Develop as a Professional- engage in continuous reflective and collaborative learning and identify oneself as an emerging professional within the early childhood field (NAEYC, Standard 6).
- Engage in Field Experiences to support learning with various age groups and across multiple early childhood settings (NAEYC, Standard 7).
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Understand the importance of optimal prenatal development. (NAEYC 1)
- Develop increasing interest in the health, safety, and well-being of children and families. (NAEYC 2)
- Learn how children become literate and how they develop social and moral competence. (NAEYC 4)
- Describe how ecological systems influence the today’s families and children. (NAEYC 1)
- Identify changes in early care and education that impact the child and childhood. (NAEYC 3, 5)
- Discuss how to support children with developmental differences. (NAEYC 1)
- Know strategies for working effectively with culturally diverse children and families. (NAEYC 2)
- Understand the impact of early experiences on neurological development. (NAEYC 1, 4)
- Discuss the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct. (NAEYC Standard 5)
General Education Outcomes (GEOs):
Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.
Course Activities and Grading
| Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|
Discussions (Weeks 1-8) | 32% |
Reflective Journals (Weeks 1-8) | 8% |
Written Assignments (Weeks 1, 3, 4, 6 & 8) | 35% |
Quizzes (Weeks 4 & 7) | 10% |
Research Paper (Week 5) | 10% |
Webliography (Week 8) | 5% |
Total | 100% |
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore
- Wittmer, Donna, Margaret B. Puckett, and Janet K. Black (2017). The Young Child: Development from Prebirth through Age Eight. (7th edition). Pearson. ISBN-10: 0-13-402735-3 or ISBN-13: 978-0-13-402735-7 [Looseleaf Version]
Additional Requirement
- Observation: The observation for ECE 247 needs to be set up in a Birth to Five setting for the Infant , Toddlers and Preschool observations and an Elementary School or After School Program for the School Age Observation. Take care to choose a program of high quality; preferably NAEYC accredited. This may be your place of employment or another site you have access to. The Instructor can assist in finding an accredited program if needed.
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings | Assignments |
1 | 4,5,7,8,9 |
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2 | 1,7,8 |
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3 | 1,2,3,4,6,8 |
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4 | 1,2,3,4,6,8 |
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5 | 2,3,6 |
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6 | 2,3,6 |
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7 | 2,3,4,6,7,8 |
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8 | 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 |
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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.