Course Description
This course will focus on both the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to create an infant/toddler curriculum in an inclusive environment. It provides information on how the playful interaction of infants/toddlers with their surroundings helps them to discover what the world is made of, how it works, and what they can do with their emerging skills. Students learn how the routines and organization of a child’s inside-outside environment facilitate a child’s learning. The successful student will demonstrate knowledge of program planning and implementation, as well as an understanding of the role of the physical environment in creating quality development programs for typical and atypical infants and toddlers. (3 credits)
Prerequisites
- ECE 101: Introduction to Early Childhood Education
- ECE 217: The Exceptional Learner
- ECE 247: Child Develoment: Birth to Eight
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Know and understand infant/toddler growth and development and learning.
- Describe characteristics and needs of infants and toddlers.
- Use their knowledge of infant/toddler growth and development in creating healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments.
- Build family and community relationships.
- Describe characteristics of families with infants and toddlers and the communities where the families live.
- Use their knowledge of cultural and linguistic differences in identifying strategies to involve families and the community in the development of infants and toddlers.
- Observe, document and assess to support infants and toddlers and their families.
- Observe, document and assess the development of infants and toddlers.
- Describe cultural and linguistic differences and special needs of infants and toddlers.
- Know, understand and use effective approaches, teaching strategies and tools for infants and toddlers.
- Apply their knowledge on brain research in planning experiences for infants and toddlers.
- Describe multisensory experiences and guidelines for increasing sensory experiences for infants and toddlers.
- Describe everyday experiences in fostering infants' and toddlers' understanding of the world.
- Describe guidelines for caregivers' and families' to promote early literacy related to emergent literacy research.
- Design a meaningful curriculum using their knowledge and other resources.
- Implement and evaluate a meaningful curriculum for infants and toddlers.
- Evaluate themselves as a professional infant/toddler caregiver/teacher by reflecting on their beliefs, knowledge, teaching strategies and NAEYC ethical conduct.
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 |
---|---|
Responses to discussion topics (Week 1 - 7) | 15% |
Multisensory Experiences (Week 3) | 10% |
Early Language and Literacy Assignment (Week 4) | 10% |
Midterm Exam (Week 4) | 10% |
Observation paper (Week 5) SLO 1a, 1b, 3a, and 3b | 15% |
Curriculum Plan of Learning Experiences for Infants and Toddlers (Week 7) | 20% |
Reflective Journal (Week 7) | 10% |
Final Exam (Week 8) | 10% |
Total | 100% |
Observation
The observation for ECE 261 needs to be set up in a Birth to Three setting. 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. Instructor can assist in finding an accredited program if needed.
Required Textbooks
Available through Charter Oak's online bookstore
- Gonzalez-Mena, J. and D.W. Eyer. Infants, Toddlers and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive Care and Education, 12th ed. New York, NY: Mc-Graw-Hill Higher, 2021. ISBN-13: 978-1-260-83441-3
Course Schedule
Week | SLOs | Readings and Exercises | Assignment(s) |
1 | 1a, 1b, 4a, 4b, 4c | Topics: Introductions and Part 1 - Focus on the Caregiver
|
|
2 | 1b, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d | Topic: Part 1 - Focus on the Caregiver
|
|
3 | 1a, 1b, 4a, 4b, 4c | Topic: Part 2 - Focus on the Child
|
|
4 | 1a, 1b, 4d | Topic: Part 2 - Focus on the Child
|
|
Midterm Exam Chapters 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 SLOs 1a, 1b, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d | |||
5 | 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b | Topic: Part 2 - Focus on the Child
Topic: Part 3 - Focus on the Program
|
|
6 | 2a, 2b | Topic: Part 3 - Focus on the Program
Topic: Part 1 - Focus on the Caregiver
|
|
7 | 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e 4f, 5 | Topic: Developmentally Appropriate Experiences - Curriculum Implications of the Three Focuses: The Caregiver, the Child and the Program |
|
8 | 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 5 | Topic: Final Exam |
|
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.