ECE 335: Advanced Methods in Early Childhood Education / Special Education - Pre K through Kindergarten

Course Description

This course will focus on principles of learning, curriculum development, and relationships in conjunction with ongoing observation, assessment, and intentional teaching. The course examines the roles of play and active exploration in designing developmentally appropriate learning experiences for all children and addresses guiding children’s behavior. The course emphasizes the role of families in children’s learning and supports students’ development as reflective practitioners and intentional teachers. Students will observe two separate classrooms; one must be an inclusive preschool special education classroom and the other either an NAEYC community based preschool program OR a Kindergarten classroom. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they can meet this requirement. 5 hours of field experience (observation) required for completion of this course. A passing grade of ‘C’ or above is required for this course key assessment. (3 credits)

Prerequisites

ECE 101: Introduction to Early Childhood
ECE 210: Observation and Assessment in ECE Program
ECE 217: The Exceptional Learner
ECE 222: Curriculum for Young Children - Methods and Techniques or ECE 261: Infant / Toddler Care: Methods and Techniques
ENG 101: English Composition 1
ENG 102: English Composition 2

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

Design developmentally appropriate learning experiences that support young children's learning through relationships and play, demonstrating knowledge of early childhood development and learning theories. (Standard 1a, 1b, 1c, 4a, 4b)
Apply the Cycle of Intentional Teaching to support a wide range of learner needs, including social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development, while recognizing the interrelatedness of learning domains. (Standard 1b, 1c, 4b, 4c)
Design developmentally appropriate learning experiences for preschoolers and kindergarteners, including children with special needs and English Language Learners, across various content areas (music, language/literacy, science, art, movement, numeracy, health/safety, and nutrition) using the Early Learning and Development Standards and the Common Core State Standards. (Standard 2a, 2b, 2c, 4b, 4c, 5a, 5b, 5c)
Implement Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, accommodations, modifications, and differentiation strategies in classroom practice to support children's diverse learning needs. (Standard 1b, 2b, 2c, 4a)
Engage families in their children's learning by designing opportunities for family involvement and extending learning to the home environment. (Standard 2a, 2b, 3d, 6b, 6e)
Develop reflective practice skills and engage in ongoing professional development. [Standard 6e]

Course Activities and Grading

Assignments	Weight
Discussions (Weeks 1-8)	16%
Blogs (Week 1-8)	20%
Observations (Week 5 & 6)	25%
Assignments (Weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 7)	15%
Final Project	24%
Total	100%

Required Resources

This course uses Open Educational Resources (OER). OER are openly licensed, educational resources that can be used for teaching, learning and research. OER may consist of a variety of resources such as textbooks, videos and software that are at little or no cost for students.

Course Schedule

Week	SLOs	Readings and Exercises	Assignments
1	1,2	Topic: What is curriculum? How do we support all of the children in our classroom? Read and Review: CT Early Learning and Development Standards: What children, birth to five, should know and be able to do (CT OEC, 2014) CT ELDS: A Guide to Domains & Strands, p. 3-4 CT ELDS: Building Meaningful Curriculum, p. 4-10 CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners, p. 1-15 NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice p. 3-7 NAEYC Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education, p. 1-8 NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation Standards and Assessment Items, 2022 Standard 2 Topic 2A Essential Characteristics p. 17-18 View CT ELDS: A Valuable Tool for Supporting Young Children (CT OEC, 2016)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussions Participate in blog Submit Assignment
2	2,4	Topic: The Cycle of Intentional Teaching - Planning for all learners Read and Review: CT ELDS: Building Meaningful Curriculum, p. 4-10 CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners p. 3-8 NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NAEYC, 2020) p. 15-20 Enhancing Early Ed Classrooms with UDL (Horn, Palmer, Butera, and Leiber, 2018) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines UDL in ECE Dimensions_Vol41_1_Dinnebeil(2).pdf The Universal Design of Early Education Moving Forward for All Children, (Conn-Powers et al, 2006)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Assignment
3	2,3,4	Topic: Assessment Methods and Assistive Technology Read and Review: DAP: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Children’s Development and Learning (NAEYC, 2019) CT Documentation and Observation for Teaching System (CT DOTS) (CT OEC, 2018) (scan and review, do not read in detail) Assessing Opportunities to Support Each Child, 12 Practices to Support Quality Inclusion (Catlett and Soukakou, n.d.) Assistive Technology: Supporting the Participation of Children with Disabilities (Mulligan, 2003)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Assignment
4	2,4	Topics: Supporting All Learners: Intentional Teaching Methods and Social Emotional Learning Read and Review: Supporting All Children: A Guide to the Domains and Strands (CT OEC, 2016), p. 16-32 Supporting All Children Using the CT ELDS: Building Meaningful Curriculum (CT OEC, 2015), pages 13-15 (focus on the strategies) Supporting All Children Using the CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners (CT OEC, 2016), pages 10-15 (focus on the strategies) Supporting All Children Using the CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners (CT OEC, 2016), pages 3-10 (focus on the strategies) NAEYC 10 Effective DAP Teaching Strategies (NAEYC, n.d.) Components of Social, Emotional, and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 3 (CT SDE, 2018) Review the learning progressions charts beginning on p. 2)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Assignment
5	3,4,5	Topics: Supporting All Learners: Language Literacy and Creative Expression Read and Review: A Guide to Domains and Strands: Early Language, Communication & Literacy p. 47-69 and Creative Arts p. 71-79 CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners (all, scan and review) NAEYC Position Statements and Articles: Responding to Linguistic and Cultural Diversity (NAEYC Position Statement) Promoting Preschooler's Emergent Writing (Byington and Kim, 2017 CT ELDS TO KINDERGARTEN STANDARDS CROSSWALK (CT OEC, 2024) p. 17-24	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Observation I
6	3,4,5	Topics: Supporting All Learners: Math, Science and Social Studies Read and Review: CT ELDS: A Guide to Domains and Strands, p. 79-126 (focus on the strategies sections, you are not deep reading the whole page range)) NAEYC Early Learning Program Accreditation Standards and Assessment Items, 2022 Standard 2 Topic 2F Math, p. 21-22 Standard 2 Topic 2G Science, p. 22 Standard 2 Topic 2H Technology, p. 22-23 Standard 2 Topic 2L Social Studies, p. 24 Early Childhood Mathematics: Promoting Good Beginnings (NAEYC position statement), p. 4-10 CT ELDS TO KINDERGARTEN STANDARDS CROSSWALK (CT OEC, 2024) p. 26-49 Connecticut Elementary and Secondary Social Studies Frameworks (CT SDE, 2015) (Kindergarten p. 9-18) Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2017) (Kindergarten p, 4-9)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Observation II
7	3,4,5	Topics: Supporting All Learners: Physical Development & Health and Family Partnerships Read and Review: CT ELDS: Building Meaningful Curriculum, p. 17-19 CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners, p. 15-17 CT ELDS: Meeting the Needs of Dual Language Learners, p. 13-17 NAEYC Developmentally Appropriate Practice (NAEYC, 2020) CT ELDS: A Guide to Domains and Strands, p. 33-46 CT Healthy and Balanced Living Curriculum Framework (CT SDE, 2022) p. 8-19 (focus only on the PK-2 columns) The Importance of Outdoor Play for Children (Johnson, Christie and Wardle, 2010) Fun, and Exploration: Why Outdoor Play Is Essential for Healthy Development (Kinsner, 2019) Partnering with Families of Children of Special Needs (Ray, Pewitt-Kinder and George, 2009)	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog Submit Assignment
8	1-6	Topics: Who are YOU as a Teacher? Read and Review: Twelve Characteristics of Effective Early Childhood Teachers The Developmental Stages of Teachers (Katz, n.d.) Review Reflective Practice	Read assigned material Review the lecture material Participate in discussion Participate in blog *Submit Final Project (due on Saturday* by 11:59 PM)** Complete Course Evaluation

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.