ECHS 2220 - Planning & Teaching the Early Childhood Curriculum

Credit Hours: 4.00

Objectives:

1. Identify elements of a healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging environment.
2. Explain the multiple influences on development.
3. Describe how the environment supports social/emotional and physical development
4. Choose materials for classroom environments and explain how they can support special needs.
5. Describe a daily routine that is integrated across all developmental domains and curriculum content areas.
6. Create transition activities

Outcome 2: Know, understand and use a variety of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies. Explain how positive relationships and supportive interactions are the foundation of the early childhood curriculum.

Objectives:

1. Describe scaffolding techniques and their role in a supportive environment.
2. Give examples for adapting teaching techniques, environments, materials and activities for the special needs of individual children.
3. Give examples of how technology is used with young children.
4. Plan open-ended questions to support the development of creative thinking and problem solving skills.
5. Demonstrate ways to engage children in conversations.

Outcome 3: Use their own knowledge and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate challenging curriculum that promotes the comprehensive developmental and learning outcomes for the individual needs of children.

Objectives:

1. Describe the process of planning a Unit of Study.
2. Use Teaching Strategies Gold objectives to guide planning, observing, and assessing children’s development, demonstrating the ability to track progress across at least two learning domains and modify teaching strategies based on observations.
3. Write comprehensive lesson plans that integrate all content areas and developmental domains, ensuring the inclusion of objectives, activities, and assessment strategies for each lesson across various domains (e.g., cognitive, social-emotional, motor skills).
4. Create small group activities which are aligned to assessment objectives. 
   1. Implement the activity with a group of preschool aged children.
   2. Evaluate the effectiveness of the activity in meeting the planned objectives.
5. Choose quality literature for young children by selecting three age-appropriate books and justifying the choices based on elements of quality literature (e.g., language, themes, illustrations, and engagement).
6. Demonstrate reading to a group of preschool aged children and applying strategies (e.g., voice modulation, engagement techniques) to enhance comprehension and interest.
   1. Model extending a story for a richer literacy experience by leading a discussion or activity related to a story that encourages critical thinking or personal connections, incorporating at least two strategies for deeper engagement (e.g., asking open-ended questions, connecting to real-world experiences).
7. Use knowledge of the sequence of learning for mathematics to create materials and implement activities that meet the developmental needs of young children and link to assessment objectives. Analyze the results.
8. Use knowledge of children’s understanding of social studies concepts to develop a social studies unit that is based on young children’s interests
9. Understand developmentally appropriate science concepts, create, implement and analyze a science activity for young children that links to assessment objectives.
10. Define Integrated Curriculum clearly by providing a detailed explanation and offering at least one example of how an integrated curriculum looks in practice in an early childhood setting.
11. Using Developmentally Appropriate Practice, make activities DAP for all learners by adapting all unit activities to meet the needs of diverse learners, considering factors like age, ability, language, and learning style, and assessing the effectiveness through feedback or observation.

• Communication: The graduate can communicate effectively for the intended purpose and audience.
• Critical Thinking: The graduate can make informed decisions after analyzing information or evidence related to the issue.
• Global Literacy: The graduate can analyze human behavior or experiences through cultural, social, political, or economic perspectives.
• Information Literacy: The graduate can responsibly use information gathered from a variety of formats in order to complete a task.
• Quantitative Reasoning: The graduate can apply quantitative methods or evidence to solve problems or make judgments.
• Scientific Literacy: The graduate can produce or interpret scientific information presented in a variety of formats.

Elements of the curriculum. Connecting activities to assessments.

Defining integrated curriculum. Planning a Unit of Study.

Identify appropriate early childhood environments and routines.

Writing Curriculum. Activity Plans.

Language and literacy development. Physical Development. Conducting Observations.

Health, Nutrition and Sensory.

The Arts.

Literacy and Language.

Week 9Math in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Week 10Science and Block Play.

Week 11Social Studies in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Week 12Purpose Statement and Unit Goals

Week 13Weekly Lesson Plans

Week 14Teacher Resources

Week 15Reflecting on Professionalism

Week 16Review and Reflection