Course Directory

Observ & Assess Early Child Ed

Young children from birth to age eight are cared for and educated in diverse early childhood settings. Gives undergraduate students experience in using effective methods for observing, assessing, and documenting young children's development for thepurpose of planning appropriate programs, environments, interactions, and adaptations. Emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices and legal and ethical responsibilities. Directs students' participation with children of different age groups in a variety of early childhood settings through field-based/case study approaches. Includes 20 hours of field placement. Prerequisite: ED 121. Offered Annually.

Obs: Const Ech Knowledge Base

Young children from birth to age nine are cared for and educated in diverse early childhood settings. Gives undergraduate students experience in using effective methods for observing young children's development, environments, interactions, and adaptations while constructing a wide early childhood knowledge base. Emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices and legal and ethical responsibilities. Directs students' participation with children of different age groups in a variety of early c,hildhood settings through field-based/case study approaches. Includes one hour of class meetings with two-hour field placement per week. Prerequisites: Straight early childhood majors and dual early childhood/elementary majors must take ED 110 and|

Assess/Plan Ech Knowledge Base

Young children from birth to age nine are cared for and educated in diverse early childhood settings. Gives undergraduate students experience in using effective methods for observing, assessing, and documenting young childrens development for the purpose of planning appropriate programs, environments, interactions, and adaptations. Emphasizes developmentally appropriate practices and legal and ethical responsibilities. Directs students' participation with children of different age groups in a variety of early childhood settings through field-based/case study approaches. Includes two hours of class meetings with one-hour field placement per week. Field experience assignments are designed for the students to use various types of assessme|

Nutrition & The Young Child

Acquisition and appreciation of the role nutrition plays in the development of the young child. Students will acquire knowledge, skills, and attitudes in planning nutritious meals and snacks. An awareness of the role of the family will be emphasized. Offered on a two-year rotation.

Lang & Lit In Early Childhood

This course will provide information that will allow students to identify specific developmental milestones in speech/language development. In addition, information related to cognitive, social-emotional, and physical growth will be analyzed and synthesized as it relates to the overall maturation of the child and specifically to the speech and language development. Finally, experiential opportunities will be developed which allow the student to evaluate and apply this knowledge to various agegroups of children.

Early Childhood Environments

This course will provide information that will allow students to identify the characteristics of and design effective and developmentally appropriate learning environments for young children that promote interaction, exploration and knowledge construction. In addition, experiential opportunities will be developed which allow the student to apply this knowledge to various age groups of children.

Speech, Lang & The Young Child

Emphasizes the language development of young children as a portion of their physical, cognitive and social-emotional growth from birth to eight years of age. Provides a framework for observation of normally developing phonological, morphosyntactical, semantic, and pragmatic skills in the young child as well as the documented changes which can be observed in the child with a language disorder. Focuses on the role physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and linguistic factors play in the preliteracy and early literacy experience. Prerequisite: ED 110, ED 121, ECH 235.|

Early Childhood Block

Child Development & Guidance

This course will provide information that will allow students to understand the process of child guidance and master techniques in child guidance. Through increased knowledge of child development, students will gain understanding of effective childguidance strategies. Experimental opportunities will be developed which allow the student to develop his or her own approaches to child guidance.

Family-Community Collaboration

This course will provide information that will allow students to identify the benefits of family-teacher partnerships, methods for developing partnerships with families and community members. In addition, information related to Family Systems Theory, including the Ecological Systems Theory, collaborating with other professionals and role of the early childhood professional in the community, including advocacy will be discussed and practiced. Finally, experiential opportunities will be developed which allow the student to develop relationships and work collaboratively with families and community members.

Dev Bases For Lrn & Tch

Acquisition of understanding and appreciation of advanced child development for young children birth through eight years. Examines the physical, social, emotional, linguistic, and intellectual characteristics of children of diverse cultural backgrounds within and outside of the United States. Focuses on both typical and atypical development as well as challenging conditions. Must be taken concurrently with ECH 322, 323, 325, 413, and HPE 410. Prerequisites: ED 121 and ECH 235. Each semester.

Curr Bases For Lrn & Tch

Focuses on developmentally appropriate curriculum design and implementation for infants, toddlers, and young children ages three to nine. Emphasizes the child's and the teacher's roles in designing, integrating, and adapting curriculum and the physical setting where the curriculum is implemented to meet the needs and interests of all young children including those with disabilities, developmental delays, or special abilities. Prerequisites: Must be taken concurrently with ECH 310, ECH 323, and ECH 325. For straight ECH majors, ECH 413 must be taken with these courses. Prerequisites: ECH 235, ECH 236. Straight early childhood majors must have also taken ECH 245 and ECH 260. Each semester.|

Lang, Lit And The Young Child

Emphasizes three areas: (1) promoting the understanding a learning environment should match how children develop and learn literacy, (2) creating an integrated curriculum for the birth through five years that are linked to standards and benchmark competencies, and (3) enhancing the literacy development of children through appropriate interactions with families and caregivers. Field experience includes teaching literacy lessons to young children and sharing literacy materials and activities with families. Must be taken concurrently with ECH 301, ECH 310, ECH 322, and ECH 325. For straight ECH majors, ECH 413 must be taken with these courses. Prerequisites: ECH 235, ECH 236. Straight early childhood majors must have also taken ECH 245 an|

Yng Childr As Theory Bld

Explores the process and learning environment that will support, facilitate, and translate course-content areas of science, mathematics, social studies, and technology into a developmentally appropriate constructivist educational practice. Applies theoretical perspective of constructivism to enhance the young child's scientific traits of experimentation, curiosity, creativity, and theory test. Must be taken concurrently with ECH 310, ECH 322, and ECH 325. For straight ECH majors, ECH 413 must be taken with these courses. Prerequisites: ECH 235, ECH 236. Straight early childhood majors must have also taken ECH 245 and ECH 260.|

Motor Learning & Development

Provides understanding of motor development and motor learning and how motor activities enhance the total development of young children. Emphasizes the design and implementation of open-ended, developmentally appropriate movement activities to stimulate problem solving and to be the cornerstone of an integrated curriculum. Additional focus on assessment of motor development and motor learning environments. Must be taken concurrently with ECH 320, 322, 323, 325, and 413. Prerequisites: ED 121. Each semester.

Leadership in Ech Settings

Explores knowledge and skills needed to be a leader in early childhood. Emphasis will be placed on developing and managing a caring learning environment that enhances positive interactions among children, parents, staff, instructional teams, and community members. Focus will be on leadership skills in advocacy for families and educational and social systems, and other issues related to families and young children. Grant-writing, advocacy and ethics of professionalism will also be explored.Field experience will consist of a ""Stand for Children"" advocacy project. Prerequisites: ECH 231, ECH 235, ECH 323, ECH 245, ECH 260. Taken concurrently with ECH 301, ECH 310, ECH 322, ECH 323, ECH 325. Each semester.|

Tch & Lrn Lang & Lit-Grade 1-4

Overview of current definitions and basic approaches in literacy assessment and instruction in the primary grades. Investigates literacy development and important instructional considerations for teachers of learners in the primary grades. Prerequi,"sites: ECH 235, ECH 236, ECH 301, ECH 310, ECH 322, ECH 323, ECH 325. Must be taken concurrently with ECH 415, ECH 416, ECH 418, and HPE 410.

Lrn & Tch Math-Grade 1-4

Focuses on principles in teaching mathematics to young children, mathematics processes in early childhood, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, and involving and assisting parents and communities in understanding childhood development in mathematics. Field experience opportunities will allow the teacher candidate to plan and teach mathematics lessons to children in grades one through four.

Lrn & Tch Soc Study: Grades1-4

This course coordinates theory and practice in the teaching of early childhood schooll social studies. It provides historical perspective, and examines current research, curriculum programs and trends, and methods and materials applicable to socialstudies teaching in a pluralistic society. ECH 416 emphasizes the development, selection, management and evaluation of materials and experiences that foster concept development, inquiry, and knowledge construction in social studies. The course also addresses the needs of diverse students populations, integration of content areas and application of technology. Field experience opportunities will allow the student to plan and teach social studies lessons to children in grades 1-4. Prerequisite|

Tech For Early Chld Educators

This course is designed to facilitate future early childhood educators with the knowledge skills, and dispositions for integrating technology into their classroom instruction and for using technology to improve professional productivity. Students will explore the relationship among ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) standards, NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) standards, and PA Learning standards for Early Childhood and those PA Academic Standards related to PreK-4 learners and the appropriate and effective uses of contemporary educational technology. These concepts will be applied to the development of instructional materials that can be used for assessing learning and promoting achievem|

Lrn & Tch Science-Grades 1-4

Fpcuses on principles in teaching science to young children, scientific inquiry and processes in early childhood, the National Science Teachers Association and National Science Education Stnadards, and involving and assisting parents and communitiesin understanding schildhood development in mathematics. Emphasis will also be placed on developing effective learning environments to promote science explorations, investigation and inquiry. Field Experience opportunities will allow the teacher candidate to plan and teach science lessons to children in grades one through four. Prerequisites: Early Childhood COre ECH 235, ECH 236, and PreK-K Block (ECH 301, ECH 310, ECH 322, ECH 323, ECH 325). Must be taken concurrently with EH 414, ECH 415|

Iss & Advocacy In Ech Ed

Examines incidental learning of children through their interactions with the people and society's major institutions. In-depth exploration of the family as a diverse and primary institution influencing children and the interface with the educational,and social systems. Analyzes current issues and public policies as related to systems theory. Topics vary by semester. Emphasizes advocacy and ethics of professionals to help young children cope with issues that affect them and will contribute to ins,titutional change to meet the needs of young children. Prerequisite: ECH 322 and ECH 413. Annually.

Early Child Student Tch

Professional practicum requires integration and application of instructional, management, and professional knowledge and competencies in school and agency settings. After an orientation to the school and agency setting, students teach under the direction of a cooperating professional and university supervisor. Two field assignments offer diversity in grade levels (N-K, 3), ability levels of pupils, content areas, school and community size, multicultural settings, and/or cooperating professionals. Prerequisites: Completion of 90 semester hours, satisfactory standing in admission and retention standards in the college, completion of all required professional courses in certification area with a minimum grade of C, a cumulative 2.75 QPA, and m|

Early Child Student Tch

Professional practicum requires integration and application of instructional, management, and professional knowledge and competencies in school and agency settings. After an orientation to the school and agency setting, students teach under the direction of a cooperating professional and university supervisor. Two field assignments offer diversity in grade levels (N-K, 3), ability levels of pupils, content areas, school and community size, multicultural settings, and/or cooperating professionals. Prerequisites: Completion of 90 semester hours, satisfactory standing in admission and retention standards in the college, completion of all required professional courses in certification area with a minimum grade of C, a cumulative 2.75 QPA, and m|

Early Child Curr & Instruct

Early Childhood Curriculum and Instruction focuses on developmentally appropriate curriculum design and implementation for infants, toddlers, and young children. Emphasis will be given to teaching to enhance development and learning, constructing appropriate curriculum, creating a caring community of learners, and establishing reciprocal relationships with families. Summer, on demand.

Early Child Curr & Assessment

Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment will focus on the assessment of individual infants, toddlers, and young children's development and learning as an essential component of planning and implementing appropriate curriculum. The importance of the learning community and family relationships to appropriate assessment will be emphasized. Action research will be conducted utilizing developmentally appropriate assessment practices. Prerequisite: ECH 501. Summer, on demand.

Healthy Infant, Toddler & Chld

Exploration of the factors that effect and support the development of a healthy lifestyle in infants, toddlers, and young children. Knowledge and skills will be developed in understanding and appreciating foundations and development of movement, health and safety issues, programmatic development, and building partnerships. Summer, on demand.

Leadership In Ech Ed & Care

Leadership in Early Childhood Education and Care will explore and develop the key components in the design of a quality early childhood program and in the development of visionary leadership skills. Participants will be guided through the areas of ne,"ed assessment, licensing and accreditation procedures, financial matters, curriculum, environment, policies, management skills, community support, and staff development and mentoring. Summer, on demand.

Sprt Chil In Homes,Sch & Comm

This course will examine the factors in families and society that influence young children as they grow. Students will review data and current trends and identify successful models of supporting children and families. Various cultures, family forms, learning styles and physical and mental abilities will be studied. Emphasis will be placed on collaboration between schools, homes and communities.

Iss & Advocacy in Ech Ed

Examines incidental learning of children through their interactions with the people and society's major institutions. In-depth exploration of the family as a diverse and primary institution influencing children and the interface with the educational,and social systems. Analyzes current issues and public policies as related to systems theory. Topics vary by semester. Emphasizes advocacy and ethics of professional to help young children cope with issues that affect them and will contribute to inst,itutional change to meet the needs of young children. Annually|