EDUC 210 Early Childhood Education Fundamentals

This course surveys instructional approaches, materials, and media for the teaching of reading. The instruction of phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension and fluency is addressed. Attention is given to creativity and enjoyment in reading. *Please note, this course is not part of a program leading to eligibility of a Virginia state teaching license (or license in any other state). Individuals seeking to obtain a state teaching license should contact soelicensure@liberty.edu for recommended course options.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

The skills of reading and writing display God’s image in humanity. Because reading is central to learning and communication, it is imperative that a teacher develops his/her ability to teach students to read well.

Textbook readings and lecture presentations

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Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. 

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the purpose of Discussions is to generate interaction among candidates regarding relevant, current course topics. For each prompt, the candidate is required to create 1 thread of at least 250 words. Each thread must include at least 2 citations. The candidate will then submit replies of at least 100 words each to the threads of at least 2 classmates. This assignment must follow current APA format. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)

Vocabulary Lesson Assignment

The candidate will choose a book on a self-determined grade level and pick out 7 Tier II vocabulary words from that book. The candidate will create a PowerPoint presentation. In order to teach the meaning of each word, the candidate will include student-friendly definitions, pictures, sentences, synonyms and antonyms, examples and non-examples, and facts and characteristics about each selected word. (CLO: B, D, F)

PAST Assignment

Understanding a student’s phonological awareness level helps predict future reading ability and can inform early instructional decisions. For this assignment, the candidate will complete and score a Phonological Awareness Screener Test (PAST) assessment to determine the student’s phonological awareness level. Using provided materials, the candidate will apply the administering and scoring guidelines to accurately mark and score the assessment. (CLO: A, B, C, F)

DIBELS Assignment

The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) system is a helpful tool for teachers to use to detect risk and monitor early literacy development. For this assignment, the candidate will watch recordings of a student completing a reading a passage and answering questions. Using provided scoring booklets and administration guidelines, the candidate will mark reading errors, record Maze responses, and calculate the required fluency and composite scores. (CLO: B, E)

Activities to Teach Phonics and Fluency Assignment

This assignment allows the candidate to dive deep into the understanding of different activities to help teach phonics and fluency. The candidate will select 1 phonics and 1 fluency activity to determine the best approaches to use with students. The candidate will submit a 250-word document explaining the choices, how they will benefit students, and what has been learned about structured literacy and the science of reading, along with the files of the 2 selected activities. This assignment must follow current APA format. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F)

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity Assignment

This assignment teaches a strategy that enables the candidate to provide students with instructional support before, during, and after reading. It will help the candidate take an active role in preparing children to read the text by pre-teaching important vocabulary, eliciting prior knowledge, explaining how to use a specific reading skill, and providing a purpose for reading. The candidate will work with at least 3 elementary or middle school-aged students and select an age-appropriate reading that allows for prediction and comprehension practice. After completing an activity with children, the candidate will complete the Directed Reading-Thinking Activity Template, submit a lesson plan created to guide instruction, and include at least 1 picture of working with the students. The candidate will also write at least a 250-word summary of the session and a 250-word reflection analyzing the experience and explaining how the activity could be used in future instruction. (CLO: B, C, F)

Comprehension Assignment

This assignment allows the candidate to apply research-validated comprehension strategies to a practical classroom scenario, demonstrating understanding of how to support struggling readers. The candidate will respond to questions related to a case study prompt in a paper of at least 250 words, written in current APA format with at least 2 in-text citations. (CLO: B, C, D, E, F)

Final Paper Assignment

The final paper is a cumulative review of all chapters studied in the course textbook and will require the candidate to respond to 2 provided prompts based on information learned in the textbook. Each response must include the question and be at least 350 words. References, if used, must be listed and formatted in current APA style. (CLO: A, B, C, E)

Quizzes (8)

Each quiz will cover the textbook material for the assigned Module: Week and will allow 1 attempt. Each quiz will be open-book and open-notes, will contain multiple-choice questions, and has no time limit. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F)