Early Childhood Education Fundamentals – EDUC 210

Course Description

This course provides an overview of child development and learning, family relationships, assessment of young children, developmentally effective approaches to early childhood education, and how to use content knowledge to build a meaningful curriculum.

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.

Rationale

It is essential for early childhood programs to hire teachers who are specially prepared to work with young children. This course focuses on meeting the specific needs of young children in the early childhood setting. Our professional responsibility and spiritual mandate is to minister to the needs of young children at their developmental level. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 18:16).

Course Assignment

Textbook Readings and Video Presentations

(CLO C,D,E,F,G,H)

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview. (CLO A,B)

Discussions (4)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each discussion. Each thread must be 250 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge as supported by the text, the Bible, or other reliable sources. A minimum of one citation and reference in current APA format is required for each post. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to two other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be 100 words and contribute content to the conversation. All posts will be “post first” where a post must be submitted before viewing others’ posts. (CLO A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H)

The candidate will view a minimum of four videos of instruction in an early childhood setting. The candidate will write about the classroom observations including the aspects of program description, age of students, number of students and teachers, classroom materials used, instructional activities, teacher interaction with students, classroom management, NAEYC, multicultural awareness and diversity. (CLO A, E, F, G, H)

Early Childhood Assignments (2)

The Early Childhood Assignment must include practical classroom applications that could be used in the early childhood setting. The introduction (a 3-page, double spaced Microsoft Word document with a title page and reference page) and the PowerPoint must be submitted through Canvas. (CLO A, B, E, F)

• Early Childhood: Plan Assignment: The candidate will indicate the topic, format, and proposed scholarly resources for the project.
• Early Childhood: Project Assignment: The candidate will provide a very brief paper with a title page, a three-page introduction of the project, and a reference page that includes all the references used in the project. The introduction will indicate the intended audience/use for the project, explain how the project aligns with 2010 NAEYC professional preparation standards, and explain which standard(s) he/she is targeting.  Additionally, the student will create a 10–15-slide PowerPoint presentation of a practical classroom application that has been preapproved. The text, the Bible, NAEYC, and 3 additional scholarly sources must be used to create the project with appropriate current APA citations and a complete reference list in current APA format. The project must be clearly connected to the 2010 NAEYC professional preparation standards, which must be clearly stated and referenced.

Case Study Assignments (3)

The student will read a scenario and write a summary for each. A title page, two-page, double spaced paper, and a reference page are required. (CLO D, E, F, G)

Quizzes (4)

The candidate will take four open-book/open-note quizzes throughout the course. Each quiz contains ten multiple-choice and true/false questions. The questions will be based on the text and other assigned resources. Each quiz has a one-hour time limit. The quizzes must be completed the first time they are launched. (CLO B, C, D, E, F, G, H)