Early Childhood
Connecticut Community College Resource Library
The UConn UCEDD is part of a five year grant with the Office of Special Education (OSEP) and the Connecticut Community Colleges. The purpose of this grant is to improve the quality of early childhood education (ECE) associate degree programs in the 12 state community colleges by redesigning the ECE curricula to better prepare the community college ECE student to work with young children with disabilities and/or different backgrounds and their families.
This library supports faculty by providing a variety of resources that focus on young children with disabilities and/or different backgrounds and their families, best practice and the importance of high quality early care and education for all children and families.
Each course includes the following sections:
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Master Course Outline with a Sample Syllabus
- A document that includes the course description, course objectives, student outcomes, key experiences, resources and sample syllabus for each specific course.
- The master course outlines were created in alignment with the following professional standards:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (Power to the Profession)
- Division of Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children (DEC) Recommended Practices
- Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (EI/ECSE)
- Connecticut Core Knowledge and Competences
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Foundation Resources
- A variety of resources which are foundational to every ECE course and essential for curriculum development. Instructors may choose to distribute these resources in some classes and not in others. Resources include position statements, policy statements, Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards Resources, documents, and websites. Please view our Foundation Resource list.
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Course Specific Resources
- A library of resources which include articles, children’s literature, Connecticut Early Learning and Development Standards Resources, documents, film, learning modules, podcasts, webinars, webpages and websites.
ECED 1001: Introduction to Early Childhood Care and Education
This course is designed to acquaint students with the field of early childhood education. The course will emphasize the importance of ages birth to eight and the part that early care and educational settings play in every child’s development including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and cultural differences. The course will review theories and philosophies of early care and education and will acquaint students with historical perspectives as well as modern trends, developments, and curriculum models. The course will explore the organization and composition of early childhood settings; curriculum planning based on Developmentally Appropriate Practices, materials, and equipment; and the role of the teacher including reflective practice. The course includes four, 2.5 hours of preschool classroom observations for a minimum of 10 hours.
ECED 1002: Foundations of Child Development
Course Description:
This course is concerned with human development from prenatal through elementary education with particular emphasis on the preschool child including children with developmental delays, disabilities, language and/or cultural differences. The early childhood developmental benchmarks through successive stages will be studied in depth. This course requires ten hours of observation (in an instructor-approved center) in the following age groups: infants, toddler, preschoolers and school age (5 years through 8 years) in order to complete the course.
ECED 1104: Infant and Toddler Growth and Development
Course Description:
Students will be introduced to theories, practices, and philosophies/approaches associated with caring for all young children during the first three years of life, including those children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. The relationship between nature (typical and atypical growth and development) and nurture (environment) are critically explored in this introductory course. The course will cover brain research; attachment; temperament; emotions and feelings; routines, health, safety, and nutrition; family engagement, indoor and outdoor environments.
ECED 1202: Introduction to the Role of the Educational Papaprofessional
This course introduces students to the roles and responsibilities of the educational paraprofessional working with young children, preschool to grade three, including those children with developmentally delays, disabilities, language and/or cultural differences in the public-school system. Emphasis is on providing educational paraprofessionals and students interested in paraprofessional opportunities with the knowledge and skills necessary to support certified and licensed professional staff in schools to implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences within equitable and inclusive learning environments.
ECED 241: Methods and Techniques for Infants and Toddlers
Course Description:
This course examines curriculum models and the methods and techniques for caring for infants and toddlers. Students will learn ways to interact with and support children under the age of three. Emphasis will be on the learning environment including feeding and routines; responsive, reciprocal, nurturing, relationships; cultural sensitivity. This includes knowledge and skills needed to plan, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate curricula for all children birth to three including children with developmental delays, disabilities, language and/or cultural differences. Topics explored will include how to create routines and organize the environment to support learning, the role of families, as well as creating experiences and interactions to support development in all domains.
ECED 222: Methods and Techniques in Early Childhood Education
Course Description:
The study of the methods and techniques needed to plan, implement, and evaluate a developmentally and culturally appropriate, inclusive curriculum. Experiences will focus on the strategies used to design the learning environment; the interactions between and among teachers, children, and families; and the fostering of opportunities to enhance the development all children including those with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Students will share knowledge, experiences, and skills in a cooperative and supportive environment.
ECED 1303: Creative Arts and Experiences
Course Description:
This course is designed to study the concept of creativity and the creative process as it applies to art and creative play for all young children including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and /or cultural differences. Students will explore a wide variety of creative media suitable for use with all young children. Emphasis is given to creative experiences and environments as they impact on the development of all young children.
ECED 1306: Music and Movement for Children
Course Description:
This course is designed to have students acquire skills in order to plan and implement creative music and movement education experiences for all children from infancy through age eight including children with disabilities, delays, language and/or cultural differences. Areas of exploration will include singing, listening to music, rhythmic activities, chants, creating music, using instruments with children, multicultural music, dance and movement, musical games, and using music spontaneously in the classroom. The main goals of the course are to develop an understanding of the importance of music and movement education experiences in an early childhood environment, the role that music plays in the growth and development of young children, and how these experiences can be creatively planned, implemented and integrated throughout the daily curriculum. All students will build a repertoire of music and movement education experiences.
ECED 1376: Health and Wellness
Course Description:
The relationship between health, safety and nutrition and child development will be examined. Emphasis will be on the strategies needed to implement a safe, healthy, and nutritionally sound program for all children including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Community agencies and resources that benefit all children and families will be explored.
ECED 1377: Guiding and Understanding Children’s Behavior
Course Description:
This course will review the many positive guidance, behavior management and discipline strategies that are appropriate to be used with all young children including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Positive guidance approaches that go beyond rules and punishment will be examined. The course will explore how to support all children’s social and emotional development including resilience. Self-reflection as a teacher will be stressed. The course will study how the environment affects behavior. Teaching/management styles will be analyzed to identify the best techniques to help guide all children to learn self-control.
ECED 2515: Exceptional Learners
Course Description:
The course provides an overview of the study of the exceptional child with emphasis on the history, laws, concepts, practices, and terminology used by professionals in the field within inclusive settings. Accommodations and teaching techniques effective for children with disabilities and developmental delays.
ECED 2309: STEM for Young Children
Course Description:
This course is designed to help students explore a wide variety of developmentally appropriate math, science, engineering, and technology (S.T.E.M.) experiences suitable for use with young children. Foundational S.T.E.M. concepts are presented in relation to everyday objects and occurrences. This course will focus on the teacher’s role in supporting children’s interests in S.T.E.M. experiences. This course includes an introduction to the appropriate uses of various forms of technology with and by children, families, and educators as informed by contemporary research and best practice. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between essential dispositions and cognitive learning.
ECED 2331: Language Development and Emergent Literacy
Course Description:
An introduction to language and literacy acquisition and development in the young child. Exploration of the early childhood language arts curriculum includes speaking, listening, writing, and reading skills and the teaching strategies that will support the curriculum. Emphasis on the influence of a child’s background and experiences on emerging literacy development will be explored. As will the importance of family partnerships and assessment. This course will address the learning needs of all children including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Creation of a literacy-rich environment that engages children in developmentally appropriate language arts experiences will be included
ECED 2875: Children, Families, and Communities
Course Description:
This course is an in-depth look at the child, family school and community and the relationship between and among them. It will review the socialization process and the development of the child as a social being. The course will examine how family systems, community settings and school environments impact young children including those with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences.
ECED 1142: Fundamentals of Infant and Toddler Care and Education
Course Description:
Students will be introduced to theories, practices, and philosophies/approaches associated with caring for all young children during the first three years of life, including those children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. The relationship between nature (typical and atypical growth and development) and nurture (environment) are critically explored in this introductory course. The course will cover brain research; attachment; temperament; emotions and feelings; routines, health, safety, and nutrition; family engagement, indoor and outdoor environments.
ECED 2410: Observation, Documentation, and Assessment of Children
This course is designed to increase objectivity in observing and interpreting children’s behavior, to observe developmental characteristics and to increase awareness of typical and atypical patterns of behavior for all children including those with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Observation and participation placements are provided for the study of young children at the College’s Laboratory School or at an area NAEYC accredited center with the approval of the professor. The students will observe and participate in a center to gain experience and competency in working with young children including those with disabilities, developmental delays, language and/or cultural differences. Weekly seminars devoted to issues in observing and understanding all children’s development will extend the individual’s observing and participating experiences.
ECED 2690/2692/2695: Student Teaching Practicum
Course Description:
The purpose of the Student Teaching Practicum I is to enable the student to apply child development theory in a learning environment and to work with children under close supervision. Guided observation, participation, and supervised student teaching in an approved site is required. Students will plan, organize, implement, reflect and evaluate classroom experiences. Weekly seminars devoted to issues in Early Childhood Education and the experience of the student teachers will extend the individual’s student teaching experience. Students will complete a minimum of 100 hours of
student teaching in an approved setting.
Course Description:
The purpose of the student teaching practicum is to enable the student to apply child development theory in a learning environment and to work with children under close supervision. Guided observation, participation, and supervised student teaching in an approved site is required. Students will manage a classroom, plan, organize, implement, reflect and evaluate classroom experiences. Weekly seminars devoted to issues in Early Childhood Education and the experience of the student teachers will extend the individual’s student teaching experience. Students will complete a minimum of 100 hours of student teaching in an approved setting.
Course Description:
The purpose of the student teaching practicum is to enable the student to apply child development theory in a learning environment and to work with children under close supervision. Guided observation, participation, and supervised student teaching in an approved site is required. Students will manage a classroom, plan, organize, implement, reflect and evaluate classroom experiences. Weekly seminars devoted to issues in Early Childhood Education and the experience of the student teachers will extend the individual’s student teaching experience. Students will complete a minimum of 200 hours of student teaching in an approved setting.
ECED 2706: Administration and Supervision of Programs for Young Children
Course Description:
This introductory course is designed to examine the multi-dimensional aspects of administering high quality education programs for young children and their families, ages 0-8 including children with disabilities, developmental delays, language and /or cultural differences. Emphasis is placed on licensing regulations, accreditation and best practices in supervision, program implementation and operations, and the basic responsibilities of an administrator in private, public, and federally funded schools/programs. Students who complete this course are encouraged, but not required, to complete ECED 212.
ECED 2712: Management and Leadership in Programs for Young Children
This course is designed to examine the multi-dimensional role of leaders, mentors and administrators in early education programs that serve diverse children between the ages of 0 to 8. Emphasis will be on leadership, communication, management, advocacy, and strategic approaches in initiating and implementing change.
EDUC 2870: Adult Learning Theory and Practice
This course will examine the theories and practices of effective adult teaching and learning. The course includes the neuroscience that informs those theories; the theorists and their constructs; and practices based on those theories.
ECED 180: Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential Preparation
This course is designed for early care and education providers who wish to obtain a Child Development (CDA) Credential. Students will study the national standards for evaluation and credentialing by the Council of Early Childhood Professional Recognition and become familiar with the Direct Assessment System. Students will examine and review the CDA Competencies and Functional Areas and their integration with early childhood theory and practice. A majority of this coursework will assist students in the development of their professional resource file and the completion of other necessary documentation and the final assessment process. Students will prepare to apply for the CDA Credential with one of the following endorsements: center-based preschool, center-based infant/toddler, family day care, or home visitor.
ECED 181: Child Development Associate (CDA): Seminar and Fieldwork
This seminar and fieldwork course is designed for childcare providers who are preparing for their Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential through the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C. under its present requirements. The student will attend a weekly seminar and a minimum of 10 hours of fieldwork in a licensed early childhood setting. This course will assist and continue to assist in the preparation of the required CDA Professional Resource File, the required Classroom Observation Visit and the final assessment process.
ECED 2552: Children on the Autism Spectrum
In this course students examine autism spectrum disorder (ASD), theorized etiologies of the ASD’s including genes/environment interaction, and strategies and interventions regarded as ASD best practices in the literature. The course emphasizes the identification process, appropriate traditional and nontraditional strategies, behavior interventions, and models focusing on, but not limited to, Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). Field work may be required in this course.
Pre-Requisites: ECED 215 or ECS 112 and ECED 182 or PSY 204, and eligibility for ENG 101 or permission of the coordinator.