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C-ID: ECE 220.

The course provides an introduction to the laws, regulations, standards, policies, and best practices related to health, safety, and nutrition in care and education settings for children birth through middle childhood. The key components that ensure physical health, mental health, and safety for both children and staff will be identified, along with the importance of collaboration with families and health professionals. Course discussion includes the teacher’s role in prevention strategies, nutrition and meal planning, integrating health, safety, and nutrition experiences into daily routines, and overall risk management.

This course teaches the methods of the Hanen Centre’s “Learning Language and Loving It” research based program designed to facilitate language acquisition skills in young children. It provides students with a step-by-step approach to promoting children’s social, language and literacy development within everyday activities in early childhood settings. Students will learn how to create enriched interactive language-learning environments that include children with special needs, second language learners and those who are typically developing. This class requires students to have ongoing access to young children (any age from birth to 8) in a family child care or early childhood education program. Students will need access to a digital video camera in order to document their interactions with young children.

• Advisory: ECE 46.

This course applies current theory and research to the care and education of infants and toddlers in group settings. It examines essential policies, principles and practices that lead to quality care and developmentally appropriate curriculum for children birth to 36 months. It will include basic principles of care giving, arrangement and equipping the environment; working with other staff, parents and the community; identifying children with special needs and making appropriate referrals, and providing culturally consistent care.

This course, the study of developmentally appropriate creative movement experiences for children, gives students methods to guide creativity in the pre-K and elementary classroom and to develop dance lessons tied to specific subject areas. Students gain knowledge of the movement aspect of child development and how to use creative dance to research and teach subject matter across the pre- K and elementary curriculum. It covers the role of movement in developing children’s physical, motor, emotional, and cognitive skills, and includes workshops and field experience in planning and implementing appropriate creative experiences with young children.

ECE 75 and DANCE 75 are the same course. Students may receive credit for one but not both.

• Prerequisite: ECE 21 or three years of Early Children program experiences.

This course examines contemporary trends and issues that impact children’s healthy development and learning through the lens of environmental education and sustainability. Using a variety of industry resources, students will explore programmatic and system requirements, as well as research-based practices that enhance access to nature, environmental literacy, and healthy development in early childhood. Key topics include environmental awareness in indoor and outdoor learning environments, the relationship between play in nature and environmental behavior as adults, developing a sense of place through curricular activities that promote active learning and emphasize sustainable choice-making, and involving families and communities in the development of the outdoor learning environment. The course includes opportunities to observe a nature-based early childhood education in action.

Program visits and observations will be required for successful completion of this course.

• Prerequisite: ECE 76.

This course examines the unique approach to curriculum found in nature-based early care and education programs. Students will utilize research-driven practices to assess, modify, and develop play-based indoor and outdoor environments, rooted in environmental awareness and sustainability. Key topics include the forest kindergarten approach, making connections between the indoor and outdoor learning environment, place-based education, the value of unstructured play, supporting language development in nature, conducting benefit-risk assessments, and creating nature-based learning opportunities across the developmental domains. The course will include opportunities to observe a nature-based early childhood education in action.

Program visits and observation hours will be required for successful completion of this course.

• Advisory: PSYCH 11.

This course applies child development principles to planning multicultural art, music, and movement experiences for young children. It covers the role of art, music, and movement in developing children’s physical-motor, social-emotional, and cognitive skills, with emphasis on providing conditions that encourage development of creativity and aesthetic awareness. Class work includes workshops and field experiences in planning and implementing appropriate creative experiences with young children.

This course is an introduction to teaching music classes for children ages infancy through age 6 in a group setting. Various music teaching techniques and teaching materials will be explored.

ECE 81 is the same course as MUSIC 27. Students may earn credit for one, but not both.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

Please see “Independent Studies” section.

• Advisory: PSYCH 11.

This course focuses on the dynamics of school-age children participating in before and after school programs. Developmentally appropriate activities for a diverse group of children between the ages of five and twelve are covered including homework and study skills. State regulations, community resources, nutrition, behavior management, program planning, environment and staff development are covered within a culturally sensitive framework. The importance of literacy is stressed throughout the course.

This course provides additional assistance to students pursuing Early Childhood Education careers.

This course is designed to introduce students to the stages of child development from birth through five years of age, best practices in supporting healthy growth and development, and an overview of family and community resources to support children’s diverse needs. The course emphasizes effective communication and guidance strategies for working in a diverse early care and education setting.

This course provides an introduction to developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant curriculum for children from birth through age five. Course content emphasizes developing age appropriate activities and creating effective learning environments for children in a diverse early care and education setting.

Introduction to requirements for obtaining a license as a family home care provider. Review of the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC) code of ethical conduct and California’s licensing regulations. Emphasis on professionalism, health and safety in early care and education environments.

Introduction and training on specific topics associated with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, emergency procedures, and first aid, with an emphasis on infants and young children.

This course provides a collaborative and experiential learning environment for parents of infants to connect and support each other while learning new skills. Parents will explore a wide range of topics related to infant development and care while learning evidence-based parenting practices that are associated with positive outcomes for children and families. While developing their capacity for mindfulness and reflection, parents will learn how to engage in warm, sensitive, responsive interactions with their child, which foster secure attachment relationships. Parents of infants experience many joys and challenges. The goal of this course is to decrease parental stress and reactivity and to equip parents with the knowledge and skills they need to increase parent-child attunement and well-being.

This course provides a collaborative and experiential learning environment for parents of toddlers to connect and support each other while learning new skills. Parents will explore a wide range of topics related to toddler development and care while learning evidence-based parenting practices that are associated with positive outcomes for children and families. While developing their capacity for mindfulness and reflection, parents will learn how to nurture and guide their toddler-aged child while providing a safe and engaging learning environment for them to explore. Parenting during the toddler years is a uniquely joyful and challenging experience. The goal of this course is to decrease parental stress and reactivity and to equip parents with the knowledge and skills they need to increase parent-child attunement and well-being.

In this family playgroup experience, parents will learn about the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of young children, the importance of play, and strategies that support a strong foundation for future learning, within the context of nature-based experiences with their child. Parents will learn to create safe, healthy, and inclusive environments from which to observe and interact with their child. In addition, they will share ideas, resources, and information while participating with other families in informal discussion groups. The skills learned in this class promote positive parenting attitudes and healthy parent-child relationships.

In this experiential learning course, parents will consider child development and reflective parenting principles and apply them to parenting children with exceptional abilities and needs. Parents will learn about reflective practices and mindfulness and consider how they support positive parent-child interactions. Parents will examine parent and child rights, the IFSP and IEP process, decision-making, therapy options, accessing community supports and services, and advocacy, through a reflective lens. The course offers parents a forum to discuss the emotional aspects of parenting a child with exceptionalities and share resources. The skills learned in this class promote positive parenting attitudes and healthy parent-child relationships.