ECE 320

Curriculum and Interactions in Early Childhood Education

This course offers students the opportunity to integrate theory into practice as they work planning, implementing, and evaluating classroom activities, assessing individual children's strengths and learning needs, and participating in the routine of a early learning classroom. In this supervised field experience course, students are enrolled in both a lecture and lab section. During weekly in-class meetings with the instructor, students are presented with the developmentally appropriate theory that grounds curriculum and interactions in high quality early childhood education classrooms. Students are required to take this theory into lab where they have the opportunity to apply and practice what they are learning in the lecture section. Topics include the teacher's role in the development of curriculum based on observation and assessment of the individual needs of the children in the program. The teacher's role in guidance and the development of social competence in children as a fundamental part of curriculum design is stressed. The students will be assigned to the campus Child Development Center during specific times of the day for supervised laboratory experiences. Students may also complete up to 50 percent of their lab hours at off campus sites if they are employed at least 20 hours per week at the site. Students completing any hours at off campus sites must be under the direct supervision of a staff person eligible for or holding a Master Teacher Permit or higher level permit. Students may also complete lab under the supervision of a mentor teacher selected by the California Early Childhood Mentor Teacher Program coordinated by Los Rios District Early Childhood Education faculty. (C-ID ECE 130)

Units: 4.0

Hours: 36 hours LEC ; 108 hours LAB