Early Learning: Language and Concept Development

Catalog description

Examining the development of language and self-expression in young children, and the role of children's literature in facilitating development. EDUC 402 Early Learning: Language and Concept Development (3) This course examines foundations and strategies related to encouraging language development and concept acquisition of young children infant through age five. Students will gain the knowledge and skills to design relationships, environments, activities, and responses to young children at varying stages of early language and conceptual development. Course content will address the following: foundations for approaches to early learning including young children's characteristics, multiple factors that influence child construction of language and concept development, the importance of teacher child relationships, the emerging nature of children's learning patterns, and the benefits of providing books and experiences that support present knowledge levels while challenging new learning. Students will gain knowledge to use to design supportive relationships, documentation of observation, other assessment tools, and intentional instructional strategies that encourage early development of vocabulary and content concepts.Students will design instruction that encourages child awareness of concepts of receptive language, such as phonemic awareness; concepts of self-expression, such as vocabulary, concepts of comprehension, such as read aloud recall; concepts of early writing, such as alphabet and phonics; and concepts related to reading, such as illustrations and meaning. In science, students will design instruction that encourages child awareness of the value of questioning, observing and experimenting for answers about life science, earth science and physical science issues. In mathematics, students will design instruction that encourages child awareness of numbers, operations, geometry, measurement, patterns, and data representation. In social studies, students will design instruction that encourages child awareness of concepts related to families, communities, early economics, and local geographical characteristics. In the arts, students will design instruction that encourages child awareness of ways to express self with drawings, paintings, sculpture, drama, music and dance. In the areas of social and emotional skills, students will design instruction that encourages child sensitivity to social and emotional skills that do and do not work well in group settings. Emphasis will be placed on the need to differentiate instruction for each young learner and the need to differentiate relationship interactions with each family. The course format will include discussion, collaborative group work, student presentations, simulations, child care classroom observations, case studies, online activities, review of research and some lectures. In addition, each student will design and complete a teacher inquiry.