EDU-264 Infants and Toddlers

This course is an orientation to the issues, challenges, opportunities and curriculum of early childhood education from birth to 36 months. Before delving into the specific age designation of birth-36 months, the foundations of early childhood education - developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), New York State Early Learning Guidelines, theories of early childhood learning and development, the history of early childhood education, and ethical conduct in early childhood education - are established. This course examines the principles and theory behind the planning of developmentally appropriate and effective, safe, and healthy environments for infants and toddlers, with an emphasis on play-based curriculum. The impact of culture, family, language, abilities, and early intervention will be addressed. The roles of the early childhood educator will be analyzed. A 5-hour field experience is included in this course.