Educating Young Children | Weatherford College

An introduction to the education of the young child. Includes developmentally appropriate practices and programs, theoretical and historical perspectives, ethical and professional responsibilities, and current issues. Course content is aligned with State Board for Educator Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities standards. Requires students to participate in a minimum of 16 hours of field experience with children from infancy through age 12 in a variety of settings with varied and diverse populations.

Co-Requisites and Pre-Requisites: Passage of background check is required for this course.

Course Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the contributions of key historical and contemporary theorists to the field of early care and education.

2. Explain the features of a developmentally appropriate program for young children.

3. Define each of the four basic developmental domains (physical, cognitive, emotional, and social).

4. Examine the types of early childhood programs.

5. Analyze trends and issues of early care and education; identify the characteristics and developmental stages of a professional in early care and education.

Lab Fee

None

Required Textbooks

Gordon, A. M., & Browne, K. W. (2016). Beginnings & beyond: Foundations in early childhood education (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). 2022. Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8. 4th ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Evaluation Standards

Grades will be taken at the discretion of the instructor. Semester grades are based on the following:

Attendance/Participation/Discussions 25%

Assignments 20%

Projects & Assessments 30%

Observations 25%

At the end of the semester, you will receive a letter grade based on the following averages:

A = 90 – 100%

B = 80 – 89%

C = 70 – 79%

D = 60 – 69%

F = 0 – 59%

Disabilities

ADA Statement:

Any student with a documented disability (e.g. learning, psychiatric, vision, hearing, etc.) may contact the Office on the Weatherford College Weatherford Campus to request reasonable accommodations. Phone: 817-598-6350 Office Location: Office Number 118 in the Student Services Building, upper floor. Physical Address: Weatherford College 225 College Park Drive Weatherford, TX.

Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity is fundamental to the educational mission of Weatherford College, and the College expects its students to maintain high standards of personal and scholarly conduct. Academic dishonesty of any kind will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials including unauthorized use of Generative AI. Departments may adopt discipline specific guidelines on Generative AI usage approved by the instructional dean. Any student who is demonstrated to have engaged in any of these activities will be subject to immediate disciplinary action in accordance with institutional procedures.

Hope Statement

Any student who faces challenges securing basic resources such as food, clothing, or housing and believes this may affect their performance in their course of study is urged to contact the Director of Student Resources, Dr. Deborah Cregger, for support at (817) 598-6444. Her office is on the first floor of Student Services. If the student prefers, they may contact their instructor, who can reach out on their behalf. Weatherford College also provides the Coyote Pantry. The Pantry maintains boxed and canned foods for students in need. The location of the Coyote Pantry is two blocks west of the Weatherford campus at the Baptist Student Ministry (118 E. Park Ave., Weatherford). Pantry hours are Mon-Thurs. 8:30 am-4:30 pm and Fri. 8.30 am-12:00 pm (817-599-6586).