A study of the child, family, community, and schools, including parent education and involvement, family and community lifestyles, child abuse, and current family life issues. Course content must be aligned as applicable with State Board for Educator Certification Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities standards and coincide with the National Association for the Education of Young Children position statement related to developmentally appropriate practices for children from birth through age eight. Requires students to participate in field experiences with children from infancy through age 12 in a variety of settings with varied and diverse populations. The course includes a minimum of 16 hours of field experiences.
Co-Requisites and Pre-Requisites: Passage of background check.
For students in this course who may have a criminal background, please be advised that the background could keep you from being licensed by the State of Texas. If you have a question about your background and licensure, please speak with your faculty member or the department chair. You also have the right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the applicable licensing agency.
Upon successful completion of this course, students will:
1. Identify characteristics and issues relating to diverse cultures and caregiving lifestyles.
2. Analyze ways in which factors in the home and community (e.g. parent expectations, availability of community resources, community issues) impact learning, including an awareness of social and cultural factors to enhance development and learning.
3. Identify and apply strategies to maintain positive, collaborative relationships with diverse families (e.g. families with children with disabilities, poverty, single parent, cultural, homelessness, and dual-language learners).
4. Investigate community/educational resources (e.g. dentist on wheels, library programs, GED programs, family education programs, Early Childhood Intervention Strategies) to empower families to support children’s development.
5. Recognize signs of abuse and neglect and describe ways to work effectively with abused and neglected children and their families.
6. Explain the importance of family involvement/home-school relationships in education.
7. Explain the importance of maintaining codes of ethical conduct and legal issues when working with families, colleagues, and community professionals
Melendez, W. R., & Beck, V. (2018). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies (5th 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.
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%
eMelendex/Ostertag. Teaching Young Children in a Multicultural Classroom. 5th ed.
Copple, C. (2010) Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs. 3rd edition.
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.