Faculty Syllabus

Students participate in a variety of in class activities including lectures, large and small group discussions, role-playing, reading, direct observation and participation in a quality early childhood classroom. In addition, 16 hours of regularly scheduled Lab/Field work experience is required.

An exploration of principles, methods, and materials for teaching young children math and science concepts and process skills through discovery and play.

Course Outcomes

1. Upon successful completion of CDEC 2307, the student will:

1. Relate the sequence of cognitive development to the acquisition of math and science concepts.
2. Summarize the sequential development of mathematical concepts.
3. Outline appropriate science concepts for children.
4. Describe how the development of mathematical concepts promotes children’s thinking skills.
5. Explain how to promote children’s cognitive development and understanding of their world through active, hands-on exploration of science concepts and processes.
6. Compare theories of cognitive development as they relate to math and science.
7. Summarize how brain development affects concept formation.
8. Compare gender similarities and differences in the acquisition of math and science concepts.

Standards 1 and 5

1. Describe the scientific process and its application to the early childhood indoor and outdoor learning environments.

1. Explain how to encourage all children to view themselves as competent scientific explorers.
2. Describe ways to promote all children’s ability to think scientifically (e.g., by providing opportunities to observe, describe, classify and order).
3. Summarize ways to nurture all children’s natural curiosity by encouraging them to explore and make discoveries about their world (e.g., by using their senses to gain information, draw conclusions and report outcomes).

Standards 1,4, and 5

1. Develop strategies, which promote thinking and problem-solving skills in children.

1. Explain how instructional methods involving the use of various types of thinking (e.g., exploration, discovery learning, problem solving) can enhance children’s mathematical and scientific understanding.
2. Describe how to integrate curriculum content through a variety of learning experiences so children make connections across disciplines.
3. Explain techniques for integrating math and science throughout the curriculum.
4. Plan developmentally appropriate methods that include play, small group projects, open ended questioning, group discussion, problem solving, cooperative learning, and inquiry experiences to help children develop intellectual curiosity, solve problems, make decisions and become critical thinkers.
5. Brainstorm strategies to encourage girls to feel competent in math and science.

Standards 4 and 5

1. Utilize observation and assessment as a basis for planning discovery experiences for the individual child.

1. Review a variety of assessment strategies.
2. Explain how assessment information is interpreted and used to provide developmentally appropriate learning activities.
3. Use a variety of assessment strategies to monitor children’s progress in achieving outcomes and planning learning activities.

Standard 3

1. Create, evaluate and/or select developmentally appropriate materials, equipment and environments to support the attainment of math and science concepts.

1. Evaluate children’s books, software, manipulatives, music, blocks and other materials, which enhance math and science concepts for developmental appropriateness.
2. Describe how to create indoor and outdoor environments that encourage emergent numeracy and scientific literacy by offering children varied, meaningful and concrete learning experiences.
3. Discuss how technology can be philosophically and physically integrated to support development of math and science concepts in the curriculum.
4. Explore community resources, including cultural, available for enhancing math and science concepts.
5. Make and use developmentally appropriate, culturally diverse and nonsexist activities and materials to support development of specific math and science concepts.
6. Adapt math and science activities, materials, equipment and environments for children with special needs.

Standards 1, 2, 4 and 5

Competencies

The Department of Labor Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) identified competencies necessary to be successful in work. In addition to studying about how young children learn and develop, child development courses provide skills to prepare students for the workforce.  The following SCANS competencies are covered in CDEC 2307: Identifying, organizing, planning, and allocates resources (Resources); acquiring and using information (Information); reading, writing, performs arithmetic and mathematical operations, listening and speaking (Basic Skills); thinks creatively, makes decisions, solves problems, visualizes, knows how to learn and reasons (Thinking Skills); displays responsibility, self-esteem, sociability, self-management, integrity, and honesty (Personal Qualities).