Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed to early childhood education professionals with the knowledge and skills to teach each content area according to the preschool learning guidelines, or state standards. This modules as part of the course on the preschool learning experiences will explain each part of the standard and give examples of how to teach the standard within an integrated curriculum. Through presentations, online resources, readings, and assignments students will gain knowledge of the components of each area: mathematics, English language arts, science and technology/engineering, the arts, and health education, and history and social science. The last module will cover the content of the Early Childhood Program Standards and how to incorporate those standards into daily practice.

Course Objectives

• Explain each of the standards and describe ways to teach it to preschool aged children.
  
• Design lesson plans and units to teach various academic and social skills across the preschool day.
  
• Identify individual learning experiences related to a specific content area in a classroom, video, or lesson plan.
  
• Teach the guidelines in a classroom and evaluate their lessons for effectiveness.
  

Massachusetts State Core Competencies

This module will address Core Competency 6a: Observing and Assessing and Core Competency Area 5: Learning Environments and Implementing Curriculum.  Participants will also learn about typical development in math (Area 1e: cognitive development). 

Required Textbook - Available Under Important Documents

Massachusetts Department of Education. (2003). Guidelines for preschool learning experiences. Malden, MA.

Massachusetts Department of Education. (2003). Early childhood program standards for three and four years old. Malden, MA.

Other Readings

Other readings and websites will be available in OpenCourseWare.