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ECE313Education2 Unitsintermediate

Theories And Practice Of Early Childhood Education

This course introduces students to the theories and practices of early childhood education. It explores the historical and philosophical foundations of early childhood education, emphasizing the stages of child development from birth to eight years. Students will examine physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, moral, and language development, as well as types and causes of developmental anomalies. The course also covers contemporary early childhood models and their contributions to the field.

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208h

Study Time

13

Weeks

16h

Per Week

none

Math Level

Course Keywords

Early Childhood EducationChild DevelopmentDevelopmental TheoriesMontessoriReggio Emilia

Course Overview

Everything you need to know about this course

Course Difficulty

Intermediate Level

Builds on foundational knowledge

65%

intermediate

📚

Math Level

No Math

📖

Learning Type

Theoretical Focus

Course Topics

Key areas covered in this course

1

Historical Background of Early Childhood Education

2

Philosophical Basis for Early Childhood Education

3

Theories of Child Development

4

Physical Development Stages

5

Cognitive Development Stages

6

Socio-emotional Development Stages

7

Moral Development Stages

8

Language Development Stages

9

Developmental Anomalies

10

Maria Montessori's Educational Approach

11

Reggio Emilia's Educational Approach

Total Topics11 topics

Ready to Start

No specific requirements needed

This course is designed to be accessible to all students. You can start immediately without any prior knowledge or specific preparation.

Assessment Methods

How your progress will be evaluated (3 methods)

Assignments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Tutor-Marked Assessments

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Final Examination

Comprehensive evaluation of course material understanding

Written Assessment

Career Opportunities

Explore the career paths this course opens up for you

Early Childhood Educator

Apply your skills in this growing field

Preschool Teacher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Childcare Provider

Apply your skills in this growing field

Special Education Teacher

Apply your skills in this growing field

Curriculum Developer

Apply your skills in this growing field

Industry Applications

Real-world sectors where you can apply your knowledge

EducationChildcareSocial ServicesHealthcare

Study Schedule Beta

A structured 13-week journey through the course content

Week

1

Module 1: Nature and Context of Child Development

1.5h

Unit 1: Historical Background of Early Childhood Education

1.5 study hours

•Read the unit introduction and objectives.
•Define childhood, early childhood, and early childhood education.
•Trace the changing views of childhood from the medieval period to the present.
•Explain the origin of early childhood education.

Week

2

Module 1: Nature and Context of Child Development

1.5h

Unit 2: Philosophical Basis for Early Childhood Education

1.5 study hours

•Discuss the general aims and objectives of early childhood education.
•Examine the aims and objectives of early childhood education as expressed in the National Policy on Education.
•List and describe three types of early childhood education institutions.

Week

3

Module 1: Nature and Context of Child Development

1.5h

Unit 3: Concepts of Growth and Development

1.5 study hours

•Define growth and development.
•Distinguish between growth and development.
•Reflect on personal experiences to differentiate between growth and development.

Week

4

Module 1: Nature and Context of Child Development

1.5h

Unit 4: Principles of Growth and Development

1.5 study hours

•Discuss factors influencing growth and development.
•Explain the basic principles of growth and development.
•Analyze how heredity and environment interact to influence child development.

Week

5

Module 1: Nature and Context of Child Development

2h

Unit 5: Theories of Child Development

2 study hours

•Identify and explain seven major theories of child development.
•Compare and contrast any two of the theories of child development.
•Evaluate the relevance of each theory to early childhood education.

Week

6

Module 2: Stages of Child Growth and Development

2h

Unit 1: Physical Development at various stages of early childhood years

2 study hours

•Define physical development.
•Identify and describe the physical development of the child at various stages of early childhood years from birth to eight years.
•Explain the educational implications of physical development for early childhood education.

Week

7

Module 2: Stages of Child Growth and Development

2h

Unit 2: Cognitive Development at various stages of early childhood years

2 study hours

•Define cognitive development.
•Identify and describe the cognitive development of the child at various stages of early childhood years from birth to eight years.
•Explain the educational implications of cognitive development for early childhood education.

Week

8

Module 2: Stages of Child Growth and Development

2h

Unit 3: Socio-emotional Development at various stages of early childhood years

2 study hours

•Define socio-emotional development.
•Identify and describe the socio-emotional development of the child at various stages of early childhood years from birth to eight years.
•Explain the educational implications of socio-emotional development to early childhood education.

Week

9

Module 2: Stages of Child Growth and Development

1.5h

Unit 4: Moral Development at various stages of early childhood years

1.5 study hours

•Define moral development.
•Identify and describe the moral development of the child at various stages of early childhood years from birth to eight years.
•Explain the educational implications of moral development to early childhood education.

Week

10

Module 2: Stages of Child Growth and Development

1.5h

Unit 5: Language Development at various stages of early childhood years

1.5 study hours

•Define language development and the importance of language to children in early years.
•Identify and describe the language development of the child at various stages of early childhood years from birth to eight years.
•Explain how caregivers can foster language development in children.

Week

11

Module 3: Developmental Anomalies and Contemporary Early Childhood Model

2h

Unit 1: Types of Developmental Anomalies

2 study hours

•Explain with examples the meaning of the terms: impairment, disability, handicap.
•List and discuss the various types/dimensions of physical disabilities in early childhood years.
•List and describe the various types, degrees and classifications of mental disabilities.

Week

12

Module 3: Developmental Anomalies and Contemporary Early Childhood Model

3h

Unit 2: Causes of Developmental Anomalies

1.5 study hours

•State the genetic factors that cause physical disability, mental disability, socio-emotional disability.
•State the environmental factors that cause physical disability, mental disability, socio-emotional disability.
•Analyze the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in developmental anomalies.

Unit 3: Characteristics of Children with Developmental Anomalies

1.5 study hours

•Mention five characteristics of children with physical disability.
•List and explain five characteristics of children with mental disability.
•Mention five characteristics of children with socio-emotional disability.

Week

13

Module 3: Developmental Anomalies and Contemporary Early Childhood Model

4h

Unit 4: Contribution of Maria Montessori to Early Childhood Education

2 study hours

•Narrate Maria Montessori's life history.
•Describe the basic ideas in Maria Montessori's model of early childhood education.
•Explain the contribution of Maria Montessori in the development of early childhood education.

Unit 5: Contribution of Reggio Emilia to the Development of Early Childhood Education

2 study hours

•Trace the evolution of Reggio Emilia early childhood education model.
•Describe the basic ideas and principles of Reggio Emilia educational philosophy.
•Explain Reggio Emilia's model of early childhood education.

This study schedule is in beta and may not be accurate. Please use it as a guide and consult the course outline for the most accurate information.

Course PDF Material

Read the complete course material as provided by NOUN.

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Study Tips & Exam Preparation

Expert tips to help you succeed in this course

1

Create a timeline of key events and figures in the history of early childhood education (Unit 1).

2

Develop concept maps linking different theories of child development (Module 1, Unit 5).

3

Use flashcards to memorize the stages of physical, cognitive, socio-emotional, moral, and language development (Module 2).

4

Practice identifying developmental anomalies based on case studies (Module 3, Units 1-3).

5

Compare and contrast the Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches using a table (Module 3, Units 4-5).

6

Review all Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs) and focus on areas where you had difficulty.

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