CIEC 6020 Curriculum, Environment and Assessment in Pre-K & K Classrooms

This course focuses on using developmental knowledge to plan meaningful curriculum, and to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments in pre-k and kindergarten and to observe, document and assess student learning. Arranging space and materials, ensuring safety and health, and scheduling and organization of time within the context of developmentally appropriate curriculum are the components of the classroom climate. Graduate students will explore ways in which to ensure that the environment reflects and supports the child’s home environment, diversity, languages spoken, special needs, constructivism, cooperative learning, emergent literacy, play, and various learning styles. Curriculum is the plan for learning including adult/child interactions, materials, written models, child centered, emergent ideas and teacher guided activities. Active student participation, motivation, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and meeting the needs of diverse learners are emphasized. Graduate students will also explore the goals, benefits, and developmentally appropriate uses of assessments in pre-k and kindergarten, and how to use documentation and performance assessment as part of the teaching, learning, assessment cycle. A major emphasis will be understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines (language and literacy, the arts, mathematics, science, physical activity and physical education, and social studies.) and how to use developmentally effective strategies to integrate the content areas into meaningful, challenging curriculum for all children in pre-k and kindergarten. Prerequisite(s): Must be a graduate student and permission of department.
Credits: 3.0