Introduction to Early Childhood
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Introduction to Early Childhood
This course is part of Home-Based Child Care Specialization
Instructor: JoLynn Fiorentino
21,048 already enrolled
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What you'll learn
You'll learn the fundamentals of early childhood development, the importance of play, and the significance of family in early education programs.
Skills you'll gain
- Behavioral Management
- Positive Behavior Support
- Communication
- Special Education
- Cultural Responsiveness
- Classroom Management
- Teaching
- Parent Communication
- Behavior Management
- Education and Training
- Child Development
- Childhood Education and Development
- Diversity Awareness
- Family Support
- Creativity
- Curriculum Development
- Diversity Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
- Cultural Diversity
- Policy Development
- Working With Children
Details to know
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There are 6 modules in this course
This course is targeted toward individuals wishing to operate a family day care center, and it covers topics including the fundamentals of early childhood development; the importance of play and Developmentally Appropriate Practice; and the significance of building strong family-educator relationships and how to achieve them.
Since a Family Policy Handbook is essential for anyone operating a family day care center, this course includes the development of one of three imperative sections of the handbook. The remaining two sections are created in subsequent courses of the Home-Based Childcare series available on Coursera.
The intention of this module is to introduce you to the Home-Based Child Care Final Project, including the rubric which will be used to score your final project submission.
What's included
2 readings
2 readings•Total 40 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook: Introduction to the Final Project for Home-Based Child Care•30 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook: Purpose•10 minutes
In this module, we define Developmentally Appropriate Practice and discuss the importance of play in early childhood. We also outline the domains of children's learning.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
1 video•Total 25 minutes
- Foundations for Early Childhood•25 minutes
2 readings•Total 55 minutes
- Developmentally Appropriate Practices with Young Children•10 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Sections #1-3: Introduction, Philosophy, and Curriculum•45 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Shifting to better choices•10 minutes
In this module, we discuss teacher/family relationships, including ways to communicate and involve families in early childhood programs.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
1 video•Total 20 minutes
- Family Engagement•20 minutes
2 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Strategies for Family Engagement•20 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Section #4: Parents/Family Engagement•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- How to involve families•10 minutes
In this module, we will explore the use of observations in early childhood settings along with the varied assessments utilized and their purpose. In addition, we will look at developmentally-appropriate assessment strategies.
What's included
1 video3 readings1 discussion prompt
1 video•Total 24 minutes
- Assessment in Early Childhood•24 minutes
3 readings•Total 70 minutes
- Resources/Links reference in Assessment in Early Childhood•30 minutes
- DAP: Observing, Documenting, and Assessing Children's Development and Learning•10 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Section #5: Observation and Assessment Techniques•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Assessing children•10 minutes
We will explore factors that influence behavior in this module. We will also discuss the importance of regular, predictable, and positive learning environments along with various guidance techniques for young children.
What's included
1 video2 readings1 discussion prompt
1 video•Total 34 minutes
- Guiding Children's Behavior•34 minutes
2 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Guiding Children's Behaviour•20 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Section #6: Discipline/Behavior Management Policy•30 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Classroom management•10 minutes
This module is geared toward understanding strategies for teaching in an inclusive setting, recognizing culturally-diverse classrooms and establishing anti-bias curriculum.
What's included
1 video3 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt
1 video•Total 39 minutes
- Inclusion and Diversity•39 minutes
3 readings•Total 100 minutes
- Preparing Young Children for the Inclusion of Children with Disabilities into the Classroom•10 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Section #7: Supporting Diversity•30 minutes
- Course Resources (OPTIONAL)•60 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Family Policy Handbook Sections #1-7•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- Inclusion•10 minutes
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Reviewed on Jan 4, 2023
I enjoyed the course. I received a 100%, and I also liked the project at the end. It required me to think of things that I had not considered before.
Reviewed on Sep 3, 2024
Learning about childcare is an eye opener, I would recommend this course to everyone in the hold care business and to all parent.
Reviewed on Jan 24, 2023
This was a very educative and knowledgable course. I enjoyed it so much.
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