Early Childhood
Students interested in kindergarten and early childhood programs may take their internship in an early years setting in their second year, in addition to the required six-week early years placement in first year. They may also take electives in first and second year in early childhood from among the following (conditional on course availability):
- HDP1211H - Psychological Foundations of Early Development and Education
This course examines research on the psychological foundations of early childhood and relates those foundations to practice in the preschool and primary years. Early education is considered in relation to program factors such as teachers' beliefs and curriculum areas, to child and family factors such as temperament and attachment, and to social factors such as childcare experience and community. Young children's physical, cognitive, communicative, social and emotional development are explored as contributors to and as consequences of early learning experiences.
- HDP 1241H - Outcomes of Early Education and Child Care
Does early childhood education make a difference? Are "day care kids" different from those cared for at home? If there are differences, what are they? For whom are those differences, if any, meaningful? Are those differences, if any, lasting? How do we know? And, who cares? This course will explore these issues; we will examine a variety of early childhood programs, historical and contemporary, and the research and evaluation studies related to them. Students will select and critique a published evaluation study on aspects of early education/care, and design their own evaluative study of an element of an early education/care program of personal interest. ("Early childhood" = up to 9 or 10 years of age.)
- HDP1259H Family Relationships with Early Childhood Services and Schools
This course examines the connections between family systems and the educational system. Family-service connections with childcare and other services are also considered, with emphasis on early childhood. Particular attention is paid to the literature on parent-community involvement in education and related program and policy matters.
- HDP1272H - Play and Education
A series of seminars dealing with the definition of the term "play" and its relation to both psychological and educational processes in the young child. The history of play will be examined in relationship to various theories that have been advanced concerning the need children have to play, the functions of play, and their relationship to psychological, social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development.