Standard 1: Sample Syllabi and Learning Activities
Sample Syllabi
This sample syllabus provides ideas for resources, activities, readings, and assignments, aligned with the Initial Practice-Based Professional Preparation Standards for Early Interventionists/Early Childhood Special Educators (2020) and DEC Recommended Practices (2014). Consider state and university policies and add them as appropriate. This is a sample only and is not a complete syllabus; nor is it intended to suggest that the Standard would be addressed in only one course in the curriculum.
Sample Syllabus Standard 1: Child Development and Early Learning
Learning Activities
The projects or assignments require learners to apply the practices/skills related to Standard 1: Child Development and Early Learning. Since these are application activities, they most align with the evidence-based practices for adult learners of authentic learning, reflection, guidance, performance feedback, and follow-up activities. The sample learning activities are organized by the four components for Standard 1.
Component 1.1
- Discussion Group Participation
- A third of each student's grade will be given to the completion of the readings and participation in the discussion groups. To prepare for the discussion sessions, students will be required to complete the readings leading up to the discussion session. Students will be asked to respond to the discussion prompt by Friday evening and give substantive feedback to 2 or more classmates by Sunday evening. Submit the discussion questions by 5 pm the day before the discussion. Students receive a score of 0, 1, or 2 for timely and in-depth discussion responses. Evidence of integrating reading and applying theory to practice is necessary to receive 2 points. Students receive 0 or 1 point based on the quality of feedback given to peers.
Note: Depending on the content of the readings and the discussion questions, this assignment could also be aligned with Components 1.2, 1.3, and/or 1.4. - Child Development Theories and Philosophies Applied to Intervention/Instruction and Learning in Early Intervention and Preschool Settings
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- Preschool Settings: This is an online weekly assignment. Based on the preschool in which you observed for field experience, identify the theory(ies) or philosophy(ies) of child development and early learning included in course discussions and readings that you think are being applied in that setting. What did you observe regarding the classroom environment, daily schedule, roles of adults, what children were doing, curriculum, and instructional strategies that result in you thinking that theory(ies)/philosophy(ies) is/are being applied. Provide specific examples from your observation for each of the above as part of your discussion.
- Theory(ies)/philosophy(ies)
- The rationale with examples specific to the classroom environment, daily schedule, roles of adults, what children were doing, curriculum, instructional strategies
- Early Intervention Settings (Erikson): This is an online weekly assignment. Identify Erikson’s stages of social-emotional development that seem most important for Early Interventionists to know about and observe for as they partner with families? Provide your rationale based on course discussions and readings? Identify the stage(s) of Erikson’s theory that you think are most important for families of infants and toddlers with developmental delays and disabilities to understand? Provide your rationale based on course discussions and readings?
- Early Intervention Settings (Maslow): This is an online weekly assignment. Based on your observations during fieldwork in an early intervention setting, how was Maslow’s Self-Actualization Theory applied, or how could it be applied? Provide specific examples in your discussion related to the stages in Maslow’s theory.
- Preschool Settings: This is an online weekly assignment. Based on the preschool in which you observed for field experience, identify the theory(ies) or philosophy(ies) of child development and early learning included in course discussions and readings that you think are being applied in that setting. What did you observe regarding the classroom environment, daily schedule, roles of adults, what children were doing, curriculum, and instructional strategies that result in you thinking that theory(ies)/philosophy(ies) is/are being applied. Provide specific examples from your observation for each of the above as part of your discussion.
| Component | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theory(ies), philosophy(ies) applied in a preschool setting | Theory(ies), philosophy(ies) identified but do not seem relevant to the discussion of what was observed. Limited discussion of how this theory is applied in the classroom environment, daily schedule, adult roles, children’s actions, curriculum, and instructional strategies. Minimal or irrelevant examples from observation to support the discussion. | Theory(ies), philosophy(ies) identified with limited discussion of how this theory is applied in the classroom environment, daily schedule, adult roles, children’s actions, curriculum, and instructional strategies. Few examples from observation support the discussion. | Theory(ies), philosophy(ies) identified with somewhat clearly articulated discussion of how this theory is applied in the classroom environment, daily schedule, adult roles, children’s actions, curriculum, and instructional strategies. Some examples from observation support the discussion. | Theory(ies), philosophy(ies) identified with clearly articulated discussion of how this theory is applied in the classroom environment, daily schedule, adult roles, children’s actions, curriculum, and instructional strategies. Multiple examples from observation support the discussion. |
| Application of Erikson’s theory to EI settings | Stage(s) from Erikson’s Theory identified with minimal or irrelevant rationale as to the importance of EI, the importance for families. | Stage(s) from Erikson’s Theory clearly identified with limited rationale as to the importance of EI, the importance for families. | Stage(s) from Erikson’s Theory clearly identified with somewhat clearly articulated rationale as to the importance of EI, the importance for families. | Stage(s) from Erikson’s Theory clearly identified with clearly articulated rationale as to the importance of EI, the importance for families. |
| Application of Maslow’s theory to EI settings | Stage(s) from Maslow’s Theory identified with minimal or irrelevant rationale as to apply when providing EI services. | Stage(s) from Maslow’s Theory clearly identified with limited rationale and limited examples to apply when providing EI services. | Stage(s) from Maslow’s Theory clearly identified with somewhat clearly articulated rationale and some examples to apply when providing EI services. | Stage(s) from Maslow’s Theory clearly identified with clearly articulated rationale with examples as to apply when providing EI services.) |
Component 1.2
- Letter to the Editor
- Every day there are articles in the news about early child development (for example, a recent front-page article on the fetal origins of adult disease). Often the press reports are based on peer-reviewed journal articles, and often they are written in such a way as to grab the reader's attention but misrepresent the true findings. This assignment asks that each student identify a popular press report in the print media that relates in some way to child development and learning, verify the credibility of the article by researching background information yourself and write a letter to the editor advocating for an evidence-based position. You may agree or disagree with the author but provide evidence for your position. The letter to the editor should be no more than 200 words.
- Journal Article Abstracts
- Each student will select and read five research-based articles from professional journals. Articles must be selected from the bibliography provided by the instructor and address two of the following topics: (a) typical child development in one of the following domains – cognitive, communication, social-emotional, play, motor, adaptive; (b) brain research as it relates to child development; (c) individual differences in child development in one of the following domains - cognitive, communication, social-emotional, play, motor, adaptive. Two articles will be selected and reviewed for one topic and three articles selected and reviewed for the other topic.
Professional journals (not trade magazines) must be used. Examples of such journals include:- Child Development
- Childhood Education
- Early Childhood Quarterly
- Exceptional Children
- Infants and Young Children
- Journal of Early Intervention
- Topics in Early Childhood Special Education
Prepare a written summary of each of the five articles in APA format and include the following: (a) complete bibliographical reference; (b) concise but complete summary of the article with a discussion of rationale, methods, results, discussion/conclusion; (c) relationship of the article to services for children and families. Some of the articles on the list provided do not report a research study. In that case, you will not report methods and results. Instead, (b) above will include a rationale for the article, a summary of the key points discussed by the author(s), and discussion/conclusion. Both (a) and (c) above must also be reported for that type of article.
| Student Name: | Total Points: | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Criteria | Standard Not Met | Standard Partially Met | Standard Met | Exceeds Standard |
| Written summary | Concise, but vaguely articulated summary of a minimum of two of the four components (or one of the three components) addressed (4 points) | Concise, but vaguely articulated summary of a minimum of three of the four components (or two of the three components) addressed) (6 points) | Concise and somewhat complete summary of the article with all the components addressed (8 points) | Concise, but complete summary of the article with all the following components addressed: rationale, methods, results, discussion/conclusions (or rationale, summary, discussion/conclusions for non-research articles) (10 points) |
| Relationship of article content to services for children and families | Vaguely articulated relationship of the article content to services for children and families, no examples included (1 point) | Somewhat clearly articulated relationship of the article content to services for children and families, including one or more vague examples as to how the content might be applied in a program (3 points) | Somewhat clearly articulated relationship of the article content to services for children and families, including one or more specific examples as to how the content might be applied in a program (4 points) | Clearly articulated relationship of the article content to services for children and families, including one or more specific examples as to how the content might be applied in a program (5 points) |
| Mechanics/References | Fifteen or more errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar; references not cited: multiple errors in APA format (0 points) | Ten or more errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar; references not cited; some errors in APA format (3 points) | Six or fewer errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar; references cited as relevant; minimal errors in APA format (4 points) | No errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar; references cited as relevant; no errors in APA format (5 points) |
Journal Article Abstracts Scoring Rubric
- Child Observations
- Throughout the course, you will have opportunities to observe children at the Child Lab and/or opportunities established through centers and family partnerships. You will complete a running record with expanded notes about your observations. Summarize your notes and analyses. Please follow the rubric provided below.
The student will complete three written summaries and analyses of observations of an infant, toddler, and preschool-age child who do not have developmental delays or disabilities, and two written summaries and analyses of observations of an infant, toddler, and preschool-age child who have developmental delays or disabilities Your observations will be related to OSEP Child Outcome 3: Children take appropriate action to meet their needs.
| Student Name: | Date: | ||||
| Student performance will be rated on each of the following criteria using the following scale: | |||||
| Conduct observations of three children who do not have a developmental delay or disability: (1) an infant, birth –to 12 months of age, (2) a toddler, 12 months-35 months of age, and (3) a preschooler, 3-5 years of age. Observe each child in a minimum of three different activity settings including a family activity setting, a community activity setting, and, if applicable, an early childhood program activity setting. For each child, prepare a written summary and analysis of your observations, including the following: | |||||
| 1. List the child behaviors you observe in each activity setting related to the OSEP Child Outcome 3: Children take appropriate action to meet their needs. Include behaviors related to the child’s abilities to convey his or her needs; take care of basic needs (e.g. eating, dressing, toileting); take personal responsibility for herself or himself and for other things: get from place to place and use tools to meet needs. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2. Analyze your observations, describing why you think the behaviors you observed are or are not representative of the child’s abilities. Explain why you think this child’s behaviors are typical of children of this age. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. Describe any behaviors you observed related to the outcome that you think are not displayed typically, by children of this age. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Conduct observations of two children with whom you work who have a developmental delay or disability. Observe each child in a minimum of three different activity settings including a family activity setting, a community activity setting, and, if applicable, an early childhood program activity setting. For each child, prepare a written summary and analysis of your observations, including the following: | |||||
| 1. List the child behaviors you observe in each activity setting related to OSEP Child Outcome 3: Children take appropriate action to meet their needs. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2. Analyze your observations describing why you think the behaviors you observed are or are not representative of the child’s abilities. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3. Describe the approximate age level at which the child is functioning in terms of his or her acquisition and use skills related to Outcome 3 in everyday activities. Provide a rationale for your conclusions. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Overall Rating: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Ratings: 5 = Excellent, 4 = Area of strength, 3 = Competent, 2 = Area to improve, 1 = Insufficient | |||||
Component 1.3
- Interdisciplinary case study/Parent partnership
- This project is designed to help students apply theory to practice and identify aspects of the family system that influence the child’s development and learning. Students will work in partners, representing at least two disciplines (e.g., SLP, ECI, SW). Students will work together, across disciplines, and will have weekly conversations with their parent partner to learn as much as they can about a child’s development, particularly the development of social competence. Students are trying to understand factors within the child, factors within the family, and immediate environment and factors beyond the home as they affect development. Students are working toward a deeper understanding of the child’s and family’s strengths or as Luis Moll describes it, the family’s “funds of knowledge”.
Component 1.4
- Characteristics and Potential Impacts of a Specific Disability (Group Project)
- This assignment is designed to provide students with opportunities, within a collaborative team, to expand their understanding of the complex nature of disability, developmental delay, or risk that young children might experience. Each team will select a disability based on a list provided by the instructor (e.g., autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, spina bifida, Williams syndrome) and will develop a slide presentation and present it in class. The slide presentation must include content for each of the following: (a) defining features/characteristics of the disability, (b) potential impacts on development and learning in each developmental domain, (c) intervention/instructional services typically provided, (d) professionals who may support children with this disability or developmental delay and their families, and a minimum of five references in APA format. References must be from a variety of sources (e.g., journal articles, textbooks, websites).