Early Learning Curriculum Foundations

Influenced by The California Early Childhood Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP), and in consideration of credentialed teachers working with children in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), this course will focus on developmentally appropriate curricula and environments for early childhood education.

Students will build upon their knowledge of children’s development and theories of learning, using The California Preschool Learning Foundations. Considering various models of developmentally appropriate practice, students will use The California Preschool Curriculum Framework to plan for learning in all content areas.

The California Foundations and Frameworks will be used to support the teachers' planning of environments and curriculum indoors, outdoors, and in various domains.

Learning Outcomes:

• Apply various early childhood curriculum models, approaches, and professional practices to inform and evaluate curriculum and environments and explain how the curriculum is integrated across all development domains and content areas for young children
• Develop plans for physical environments, both indoor and outdoor, that are appropriate for children's individual ages and stages, skills/abilities, needs, and learning goals
• Explain how the principles of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) are applied in various situations and how specific learning experiences could be adapted to address individual children's learning and development needs