Course Syllabus

Summer 2026 | EDU-1030-VO50 - Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Online Class

Online courses take place 100% online via Canvas, without required in-person or Zoom meetings.

Faculty

Everett Ware
View Faculty Credentials
View Faculty Statement
Hiring Coordinator for this course: Gilberto Diaz Santos

Note

Many degree programs have specific general education recommendations. In order to avoid taking unnecessary classes, please consult with additional resources like your program evaluation, your academic program catalog year page, and your academic advisor.

Courses may only be used to meet one General Education Requirement.

Course Description

This course is an overview of early childhood education and the ways in which early childhood experiences can enhance the development of the whole child. Students examine the provision of early education and services for children from conception to age eight. Topics include child development, national and state standards, curriculum development, early intervention, regulation, and career exploration. This course introduces concepts that are aligned with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Professional Standards for Early Childhood Educators: Standards 1, 2, 4, 5, & 6.

Essential Objectives

1. Discuss the cultural, historical, and philosophical evolution of early childhood education. 
2. Explore early education programs in the context of family and community relationships, including the need for cultural competence when supporting and collaborating with individuals from diverse backgrounds. [NAEYC Standard 1b, 1c, 2a, 2b, 2c, 4a, 4c] 
3. Understand the theories of child development and how they relate to the implementation of Developmentally Appropriate Practices (DAP). [NAEYC Standard 1a, 1b, 4a, 4b, 4c] 
4. Discuss national and state standards for the provision of education to young children and how early childhood education programs meet these standards. [NAEYC Standard 6b] 
5. Review the elements of early childhood education curricula, the theoretical framework for different approaches to what is taught, and the pedagogy of inclusion and universal design.  [NAEYC Standard 1d, 4b, 4c, 5b] 
6. Analyze evidence-based research on effective models of early education. [NAEYC Standard 1d, 4b, 5c, 6a]
7. Examine the early intervention system and the provision of services to support the development of children with diverse abilities and/or affected by trauma. [NAEYC Standard 1a, 2c] 
8. Discuss the regulation of programs, staff, and facilities to ensure health and safety, including the role of the state in policy development and regulation enforcement. [NAEYC Standard 6b] 
9. Explore the scope and diversity of career opportunities in the field of early childhood education, the NAEYC Code of Conduct, and dispositions required for work in the field, through assignments such as informational interviews, job shadows, or other career exploration activities. [NAEYC Standard 6a, 6b] 

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV computer recommendations Support page.

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

*** This is a no cost textbook or resource class. ***

This course only uses free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials. For details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

Artificial Intelligence(AI) Policy Statement

CCV recognizes that artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI tools are widely available and becoming embedded in many online writing and creative applications.

Integrated: This course's generative AI policy acknowledges the use of AI is an essential skill in today's world. By using genAI for specific purposes, students become equipped with relevant skills and tools necessary to thrive in a technology-driven society. Emphasizing the mastery of generative AI should empower you to harness its potential, enhancing your problem-solving abilities and preparing you for future challenges and opportunities. Be aware, however, that any time generative AI is used at any point in the assignment without attribution it may be considered a violation of CCV's Academic Integrity Policy.

Correct attribution/citation of generative AI is required in this course. Students who use generative AI without citing their use of AI will be asked to redo their assignment and/or correct their citations.

The use of generative AI for discussion posts/replies and journal assignments is not allowed in this course.

Methods

Weekly course activities will include:

• Materials to review including videos, articles, textbook readings, and other resources
• Weekly discussionposts and replies to classmates

Additional assignments include:

• Reflective journal assignments
• Quizzes (open book, untimed)
• A career exploration assignment
• A environmental reflection assignment
• A final project

Note on textbooks/OER resources: All resources are free and available in Canvas or through the library. We will use articles, chapters of free ebooks, and other short readings. Viewing some videos and other multimedia materials will also be required. A free OER textbook will be used for this course, titled Introduction to Early Childhood Education, which is available in a web-based format and as a PDF in Canvas.

Evaluation Criteria

Assignments for this course will be graded in the following weighted categories:

• Discussion posts & participation - 40%
• Journals - 20%
• Quizzes - 20%
• Project - 10%
• Final reflection - 10%

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

	High	Low
A+	100	98
A	Less than 98	93
A-	Less than 93	90
B+	Less than 90	88
B	Less than 88	83
B-	Less than 83	80
C+	Less than 80	78
C	Less than 78	73
C-	Less than 73	70
D+	Less than 70	68
D	Less than 68	63
D-	Less than 63	60
F	Less than 60
P	100	60
NP	Less than 60	0

Weekly Schedule

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

• In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
• Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
• Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

Attendance and participation through online discussions is an essential part of the online course. You are expected to contribute weekly to the discussion with both your own weekly post and at least 2 replies to your classmates’ posts. Please see the discussion post instructions and rubric for details on the expected quality of your posts.

Discussion posts count for both your attendance and participation. If you do not post to the discussion within the week the post is due, you will be marked absent. If you have more than 2 absences, you risk being unable to complete the course.

Missing & Late Work Policy

Weekly discussion posts are due by 11:59 PM on Thursdays, and responses to classmates are due at 11:59 PM on Mondays. All other assignments will be due by their listed due dates on Canvas.

Late/Missing Work Policies:

• Late or missing discussion posts automatically receive a 0 after Monday at 11:59 PM. Extensions will not be granted for discussions, and late posts or replieswill not receive credit.
• I am happy to grant extensions on other assignment deadlines, including journals, quizzes, and projects. Requesting an extension ahead of the deadline, by emailing or Canvas messaging me, will waive all late penalties.
• Missing work automatically receives a 0. Please note that if you submit an assignment late, the 0 will remain the grade in Canvas until I am able to re-grade the assignment.
• Late work (without an extension) is reduced by 10% for each day it is late, up to a 50% reduction. (All late work after day 5 will be 50% credit.)
• Your lowest quiz grade and your lowest journal grade will be dropped from the final grading calculations. You may use these as "skips" if needed.

Communication about Late/Missing Work:

When it comes to grades, I value clear communication above all else. All late penalties will be waived if you communicate clearly with me about your needs. This includes the following:

• Email or Canvas messagebefore the deadline to negotiate an extension. You do not need to explain why you need the extension, but you do need to communicate with me and tell me when you will be able to complete it.
  • If there is an emergency that prevents you from requesting an extension earlier, please contact me as soon as possible after the deadline.
  • I can extend the extension if needed, but please continue to communicate to let me know that you still need more time beyond the original requested date.
• It's never too late to communicate! I understand that sometimes things get overwhelming, we lose track of deadlines, and work piles up. If you feel like missing assignments are piling up and you’re struggling to catch up, email me as soon as possible to figure out a plan for getting you back on track. As long as you communicate with me about your needs, I will be flexible and support you in catching up without penalty.
• No late work will be accepted after the end date of the course. All assignments (week 12 assignments and any make up work) must be submitted by 11:59 PM on the last day of the semester.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

1. Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/student-support/accessibility-services/
2. Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
3. Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

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