EDU625: The Education of Young Children: Principles and Methods
This course focuses on planning and implementing developmentally appropriate learning environments and integrated curricula for young children (birth-grade 2); the relational processes by which children acquire knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes toward learning; the use of spontaneous play and hands-on activities; planned experience and instruction that provide students with opportunities to explore and manipulate ideas and concepts as they explore and manipulate the world; approaches to work with gifted students and students with disabilities; and integrated instruction in literacy, the arts, science, math, technology, social studies (including exposure to a range of cultures and languages as well as United States and New York State history and geography), family, career and consumer education, and physical and health education.
3 credits

EdSE626: Patterns of Parenting and Child Care in Relation to Early Intervention and Education
This course focuses on parents and families as the context for growth, development and learning; similarities and differences in family structures and parenting styles in various cultural groups; parents and family members as teachers of young children and collaborators with professional educators; ways in which early childhood intervention and education programs build and expand upon the foundation provided by parents; parental and family responses to and coping with a child with disabilities; how educators form constructive educational partnerships with parents; and community resources for parents and their young children.
3 credits

SpEd635: The Study of Disabilities in Infancy and Early Childhood
This course focuses on educational programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarten students, and first and second graders with disabilities; review of developmentally appropriate integrated curricula; materials and activities in language arts, music, art, blocks, sand, water play, cooking and other play activities; parental collaboration in early intervention and early childhood special education; comparison of early intervention and early childhood special education programs reflected in an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and an Individualized Education Plan (IEP); comparison of least restrictive environment and natural environment approaches; setting up and managing play and learning activities in safe and developmentally appropriate environments; special attention to work with children with autism; the role of the teacher in guiding young children in the development of self-regulation and the communication and social skills necessary for constructive peer relations and group living; and interventions for prevention and management of challenging behaviors.
3 credits

EdSE657: Early Literacy Instruction I, Birth-PreK
This course focuses on the uses of oral language, general cognitive skills, the concepts underlying reading and writing, and specific literacy skills as the context of and initial steps toward literacy for young children; activities to promote phonemic awareness, understanding of the alphabetic principle, and beginning recognition of words through letter-sound relations; motivational issues that pertain to the development of reading skills; meeting the needs of young children, including those with limited proficiency in English who enter day care, nursery school, and other early childhood and early intervention programs with inadequate literacy-related knowledge and skills; language-related experiences at home as well as at school; and the importance of frequent opportunities to write.
3 credits
(This course is a prerequisite for SpEd658: Early Literacy Instruction II, K-Grade 2.)

SpEd658: Early Literacy Instruction II, K-Grade 2
This course focuses on the creation of language-rich environments and holistic approaches to reading and writing instruction that meet the needs of children with varying language preparation and aptitudes as well as children from diverse backgrounds; use of a range of teaching and learning modalities; connections between speech sounds and spellings; achieving fluency and comprehension; spelling conventions; special attention to reading problems, with identification of services and approaches available for children who are not making adequate progress in reading; assessment and remediation of reading problems; language and literacy for gifted students; the importance of coordination of efforts among general educators, special educators, reading specialists, and parents; and discussion of approaches used with language-minority children, including the conditions under which greater or lesser emphasis is placed on reading and writing in the native language.

Students also do one-on-one work with a child with reading problems and complete a comprehensive case study.
3 credits
(Prerequisite: EdSE657: Early Literacy Instruction I,
Birth- PreK)

EdSE682: Field Experience and Practicum I in Early Childhood General and Special Education, Birth-Grade 2
For the field experience component of the course, students complete 50 hours of observations in general education at the birth-preK, kindergarten, or grade 1-2 level. Students also complete 100 hours of work with students with disabilities at a level not used in general education. (Inclusion classes with strong special education components are acceptable.) For the practicum component of the course, students complete an additional 20 days or 100 hours in general education at one of the three age/grade levels. (Over the course of the field experience/practicum courses students must have experience at all three levels.) Actual teaching is a component of the practicum part of the course. All student teaching is done in accredited schools with the involvement of appropriately certified supervising or cooperating teachers who submit student evaluation forms during and at the conclusion of the semester. Over the course of the field experience and practicum courses, some work is done in a high-need school or a school serving a high-need community. Students keep time sheets of their hours, logs in which critical incidents are recorded and analyzed, respond to questions involving young children, and complete two term papers. The course includes scheduled group meetings. An assigned Touro College faculty member meets with students at their field experience/practicum sites and observes and evaluates student work with children in the school or equivalent educational setting. The faculty member and cooperating teacher evaluate both the field experience and practicum components of student work in the course.
3 credits
Note: Should be taken within the first 18 credits of the program.
SpEd683: Practicum II in Early Childhood Special Education, Birth-Grade 2
Students complete one 20-day practicum experience or its equivalent (at least 100 hours) teaching students with disabilities (inclusion classes with strong special education components are acceptable) at the preK, kindergarten or grade 1-2 level and one 20-day experience or its equivalent (at least 100 hours) teaching students with disabilities (inclusion classes with strong special education components are acceptable) at a second developmental level. (All three levels must be covered over the course of the field/practicum courses.) All student teaching is done in accredited schools with the involvement of appropriately certified supervising and cooperating teachers who submit student evaluation forms at the conclusion of the semester. Over the course of the field experience and practicum courses, some work is done in a high-need school or a school serving a high-need community. Students keep time sheets of their hours, logs in which critical incidents are recorded and analyzed, respond to questions involving early childhood education, and complete a comprehensive culminating project in which they analyze and discuss the ways in which various aspects of the program have affected their understanding of and interventions with children. Students also present a comprehensive case study that integrates relevant research. The course includes scheduled group meetings. An assigned Touro College faculty member observes student teachers presenting a minimum of two formal lessons in the classroom or other educational facility.
3 credits
(Prerequisite: SpEd658)
Note: Should be taken in the last semester of the program.