CHD 400   Introduction to Early Childhood Education 3 credits

This seminar helps students grasp the breadth, depth, and foundations of early childhood education.

CHD 402   Writing for Educators 3 credits

In this course students enhance their professional skills related to writing.

CHD 410   Growth and Development of Children 3 credits

This is a broad sketch of human growth and development from pre-natal stages to elementary age. Developmental processes are studied from a biological and developmental perspective. Personality development and the effects of temperament on learning are discussed.

CHD 411   Child Social and Emotional Growth 3 credits

This course studies the social, psychological and emotional growth of children from prenatal to elementary ages. Issues of attachment, perspective-taking and friendship are discussed. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 422   Human Diversity and Relations 3 credits

The purpose of this course is to expand our understanding of the influences of gender, culture, economic situation, learning styles, and language on the socialization of children, and then how to use this new understanding to form the way we program for and interact with children. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 430   Infants and Toddlers 3 credits

In this course, students will study the emerging skills and developmental characteristics of infants and toddlers. Course topics include environments that foster development, appropriate practices, and promoting the development of autonomy. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 435   Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Early Childhood Education 3 credits

This is a historical, present, and future perspective of developmentally appropriate practices. Appropriate classroom practices and current topics are discussed. (Prerequisites: CHD 400 and CHD 410)

CHD 440   Children's Play and Learning 3 credits

Theories of Piaget, Parton, Erickson, and Vygotsky are studied to determine how children learn to play and the effect that play has on the child's development. Historical perspectives and effects of play on learning are reviewed. (Prerequisite: CHD 435)

CHD 445   Language Development and Emergent Literacy 3 credits

The research and stages of language development from birth through age seven are extensively explored. Students will understand how to guide children through the language acquisition process. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 450   Children's Literature 3 credits

Using children's books to develop literature-based curriculum is the emphasis of this course. There is a review of authors of children's literature and an exploration of books for a variety of purposes. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 451   Dual Language Learners 3 credits

This course will address the needs of the early childhood classroom professional. The course will move beyond the basics of child development to help educators understand the natural progression of second-language acquisition in young children. (Prerequisite: CHD 445)

CHD 461   Ethics in Early Childhood 3 credits

Classical and historical ethics are explored, as well as the student's personal values system. Individuals face tough ethical decisions with increasing frequency in our society and a framework for addressing those questions is needed. Each student will develop a system for making ethical decisions in their personal and professional life. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 482   Young Child with Special Needs 3 credits

This course is designed to introduce the student to the information and techniques needed to develop curricula and instruction to meet the unique needs of individual children in early childhood settings. Special emphasis is given to the theories, research, and practical application from the fields of both early childhood education and special education. (Prerequisites: CHD 400, CHD 402, and CHD 410)

CHD 490   Portfolio and Synthesis 3 credits

This course encourages learners to reflect on all they have done in the program through the creation of a portfolio. (Prerequisite: Successful completion of all other courses in the program.)