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ECED 2380 Syllabus

Course Syllabus

ECED 2380 - Language and Literacy in Early Childhood

3 Credit Hours

Course Information

Course Description:

This course focuses on the research-based principles and practices for providing young children, birth through age eight, with a strong foundation in language and literacy using a developmentally appropriate approach. Field experiences required.

Course Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

  1. Identify the developmental continuum for early reading and writing. (5b)

  2. Demonstrate effective strategies for involving families in supporting language and literacy in young children. (2a, 2c)

  3. Use informal tools for assessing children's language development and literacy learning. (3b, 3c)

  4. Design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences to support development in the following areas: listening and understanding, speaking and communicating, phonological awareness, book knowledge and appreciation, print awareness and concepts, early writing, and alphabet knowledge. (1b, 4b, 4c, 4d, 5b, 5c, SS3)

  5. Discuss how technology can be integrated to support the development of language and literacy in the curriculum. (4b, SS5) 

    NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation

    The following standards are addressed in this course.

    Standard 1 – Promoting Child Development and Learning

    • 1b. Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning

    Standard 2 – Building Family and Community Relationships

    • 2a. Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics
    • ​2c. Involve families and communities in their children’s development and learning

    Standard 3 – Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families

    • 3b. Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including the use of technology in documentation, assessment and data collection

    Standard 4 – Using Developmentally Effective Approaches

    • 4b. Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology.
    • ​4c. Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches 
    • ​4d. Reflecting on own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child

    Standard 5 – Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum

    • 5b. Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic discipline
    • ​5c. Using own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each child.

    Supportive Skills

    • SS3. Written and verbal communication skills
    • ​SS5. Skills in identifying and using professional resources 
Prerequisites & Co-requisites:

ECED 2315

Course Topics:
  • Components of Literacy

  • Planning for Literacy

  • Literacy for Infants and Toddlers

  • Literacy for Preschoolers: Five Gateways to Literacy Learning:

  • Talking (oral language)

  • Playing (literacy-enriched play)

  • Reading (books and other texts)

  • Writing (early writing experiences)

  • Learning the Code (alphabet knowledge and phonological awareness)

  • Curriculum Studies to Support Literacy 

Specific Course Requirements:

Field Experiences

Learning about early childhood education requires you to interact and engage with young children, families, and teachers throughout the ECED coursework. Some assignments in this course may require you to observe and/or engage in activities with young children from birth through age 8. (See specific instructions on assignments). You may be able to complete these experiences with children in informal settings such as family or relatives’ homes, but it is preferable, if possible, to do these experiences in an early childhood program such as a childcare center or family childcare home. These experiences require the student to be in the "teacher" role; thus, it is not acceptable to do these with your own children.

Contact your home college advisor and/or instructors if you need help in locating local resources for your fieldwork. Your “home” college is familiar with your local community and options available. Your ROCC instructor may be from a different part of the state and cannot offer suggestions in your local area.

Textbooks, Supplementary Materials, Hardware and Software Requirements

Required Textbooks:

Please visit the Virtual Bookstore to obtain textbook information for this course. Move your cursor over the "Books" link in the navigation bar and select "Textbooks & Course Materials." Select your Program, Term, Department, and Course; then select "Submit."

Supplementary Materials:

Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards
Tennessee Early Learning Developmental Standards e-portal (online training)
Tennessee Department of Education Curriculum Standards for English/Language Arts K-12 

Hardware and Software Requirements:

Minimum hardware requirements can be found here.

Minimum software requirements can be found here.

Common applications you might need:

Web Resources:

Purdue OWL Online Writing Lab (for APA, MLA, or Chicago style)

The Writing Center Online Writer's Handbook

Student Resources:
  • Technical support information can be found on the TN eCampus Help Desk page.
  • Smarthinking virtual tutoring is available FREE of charge. to access Smarthinking, visit the course homepage and select Smarthinking under Course Resources. You also view sample sessions to see what Smarthinking offers and how it works.
  • Information on other student issues or concerns can be located on the TN eCampus Student Resources page.

Instructor Information

Please see "Instructor Information" in the Getting Started Module for instructor contact information, virtual office hours, and other communication information. You can expect to receive a response from the instructor within 24-48 hours unless notified of extenuating circumstances.

Participation, Assessments, & Grading

Testing Procedures:

Testing will be completed online within the Course Management System. Exams must be taken by the due date. A student may take the exams on their own computer; the exams do not require a proctor. Late exams are not accepted. 

Grading Procedures:

Learning outcomes in this course are assessed through Fieldwork, Discussion, 2 Major Projects, and Midterm and Final Exams. Your grade will consist of points earned for each of these assessments. 

Detailed instructions and grading criteria (grading rubrics) are provided for each assignment. The grading rubrics will be used to award points earned for student work. It is expected that students follow instructions carefully, study the grading criteria, and ask questions if they do not understand an assignment. For some assignments, you will be required to complete the grading rubric as a self- grading component of the assignment. The purpose of this self-grading is to focus your attention
on the expectations for the assignment and enhance your own self-evaluation and critical thinking skills. Even though you may submit a self-scored rubric, the instructor will make the final determination on all grades and scores.

Instructions and rubrics for module assignments and projects are found under each Assignment Dropbox and under Getting Started Module. 

ItemPoints Each
Getting Started Activities

10 points for Getting Started Module
10 points for Getting Started Quiz

Fieldwork20 points per module for Modules 1-9 (9 fieldwork assignments)
Module 10 (5 points only)
Discussion Participation5 points per module (10 discussion topics)
Teacher-Made Book Project(1) project worth 70 points
Literacy Implementation Plan

(1) project worth 100 points

Midterm Exam50 points
Final Exam50 points
Midterm Feedback5 points (Bonus)
itemTotal Points

In general, assignments submitted on time will be graded within 7-10 days of submission due
dates. You will be notified if there is a need to vary this schedule. Assignments submitted LATE will be graded by the end of the course. 

Grading Scale:

Final grades will be earned based on the following percentage of points earned. 

PercentagePoint RangeAssigned Grade
90-100%473-525 PointsA
80-89%420-472 PointsB
70-79%367-419 PointsC
60-69%315-366 PointsD
0-59%under 315 PointsF
Assignments and Projects:

Assignments and projects include specific field work and discussion for each module, a Teacher Made Book project, a Literacy Implementation Plan for a classroom, and two exams. These are outlined in detail within the course under Dropbox and in the Content area.

Modules Format

The course is designed in Module format on the Content page. The Module activities include a set of experiences and assignments to support your active learning and engagement with the content. You are expected to work through and complete each item in each module. The modules are presented in an asynchronous format, meaning that you are able to work on your class readings and assignments at your own time and place. You do not have to be online at any particular time during the week. However, there are important weekly deadlines you must meet! You must adhere to the schedule in terms of completing and turning in assignments. There is one Getting Started Module to complete in the beginning. After that, you will usually have one Content Module to complete each week. (Summer terms may have 2 modules during a week since the summer term is condensed).

Module Assignments

You will complete module assignments consisting of Fieldwork learning experiences (including exercises in Children's Books, Learning the Content, Practice with Children, and Reflective Journaling) and Discussion with classmates. Your module assignments may not be graded until you have fully participated in the module content, under Course Content. Full participation in Content means you have read and studied ALL content topics in the module.

All assignments are due on Sunday evenings at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. Most Sundays you will have Module assignments due, but there are other projects and exams also due throughout the semester. Use the Calendar and Class Schedule (in Getting Started Module, keep you up to date.

Please plan your schedule so that last-minute technical difficulties will not prevent you from meeting those dates. 

Exams

There are two exams to be taken online and are timed--Midterm and Final Exam. Only one attempt is allowed. Exams cannot be taken late. Exams are found under "Assessments" on the navigation bar.

Projects
Two individual projects are required: Teacher-Made Book and Literacy Implementation Plan. You are required to submit both of these projects to receive a passing grade in this course. If you fail to turn in one of these, you will receive an F for the course. These are major assessments in the course that demonstrate your knowledge and skill in teaching math and science in early education; completion of these are mandatory for passing the course.

Fieldwork with Children

Some of the fieldwork assignments require you to engage in activities with young children. (See specific instructions on assignments.) The student must have access to young children (several children within the age range of birth to eight) in order to complete fieldwork assignments. This can be in informal settings such as family or relatives’ homes, but it is preferable, if possible, to do these experiences in an early childhood program such as a childcare center or family childcare home. These experiences require the student to be in the "teacher" role; thus, it is not acceptable to do these with your own children. Let the instructor know if you need help or clarification.

Assignment Expectations

Students must submit assignments in Microsoft Word format or Rich Text Format (RTF) using 10 or 12 point font. Spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure will be taken into consideration in grading all assignments. Assignments should reflect college-level work. Points will be deducted for numerous errors. 

Class Participation:

Students must participate in all interactive aspects of the course. Students are expected to log into the course at least 3 times each week. Students must communicate with other students through email, are expected to communicate with the instructor as a learning resource, must check the course bulletin board frequently for announcements, and must actively participate in threaded discussion events. Below outlines additional expectations related to "attendance."

  1. Students are expected to participate in the course at least 3 times each week. Participation is defined as: reading email, posting discussion, reading content pages, and/or uploading assignments, etc. The instructor will be monitoring this participation.
  2. Students are expected to respond to the instructor's e-mails.
  3. Students are expected to contact the instructor with any problems.
  4. Students are expected to participate in module discussions. Each student must post an original answer to the discussion topic listed for each module and reply to at least two of the other students' postings.
  5. NOTE: Your module assignments may not be graded until you have fully participated in the module content, under Course Content. 
Late Policy:

Students are encouraged to turn in all assignments on time. In the event that you miss a due date, you may turn in the assignment late, up to one week beyond the due date, but no later. Ten percent (10%) of the points for an assignment will be deducted on late work. No assignments will be accepted more than one week late. Submit late work to the appropriate Assignment dropbox. Once the Assignment box is closed, you can no longer submit. Do not send through email. Assignments submitted late will be graded by the end of the semester term. 

Course Ground Rules

The following two statements (1., 2.) were derived from the TBR System-wide Student Rules document, released January 2012:

RULES OF THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF REGENTS STATE UNIVERSITY AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM OF TENNESSEE SYSTEMWIDE STUDENT RULES CHAPTER 0240-02-03 STUDENT CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY SANCTIONS

Read the document in its entirety here.

1. Standards of Conduct:

  • Students are required to adhere to the same professional, legal and ethical standards of conduct online as on campus. In addition, students should conform to generally accepted standards of "netiquette" while sending e-mail, posting comments to the discussion board, and while participating in other means of communicating online. Specifically, students should refrain from inappropriate and/or offensive language, comments and actions.

2. Review the TN eCampus Academic Integrity/Academic Honesty Policy:

  • In their academic activities, students are expected to maintain high standards of honesty and integrity. Academic dishonesty is prohibited.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

  • an attempt by one or more students to use unauthorized information in the taking of an exam
  • to submit as one's own work, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, computer programs, or other products prepared by another person,
  • or to knowingly assist another student in obtaining or using unauthorized materials.

Plagiarism, cheating, and other forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited.

Students guilty of academic misconduct, either directly or indirectly through participation or assistance, are subject to disciplinary action through the regular procedures of the student’s home institution.  Refer to the student handbook provided by your home institution to review the student conduct policy.

In addition to other possible disciplinary sanctions that may be imposed, the instructor has the authority to assign an "F" or zero for an activity or to assign an "F" for the course.

Other Course Rules:

Students are expected to:

  • Participate in all aspects of the course
  • Communicate with other students
  • Learn how to navigate in Brightspace
  • Keep abreast of course announcements
  • Use the assigned course management (Brightspace) email address rather than a personal email address
  • Address technical problems immediately:
  • Observe course netiquette at all times.

Guidelines for Communications

Email:

  • Always include a subject line.
  • Remember without facial expressions some comments may be taken the wrong way. Be careful in wording your emails. Use of emoticons might be helpful in some cases.
  • Use standard fonts.
  • Do not send large attachments without permission.
  • Special formatting such as centering, audio messages, tables, html, etc. should be avoided unless necessary to complete an assignment or other communication.
  • Respect the privacy of other class members

Discussions:

  • Review the discussion threads thoroughly before entering the discussion. Be a lurker then a discussant.
  • Try to maintain threads by using the "Reply" button rather starting a new topic.
  • Do not make insulting or inflammatory statements to other members of the discussion group. Be respectful of other’s ideas.
  • Be patient and read the comments of other group members thoroughly before entering your remarks.
  • Be cooperative with group leaders in completing assigned tasks.
  • Be positive and constructive in group discussions.
  • Respond in a thoughtful and timely manner.

Library

The Tennessee Virtual Library is available to all students enrolled in TN eCampus programs and courses. Links to library materials (such as electronic journals, databases, interlibrary loans, digital reserves, dictionaries, encyclopedias, maps, and librarian support) and Internet resources needed by learners to complete online assignments and as background reading will be included within the course modules. To access the Virtual Library, go to the course homepage and select the Virtual Library link under Course Resources.

Students with Disabilities

Qualified students with disabilities will be provided reasonable and necessary academic accommodations if determined eligible by the appropriate disability services staff at their home institution. Prior to granting disability accommodations in this course, the instructor must receive written verification of a student's eligibility for specific accommodations from the disability services staff at the home institution. It is the student's responsibility to initiate contact with their home institution's disability services staff and to follow the established procedures for having the accommodation notice sent to the instructor.

Syllabus Changes

The instructor reserves the right to make changes as necessary to this syllabus. If changes are necessitated during the term of the course, the instructor will immediately notify students of such changes both by individual email communication and posting both notification and nature of change(s) on the course bulletin board.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this syllabus is for general information purposes only. While we endeavor to keep this information up-to-date and accurate, there may be some discrepancies between this syllabus and the one found in your online course. The syllabus of record is the one found in your online course. Please make sure you read the syllabus in your course at the beginning of the semester. Questions regarding course content should be directed to your instructor.


Last Revised on July 12, 2021