MUST COURSES

• ECE 100 Introduction to Early Childhood Education (3-0) 3

Major approaches to and basic principles of early childhood education, educational environments, development of fundamental skills, impact of mass media and early childhood education, teacher education and school/family collaboration.

• ECE 104 Maternal and Child Health and First Aid (3-0) 3

Defining mother and child health, factors affecting their health in the community, growth and development, common diseases in childhood: diarrhea, upper respiratory infections, infectious diseases such as hepatitis, meningitis and parasites; immunization; common accidents in childhood and preventive care; drug usage, emergencies and special applications; health problems of women in different periods of lifetime, sexual maturation, major issues related to menopause and aging.

• ECE 109 Child Development and Psychology I (3-0) 3

Starting from the prenatal development, human lifespan will be discusses in terms of physical, social, cognitive and eminotal developmental domains. Theories of child development and key scholars contributions to the field will also be emphasized throughout lectures. Participant will explore the extent of the relationhship between the environment and genes and how this relationship affects family and school life. Current debates surronding the child the child development issues will be discussed in light of the recent research findings..

• ECE 110 Child Development and Psychology II (4-0) 4 - Prerequisite: ECE 109

Description, theories and principles of development, the factors affecting development, pre-natal ,birth and post-natal periods, cognitive development.

• ECE 112 Motor Development (3-0) 3

Theories ,background information, approaches and principles of motor development. Phases of motor development: reflexive, rudimentary, fundamental and sport related movement phases. Correlates of motor development, physical abilities, self-concept and perceptual motor development.

• ECE 120 Anatomy and Physiology (3-0) 3

Basic principles of human anatomy and the fundamental mechanisms of human physiology. Structure and the functions of human body, its organization, regulation and maintenance systems, support, movement and integration-control systems, nervous system, hormones.

• ECE 126 Maternal and Child Nutrition (2-0) 2

Fundamental concepts and principles of nutrition. Components of nutrients, enrichment of nutrients with respect to nutrient value, nutrition of pregnant and lactating women, malnutrition, energy balance, nutrient requirements during pregnany, malnutrition in children, nutrition of 0-6 year old children and hygienic rules in preparation of food.

• ECE 130 Practicum in Early Childhood Education (1-4) 3 - Prerequisite: ECE 100

Practice once a week or two half days a week in early childhood centers during a semester.

• ECE 208 Children's Literature (3-0) 3

The importance of books for the growing child, development of childrens literature in the world and Turkey; characteristics of childrens publications; stories, folk tales, fairy tales, fable, biography, poem, riddle, etc.

• ECE 214 Teaching Science in Early Childhood (2-2) 3

Importance of science and nature in early childhood education. Methods of teaching science and nature concepts in early childhood, construction of concept maps and hands on activities; basic concepts in science and nature; living-nonliving concepts; distinction of sky and space; basic events about heat and light.

• ECE 215 Play in Early Childhood (3-0) 3

Description, importance and social role of play. Factors affecting play, different phases of play parallel to child development, ways to encourage play, diagnosing behavioral disorders through play.

• ECE 220 Physical Education and Games (2-2) 3

Movement education in early childhood education centers; the characteristics of gymnasium where the programs will be performed; facilities/equipment and their areas; exercises with equipment, programs, games. Exercises that are suitable to 3-6 year old children`s movement development; games that are preparatory to sport games, musical games and practice. The teaching methods of movement education in early childhood. The basic principles in game education and teaching.

• ECE 222 Social and Emotional Development (3-0) 3

Introduction of the contemporary theory, research, and methods relevant to understanding social and emotional development during childhood.

• ECE 230 Curriculum in Early Childhood Education (3-0) 3

Basic concepts in curriculum development and its processes; development of lesson plan, unit plan, annual and daily plan; selection of content and organization. Teaching methods and strategies; properties of materials and their selection; measurement and evaluation; types of tests; developing achievement tests.

• ECE 232 Curriculum Models for ECE (2-2) 3

Analysis of a wide range of early childhood curriculum models with an emphasis on various topics including goals, environment, roles of teachers and families, materials, along with evaluation of children.

• ECE 240 Statistics for Early Childhood Teachers (2-2) 3

Different topics such as data collection, sampling, sampling distribution and estimation, permutation and combination, probability, continuous random variables and distribution, estimated value, data analysis, hypothesis testing, Chi-square test, regression and correlation.

• ECE 242 Environmental Education in the Early Years (2-2) 3

Concepts of environmental education in early childhood settings; developing child-nature relationship; theories and practices of early childhood environmental education; pedagogical approaches for early childhood contexts; awareness and understanding of environment and natural sources; education in natural play spaces; issues on living things, climate, pollution, waste management, biodiversity, water, soil, food cycle, energy, ecosystems and natural disasters; rethinking preservice teacher education.

• ECE 248 Community Service (1-2) 2

Increase preservice teachers' awareness of the social issues and developing certain ideas of voluntary works that would be helpful in dealing with such issues.

• ECE 281 Music Education in Early Childhood (3-0) 3

Activities for musically nurture young children, children songs, music nurturing environments, sound centers, musical dramatization, music instruments for early childhood education.

• ECE 301 Research Methods for Early Childhood Teachers (3-0) 3

Providing the student with major types of research about young children, the steps involved in conducting educational research, and the basic statistical concepts needed for understanding and designing research.

• ECE 302 Drama in Early Childhood Education (2-2) 3

Definition of drama, comparison of different types of drama, history of educational drama, importance of play and drama in the development and education of child, drama techniques, integration of pedagogic drama into daily and weekly plans in the early childhood education.

• ECE 303 School Experience (3-0) 3 - Prerequisite: ECE 230

Introducing students to the field, and gaining experience with young children. Opportunities including class observation, adaptation to classroom conditions, planning and preparation. Guided teaching practice in Early Childhood Education.

• ECE 306 Visual Arts and Material Development (2-2) 3

Definition, meaning and the purpose of visual arts. Art criticism, the history of the visual arts and aesthetic judgements. Preparation and application of different kinds of paints using different materials, such as crayons, water coloring, clay and ceramics. Construction of musical instruments and toys, puppets; finger puppet, cloth puppets, wooden puppet, string puppet by using waste materials. Principles and standards of toy construction, design of a kindergarten or playground.

• ECE 310 Teaching Mathematics in Early Childhood (2-2) 3

Logico-mathematical and spatio-temporal learning by the child`s own experience with objects (learning by discovery), creating and inventing relationships between objects and symbols and resulting integration and reorganization of ideas by the child. Spatial relations, time concepts, number concepts, one-to-one correspondence, comparing sizes, comparing amounts, comparing and evaluating different points of view, classification, seriation, conservation.

• ECE 315 Children with Special Needs (2-2) 3

Definition and history of special education, definition of being handicapped. The principles of special education, educational management and integration in special education. Education of exceptional children: Children with mental retardation, learning disorders, speech disorders, adaptation and behavioral disorders, visual disorders, hearing disorders, physical disorders and gifted children. Education of parents with exceptional children. The special education system in world and Turkey.

• ECE 325 Parent Involvement and Education (3-0) 3

Effect of family on child development and learning; importance of intra-family relationships in psychological and social development of child; adult psychology.

• ECE 334 Digital Literacy for Early Childhood Teachers (3-0) 3

Assisting early childhood teacher candidates to explore their perspectives on digital technologies within their personal and professional lives, and of children's use of digital technologies within and outside educational settings. Study of how digital literacy is framed in early years settings and ways to use digital technologies in purposeful, interest-driven ways. Teachers' roles in providing equal access to digital technologies for children.

• ECE 340 Classroom Management and Discipline in ECE (2-2) 3

Study of organizing the preschool and kindergarten classroom environment including the students, time, space and materials and basic models of classroom of classroom management and discipline.

• ECE 366 Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Education (3-2) 4

Teaching methods that used in early childhood education; building strategic approach; collecting, scheduling, demonstrating, describing, encouraging, praising, helping, facilitating, grouping, modelling, questioning, recalling, telling and instructing, co-constructing, community building, decolonising, de- constructing, democratising, documenting, empowering, philosophizing, problem solving, scaffolding, reinforcing, task analysis.

• ECE 409 Creativity and Children (2-2) 3

Definition of creativity and related theories; properties of creative environment; relationship between creativity and art education; shape and concept development in art; development of drawing ability, color and proportion in children's art work, various creativity activities using re-cycled materials.

• ECE 410 Assessment and Evaluation in ECE (3-0) 3

Understanding the role of measurement and assessment in educational process with special attention to observation and recording methods. To define educational goals and objectives in ways those facilitate curriculum planning and student evaluation. The means of observing and recording the behaviors of young children. To use observation methods to describe children's behaviors by relating to developmental theories. Methods, including anecdotal records, running records, time samples, and frequency charts to gather information for the development of a children's development portfolio.

• ECE 411 Practice Teaching I (2-6) 5 - Prerequisite: ECE 303

Field experience and teaching practice (minimum 12 weeks) including class observation, adaptation to classroom conditions, planning and preparation for teaching. Guided teaching practice in Early Childhood Education. Discussion of these applications in class (2 hours per week seminar at the university).

• ECE 430 Practice Teaching II (2-6) 5 - Prerequisite: ECE 411

Continuation of ECE 411

• ECE 480 School Readiness and Transition to Elementary School (2-0) 2

Definition of school readiness and contributing factors, different domains of school readiness; being physically, socially, emotionally, and cognitively ready to school, construction of classroom activities supporting healthy transition to elementary school. Examination of Elementary school curriculum and its comparison with early childhood education curriculum. Supporting young children's emergent literacy skills, and assessment of school readiness.

ELECTIVE COURSES

• ECE 205 Language and Literacy Development in Early Childhood (3-2) 4

Exploration of the research and stages of language and literacy development in early childhood. Study of the theories and developmental milestones in language and literacy development. The factors which have positive and negative effects on language and literacy development, concept development, memory, thought and language relations, the concept of emergent literacy, preparation for reading, activities improving language and literacy development.

• ECE 356 Outdoor Education in Early Years (2-2) 3

The importance of outdoor education for young children, characteristics of ideal outdoor environment, risk and safety in outdoor environment, pedagogies related to nature-based education, the relation between sustainability and outdoor education, planning outdoor activities for young children and effective teacher strategies in outdoor environments.

• ECE 368 Culturally Responsive Early Childhood Education (3-0) 3

Introduction to issues, ideas, practices and policies related to cultural dimension of education; theoretical, conceptual, and practical foundations of multicultural teaching in early childhood classrooms; supporting learning and teaching in culturally diverse early childhood classrooms; planning teaching and assessing young children in culturally responsive ways.

• ECE 432 Gifted Children (3-0) 3

A negotiation-based course designed to provide a theoretical understanding of gifted young children. Investigation of current research studies on gifted children education and their applications in classroom settings. To the extent practical, students are expected to develop activities for gifted young children.

• ECE 439 Child and Media (3-0) 3

Throughout this course, media s role in child s cognitive, language, social and emotional development, media and childhood obesity, media violence, media and children s rights, the relationship among child, family and media, the relationship among child, school and media and media literacy are exposed to early childhood department students.

• ECE 440 Gender Equity in Early Childhood & Elementary Education (3-0) 3

Introduction of the theories and empirical research in the field of gender equity in education. Analysis of sources of the gender differentiation in early childhood and elementary classrooms. Discussion of gender equity in the classrooms.

• ECE 444 Looking Through STEM Education: Practices for Early Learning Environments (3-0) 3

Children in early ages as problem solvers, critical thinkers, active investigators, innovators and creative thinkers. Nature of early childhood education. Focusing on each STEM discipline and underlining need of interdisciplinary approaches to education in the world. Helping to deepen insight about STEM as an interdisciplinary approach to education of pre-service ECE teachers. Designing and implementing STEM activities.

• ECE 445 Topics in Cognitive Development in Early Childhood (3-0) 3

Biological, social, cultural bases of cognitive development. Nature of perception, development of memory and language. Symbols' role in thinking, individuals' role in learning to think on their own and problem solving. Analysis on the nature of recent studies in cognitive development in early childhood. Early childhood education and cognitive development.

• ECE 481 Special Topics in Early Childhood Education (3-0) 3

The concept of the childhood and the development of the child in historical process. The child and the child’s judicial situation in the Turkish law systems. The concept of child rights. The history of child rights in the international law systems. United Nations children’s rights treaty policies. The analysis of the core of every child rights item.

Prerequisite: ECE 100