Positive Guidance in Early Childhood Environments

Students will gain knowledge in the following areas:

1. Acquire knowledge on theories of guidance and discipline for young children.
2. Use knowledge of typical sequential development of self-regulation to identify individual differences of young children in their development and demonstrate an understanding of the conditions that affect children’s affective development.
3. Apply knowledge of cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of socio-cultural and political contexts for development and learning.
4. Observe, record, and assess young children’s development and learning, and engage children in self-assessment for the purpose of planning appropriate programs for individuals.

Students will perform skills in the following areas:

1. Demonstrate ways that educators can contribute to the development of self-regulation.
2. Develop and implement an integrated curriculum that focuses on children’s guidance and discipline needs and interests.
3. Create, evaluate, and select developmentally appropriate materials, equipment, and environments and integrate learning experiences and guidance and discipline.
4. Develop positive and supportive relationship with children through individual and group guidance.
5. Incorporate knowledge into the design of intervention strategies and integrate goals into daily activities and routines.
6. Establish positive, collaborative relationships with families.

Students will demonstrate their values, commitment, and professional ethics that influence behaviours toward children, families, colleagues, and communities and affect learning, motivation, and development as well as the educator’s own professional growth, guided by beliefs and attitudes related to values such as caring, fairness, honesty, responsibility and social justice in the following manners:

1. Respect parents’ choices and goals for children and communicate effectively with parents about curriculum and children’s progress.
2. Use informal and formal assessment strategies to plan and individualize curriculum and teaching practices.