Course Content Matrices
The ACCEPT Project Course Content Matrices provide thorough descriptions of resources containing information on special education practices that may be used to infuse courses within an early childhood associate degree program. The purpose of the matrices is to provide an awareness of the characteristics of each resource and the information it provides so that instructors may easily decide the “best fit” for infusing each course within an early childhood program. It is suggested that instructors review selected matrices (with descriptions and related standards [S1-S8]) below to search for resources in addition to those found on Infused Course Calendars. Follow the link to review a matrix.
| Matrix | Description [Standard] | Link to Matrix |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Early Childhood Education | Students learn foundations of the education profession, the diverse educational settings for young children, professionalism, and how to plan and implement developmentally-appropriate programs for all children. Content includes historical foundations, program types, career options, professional standards and behavior, characteristics of inclusive environments, and features of curricula responsive to the needs of all children and families. [S1, S2, S5, S6, S7, S8] | Review |
| Child Development I | Students learn research-based methods to enrich children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development from age birth to four. Content includes assessment techniques and use of data to plan programs, guide interactions, and enrich development. [S1, S3, S4, S5, S7, S8] | Review |
| Child Development II | Students develop the knowledge and skills to help them integrate advocacy into their practice. They learn research-based methods to enrich children’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development from age five to eight. [S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S8] | Review |
| Child, Family, and Community | Students develop skills for establishing, supporting, and maintaining respectful, collaborative relationships among diverse families; programs and schools; and community and agency resources. They learn how to collaboratively identify issues, define solutions, and develop the capacity to act on decisions. [S1, S2, S7, S8] | Review |
| Child Guidance | Students learn about typical and atypical social-emotional development of young children and practice strategies that promote and support positive behavior. Content includes how to facilitate the development of social competence in the context of a variety of early childhood programs. [S2, S6, S7] | Review |
| Creative Activities | Students are provided with opportunities to plan, create, implement, and adapt creative activities for young children such as drawing, painting, woodworking, printmaking, creating two and three-dimensional art, working with clay, singing, dancing, and weaving, among others. Skills taught and practiced focus on supporting curiosity, exploration and play. [S3, S4, S7] | Review |
| Curriculum Planning | Students learn to evaluate children’s development, critique curricula, plan for individual and group needs, and assess and create quality environments. [S3, S4, S6, S8] | Review |
| Educational Technology | Students are introduced to effective ways to use assistive technology with young children and how to promote cognitive and social-emotional skills through the integration of technology within the early childhood curriculum. They are given opportunities to apply resources to activities developed to promote specific skill areas such as emergent literacy and socialization. [S1, S2, S3, S4, S6] | Review |
| Exploration Activities | Students are introduced to discovery experiences in science, math, and social studies. Emphasis is on developing conceptual understanding as well as on learning to encourage young children to meaningfully explore, discover, and construct. [S3, S4] | Review |
| Health, Safety, and Nutrition | Students learn how to maintain safe and healthy learning environments, recognize and report abuse and neglect, respond to emergency care situations, prepare menus according to established nutritional guidelines and individual and cultural diversities, and assess the safety of an indoor and outdoor environment for all children. Content includes health and nutritional guidelines and state regulations as well as characteristics and treatment of common childhood illnesses. [S3, S7, S8] | Review |
| Infants, Toddlers, and Twos | Students learn the unique needs and rapid changes that occur in the first three years of life and the inter-related factors that influence development. Emphasis is on recognizing and supporting developmental milestones through purposeful strategies, developing responsive care routines, and identifying elements of quality inclusive early care and education. [S1, S3, S7, S8] | Review |
| Language and Literacy Experiences | Students are provided with opportunities to learn and practice instructional strategies that support children’s language and literacy development. Skills demonstrated to and practiced by students promote language and literacy through dialogic reading, puppetry, drama, print, and poetry activities, among others. [S2, S3, S4] | Review |
| School-Age Development and Programs | Students learn developmentally appropriate practices for children five to twelve years of age in schools and other group settings. Content and activities focus on creating inclusive environments and promoting physical, cognitive, and social development. [S1, S4, S7, S8] | Review |
| School-Age Program Administration | Students learn methods and procedures for planning, developing, and operating school-age programs in public or proprietary settings. Content focuses on constructing and organizing physical environments as well delivering quality programs. [S1, S7, S8] | Review |
| Social and Emotional Development | Students learn the causes, expressions, prevention, and management of social and emotional behaviors. Emphasis is on supporting caregiver/family/child relationships, creating positive social/emotional learning environments, recognizing risk factors, and identifying and using evidence-based intervention strategies. [S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S8] | Review |
| Practicum | This course is designed to allow students to apply skills in a three star (minimum) or NAEYC accredited or equivalent, quality early childhood environment. They receive guidance and feedback as they develop, implement, and/or demonstrate developmentally appropriate plans, assessments, guidance techniques, and ethical behaviors. [S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, S8] | Review |
