History, issues, and trends in early childhood education; impact of state and federal mandates on programs for children; and foundations for early learning including learning environments, curriculum development, instructional delivery, guidance, and appropriate assessment. Five hours observations in the field required. This course is a prerequisite course and must be taken with ECED 4317.

A survey of effective strategies of classroom management based on contemporary research. Particular attention will be paid to creating proactive learning environments through positive behavioral interventions and supports. Outcomes students will demonstrate include: instructional management and application of positive behavioral supports, procedures of assessment for planning classroom management; understanding of functional behavior assessment, a continuum of behavioral support, and the role of behavioral strategies in instructional classroom management; and understanding classroom management systems and instructional formats.