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Catalog Course Description

Lecture (3 hours)
Theories of play and its effect on physical, cognitive, social and emotional development will be explored through lectures, readings and play experiences.  The role of the teacher in facilitating play and choosing appropriate equipment will be stressed.  Emphasis will be on children from birth to middle childhood.

Prerequisites
ECE 110 Early Child Development
ECE 111 Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Course Objectives
· Outline developmental stages of play from infancy to middle childhood
· Verbally define behavior typical to the following stages of play:
     1. Solitary  2. Onlooker  3. Parallel  4. Associative  5. Cooperative
· Write specific guidelines for dramatic play activities suitable for an open classroom in an early childhood setting.
· Outline and verbally communicate to parents and others the importance of play in the young childās life.
· Describe, either verbally or in written form, the mode of play and its implication for the infant, preschooler and middle school age child.
· Demonstrate the ability to use a play situation to help stimulate a passive/aggressive child.
· Outline and verbally explain appropriate play environments and equipment/materials used for young children from infancy through middle childhood.
· Construct (5) age appropriate toys for children from birth through eight years of age using recyclable and/or simple household items.
· Demonstrate the ability to recognize and interpret developmentally appropriate characteristics of play materials for children.
· Identify and evaluate factors of play materials and the environment that represent anti-bias sensitivities.
· Interpret and communicate how culture effects the role of play in young childrenās lives.
 

Required Text

PLAY AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Joe L. Frost, Sue Wortham, and Stuart Reifel, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2001.

Other Required Readings
All handouts

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