Yale Child Study Center and Teacher Preparation Courses
The Director Emerita is on the Yale Child Study Center, Psychology and Education Studies faculties.
Theory and Practice of Early Childhood Education
The course deals with the development of curricula for young children. Goals are to deepen insights and develop critical analysis of educational programs for young children in light of current research and developmental theory. Understanding of the ongoing processes of curriculum development, creating a responsive environment, and working with families and other members of the teaching team will be a significant focus of the course.
Language, Literacy, and Play
There is a widespread consensus that play is an essential component of a developmentally appropriate early childhood curriculum. Research indicates that play enhances a child’s creativity, intellectual development and social emotional development. This course will demonstrate the complicated role that play has in the development of language and literacy skills. A major part of each topic presentation will be a discussion of the role that play has in the curriculum in enhancing each developmental area. Literacy skills include speaking, listening, attending, reading and writing. Because learning to play, learning language and learning literacy skills are all part of the process of thinking and communication, the course will provide a view which attempts to demonstrate the integration of language, literacy and play in an early childhood education curriculum. Theoretical aspects of each of these developmental areas will be examined first, and it will be that theoretical understanding which will be the basis upon which ideas about curriculum will be explored, experienced and discussed.
Child Development
The goal of this course is for students to develop a theoretical base in child development and behavior and to become sensitive and careful observers of young children. During the seminar we will consider aspects of cognitive, social, physical and emotional development. The course is taught from the perspective of a developmental interactionist approach. It gives an overview of the major theories in the field but will focus on the complex interaction between the developing self and the environment. Students have the opportunity to see how programs for young children use psychodynamic and interactional theories to inform their philosophy and curriculum. All students spend three hours per week as a participant observer in one of three Yale affiliated child care programs.
