Elementary Education & Early Childhood
Course Descriptions
Several of the courses listed below will have different descriptions
as they are altered to meet new Washington State endorsement
requirements. See the Elementary Education Department for updated
information.
COURSES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (ECE)
Courses numbered X37; X97; 300, 400; 417, 445 are described on page 35 of the catalog.
380 FOUNDATIONS OF LITERACY FOR EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: admission to Woodring College of Education or permission
of instructor. Examines research-based literacy
development for children, pre-Kindergarten through grade three.
Topics include theoretical perspectives on literacy development;
influence of language and culture on literature development; and
research-based literacy instruction and materials. Emphasis on
assessment of early literacy development.
390
INFANT AND TODDLER PRACTICUM AND SEMINAR (4)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College of Education or permission of instructor.Child
development theories, learning principles and processes for
infants and toddlers. Includes observations in early childhood
settings to document actions of infants/toddlers to understand
how and what children learn. Weekly seminar and practicum.
391
PRESCHOOL PRACTICUM AND SEMINAR (4)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College of Education or permission of instructor. Child
development for the ages of three years to eight years.
Theories, learning principles and processes for children three
to eight years. Includes observations in early childhood
settings to document children’s actions and words to understand
how and what children learn. Weekly seminar and practicum.
430 CREATIVITY & PLAY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)Prereq: ECE 434 or permission of instructor. Developing the skills and techniques for working with children in the arts. Includes visual art, music, drama, and dance/movement. Emphasis on cognitive and literacy development in the context of play.
431
FUNDAMENTALS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College of Education or permission of instructor.
Introduction to the field of early childhood education. Includes
historical perspectives, philosophical bases, major theories,
professional ethics, developmentally appropriate practices,
curricular approaches, types of early childhood settings, role
of the teacher and educational issues.
432
SOCIAL STUDIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUC. (4)
Prereq:
ECE 430 or permission of Instructor. Content, skills, and
techniques for teaching social studies in preschool through
grade 3. Includes study of integrated curriculum, curriculum
unit design.
434
ENVIRONMENTS FOR EARLY LEARNING (4)
Prereq: ECE 390 or 391 or
permission of instructor. Elements important tothe design of
learning environments for young children. Covers the principles
that transform space into engaging places and the relation-ship
of the social and physical environment that support the
curriculum. Includes work in early childhood classroom settings
to integrate current theory, principles and early childhood
education practices.
435
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT (4)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College of Education or permission of instructor.
Examines multiple issues related to the identification and
reporting of young children where abuse and neglect are
suspected. Study of child maltreatment, family dynamics and
preventive strategies for child, family and community.
Examination of ecological perspective and a risk/ resilience
framework.
438
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS (4)
Prereq:
admission to Woodring College of Education or permission of
instructor. Examines the importance of family partnerships
in a variety of early childhood education programs and describes
family-centered principles and approaches. Emphasis on the role
of families in educational programs, diversity in families,
family systems, communication with families, community
resources, and conferencing with families.
439 CURRICULUM PLANNING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)Prereq: ECE 432; co-req ECE 495; or permission of instructor. Approaches for planning integrated and meaningful curriculum in early childhood programs, PreK-primary.
495 INTERNSHIP - PRESCHOOL (6)
Prereq: recommendation for supervised teaching.
Supervised teaching experience to develop and demonstrate
teaching competence at the preschool level.
496 INTERNSHIP – PRIMARY (10)
Prereq: recommendation for supervised teaching. Supervised
teaching experience to develop and demonstrate teaching
competence at the primary level.
498 SEMINAR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
(2)
Prereq: co-req ECE 495 or 496. Seminar synthesizes the
internship experience by providing a forum for discussion of
internship objectives and topics. Repeatable for credit. Must be
taken with both ECE 495 and ECE 496.
Courses in Elementary Education (ELED)
131 INTRODUCTION TO EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (3)
Review of
the field in terms of history, philosophy and professional
opportunities;
observation of young children.
350 INTRODUCTION TO MIDDLE SCHOOLS (4)
Prereq:
admission to Woodring College of Education. Designed to give students an
overview of middle school curriculum and instruction. Examines various
forms of curricula currently used in middle schools, developmental
issues concerning middle school students and appropriate instructional
strategies. Provides an opportunity to closely examine issues through
onsite
visits to middle schools in the area.
370 INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING (5)
Exploring
theoretical and practical approaches to culturally responsive teaching
and planning for instruction which engages diverse students in
substantive, worthwhile learning. Includes practicum experiences in an
elementary or middle school classroom.
372 INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING SEMINAR (4)
Prereq:
admission to Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach
Programs.
Co-req: ELED 373. Explores theoretical and practical approaches to
culturally responsive teaching and planning for instruction which
engages diverse students in substantive, worthwhile learning. Not open to
students who have received credit for ELED 370.
373 INTRODUCTION TO TEACHING — PRACTICUM (1)
Prereq:
admission to Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach
Programs.
Co-req: ELED 372. Practicum experience in an elementary or middle school
classroom related to the content of ELED 372. Not open to students who
have received credit for ELED 370.
380 LITERACY I: FOUNDATIONS (4)
Terminology
and concept development of the language of literacy; introduction to
assessment, curriculum, and instruction of literacy teaching and
learning.
390 EARLY CHILDHOOD PRACTICUM AND SEMINAR (3)
Prereq:
permission of instructor. Observation, participation and related
seminars in
pre-kindergarten (infant, toddler, and/or preschool) sites. S/U grading.
405 BOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (4)
Reading and
evaluation of books and materials for elementary children; emphasizes
wide reading, book selection, literary analysis, correlation with the
curriculum, current content trends and innovative uses.
407 BOOKS AND MATERIALS FOR YOUNG ADULTS (4)
Reading and
uses of books for adolescents and their curriculum; multicultural and
self-concept literature; realistic and mystical fiction and poetry;
literary analysis.
424 LANGUAGE ARTS IN THE ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM (4)
Prereq: ELED
320. Functions and programs of language arts in the curriculum including
reading, writing, speaking, listening.
425 SOCIAL STUDIES FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (5)
Prereq: ELED
370. Social studies methods, resources, multicultural literature,
curriculum,
objectives, planning and exposure to contributions of social sciences.
Includes practicum experiences in an elementary or middle school
classroom.
430 CREATIVITY AND PLAY IN EARLY EDUCATION (3)
Prereq: ELED
370 or SPED 420; EDUC 301 and 302. The content, skills, and techniques
for working with young children in arts disciplines. Includes study of
cognitive development and hearing through play.
431 HISTORICAL AND CURRENT ISSUES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)
Prereq:
permission of instructor. An in-depth study of the historical and
philosophical bases of the education of young children and an
examination of psychological principles as they relate to current
programs.
432 SOCIAL STUDIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD (4)
Prereq: ELED
370 or sped 420; EDUC 301 and 302. The content, skills, and techniques
for teaching social studies in preschool through grade 3. Includes the
study of integrated curriculum, curriculum unit design.
434 ENVIRONMENTS FOR EARLY LEARNING (4)
Prereq: ELED 370 or
SPED 420; EDUC 301 and 302. Observation and analysis of, and planning for,
early childhood classroom environments. Includes study of guidance
strategies and the importance of the environment to cognitive and social development.
435 CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT (3)
Development of skills
for working with children from abusive or neglectful home environments.
Content deals with helping educators help children increase their self
esteem and cope with their environments.
438 SCHOOL-HOME-COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS (1-3)
Problems of
communication and interaction among teachers, parents, and paraprofessionals,
administrators, and community; conferencing, planning meetings, community
survey. PR publications, use of mass media.
442 WORKING WITH STUDENT TEACHERS (3)
Prereq: teaching
experience. Techniques for the orientation of student teachers, major
problems which confront student teachers, and evaluation of their achievement.
458 MANAGING CONFLICT AND STRESS IN TEACHING (1-3)
Prereq: teaching
experience. Examines the relationships among conflict, stress and health.
Emphasizes coping and managing techniques. Also includes self-assessment methods
necessary to diagnose stressors in the work setting, et cetera.
464 MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS (4)
Preparation for
teaching in a multicultural society. Participants will learn how to design a curriculum
that reflects diversity and an instructional methodology that promotes the
learning of diverse students.
470 DEVELOPING TEACHING (5)
Prereq: completion of
the Western Washington University Elementary Education Degree Requirements.
Strengthening teaching understandings, skills, and dispositions with an
emphasis on learners and learning in classroom contexts, subject matter
knowledge and pedagogy, and developing and sustaining a productive and
inclusive classroom culture and organization. Includes practicum experiences in an
elementary or middle school classroom.
471 DOCUMENTING TEACHING (5)
Prereq: ELED 470.
Capstone experience for the preparation of a final electronic portfolio documenting
experiences in learning to teach and the ability to impact elementary
student growth and learning. Includes practicum experiences in an
elementary or middle school classroom and participation in a collegial learning
community.
472 DEVELOPING TEACHER SEMINAR (3)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach Programs; ELED 372,
373. Co-req: ELED 473. Strengthening teaching understandings, skills,
and dispositions with an emphasis on learners and learning in classroom
contexts, subject matter knowledge and pedagogy, and developing and
sustaining a productive and inclusive classroom and organization. Not open to students
who have received credit for ELED 470.
473 DEVELOPING TEACHING — PRACTICUM (2)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach Programs; ELED 372,
373. Co-req: ELED 472. Practicum experience in an elementary or
middle school classroom related to the content of ELED 472. Not open to
students who have received credit for ELED 470.
474 DOCUMENTING TEACHING SEMINAR (3)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach Programs; ELED 472,
473. Co-req: ELED 475. Capstone experience for the preparation of a
final electronic portfolio documenting experiences in learning to teach and
the ability to impact elementary student growth and learning. Not open to
students who have received credit for ELED 471.
475 DOCUMENTING TEACHING —PRACTICUM (2)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach Programs; ELED 472,
473. Co-req: ELED 474. Practicum experience in an elementary or
middle school classroom related to the content of ELED 474 and participation
in a collegial learning community. Not open to students who have received
credit for ELED 471.
478 LITERACY: FLUENT COMMUNICATORS SEMINAR (4)
Prereq: admission to
Woodring College Elementary Teacher Education Outreach Programs; ELED 380. Co-req:
ELED 479. Understanding the components and structure of a
comprehensive literacy program for addressing reading, writing,
listening, and speaking in the elementary classroom, with a particular focus on
developing and supporting fluent communicators. Not open to students who
have received credit for ELED 481.
480 LITERACY II: BEGINNING COMMUNICATORS (5)
Prereq: ELED 380 (or
ENG 370 for English-Elementary majors). English-Elementary majors must also take
ENG 440 and ENG 441 as pre- or co-requisites. Application of theoretical and
research-based concepts of literacy. Teaching and learning of
emergent/beginning communicators in a pluralistic society. Includes practicum experiences
in an elementary or middle school classroom.
481 LITERACY III: FLUENT COMMUNICATORS (5)
Understanding the
components and structure of a comprehensive literacy program for addressing
reading, writing, listening, and speaking in the elementary classroom, with a
particular focus on developing and supporting fluent communicators.
Includes practicum experiences in an elementary or middle school
classroom.
485 BASIC READING INSTRUCTION (3-4)
Prereq: ElEd 320. Basic
reading instruction in grades K-8; methods and materials for teaching
reading, reading readiness; word attack skills, word reading skills,
comprehension skills; grouping; lesson planning.
486 PROBLEMS IN CORRECTIVE READING INSTRUCTION (4)
Prereq: permission of
instructor. Analysis, correction and prevention of reading problems; refinement of
group and informal testing; supervised practicum with pupils having mild
disabilities in reading.
487 CRITICAL ISSUES: ETHICS, PEDAGOGY, AND POLICY (4)
Inquiry into critical
issues in education at the school, local district, state, and national levels with
particular reference to professional ethics, pedagogical practice and beliefs,
and educational policy and reform.
488 INDIVIDUALIZED READING INSTRUCTION (1-5)
Principles and
practices of individualized reading with emphasis on problems in organizing classroom
programs for meeting individual interests and needs.
489 LANGUAGE STRUCTURE AND READING DEVELOPMENT (4)
Examines the structure
of language and its development in children with consideration of how
this structure and development are critical to effective reading instruction.
490 TEACHING LABORATORY (4)
Prereq: Sec 471 or 571
or permission of program advisor. Diagnosis of students, lesson
preparation, videotaped peer teaching, analysis of teaching, lesson redesign.
491 SEPTEMBER EXPERIENCE (2-3)
Prereq: permission of
department. Observation and participation in the opening of school. S/U
grading.
494 INTERNSHIP — ELEMENTARY (2-18)
Prereq: recommendation
for supervised teaching. Supervised teaching experience to develop and
demonstrate teaching competence at the primary and/or intermediate
grades. Repeatable to 24 credits. S/U grading.
495 INTERNSHIP — EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (2-24)
Prereq: recommendation
for supervised teaching. Supervised teaching experience to develop and
demonstrate teaching competence at the pre-primary or primary level.
Repeatable to 24 credits. S/U grading.
Graduate Courses
Admission to Graduate School or special permission is required.
518 CURRENT ISSUES IN EDUCATION (1-5)
Prereq: graduate status
or permission of instructor. Examination and discussion of several current
issues in Elementary Education.
521 SEMINAR IN ELEMENTARY CURRICULUM (4)
Prereq: completion of
requirements for teaching certification and an elementary K-8 teaching
endorsement. Advanced study of curriculum planning and development,
including design, materials and problems in curriculum change. Independent
research is expected.
530 PLAY AND THE CHILD (4)
Prereq: graduate status
or teaching experience. Examination of the nature and role of play in the
cognitive, affective, physical and social development of the child. Attention
given to the educative functions of play and implications of those functions for
curriculum and instruction.
531 SEMINAR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: permission of
instructor. In-depth exploration of programs, theories and significant recent
research in early childhood education.
531a ADVANCED SEMINAR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (3)
Prereq: ELED 531, 596a.
Specific problems are drawn from the field and content organized
according to student need.
533 ADVANCED SEMINAR IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: advancement to
candidacy. Advanced study of individual research topics in elementary
education.
535 RESEARCH ANALYSIS OF CURRENT ISSUES IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: completion of
requirements for teaching certification and an elementary K-8 teaching
endorsement, graduate status and EDU 501. Examination and analysis of
research underlying current issues and problems in elementary education.
538 CURRENT ISSUES IN ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN ELEMENTARY LITERACY EDUCATION (4)
Prereq: graduate status
or teaching experience. Examines current theory and research and practice
in classroom-based literacy assessment and evaluation.
539 MASTER’S SEMINAR (4)
Prereq: completion of
requirements for teaching certification and an elementary K-8 teaching
endorsement, advancement to candidacy, ELED 501, EDF 512, 513, ELED 521,
535. Preparation and presentation of a seminar paper on a problem or
issue in education.
555 MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM DESIGNS AND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES (4)
Current trends in
middle-level education; includes a review of developing curriculum ideas endorsed by the
National Middle School Association. Physical, social and emotional
growth of early adolescents; instructional strategies for middle-level schools;
requires topical or action research project.
569a ISSUES IN INCLUSIVE EARLY EDUCATION (3)
Prereq: admission to
graduate school or permission of instructor. Current issues and best
practices in early childhood program design and implementation. Emphasis on
family-centered, play-based interagency models that serve children of all
abilities. Applied research focus.
569b ASSESSMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN (BIRTH-8 YEARS) (4)
Prereq: admission to
graduate school or permission of instructor. Issues and resources for
accurate and appropriate assessment of young children. Current best practices
in instructionally relevant assessment, monitoring child progress and
evaluating overall program success. Alternative strategies for assessing the very
young child, family needs and special populations.
Emphasis on critical
evaluation of instruments, psychometric adequacy and technical aspects
of test development.
569c INCLUSIVE CURRICULUM IN EARLY CHILDHOOD (3)
Prereq: admission to
graduate school or permission of instructor. Curriculum development and
adaptation for infants, toddlers, and preschool children. Includes available
resources, best practices with the developmentally young and play-based
criteria. Focus on model program curricular approaches, the use of daily routines
and parent-child interaction as a context and content for curriculum, and
peer-mediated learning strategies. Emphasis on efficacy research and the impact
of various curricular models.
583 LITERACY AND CHILDREN’S LITERATURE (4)
Prereq: teaching
experience. Teaching basic reading skills through the use of children’s books;
selection and analysis of children’s books in order to teach literacy, from
beginning or pre-word recognition levels through junior/senior high level.
584 TEACHING THE INTEGRATED LANGUAGE ARTS (4)
Prereq: graduate status
or teaching experience. Teaching activities designed to foster continuing
development of literacy, in part, through stressing interrelationships between the various
forms of language.
585 SEMINAR IN LITERACY EDUCATION (3-4)
Prereq: permission of
instructor. Literacy education research and its application to classroom practices,
to individual problems in the teaching of reading, to supervision and
administration of reading programs.
586 SEMINAR FOR READING SPECIALISTS (4)
Prereq: advancement to
candidacy or permission of instructor. Critical examination of issues in reading
education in the areas of developmental reading,
diagnosis/remediation of reading disabilities and content area reading. A summary
course to be taken after other required course work in reading/literacy.
587 IMPROVEMENT OF INSTRUCTION IN LITERACY (4)
Prereq: at least one
previous course in the teaching of reading or teaching experience. Teaching
developmental reading; methods, materials, theory.
589 LANGUAGE ACQUISITION AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT (4)
Prereq: graduate status
or teaching experience. Exploration of current theories in language
acquisition, linguistics and psycholinguistics, and implications for early childhood
education and literacy instruction.
594e,f PRACTICUM IN READING DIAGNOSIS AND REMEDIATION (4 ea)
Prereq: graduate status
or permission of instructor: (e) assessment and correction of reading
difficulties: supervised practica in use of diagnostic reading tests; (f)
remedial instruction of children with reading problems: clinical practicum.
690 THESIS (1-9)
Prereq: advancement to
candidacy and approval of the student’s graduate committee. Research
study under the direction of a faculty committee. S/U grading. Repeatable
to a maximum of 9 credits.
691 RESEARCH SEMINAR (1-6)
Prereq: approval of the
student’s graduate committee or program advisor. Graduate research under
the direction of a program advisor/committee. S/U grading. Repeatable
to a maximum of 6 credits.
