ECED 350 - Theories, Relationships and Attachment

Credits: 5
Theories related to attachment and relationships will be studied and analyzed, providing a solid foundation for informed caregiving. Students will study attachment theorists, their ideas, and their continuing impact on early learning. They will also examine how early relationships have a significant impact on the social emotional development of the young child, and how brain development is influenced by these early relationships.

Enrollment Requirement: Admission into BAS in Early Childhood Education or instructor consent.

Course Outcomes:
Students who successfully complete this class will be able to:

Investigate differing perspectives on attachment theory.
Examine circumstances that interfere with the development of attachment.
Identify relationship-based principles and strategies that support young children and families.
Identify how early relationships impact social and emotional development.
Recognize problematic emotional or social patterns in the developing child.
Describe how family dynamics and adult expectations affect infant and toddler development.
Identify psychological needs of a typically developing child.
Identify biological and environmental risk factors to healthy emotional development.
Describe the impact of brain development during infancy within the context of relationships.

Program Outcomes

Apply relationship-based principles and strategies that support young children and families.
Assess and analyze children’s development, skills, and behavior based on culturally and developmentally appropriate practices.
Design and create inclusive environments that promote social/emotional learning and are responsive to the needs of all children and families including those considered vulnerable.
Select and apply appropriate intervention strategies for classroom management while promoting a positive emotional climate that is reflective of and responsive to the culture being served.
Screen, assess, and identify children with mental health challenges.
Demonstrate leadership abilities and collaborative skills necessary to resolve interpersonal and organizational challenges that may occur in an early childhood setting.
Establish and maintain connections with appropriate support services and community resources.
Demonstrate the ability to engage in reflective observation, consultation, and practice, and possess the ability to integrate it into the early learning setting.
Advocate for families and young children through service, education, and leadership.

College-wide Outcomes

Critical Thinking - Critical thinking finds expression in all disciplines and everyday life. It is characterized by an ability to reflect upon thinking patterns, including the role of emotions on thoughts, and to rigorously assess the quality of thought through its work products. Critical thinkers routinely evaluate thinking processes and alter them, as necessary, to facilitate an improvement in their thinking and potentially foster certain dispositions or intellectual traits over time.
Responsibility - Responsibility encompasses those behaviors and dispositions necessary for students to be effective members of a community. This outcome is designed to help students recognize the value of a commitment to those responsibilities which will enable them to work successfully individually and with others.
Written Communication - Written Communication encompasses all the abilities necessary for effective expression of thoughts, feelings, and ideas in written form.