Aug 06, 2026  
2026-2027 Catalog 
    
2026-2027 Catalog

ECED 281 - Play and Movement in EC


PREREQUISITES: Demonstrated readiness for developmental English.
CREDIT HOURS MIN: 3
LECTURE HOURS MIN: 3
This course studies the importance of play and movement to young children’s physical and mental health, their development, and their learning; identifies and emphasizes the risks of play deprivation, factors that contribute to the loss of free play, and how to explain what and how children learn when they play in various ways; explores issues of ability, SES, and cultural equity; teaches how to support children’s play and learning.

 

MAJOR COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course the student will be expected to: 

  1. Identify and define play and types of play in early childhood for children birth to age 8
  2. Recognize the developmental and educational benefits of play for children birth to age 8
  3. Identify and discuss interdisciplinary theoretical perspectives regarding play and movement in early childhood
  4. Define the ways play and movement in early childhood contribute to brain growth and neural development
  5. Identify how children develop physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional skills through play experiences
  6. Observe children at play and identify potential learning and opportunities for foundational skill development
  7. Partner with families to identify and support children’s learning and development during play experiences
  8. Use observations to create intentional play opportunities to support development and learning
  9. Define the ways in which academic concepts in math, science, literacy, and social studies are supported in children’s play
  10. Identify and define barriers to children’s active, free movement that contributes to brain growth as well as the risks incurred when movement is hindered
  11. Recognize the mental health impact of play opportunities or play deprivation
  12. Define how intentional play pedagogy offers equity in early childhood
  13. Define the importance of play for adults working with young children


COURSE CONTENT: Topical areas of study include - Mental health benefits and risks regarding play and movement

Physical health benefits and risks regarding play and movement

Impact of early play and movement experiences for school readiness

Methods to support and facilitate play,  including risky play, rough and tumble play, and power play

Importance of outdoor play to development and learning

Play theories and interdisciplinary influences 

Supporting equity in early childhood through play and movement

Play and movement’s impact on brain development

The impact of play for adults

 


 

2021 NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

STANDARD 1 

Child Development and Learning in Context

NAEYC Standards covered in this course

CEC Standards covered in this course (EI/ECSE)

1a: Understand the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across physical, cognitive, social and emotional, and linguistic domains, including bilingual/multilingual development.

x

 

1b: Understand and value each child as an individual with unique developmental variations, experiences, strengths, interests, abilities, challenges, approaches to learning, and with the capacity to make choices.

x

 

1c: Understand the ways that child development and the learning process occur in multiple contexts, including family, culture, language, community, and early learning setting, as well as in a larger societal context that includes structural inequities.

x

 

1d: Use this multidimensional knowledge-that is, knowledge about the developmental period of early childhood, about individual children, and about development and learning in cultural contexts-to make evidence-based decisions that support each child

x

 

STANDARD 2 

Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections

 

2a: Know about, understand, and value the diversity of families.

   

2b: Collaborate as partners with families in young children’s development and learning through respectful, reciprocal relationships and engagement.

x

 

2c: Use community resources to support young children’s learning and development and to support families, and build partnerships between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies.

   

STANDARD 3 

Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment

 

3a: Understand that assessments (formal and informal, formative and summative) are conducted to make informed choices about instruction and for planning in early learning settings.

x

 

3b: Know a wide range of types of assessments, their purposes, and their associated methods and tools.

   

3c: Use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, ability, culturally, and linguistically appropriate in order to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child.

   

3d: Build assessment partnerships with families and professional colleagues.

x

 

STANDARD 4 

Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices

 

4a: Understand and demonstrate positive, caring, supportive relationships and interactions as the foundation of early childhood educators’ work with young children.

x

 

4b: Understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child, recognizing that differentiating instruction, incorporating play as a core teaching practice, and supporting the development of executive function skills are critical for young children.

x

 

4c: Use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, evidence-based teaching skills and strategies that reflect the principles of universal design for learning.

xxx

 

STANDARD 5 

Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum

 

5a: Understand content knowledge- the central concepts, methods and tools of inquiry, and structure-and resources for the academic disciplines in an early childhood curriculum.

   

5b: Understand pedagogical content knowledge-how young children learn in each discipline-and how to use the teacher knowledge and practices described in Standards 1 through 4 to support young children’s learning in each content area.

   

5c: Modify teaching practices by applying, expanding, integrating, and updating their content knowledge in the disciplines, their knowledge of curriculum content resources, and their pedagogical content knowledge.

   

STANDARD 6 

Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator

 

6a: Identify and involve themselves with the early childhood field and serve as informed advocates for young children, families, and the profession.

   

6b: Know about and uphold ethical and other early childhood professional guidelines.

x

 

6c: Use professional communication skills, including technology-mediated strategies, to effectively support young children’s learning and development and to work with families and colleagues.

x

 

6d: Engage in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice.

x

 

6e: Develop and sustain the habit of reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.

x

 

STANDARD 7 

Field Experiences

 

7a: Opportunities to observe and practice in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth - age 3, 3-5, 5-8)

x

 

7b:  Opportunities to observe and practice in at least two of the three main types of early education settings (early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs)

x

 

 
GRADING POLICY
GRADING POLICY
Grading Scale

100 - 93%    A

  92 - 85%    B

  84 - 75%    C

  74 - 71%    D

  70 -   0%    F