This course provides students with comprehensive knowledge of positive guidance and discipline techniques designed to encourage children to develop self-discipline and responsibility for their own actions. Students will learn the critical importance of assessing, understanding, and enhancing the communication skills of young children, recognizing how these skills are foundational to both effective guidance and the healthy development of a child's self-image. Furthermore, students will gain practical skills in translating theoretical information into effective procedures and strategies that actively support and foster young children’s overall social development in various settings.
Prerequisites
Reading proficiency as established by District policy.
1. Systematically identify and categorize practices that are empirically required for advancing social competence, encompassing skills like cooperation, empathy, and perspective-taking in early childhood.
2. Delineate and illustrate the specific methods educators employ to initiate and sustain positive, nurturing relationships with young children, emphasizing trust and secure attachment as foundational elements.
3. Critically analyze the bidirectional role of both nonverbal and verbal communication in effectively guiding children's behavior, establishing rapport, and co-regulating strong emotions.
4. Describe the sequential stages and defining characteristics of children's emotional development from infancy through the preschool years, focusing on emotional literacy and self-regulation milestones.
5. Articulate a working definition of emotional resilience and implement actionable strategies educators can use to help children develop adaptive coping mechanisms and recover from challenges.
6. Describe the nature, functions, and developmental necessity of play (e.g., symbolic, socio-dramatic, and constructive play) as the primary mechanism for social, emotional, and cognitive learning.
7. Generate a comprehensive inventory of practical, evidence-based strategies specifically designed to support the formation, maintenance, and navigation of conflicts within children's friendships.
8. Formulate and sustain an inclusive physical and psychological learning environment that proactively facilitates positive peer and adult relationships while providing embedded opportunities for the organic development of self-discipline.
9. Construct a detailed framework (plan) to cultivate self-discipline in children by guiding them through effective conflict resolution processes and the consistent, appropriate application of logical consequences.
10. Develop an inclusive support plan addressing sensitive and complex developmental issues, including fostering positive attitudes toward sexuality, promoting appreciation of ethnicity and diversity, and ensuring equitable support for children with exceptional needs.