CHLD 120: Literacy for Children

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2024
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101.
District General Education: D2. Behavioral Science
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: No
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course will explore teaching strategies, interactions and environments necessary to nurture language development and literacy skills during early childhood. Students will analyze developmentally appropriate curriculum that supports children's emerging listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students will survey children's picture books and learn techniques to enhance literacy development across the curriculum. 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Describe the stages of language and literacy developmental during early childhood.
  • Analyze developmentally appropriate curriculum lesson plans, environments and interactions that nurture emerging listening, speaking, reading and writing development.
  • Evaluate children's literature, including picture books and poetry, applying principles of early childhood development.
  • Develop strategies for reading and telling stories utilizing the principles of child development and integrating a variety of media and props.
  • Evaluate, analyze and describe the role of early childhood education programs to nurture and support emergent (early) literacy skills through parent education and parent involvement opportunities.

Major Course Content

  1. Literacy
    1. Emergent literacy
    2. Culture and Environment; Bilingual/Multilingual Language and Literacy
    3. Language Arts
    4. Phonological Awareness; rhyming, alliteration, syllables, phonemes
    5. The Teacher's Role; parent education and involvement 
  2. Books and Literature for Children
    1. Selecting and evaluating books and literature
    2. Surveying books – developmental considerations
    3. Kinds of books; genre and format
    4. Teaching techniques that enhance learning
    5. Literacy-based curriculum activities
  3. Emergent Listening
    1. The development of listening skills
    2. Ways children listen
    3. Planning curriculum to support listening skills
    4. An Early Childhood "Listening center"
  4. Emergent Speaking
    1. The development of speaking skills
    2. Facilitating speech and language skills
    3. Planning curriculum to support development
    4. Conversations
    5. Group times
  5. Emergent Writing
    1. Writing development
    2. Planning curriculum to support development
    3. An Early Childhood  "Writing Center"
  6. Emergent Reading
    1. Print awareness activities
    2. Incorporating reading throughout the curriculum
    3. Story Time, shared reading, solitary reading
    4. Classroom library
  7. Language Arts Curriculum
    1. Storytelling
    2. Dictation
    3. Props
    4. Flannel board and board stories
    5. Puppets
    6. Audio-visuals and recordings; DVDs, audio books and poetry
    7. Dramatic play

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Survey/read children's picture books found in the holdings of the Citrus College and public library system.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Example #1: Students will develop and write age-appropriate literature-based curriculum activity lesson plans for use with children in early childhood education classrooms. Example #2: Students will research and review a developmentally appropriate children's picture book and describe effective teaching strategies for presenting to children in an early childhood education classroom. Example #3: Students will develop a parent (family) education program and demonstrate the ability to communicate in encouraging ways that promote parent (family) involvement in the early childhood education setting to facilitate better understanding and knowledge of their child's language and literacy development.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Example #1: Students will obtain a high quality picture book and share in writing and/or in groups about cognitive, social and/or emotional benefits to children's development when adults read to them. Example #2: Students will observe children and identify emerging literacy skills and behaviors.

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture