This course examines culturally responsive approaches to arts, play, and literacy instruction for early childhood learners from preschool through third grade. Grounded in early childhood developmental theory and research-based pedagogical frameworks, the course centers creative expression, inquiry, identity development, emotional awareness, and joyful learning as foundational to early literacy, self-regulation, and community belonging.

Participants will explore early childhood philosophies and teaching methods for curriculum design, studio organization, and classroom management while intentionally supporting children's social-emotional development through culturally responsive, healing-centered practices. Emphasis is placed on balancing productive play and intentional structure, fostering emotionally safe learning environments, and supporting multilingual learners and children with diverse learning needs.

Using Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT), Historically Responsive Literacy (Gholdy Muhammad's Five Pursuits), Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), and childrens' lived experiences, students will design, reflect upon, and implement arts-integrated literacy experiences that support emotional expression, collaboration, and identity development in early childhood classrooms.

Participants will complete the course by developing curriculum plans, lesson designs, reflective writing, classroom management strategies, and developmentally appropriate routines that integrate the arts, play, literacy, and social-emotional learning in culturally affirming ways.

Anticipated Credit Equivalencies:

2 - Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood and Elementary Education

3 - Guidance & Classroom Management