Description
The Early Childhood Education program focuses on delivering an educational foundation in the growth and development of young children. The program prepares students to work with children to promote their cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social development. As part of the program, students will work directly with young children in the model laboratory on campus or on approved sites. A Diploma will be awarded upon successful completion. Outside work required.
Objectives
The Early Childhood Education program is intended to provide career-focused students an educational foundation for working with young children in varied educational settings.
Students will:
- Describe basic concepts of child development
- Demonstrate a comprehension of the characteristics and needs of young children including factors that influence their learning environments
- Plan/Create safe/healthy/respectful/supportive learning environments
- Comprehend observations, documentation, assessments, and their uses to improve child development
- Understand and apply skills to support children’s social/emotional/physical/intellectual advancement together with language and literacy development
- Identify and work with differing approaches, instructional methodologies, and tools used to interact and constructively work with children and their families/communities
- Uphold ethical guidelines and professional standards, applying knowledge gained in the program to real world scenarios
Prerequisites
- Background check and drug screening where applicable
- Have a High School Diploma, GED, or equivalent
- Pass the entrance examination
Early Childhood Education Diploma
Course Outline
To receive a Diploma in Early Childhood Education, students must complete 36.0 semester credit hours. This Diploma program can be completed in 12 months for full-time students.