Early Childhood Education

Overview

Early Childhood Education prepares individuals for rewarding careers as skilled early childhood professionals. The Associate of Applied Science Degree offers the theoretical foundation and practical learning experiences for success in a wide variety of occupations dealing with young children from birth through age eight, including those children with special developmental and learning needs. Students may choose to take advantage of one of several articulation agreements that EMCC has with other colleges and universities and use this degree as a pathway to earn a bachelors degree in a pre-K–3 teaching certification program.

The Early Childhood Certificate program prepares individuals for entry-level positions at institutions and agencies serving young children and for in-service personnel who want to upgrade their skills.

Learning Objectives

Graduates with the Associate in Applied Science Degree in Early Childhood Development will:

• Understand current theories of child development and consider the cognitive, language, social/emotional and physical domains of development when interacting with young children.
• Know about, understand and value the diversity of children and their families and use this understanding to develop respectful and supportive relationships with families.
• Use best practices to communicate effectively and involve families and communities in their children’s development and learning.
• Use observation, documentation and developmentally appropriate assessment tools to track progress, plan curriculum and communicate with families and other professionals.
• Apply principles of child development and positive guidance to plan and implement developmentally appropriate experiences and environments for young children.
• Use knowledge, resources and a variety of instructional strategies to plan, implement and evaluate meaningful and challenging curriculum that promotes positive learning outcomes for all young children.
• Reflect on their practices, uphold ethical standards, maintain relationships with colleagues and seek out opportunities for continuous professional growth.

Prerequisites

Algebra I required.

Curriculum

Elective Distribution
Communications – 3 credits (100 level or above)
Humanities or Social Science Courses – 9 credits (100 level or above)
Math/Science Courses – 10 credits (100 level or above)

* ECE229—Early Childhood Professions may be substituted for ECE216.