Early Childhood Education - Certificate

This course provides an overview of the early childhood field, including theories, philosophies, missions, and regulations. It examines the roles and responsibilities of professionals in a variety of career settings. (Prerequisite: None)

This course is the first in a series of courses that is required for a degree in Early Childhood Education and Family Services. This course encompasses multiple, interrelated areas of children's development - including both typical and atypical, for children from conception through age eight in the areas of physical, social, emotional, language, cognitive and aesthetic/creative development and is supported by coherent theoretical perspectives and by current research. The course emphasizes variations across cultures and interactions between maturational processes and environmental factors. (Prerequisite: None)

This course will guide the student in obtaining skills needed to establish and maintain a physically and psychologically safe and healthy learning environment for young children. Topics include preventing illness and accidents, handling emergencies, providing health, safety, and nutrition educational experiences, meeting children's basic nutritional needs, child abuse and, current health-related issues. This course does NOT include CPR or first aid certification. (Prerequisites: None)

This course encompasses multiple, interrelated areas of positive child guidance techniques for individual and group situations - including problem prevention and positive guidance strategies, communication, setting limits, problem solving and behavior modification and is supported by coherent theoretical perspectives and by current research. This course emphasizes ways to establish supportive relationships with children and guide them in order to enhance learning, development, and well-being. (Prerequisite: None)

This course examines how to work with many types of families. Investigates the importance of the family/school partnership, study methods of effectively communicating with families, and identify community organizations and networks that support families. Various classroom strategies will be explored emphasizing culturally and linguistically appropriate anti-bias approaches supporting all children in becoming competent members of a diverse society. (Prerequisites: None)

The student will gain knowledge and skills related to providing age-appropriate learning experiences and learning environments for young children. The student will examine the role of the teacher in providing learning experiences to meet each child's needs, capabilities, and interest, and ways to implement the principles of developmentally appropriate practices. The student will practice language and literacy, social, emotional and sensory learning, art and creativity, and math and science learning experiences. (Prerequisite: None)