College Course of Study for Early Childhood Education

Earning a degree in early childhood education puts graduates in the position to pursue a variety of career tracks. However, graduate students have to complete a college course of study for early childhood education that includes a wide range of subjects. These courses cover a variety of topics to provide graduates with a solid understanding of being an early childhood educator.

Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Students will be provided with a foundation for their further studies. Students will study the history, advocacy, issues, careers, philosophy, public policy, and trends associated with early childhood education. Once students complete this course they will be able to apply these foundations to their other classes.

Child Development

This course gives students foundational information about the nature of human development and growth from the time of conception through their early childhood years. Students learn about cognitive, emotional, aesthetic, moral, language, motor, and social development in early childhood. Once students complete the course, they will be able to better learn about and understand a variety of students. It helps students learn to connect with children.

Health and Nutrition of Children and Families

The focus is on nutrition and health in this college course of study for early childhood education. Students will learn about the nutritional needs of families and children. They will also learn about the importance of nutrition. Students will delve in and learn about how nutrition relates to education. They will learn about nutritional welfare, and how proper nutrition plays a critical role on learning and helping children develop.

Child, Family, and Society

Students will focus on children through elementary school and the relationships they develop with their school, family, and the world. Many theories are explored, such as those associated with the relationships and roles between and within families, communities, and schools. These are discussed with special attention to allowing students to identify family concerns and needs and to use several problem-solving and collaborative communication skills to help families find the resources they need in their communities to meet their needs. Students will look at their own community resources and explore their potential in furthering a child’s development.

Language Development in Young Children

This is one of the college courses of study for early childhood education. Students will get an introduction into the stages of development of language transition young children go through from the time they are born to age six. This course focuses on the facilitation of language acquisition. During this course, students will learn to apply the above fundamentals to teaching reading, writing, phonics, and other necessary skills during early childhood.

Foundations of Motor and Movement Activities

Students will focus on learning about the integrated movement curriculum and how motor skills, knowledge, and movement activities are related. Students will learn how using the body results in developing fundamental motor skills and how to progress to movements that are more advanced. Students will learn about how this ties into health related physical fitness, and the movement concepts of space, movement quality, and body awareness. Students will analyze fundamental movement skills and use them as a basis for creating coursework for physical education.

Please continue reading on page two for more information about a college course of study for early childhood education.

Children’s Literature

Students will focus on literature directed at children. They will learn how to choose media and books that relate to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of young children and babies. This class will help aspiring early childhood educators in not only the above fundamentals, but also in helping children learn to read and comprehend.

Early Childhood Curriculum and Methods

This course will focus on teaching strategies and curriculum development in early childhood with an approach that is developmentally appropriate. Students will take the time to practice teaching strategies and develop curriculum, which shows the characteristics of creativity and play. Emphasis will also be placed on creating a positive learning environment and behavior management.

Survey of Exceptional Students

Students will explore the skills, attitudes, and theories necessary to instruct and identify students with disabilities in a variety of school environments. Students will analyze the different issues involved with teaching special education students. They will also learn to apply these theories in a teaching environment, to properly utilize the learned skills, and to interact effectively with students that have a variety of disabilities.

Administration of Early Childhood Education Programs

The course will explore the implementation and development of programs in early childhood education for a variety of purposes and age groups. Emphasis is on materials, evaluation, hiring procedures, curriculum development, teaching strategies, budgets, and state regulations and guidelines. Students will get a taste of what it is like to run an early childhood education program. Mock curriculums, budgets, and evaluations are often completed.

Families and Children in a Diverse Society

Students will focus on introducing students to anti-bias and multicultural issues in this college course of study for early childhood education. The instruction will also guide students in creating methods that are culturally relevant in working in early childhood education. Throughout the course, students will delve into the issues facing multi-cultural classrooms, such as ensuring all lessons do not show a bias toward one culture, incorporating and teaching about different holidays, and teaching students about tolerance.

Resources

California State University Long Beach. (2011). Early Childhood Education Course of Study. Retrieved on February 22, 2011 from California State University Long Beach: https://www.ced.csulb.edu/programs/early-childhood-education/early-childhood-education-course-study

Teachers College Columbia University. (2011). Early Childhood Education. Retrieved on February 22, 2011 from Teachers College Columbia University: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/c&t/childEd/