Specialization in Early Childhood Education

Lead Faculty: Dr. Susan B. Gilbert

The Early Childhood Education Specialization program has been designed to include the competencies and guidelines as established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Advanced Program standards. The certificate is also structured to meet the State of California Child Development Permit Matrix requirements for employment in pre-school settings and does not confer a State of California teaching credential or license.

Non-residents of California; military personnel or their dependents; and international students should contact the Department of Education of the state in which they reside or intend to reside, or the Ministry of Education of the country in which they live, to determine specific requirements for employment. State or country specific coursework, in addition to the certificate program, may be required to obtain a permit, license or credential necessary for employment. Candidates assume the responsibility for determining and meeting these requirements.

The four course sequence specializing in early childhood education is designed to prepare candidates with teaching experience for meeting the unique needs of teaching children from birth to age 8.

Program Learning Outcomes

1. Analyze and evaluate teaching strengths.
2. Develop a plan for continued growth in accordance with CTC Professional Growth Manual Guidelines
3. Analyze and discuss the strengths, challenges, and importance of addressing key transitions.
4. Create a plan for addressing transition issues that includes all stakeholders: the child, primary caregivers, teachers, administrators, and policy makers
5. Analyze and articulate the strengths and challenges of current research and theory on how children learn upon classroom practice
6. Propose further, action based research that will contribute to the existing research base
7. Modify existing curriculum to include both intentional and differentiated instructional strategies, so that it is developmentally appropriate, integrates content across the core content areas, and includes the appropriate standards and means of assessment

Requirements

• ECE 650 The Early Childhood Teacher
• ECE 651 Current Issues in ECE
• ECE 652 Cognition and the Young Child
• ECE 653 Best ECE Teaching Practices

Program Information

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