Early Childhood Education

The Early Childhood Education program prepares students to teach children from birth to grade 2. This program is offered in the distance education format.

Program Goals

In alignment with Section 207 of NYS Education Law 80-2.10 and Section 3602-E of the laws governing universal pre-K in the state of New York, the goals of the proposed program are to prepare teacher candidates to:

• Create productive learning environment for students in early childhood education settings;

• Plan and execute developmentally appropriate instructional activities which are learner- centered;

• Monitor and assess student learning and development of language, as well as cognitive and social skills;

• Address the development and educational needs of children from birth to grade 2

• Support children in their exploration of what makes them unique and how to play with others;

• Encourage children to show curiosity, ask questions, and share creative ideas.

• Guide children to learn and practice new concepts.

• Encourage children to safely explore new ideas and materials, which will better prepare them for language, math, and scientific thinking.

• Foster the co-location and integration of children with special needs;

• Collaborate effectively with co-workers;

• Communicate plan, and work effectively with children’s families;

• Use community resources, programs, and services appropriately;

• Work effectively with students in a multicultural society, students with disabilities, students of all genders and sexual orientations, and gifted and talented students.

Towards realizing these goals, the proposed program will enable candidates to develop:

1. Deep understanding of, appreciation for, and sensitivity to multiple cultural perspectives and culturally relevant pedagogies;

2. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of early childhood education;

3. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of early social and emotional learning, specifically sharing, solving social problems, as well as expressing and managing their feelings

4. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of learning, particularly of problem solving, imaginative thinking, and persistence

5. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of language acquisition, with specifically that letters have meaning and can be combined to form words, and that reading and writing can be used to share information and ideas

6. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of mathematics, specifically numbers, shapes, sorting, and patterns

7. Mastery of the theories and pedagogies of the arts