The Early Childhood Education certification program is one of two programs, defined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, that will replace the K-6 Elementary certification that has been available in Pennsylvania for many years. This new program will focus on the needs of the early learner and their unique needs as they learn to learn.
The program is designed to meet all the Pennsylvania Department of Education's mandated content requirements while still offering the certification candidate over two hundred hours of field experiences in early childhood education settings prior to their student teaching semester.
Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science with a major in early childhood education
Required courses:
ECE 110 Child Development I| This course will provide an overview of early childhood educators' beliefs that inquiry learning through curriculum integration is the most effective way to teach young children. The emergence of constructivism and the age-related patterns of intellectual growth will be examined. This knowledge will be essential for pre-service teachers learning to make competent decisions about curriculum and teaching methodology. The delivery approach will follow a theory-to-practice format so students can "see" how an understanding of theories of development and relationships enhances practice and planning. This course requires updated federal background clearances for field component. Course restricted to ECE majors only. Non-majors may
register with permission of the Education department chair 3 credits. |
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ECE 115 Child Development II| This course will provide an understanding of the overall patterns of child development and learning. The student will gain insight into the relationships between child development, learning and teaching and the variation from these typical patterns. The emphasis will be placed on reviewing the characteristics of children at different ages and stages of development. Specific developmental appropriate practices for school-aged children will be examined. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, authentic classroom videos, analyzing and responding to real student and teacher artifacts, case studies and simulations. Prerequisite: ECE 110. 3 credits. |
| Freshman Seminar - This course is designed to acclimate freshman education majors (ECE and ECE/SPE) to fieldwork policies and procedures and clarify students' interests and long-term goals in education. Additional topics include career development, professional dispositions, and academic advising. This will be a satisfactory/unsatisfactory course for all students. Graded pass/fail. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 0 credits. |
| This course will focus on the developmental tasks and perspectives of the adults in children's lives. Students will spend time understanding the roles of parents, teachers, and other caregivers in the lives of young children as they work to form caring relationships with those around them. The delivery approach will follow a theory-to-practice format so students can "see" how an understanding of theories of development and relationships enhances practice. The professor will promote experiential learning, critical thinking, synthesis, planning, evaluation and action. 3 credits. |
| This course will involve an in-depth examination of child development and learning, family and community relationships, effective assessment strategies developmentally effective approaches to teaching and learning and ethical guidelines related to early childhood practice. Students will have opportunities to view and design challenging learning environments. They will practice using observation, documentation and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches in field experiences. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, analyzing and responding to authentic classroom artifacts, case study analysis, simulations, journal critiques and field experiences. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115, limited to early childhood
education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course will begin with a definition of creativity as it applies to young children in the early childhood classroom. Specific attention will be given to clarifying the importance of art, music and drama in child development and learning. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, authentic classroom video viewing, field observations, group presentations, and research articles. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115, limited to early childhood
education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that addresses the growth and development of the young reader in the emergent and early beginning stages of literacy development. The course foundation is supported by both a balanced approach to literacy and Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Foundational Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. Recognizing the importance of early instruction and intervention, students will explore a variety of strategies, methods, and assessment tools to meet the needs of learners, including students with special needs, struggling readers, and English language learners. Special attention in the course is given to the following topics: oral language development, phonemic awareness, phonics, and the essential role of quality children's literature. PDE Stages 1&2 field competencies are assessed in this embedded course. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115, limited to early childhood
education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| Sophomore Seminar - This course is designed to continue discussion on topics related to fieldwork, evaluations, and lesson planning. Additional topics include teacher candidacy, resume writing, educational technology, professional dispositions, and academic advising. This will be a satisfactory/unsatisfactory course for all students. Graded pass/fail. This course may be repeated for credit as topic changes. 0 credits. |
| This course will begin with a historical overview of mathematics teaching and learning for young children. Current ideas on teaching mathematics will be introduced, as well as the many ways to incorporate mathematics learning into everyday classroom life. Assessments that encompass both understanding and procedural skills will be introduced. Curricular expectations related to number and operations, geometry, measurement, algebra, and data analysis and probability will be explored. Delivery approach will include but not be limited to inquiry-based instruction, journal critiques and children's literature with mathematical themes, subplots and references. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course provides a comprehensive, balanced overview of curriculum development in early childhood education. Standards, curriculum mapping, and the future of curriculum will be discussed as students understand what curriculum is and the role they play as teachers in curriculum development. The delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, guest speakers, text analysis, book study, technology experiences, and field experiences. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that focuses on the growth and development of the beginning reader. The course foundation is supported by both a balanced approach to literacy and the PDE Academic Standards for Foundational Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. Emphasizing a strong foundation in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, students will explore a variety of methods, strategies, and assessments for the teaching of reading as supported by the current research. Special emphasis will be placed on making appropriate accommodations and adaptations for students with disabilities as well as struggling readers and English language learners. PDE Stage 3 field experience competencies are assessed in this embedded course. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| A course that addresses the continued development and growth of the fluent reader and writer. The course foundation is supported by both a balanced approach to literacy and the PDE Academic Standards for Foundational Skills, Reading Informational Text, Reading Literature, Writing, and Speaking and Listening. Stressing the importance of comprehension, students will explore a variety of classroom approaches to teach reading and writing across the content areas as supported by research. Emphasis will be placed on making appropriate accommodations and adaptations for students with disabilities as well as struggling readers and English language learners. Special attention is placed on the development of thematic units and multi-genre writing. Fulfills general education requirement: Writing Process. PDE Stage 3 field experience competencies are assessed in this embedded course. Fulfills requirement: . Prerequisite: ECE 110, 240, 330; limited to
early childhood education majors or permission of the
instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide pre-service teachers an opportunity to learn about and practice the implementation of teacher research in a classroom-based setting. Students will learn how to identify an area of focus, formulate a research question, conduct a literature review, design a research study, determine methods of data collection, collect and analyze data, and report research findings. Students will be required to write a 3000-word paper detailing the teacher research project. Writing will be taught as a process. The instructor will offer instruction in writing and will provide substantive written and oral feedback on students' written performance during the writing process. Individual writing conferences are held with each student during the drafting and revision stages of the writing process. Fulfills requirement: Critical Thinking through Writing. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| Early childhood professionals are instrumental in developing the foundations for wellness for young children and their families. This course will address current societal pressures that provide new challenges to teachers of young children. These many issues present new opportunities for teachers to appreciate the interrelationships among nutrition, health, and safety. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, field observations, group presentations, field trips, and lecture. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce the complexity of social studies and draws on years of related research that demonstrates the importance of inquiry learning to deepen children's understanding of the integrated curriculum. The areas of child development related to the social studies, the current national standards and practical ideas for teaching will also be examined. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, inquiry-oriented instruction, class discussions, demonstrations of early concrete learning experiences and hands-on experience with various social studies programs. Prerequisite: ECE 110 or 115; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is about children's play and development beginning with a history of ideas, beliefs, and activities of play, the early and contemporary theories of play and how scholars explain its meaning, functions, and developmental benefits. Students will gain an understanding of the developmental advantages of children's free play and the disadvantages of not playing. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, lecture, individual and group presentations, fieldwork observations and journaling. Prerequisite: ECE 110; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce the major areas of science instruction and define the relative importance of science content, processes, skills and attitudes needed for young children to successfully understand science. National Science Education Standards will be examined to identify what children at different ages and stages should know and be able to do in the area of science. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to: inquiry-oriented instruction, class discussions, integrated unit plans and hands-on experience with various science programs. Prerequisite: ECE 110; limited to early
childhood education majors or permission of the instructor. 3 credits. |
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ECE 385 Advocacy, Leadership, and Collaboration| This course will begin with an examination of the professional and ethical standards expected of an early childhood educator. Collaboration with families, the community, and public agencies will be practiced and further developed through co-teaching opportunities. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to, field experiences, class discussions, simulations and reflective writings. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide preservice teachers an opportunity to demonstrate their integration competency learned through Constellation LVC courses and education courses in the major via a written paper and/or interdisciplinary research project. The overall project will require students to demonstrate problem solving and critical reading skills around a topic/issue/concern/interest related to teaching and/or education. Students will be asked to interrogate this topic/issue/concern/interest from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will be required to present, defend, and reflect on the project to faculty and/or peers and/or cooperating teachers and select school personnel. Fulfills requirement: Integrative Experience. Pre or co-requisite: The Connective Experience (COE) and,
in particular, the integrative component of the COE must be
taken prior to or concurrently with this course.
Prerequisite: ECE 340 and ECE 440 or ECE 441/SPE 441.
This course is for ECE and ECE/SPE majors only. 3 credits. |
| Special topics related to current concerns in education are researched and presented by the students in the course. Issues related to teaching and to further professional growth are explored. Students will receive extensive interview preparation, certification preparation (TIMMS) and prepare senior job portfolios. Prerequisite: Limited to spring semester senior early
childhood education majors or permission of instructor. 3 credits. |
| An introduction to the educational technologies used in the classroom that help facilitate learning and to help us and our students become digitally aware in the 21st century. This course focuses on emphasizing a conscientious approach to technology that goes beyond current technology fads. Among the topics covered are technology basics, history - future of educational technology, communicating with students and parents, developing a personal learning network and staying current on trends and applications related to educational technology. Prerequisites: Freshman or sophomore education majors, or
other certification candidates with permission of
instructor. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to provide pre-service elementary teachers with an opportunity to identify and practice a series of cognitive, linguistic, affective, and behavioral skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts. This course may not be taken during the student teaching semester by music education majors. Other majors desiring to take this course while student teaching must obtain approval from the education department. Fulfills requirement: Intercultural Competence. 3 credits. |
| This course is designed to introduce all categories of disability. Specific attention will be given to the potential cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, and language differences in children with disabilities. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to lecture, case study discussions, and writing instruction. Students will be expected to write two papers (totaling 3,000 words) researching various aspects of disability. Writing instruction will be provided throughout this course. The instructor will provide substantive written and/or oral feedback through individual writing conferences, which will be held throughout the semester. In addition, this course has a two hour per week required field experience. Fulfills requirement: Critical Thinking through Writing. Course restricted to Education majors. 3 credits. |
| This course will begin with a historical overview of the field of special education, including key legislation and litigation that drives current practice. Assessment tools for diagnosing disability will be introduced, as well as assessment tools for documenting student progress. In addition, collaboration and communication skills essential for working as a part of the special education team will be practiced and further developed. Delivery approach will include, but not be limited to lecture, field experiences, and hands-on experience with various assessments. Two hours per week of fieldwork is required. 3 credits. |
*ECE 115 and 385 are not required for Special Education double-majors
Note: Students may graduate with the B.S. degree without completing student teaching. Students who are pursuing teacher certification must complete 12 credit hours of
ECE 440 ECE Student Teaching| Each student spends an entire semester in an area school under the supervision of a carefully selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisites: Completion of all Early Childhood courses in
the major, cumulative GPA at or above the minimum GPA
specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and Act 49-2
course requirements. 12 credits. |
or
ECE 441 ECE Dual Major Student Teaching| Each ECE/SPE dual major will spend eight weeks in an early childhood education environment in an area school under the supervision of a carefully selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisites: Completion of all courses in the ECE/Special
Education Dual Major, cumulative GPA at or above the
minimum GPA specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
Education certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and
Act 49-2 course requirements. 6 credits. |
/
SPE 441 ECE Special Education Student Teaching| Each ECE/SPE dual major will spend eight weeks in a stand-alone special education environment in an area school under the supervision of a carefully selected cooperating teacher. Open to seniors or students who are seeking certification only. Fulfills requirement: Immersive Experience. Prerequisite: Completion of all courses in the ECE/Special
Education Dual Major, cumulative GPA at or above the
minimum GPA specified by PDE for the PreK-4 Early Childhood
Education certificate, completion of all Chapter 354 and
Act 49-2 course requirements. 6 credits. |
Student Teaching in addition to completing all requirements for the major in Early Childhood Education.