Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education, A.A.T.

Program Description

This is a recommended program of study for students planning to pursue a bachelor’s degree with the goal of teaching early childhood education (pre-K to grade 3) or Early Childhood Special Education (birth-grade 3).

Students learn about developmental and learning theories and how these impact diverse children, families, and classrooms. Students plan lessons with developmentally appropriate learning activities, suitable for a multicultural environment, as well as measure children’s mastery of learning. Students also learn how to differentiate learning and learning strategies for a variety of students and settings. Finally, students learn the skills necessary to build positive relationships with parents, families, students, the community, and colleagues, as well as the use of effective communication strategies to enhance these relationships.

Students in this program are required to submit to a  criminal background check in order to participate in the required fieldwork courses. More information about the procedure, cost, timeline, etc. can be obtained through the Education Department Advisor.

Participation in the required fieldwork courses is contingent upon the satisfactory completion of the criminal background check. If a student is denied a fieldwork placement (which is required to complete the program) due to a  background check result, the student will meet with his or her advisor to discuss options, which could include dropping the course and changing program of study.

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses in this program.
 
Graduation Information: 3.0 cumulative GPA, or 2.75-2.99 cumulative GPA and qualifying scores on the basic skills assessment for teacher licensure as established by the State Superintendent of Schools and as approved by the State Board of Education; and 45 hours of supervised field experience are required. Students may be required to take additional courses including special educations courses as part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification at four-year institutions.

Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses in this program.

Program Outcomes

Graduates of the Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education A.A.T. will be able to:

• Apply child development and learning theories when choosing developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum for specific and groups of children
• Differentiate lessons and activities for a variety of purposes and groups of children
• Discuss the skills needed to be an effective part of an educational team
• Discuss the skills necessary to communicate effectively with families and the community
• Plan, implement, assess, and evaluate student learning outcomes for a variety of purposes
• Apply multicultural principles and strategies to the planning, instruction, pedagogical, and assessment processes in a classroom

General Education Courses

The list of general education courses appears in the General Education List . Some programs recommend or require specific courses to fulfill general education requirements. Please check your program’s sequence of study for this information.

Sequence of Study - Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Special Education A.A.T.

Below are the required courses for your program arranged in a suggested sequence. Please note that the sequence does not include developmental coursework. See Academic Preparation  for the developmental course sequence if applicable to you.

Required Courses (in expected order)

• EGL-1010 Composition I: Expository Writing Credits: 3 (English General Education Requirement)
• TED-1100 Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• MAT-1050 Elements of Numbers and Operations Credits: 4 (Mathematics General Education Requirement)
• TED-1200 Child Growth and Development Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• BIO-1010 General Biology Credits: 4 (Science w/ Lab General Education Requirement)
• TED-1300 Methods and Materials in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• EGL-1020 Composition II: Writing About Literature Credits: 3 (General Education English Requirement)
• PSY-1010 General Psychology Credits: 3 (Social Science General Education Requirement)
• TED-1400 Introduction to Multicultural Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• MAT-1060 Elements of Geometry and Measurement Credits: 4 (Mathematics General Education Requirement)
• TED-2100 Processes and Acquisition of Reading Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• EGL-2230 Children’s Literature Credits: 3 (Program Requirement)
• TED-2350 Early Childhood Special Education Credits: 3 (Program Requirement; Critical Course)
• MAT-1160 Elements of Probability and Statistics Credits: 4 (Mathematics Program Requirement)
• PSC-1200 Exploring Chemistry and Physics Concepts Credits: 4 (Science w/ Lab General Education Requirement)

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• TED-2750 Field Work in Early Childhood Education Credits: 3 (Program Elective; Critical Course) or
• TED-2751 Field Work in Early Childhood Special Education Credits: 3 (Program Elective; Critical Course)

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• HST-1410 History of the United States to 1877 Credits: 3 (Social Science General Education Requirement)

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• GEO-1010 Physical Geography Credits: 3 (Science w/Lab General Education Requirement) and
• GEO-1020 Physical Geography Lab Credits: 1 (Science w/Lab General Education Requirement)

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• ART-2730 Integrated Arts Credits: 3 (Arts/Humanities General Education Requirement)

Program Total: 63 Credits

Need Help?

For help selecting an academic program or courses, consider using Career Coach, available at www.pgcc.edu/go/careercoach.