Early Childhood Education Program

The undergraduate program in early childhood education is a four-year sequence of courses that prepares individuals to teach in infant/toddler and preschool programs, kindergarten through grade 3 classrooms, and work in other settings that employ early childhood professionals. The course of study is premised on the belief that students should engage in an exploration of literacy and diversity through inquiry and reflection. Literacy involves mastering a variety of symbol systems in which meaning is created and shared with others: reading, writing, art, mathematics, music, science, and others. The program enables students to acquire competence in these areas and the pedagogical expertise necessary to nurture growth and development in all young children.

Students will be actively engaged in a variety of activities, assignments, projects, and field experiences in order to: 1) acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of an effective teacher; 2) develop sensitivity to issues of diversity of all forms (e.g. race, class, culture, gender, disability); and 3) embrace ethical, social, and intellectual commitments to young children.

Students will be admitted in and progress through their course work in a cohort with others who have begun at the same time. The small size of the program is designed to enhance a sense of community among students, core faculty, and practicing professionals. Practitioners from a variety of early childhood settings will be involved in the teaching of courses and the design of field experiences, thereby fostering community among those inside and outside the university.

The Early Childhood Education Program is divided into three main components, as follows:

General Education	41 cr.
Electives	6 cr.
Professional Education	78 cr.
Total	125 cr.

General Education (41 credit hours)
Students who think they have the competence required in a course may contact the chairperson of the department offering the course. If the department chairperson agrees, the student will be permitted to take a credit examination.

Courses listed by number are either specifically required or are part of a group from which selections must be made to fill a specific requirement. See the appropriate school bulletins for course descriptions. The speech requirement may not be met by correspondence.

Some COAS TOPICS courses may be used toward completing this general education requirement. See an advisor for course eligibility.

Language Arts (15 credit hours)

Oral Expression (3 credit hours)

Select one course (grade of C or better required):
CMCL C121 Public Speaking (3 cr.)
CMCL C122 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.)
CMCL C223 Business and Professional Communication (3 cr.)
EDUC F203 Communication in the Classroom (3 cr.)

Written Expression (3 credit hours)

Select one course (grade of C or better required):
ENG W131 Elementary Composition (3 cr.)
ENG W170 Projects in Reading and Writing (3 cr.)

World or American Literature (3 credit hours)

Select one course:
AFRO A141-A142¹ Introduction to Writing and the Study of Black Literature I-II (4-4 cr.)
AFRO A379 Early Black American Writing (3 cr.)
CMLT C145 Major Characters in Western Literature (3 cr.)
CMLT C146 Major Themes in Western Literature (3 cr.)
ENG L101-L102 Literature Masterpieces (3-3 cr.)
ENG L115 Literature for Today (3 cr.)
ENG L141-L142¹ Introduction to Writing & Study of Literature I-II (4-4 cr.)
ENG L213-L214 Literary Masterpieces (3-3 cr.)
ENG L357 Twentieth-Century American Poetry (3 cr.)
ENG L358 Twentieth-Century American Fiction (3 cr.)
ENG L369 Studies in British and American Authors (3 cr.)

Children’s Literature Requirement (3 credit hours) (grade of C or better required):
EDUC X460 Children’s Literature: Books for Reading Instruction (3 cr.)

Literature and Writing Electives (3 credit hours)

Select one course:
AFRO A371 Black Literature for Teachers (3 cr.)
CMLT C340 Women in World Literature (3 cr.)
ENG L202 Literary Interpretation (3 cr.)
ENG L203 Introduction to Drama (3 cr.)
ENG L204 Introduction to Fiction (3 cr.)
ENG L205 Introduction to Poetry (3 cr.)
ENG L364 Native American Literature (3 cr.)
ENG W103 Introductory Creative Writing (3 cr.)
ENG W203 Creative Writing (3 cr.)
ENG W231 Professional Writing Skills (3 cr.)
ENG W270 Argumentative Writing (3 cr.)
ENG W301 Writing Fiction (3 cr.)
ENG W303 Writing Poetry (3 cr.)
ENG W350 Advanced Expository Writing (3 cr.)

Fine Arts (4-5 credit hours)
Required:
MUS E241 Introduction to Music Fundamentals (2 cr.)

Electives (2-3 credit hours)
Any studio art class (3 cr.)
Any music performance, instrument, band, ensemble, or dance class (3 cr.)

Mathematics (7-8 credit hours)
Required:
MATH T104 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers via Problem Solving (4 cr.)

P: M118/A118 or both D116 and D117 or both M119 and K300 or M211

Select one of the following options:
MATH M118/A118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.) or
  MATH D116 Introduction to Finite Math I (2 cr.) and
  MATH D117 Introduction to Finite Math II (2 cr.) or
  MATH M119 Brief Survey of Calculus I (3 cr.) and
  MATH K300 Statistical Techniques (3 cr.) or
  MATH M211 Calculus I (4 cr.)

Science and Technology (9 credit hours)
Science and Technology Requirements (6 credit hours):
EDUC Q200 Introduction to Scientific Inquiry (3 cr.)
EDUC W200 Using Computers in Education (3 cr.)

Science Elective (3 credit hours)
Select one course:
AST A100 The Solar System (3 cr.)
AST A110 Introduction to Astronomy (3 cr.)
BIOL L100 General Biology (5 cr.)
BIOL L104 Introductory Biology Lectures (3 cr.)
BIOL Q201 Biological Science for Elementary Teachers (3 cr.)
GEOL G103 Earth Science: Materials and Processes (3 cr.)
GEOL G104 Earth Science: Evolution of the Earth (3 cr.)
GEOL G105 Earth, Our Habitable Planet (3 cr.)
GEOL G107 Physical Systems of the Environment (3 cr.)
GEOL G109 Weather and Climate (3 cr.)
GEOL G114 Prehistoric Life ( 3 cr.)
GEOL G300 Environmental and Urban Geology (3 cr.)
PHYS Q101 Physics of the Modern World (3 cr.)
PHYS Q202 Physical Science for Elementary Teachers (3 cr.)

Social Studies (6 credit hours)
Social Studies Requirement (3 credit hours)

Select one course:
HIST A301-A302 American Colonial History I-II (3-3 cr.)
HIST A303-A304 United States, 1789-1865 I-II (3-3 cr.)
HIST A314-A315 Recent US History I-II (3-3 cr.)
HIST H101-H102 The World in the Twentieth Century I-II (3-3 cr.)
HIST H105-H106 American History I-II (3-3 cr.)
HIST H111-H112 Historical Background to Contemporary Problems I-II (3-3 cr.)

Social Studies Elective (3 credit hours)
Select an additional course from above or select a course from one of the following departments to complete the Social Studies requirement:

Anthropology	Criminal Justice
Economics	Gender Studies
Geography (non-physical)	History
Political Science	Psychology
Religious Studies	Sociology
SPEA

Electives (6 credit hours)
Six additional credit hours of course work is required to be selected from any department within the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Music, or School of Health, Education, and Recreation.

Professional Education (78 credit hours)
The professional component begins early in the student’s educational career. Laboratory/field experiences are initiated as soon as possible and continue throughout the student’s program. This component includes full-time student teaching in preschool, kindergarten, and primary grade programs.

EDUC F205 The Study of Education and the Practice of Teaching (3 cr.)
EDUC E348 Foundations of Early Care and Education from Birth to Age 3 (6 cr.)
EDUC E349 Teaching & Learning for All Young Children I: Birth through Age 3 (7 cr.)

EDUC E351 Foundations of Early Care and Education in 3- to 5- Year-Olds (6 cr.)
EDUC E352 Teaching and Learning in Preschool/Kindergarten II (10 cr.)

EDUC E353 Foundations of Early Care and Education in 5- to 8- Year-Olds (6 cr.)
EDUC E354 Teaching and Learning in Kindergarten/Primary III (10 cr.)

EDUC E450 Senior Seminar and Student Teaching I (Fall - 15 cr.)
EDUC E451 Senior Seminar and Student Teaching II (Spring - 15 cr.)

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¹ENG L141 and L142, as well as AFRO A141 and A142, are each 4 credit hour courses. Three credit hours of each course will count as literature, and 1 credit hour of each will count as composition

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