Introduction to Early Childhood Education

Catalog description

This course will introduce the student to the field of early care and education from a philosophical, historical, socioeconomic, and multicultural point of view. Major theories and models of significant early childhood programs will be examined such as Head Start, Froebel's Kindergarten, Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, and the High Scope Approach. The role of the early care educator, professionalism, and managing successfully in the workplace in accordance with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) code of ethical conduct. The course will include required in-person field observations of eight hours across the full age span (0 -8) in diverse Massachusetts early childhood settings as determined by DEEC. This course meets the requirement for Introduction to Early Childhood Education in the ECE Foundational Certificate. Three lecture hours per week. Gen. Ed. Competencies Met: Ethical Dimensions, Information Literacy, and Multicultural and Social Perspectives.