Early Childhood Education, AAS

Early Childhood Education Degree

BCCC’s Early Childhood Education Program graduates are fully qualified for certification as directors, or senior staff members of child-care programs. They may also work as paraprofessionals in public schools, in hospital child-life programs, and as teachers or assistant teachers in several federal programs.

Earning a certificate as a Special Education Assistant and an Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education can expand students’ job opportunities.

The course of study includes: theories of child development and programming for children, theoretical coursework, supervised field placement, and observation. Students are encouraged to develop their skills and techniques, for working with small groups of children in activities such as music, art, storytelling, science, and mathematics. Students learn to create and plan instruction based on individual and group needs and have the opportunity to work with different staff members and groups.

NOTE: ECE students who have taken ECE 112 (Child Growth and Development) and ECE 113 (Activities and Materials) are exempt from ECE 100 (Introduction to Child Development) only; they are required to enrolled in ECE 101. The prerequisites for ECE 101 is ENG 101 .

Suggested Sequence of Courses

** All BCCC students must meet the College’s Computer Literacy requirements in order to receive a degree or a certificate. All first-time, full- and part-time degree and certificate seeking students are required to complete the PRE 100 course within the first six credits.

Program Learning Outcomes

Define the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment
Research and report about assessment partnerships with families and with professional colleagues
Name and identify the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines
Identify the characteristics and needs of young children
Design and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula for each child.
Describe and research the multiple influences on development and learning.
Identify and demonstrate an understanding of effective strategies and tools for early education
List and compose effective strategies to support and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships
Observe and evaluate an early elementary primary/grades setting for core elements of developmentally appropriate.
Explain and describe the diverse family and community characteristics
Observe and evaluate an infant and toddler program for core elements of developmentally appropriate practices
Explain and demonstrate how to involve families and communities in their children’s development and learning
Outline and construct healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments.
Examine and Reflect on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child
Observe and evaluate a preschool program for core element of developmentally appropriate practices
Examine and demonstrate how professionalism is expressed through standards for children
Examine and demonstrate how professionalism is expressed through standards for advocacy
Articulate understanding of positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children
Examine and demonstrate how professionalism is expressed through standards for teacher preparation
Identify and describe developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches
Demonstrate and implement understanding of content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines