Early Childhood Education Major, 77 hours: B.S.Ed., Certifies Birth through Grade 3
CIP: 131210
The early childhood education program prepares students to successfully complete the licensure requirements of the program and earn their teaching license with an endorsement in early childhood education. This license enables students to teach children birth through the third grade in multiple settings including public and non-public schools, homes, and other community settings.
This program offers a strengths-based approach in working with all children including those with special needs and rights. Along with coursework that is focused on child-centered and culturally sensitive practices, students participate in embedded field experiences in the Phyllis and Richard Leet Center and Horace Mann Laboratory School and partnering community settings. Combined, these learning experiences provide the basis from which theories about development, learning, and curriculum come to life for our students.
Individually and as a cohort of learners, students learn an integrated approach to teaching and learning through constructivist curriculum practices and strategies that offer meaningful learning within diverse systems and settings. Opportunities to learn together as critical colleagues who further each other’s reflective thinking skills prepares students for professional collaboration in their future careers.
The Early Childhood major is comprised of clusters and modules that develop and assess teacher candidate competencies in teaching and reflective practices. The courses/modules integrate the quality indicators from the Missouri Teacher Standards, standards in special education required of all teacher candidates, standards related to working with diverse student populations and in diverse school settings, including working with ELL students, and competencies related to classroom management including student motivation and engagement. All students interested in teaching in a self-contained Kindergarten classroom in Missouri must complete the Major in Early Childhood Education.
Required Courses
The Northwest Core (44-47 hours)
Institutional Requirements (4 hours)
Recommended:
Collateral Courses (23 hours)
These courses fulfill Northwest Core requirements as well as a requirements of the major, but the number of credit hours may be counted only once toward the total number of credit hours required for graduation.
Must achieve a grade of C or better in PSYC 08299, MATH 17171, and COM 29102.
Degree Requirement (3 hours)
The degree requirement for Multiculturalism in Education is separate from the Humanities requirement in The Northwest Core.
Professional Requirements
Professional Education and Beginning Clinical Experiences Phase I (12 hours)
Professional Education and Mid-Level Clinical Experiences Phase II (43 hours)
| EDCI 62202 | Understanding the Whole Child: Infants and Toddlers | 2 |
| | OR | |
| EDCI 62203 | Constructivist Pedagogy of Reggio Emilia | 2 |
| | | |
| EDCI 62221 | Literacy in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDCI 62231 | Early Childhood Professional Learning Community IV | 1 |
| EDCI 62232 | Early Childhood Professional Learning Community V | 1 |
| EDCI 62302 | Emotion and Language-Centered Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| EDCI 62303 | Observation and Assessment in Infant Toddler Settings | 3 |
| EDCI 62304 | Field Experiences in Infant Toddler Settings | 2 |
| EDCI 62305 | Understanding the Whole Child in Preschool and Kindergarten | 1 |
| EDCI 62322 | Literacy Assessment and Intervention: Theory and Techniques | 1 to 2 |
| EDCI 62326 | Early Childhood Professional Learning Community VI | 1 |
| EDCI 62330 | Health, Nutrition, and Safety of Young Children | 2 |
| EDCI 62401 | Understanding the Whole Child in Grades 1-3 | 1 |
| EDCI 62403 | Observation and Documentation as Assessment in Preschool and Kindergarten | 3 |
| EDCI 62404 | Practicum in Preschool | 2 |
| EDCI 62405 | Practicum in Kindergarten | 2 |
| EDCI 62421 | Constructivist Philosophy, Integrated Curriculum, and Curriculum Approaches in Early Childhood | 3 |
| EDCI 62426 | Integrated Curriculum and Authentic Assessment for Evidence-Based Decision Making in Grades 1-3 | 3 |
| EDCI 62435 | Practicum in Grades 1-3 | 2 |
| EDCI 62532 | Family and Community Resources in Early Childhood | 2 |
| MATH 17226 | Math in the Early Elementary School | 2 |
| PSYC 08405 | Parenthood Education | 3 |
Capstone Courses and Culminating Clinical Experiences Phase III (22 hours)
| EDCI 62441 | Early Childhood Leadership and Program Management | 3 |
| EDCI 62442 | Early Childhood Professional Capstone | 3 |
| EDCI 62443 | Early Childhood Professional Learning Community VII | 1 |
| EDCI 62445 | Early Childhood Professional Learning Community VIII | 1 |
| EDCI 62472 | Capstone Practicum Experience | 2 |
| EDUC 61473 | Directed Teaching Early Childhood | 1 to 12 |
Note: Directed teaching from other certification or other degrees may count for up to 6 hours of the 12 required hours.
Free electives as needed to reach minimum 120 graduation hours