Early Childhood Education - ECE 100

Course Description

Students will be provided an introduction to the field of Early Childhood Education. This introduction includes theories of child development, information on key professional and regulatory organizations, relevant laws and regulations, discussion on opportunities within this field, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) code of ethical conduct, the NAEYC Standards, the Michigan Core Competencies for the field, Child Protection Law and developmentally appropriate practices. Students will spend time observing and analyzing a variety of early childhood programs. Students will complete observations of five different early childhood settings. Michigan Central Registry Clearance by the Michigan Department of Human Services is required. This course requires all students must meet the requirements of a criminal background check.

Prerequisites

(A requirement that must be completed before taking this course.)

Course Competencies

Upon successful completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• Identify the various functions of Early Childhood Education including developmentally appropriate best practices and standards.
• Determine strategies that promote high quality early childhood education.
• Demonstrate effective observation skills.
• Formulate an effective philosophy statement for early childhood education.
• Interpret the National Association for the Education of Young Children Code of Ethical Conduct.
• Explore the Child Protection Law and Mandated Reporting of Suspected Abuse and Neglect.
• Classify typical development of children birth through eight years old.

Course Schedule