The Bachelor of Arts with a Major in Early Childhood Education degree program is structured to prepare students to work in a variety of settings involving young children, is designed according to national and state requirements, and is based on the competencies and guidelines established by the following:
- National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
- Child Development Associates Competency Standards (CDA).
- California Child Development Permit Matrix.
- California Pre-Kindergarten Learning Development Guidelines.
- National Head Start Association (NHSA)
The program is based on a conceptual framework of current theory, contemporary perspectives and sound research findings. Focus is on knowledge, attitudes, skills, practice, reflection and field experiences needed to become efficient, competent, and effective professionals in the field of early childhood education. Emphasis is on designing appropriate learning environments, individual and adaptive curricula, and instructional strategies and techniques to maximize learning outcomes.
Topics demonstrated, both in writing and discussion, provide a broad-based foundation of child development in the areas of familial and socio-cultural influences on learning and brain development, parent empowerment, peer cooperation and collaboration, early cognition, emerging literacy (listening, speaking, reading and writing), ongoing participant observation and appropriate developmental screening assessments, child advocacy, law and ethics, and, most important, play as pedagogy.
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