Early Childhood Education, M.Ed.

Program Description

Early childhood is a critical development stage for human growth, physically, emotionally, and mentally. This program focuses on the knowledge and skills to be an effective provider for young children, engaging them in learning experiences which influence future educational opportunities. Research establishes the framework for creating viable environments, selecting age-appropriate strategies, and building relationships between school and families. Standards, influenced by development stages, provide a guide for understanding how assessment drives instruction for young children.

Program Outcomes

1. Design and implement appropriate curriculum and instructional practices to promote growth and development across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains of development. 
2. Employ program specific standards to develop curriculum to meet individual developmental needs of children in specific content areas. 
3. Develop a working knowledge of developmental theory, standards, frameworks, and concepts in relation to classroom practices. 
4. Establish a developmentally appropriate learning environment by incorporating evidenced-based instructional practices and resources, materials, and technology and through the influence of intellectual processes and social interaction to meet diverse learning needs of young children. 
5. Construct a framework for establishing and maintaining communicative, collaborative partnerships between the school, family, and community by advocating a consistent learning environment for young children. 
6. Conduct research to heighten understanding of issues facing young children and early childhood programs and their academic and social needs by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating instructional practices and current data within local communities, national, and international settings. 
7. Support continuous learning while fostering leadership skills through intentionally designed opportunities to engage in professional development.