Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education (BAECE)
Berkshire University’s Bachelor of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Education gives you the tools and skills to impact young learners' lives. Fostering a love of learning in children under eight can set them up for success throughout their entire educational journey. Beyond learning academics, early childhood education focuses on social and emotional development and helps young minds develop a positive outlook on education. Whether you’re looking to advance your career as an early childhood educator or begin in the field, a bachelor’s degree will give you a competitive edge in the job market.
Preparation for the Major
- 4 courses; 18 quarter units
ECE 201 The Growing Child: Zero to 8 – 4.50
Overview of major and theoretical frameworks and perspectives. Focus on gender and cultural impact on biological, physical, cognitive, social, moral, emotional, and behavioral aspects of development for effective educational practices.
ECE 210 Child, Family, School and Comm – 4.50
Focus on the influence of family, school, and community on the development and education of the young child. Special emphasis on the role of nutrition, positive home and school environments, and community resources.
ECE 211 Diversity: Development & Ed. – 4.50
Focus on cultural pluralism and its impact on development and education regarding teaching and learning strategies. Emphasis on self-examination, reflection, and integration of current processes involved in interactions and relationships in society.
HED 220 Health, Nutrition and Safety – 4.50
Focus on the eight components for coordinated health for young children in out-of-home care. Health, physical education, health and nutrition services, health promotion for the staff, counseling, and psychological services, a safe healthy environment, and family involvement, and community resources and personnel will be addressed. Attention will be directed towards children with special needs and challenging behaviors as well as legal and ethical issues in the field of early childhood.
Requirements for the Major
- 12 courses; 54 quarter units
ECE 464 Ethical and Legal Issues – 4.50
Focus on local, state and federal statutes and regulations in early education settings. Emphasis on ethical codes of conduct, including analysis of legal and ethical dilemmas and practice.
ECE 330 Early Cognition – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 201; ECE 210; HED 220 and ECE 211
Inquiry into the nature and tasks of early cognition including social, cultural and biological foundations. Attention paid to current research implications for learning theory, individual differences and classroom instruction.
ECE 312 Infant and Toddler Care – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus is on infants and toddlers in group care settings. Emphasis is on close, caring relationships in the cultural context of the child and family, understanding developmental milestones, the identification of special needs, and current issues of health, safety and nutrition.
ECE 410 Early Language and Literacy – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on acquisition and developmental aspects of language related to emergent literacy skills. Emphasis on current research regarding language experiences that contributes to literacy acquisitions, including assessment and instruction.
ECE 415 Designing Emergent Curriculum – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on essential elements of curriculum design including writing of goals, learning outcomes, developmentally appropriate activities, assessment measures and integration of the arts. Alignment with national and state standards stressed.
ECE 420 Nature, Numbers and Technology – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on identification, design and delivery of developmentally age appropriate experiences that encourage active math, science and technology inquiry. Inquiry related to emerging notions of mathematical and scientific processes is basis for activities along with the inclusion of technology as a strategy.
ECE 430 Play as Pedagogy – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on play as the primary learning modality for young children. Theoretical basis for play as a means of teaching, role in learning and as a means of assessment emphasized.
ECE 440 Observing, Assessing & Plannin – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on acquiring and enhancing skills in the selection, administration, scoring, interpretation, reporting of screening assessment instruments. Emphasis on designing and implementing curricula based on assessment results.
ECE 443 Children with Special Needs – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Exploration of variations in child development and identification of specific disabilities in young children. Inclusive early childhood programs, specific strategies for adaptation and accommodation of the core curriculum to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs of children who are at-risk or have special needs are examined.
ECE 445 Strategies: Guiding Behaviors
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on observation, identification, description, and assessment of challenging behaviors. Designing and implementing effective teaching and learning strategies to successfully guide these behaviors within a social and cultural context.
ECE 452 Partnering With Families – 4.50
Prerequisite: ECE 330
Focus on acquiring knowledge through current research and developmental theories to plan responsive environments that strengthen family-school partnerships. Will explore through case studies optimum communication techniques for building and maintaining positive relationships with family members.
ECE 450 Academic Seminar/Field Experie – 4.50
Prerequisite: Satisfactory completion of all core courses with an average grade of “C” (2.0) or better in the core.
Participation in a collaborative field/academic experience to reflect and actively practice material covered in core classes. Field experience must be in approved setting and arranged by student. Grading is S or U only.
Upper-Division Electives- 4 courses; 18 quarter units
Candidates must choose four (4) elective courses from the following:
ECE 435 Music, Movement, Drama, Dance – 4.50
Focus on enriching and enhancing young children’s learning through the creative arts. Emphasis on integrating creative experiences within core subjects to create developmentally appropriate experiences.
ECE 446 Literature and Young Children – 4.50
A survey of literature for young children in preschool through first grade. Emphasis on effective read-aloud and story telling strategies for developing language and listening skills, for developing concepts of print and vocabulary, and for fostering a love of reading and early literacy skills.
ECE 451 Infant/Toddler Observe/Assess – 4.50
Focus on authentic informal and formal assessments for infants and toddlers, and the use of case studies to develop observation skills leading to the promotion of responsive environments.
ECE 453 Infant/Toddler Curriculum – 4.50
Focus on infant and toddler development and the role of the adult in supporting optimal outcomes through routines, curriculum planning, and implementation. Candidates will examine the primary components of quality care and education.
ECE 454 Infant/Toddler Experiences – 4.50
Focus on understanding the value of providing opportunities for infants and toddlers to engage in sensory art exploration as well as experimentation with culturally diverse music and dance. Emphasis is on creating experiences indoors and outdoors focusing on the aesthetic process of experiencing various rhythms, tones, textures, and colors.
ECE 460 Program Administration – 4.50
Focus on the administration of early childhood programs. Emphasis on working with boards, staff, parents, and volunteers. Highlights include hiring, assessing, and supervising staff and volunteers. Attention to designing staff and volunteer professional development programs.
ECE 461 Leadership and Supervision – 4.50
Emphasis on theories, principles, and practical methods of leadership and supervision applicable to early childhood settings. Demonstrations of instructional, operational, and organizational leadership. Focus on components of human resources related to staff recruitment, development, and evaluation.
ECE 462 Financial Mgmt & Resources – 4.50
Focus on financial policies and management of resources in early education settings. Emphasis on accounting fundamentals of preparing, recording and monitoring funds.
ECE 465 Trauma-Informed Practice – 4.50
Understand the impact of crisis, trauma and abuse on young children’s development. Examine research-based classroom strategies to support and mitigate the impact on young children. Focus on building resilience through collaborative partnerships, community resources and advocacy.
ECE 466 Planning Physical Environments – 4.50
Guidelines on planning, designing and organizing physical learning environments for young children. Understanding, comparing, integrating theoretical frameworks on indoor and outdoor environments.
Degree and Course Requirements
To receive a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education degree, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as articulated below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at Berkshire University, 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level, and the University General Education requirements.
In the absence of transfer credit, additional general electives may be necessary to satisfy total units for the degree. Refer to the section on undergraduate admission procedures for specific information regarding admission and evaluation.
Program Learning Outcomes
As a graduate of Berkshire University’s BA in Early Childhood Education program, you will be able to:
- Identify essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas and resources for early childhood education
- Develop oral, written, and technological skills for communicating with families and very young children
- Create environments that are healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging for young children
- Use systematic observations, documentation, and other assessment strategies in partnership with families and professionals to positively influence children’s development and learning
- Implement a curriculum that promotes development and learning outcomes for diverse young children
- Demonstrate ethical, legal, and professional standards in early childhood education
- Create positive relationships and supportive interactions with young children
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