Early Childhood Education - Associate of Applied Science Degree (AAS)

Degree Requirements

¹

SPAN 101 Elementary Spanish I or SIGL 101 American Sign Language I recommended.

Degree Plan

The course sequence listed below is strongly recommended in order to complete your program requirements. Many Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses have prerequisites and/or corequisites that have been accounted for within this course sequence plan. Please register for your major requirements each semester as shown below using the Student Planning tool in myCWI. Consult your advisor for any questions regarding this plan.

NOTE: The required general education courses may be completed during any semester the student prefers, including summer semesters.​

¹

SPAN 101 Elementary Spanish I or SIGL 101 American Sign Language I recommended.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations. (Outcome: Child Development and Learning in Context)
• Understand that children learn and develop within relationships and within multiple contexts, including families, cultures, languages, communities, and society. (Outcome: Child Development and Learning in Context)
• Know about, understand, and value the diversity of families. (Outcome: Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections)
• Understand that the primary purpose of assessment is to inform instruction and planning in early learning settings. (Outcome: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment)
• Know how to use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches and tools. (Outcome: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment)
• Understand and demonstrate positive, caring, supportive relationships and interactions as the foundation for their work with young children. (Outcome: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices)
• Understand the central concepts, methods, and tools of inquiry, and the structures in each academic discipline. (Outcome: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum)
• Identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession. Serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession. (Outcome: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator)
• Know and use ethical guidelines and other early childhood professional guidelines. (Outcome: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator)
• Understand the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains. (Outcome: Child Development and Learning in Context)
• Use this multidimensional knowledge to make evidence-based decisions about how to carry out their responsibilities. (Outcome: Child Development and Learning in Context)
• Collaborate as partners with families in young children’s development and learning through respectful, reciprocal relationships and engagement. (Outcome: Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections)
• Use community resources to support young children’s learning and development and to support families, and build partnerships between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies. (Outcome: Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections)
• Use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child. In partnership with families, professional colleagues, and early childhood educators. (Outcome: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment)
• Use assessments to document individual children’s progress and, based on the findings, to plan learning experiences. (Outcome: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment)
• Understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child. (Outcome: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices)
• Use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, and evidence-based teaching approaches that reflect the principles of universal learning design. (Outcome: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices)
• Understand pedagogy, including how young children learn and process information in each discipline, the learning trajectories for each discipline, and how teachers use this knowledge to inform their practice. (Outcome: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum)
• Apply this knowledge using early learning standards and other resources to make decisions about spontaneous and planned learning experiences and about curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure that learning will be stimulating, challenging, and meaningful to each child. (Outcome: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum)
• Have professional communication skills that effectively support their relationships and work with young children, families, and colleagues. (Outcome: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator)
• Engage in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice. (Outcome: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator)
• Develop and sustain reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as a member of the early childhood profession. (Outcome: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator)