Early Childhood Development
Associate Degree Program
Delaware Tech’s Early Childhood Development degree will give you the knowledge and skills required to enter the early childhood field. The Delaware Tech degree will teach you curriculum development and implementation, communication skills and classroom management strategies. You will also participate in a number of practical experiences that provide the hands-on training needed to be successful in this field.
As a graduate of the program, you will be ready to play an important role in the delivery of quality children’s programs in a variety of settings including home and child care centers. The experience you develop in these locations will establish your professional credentials and a foundation for moving into a management position in this growing field.
Offered at the following campus(es): Dover, Georgetown, Wilmington
What You Can Do
In this program, you will gain the knowledge and skills to prepare you for positions such as:
- Child care center director
- Head Start teacher
- Agency early childhood educator
- Child advocate
- Early childhood curriculum coordinator
- Home/child care provider
- School-age care site administrator
What You Will Learn
Program Graduate Competencies
The Program Graduate Competencies listed below identify the major learning goals related to your specific program of study and identify the knowledge and skills you will have when you graduate to be successful in your chosen field.
- Implement developmentally appropriate practices based on theories, norms and milestones associated with development in early childhood.
- Communicate information about student learning and behaviors in a collaborative manner with school, family and community members.
- Plan developmentally appropriate curricula for quality infant/toddler and preschool children in multicultural settings.
- Maintain a healthy, safe environment for children by following licensing requirements and legal issues affecting Early Childhood programs.
- Apply knowledge of the physical, social, emotional, cognitive and language development of birth to pre-school aged children in a classroom setting.
- Access and implement educational technology.
- Develop an effective business plan for the operation of an Early Childhood Program.
Core Curriculum Competencies
The Core Curriculum Competencies listed below identify what you will be able to do as a graduate, regardless of your program of study. You will acquire these core competencies through general education courses and program-specific coursework. You will be expected to use relevant technology to achieve these outcomes:
- Apply clear and effective communication skills.
- Use critical thinking to solve problems.
- Collaborate to achieve a common goal.
- Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
- Use information literacy for effective vocational and/or academic research.
- Apply quantitative reasoning and/or scientific inquiry to solve practical problems.
Suggested Pathway to Graduation
Semester 1
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
SSC 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 |
ECE 111 | Childhood Nutrition and Safety | 3 |
ECE 120 | Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood | 3 |
ECE 121 | Infant & Toddler Methods & Lab | 4 |
ENG 101 | Composition I | 3 |
EDC 125 | Child Development | 3 |
Semester 2
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
MAT 152 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
ECE 123 | Early Childhood Methods I & Lab | 4 |
ECE 127 | Childhood Classroom Management | 3 |
ENG 102 | Composition II | 3 |
PSY 121 | General Psychology | 3 |
Elective | Cultural/Humanities Elective | 3 |
Semester 3
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ECE 125 | Early Childhood Methods II & Lab | 4 |
SPE 233 | Introduction to Exceptional Learners | 3 |
EDC 200 | Foundations of Literacy | 3 |
ECE 226 | Assessment of Young Children | 3 |
EDC 108 | Applied Concepts in Educational Technology | 3 |
Elective | Cultural/Humanities Elective | 3 |
Semester 4
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
EDC 221 | Culturally Responsive Practices | 3 |
ECE 222 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
HIS 111 | U. S. History: Pre-Civil War | 3 |
ECE 244 | Fieldwork: Teaching Practicum | 6 |
Approved Electives
Select two (2) cultural/humanities electives.
Number | Course Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
CLT 110 | Cross-Cultural Immersion | 3 |
COM 222 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
ENG 124 | Oral Communications | 3 |
SOC 111 | Sociology | 3 |
SPA 133 | Using Beginning Spanish | 3 |
To complete program requirements, you must pass the above courses and earn at least 70 credits. The number of courses and credits required for graduation may be more depending on college readiness and the elective courses offered in your program major (if electives are a part of the program).
ECEAASECD
Alumni | Jenna White
Beth Altemus
Department Chair
baltemus@51jiyangshi.com
(302) 857-1743
The Delaware Department of Education has granted full approval for the Early Childhood Development Program.
Bob Kime
Department Chair
rkime@51jiyangshi.com
(302) 259-6568
The Delaware Department of Education has granted full approval for the Early Childhood Development Program.
This program is offered at the Dover, Georgetown and Wilmington campuses.
Samanta Lopez
Department Chair
slopezso@51jiyangshi.com
(302) 830-5208
The Delaware Department of Education has granted full approval for the Early Childhood Development Program.