Education - Early Childhood Education: Infant to Grade 4
Please note: Overview information for Education Majors can be found by clicking here.
Program Narrative
Teaching young children is rewarding and inspiring! Highly qualified faculty prepare students to be effective teachers of children aged infant to nine years. Graduates may transfer seamlessly to four-year institutions or immediately enter the early care and education profession.
Graduates who transfer within Pennsylvania may enter a four-year institution at the junior level where they will earn a baccalaureate degree and Pre-K to Grade 4 Pennsylvania certification required to teach pre-kindergarten to grade four in public and private schools.
Graduates who enter the early care and education profession are qualified to work as lead teachers in child care centers, Head Start programs, nursery schools, and assistant teachers in pre-kindergarten classrooms. With experience and additional education, graduates may be employed as program directors.
Program Features
The program holds National Association for the Education of Young Children Associate Degree Accreditation. The entire program is available both on the Bethlehem and Monroe campuses, and online. English Language Learner (ELL) competencies are introduced in three courses and integrated along with special needs across all courses. Observational and supervised field experiences with children from infancy through age nine occur in accredited campus lab schools, students' work-site classrooms and/or approved off-campus locations. As part of the field experience, students are required to submit video documentation of their teaching. Students need access to digital video and still cameras.
Students are prepared to respect and value the uniqueness of each child within the context of the child's culture, language, abilities and interests. Building collaborative relationships with families is a foundational skill. The arts are included across all courses as symbol systems used to represent, express and construct meaning. The program's conceptual framework, Art as a Way of Learning®, was developed in partnership with Crayola LLC.
Proof of current health and criminal record clearances are required prior to enrolling in a course.Further information is available at www.northampton.edu
Contact Northampton's Admissions Office at 610-861-5500 for advising and additional information regarding this program.
The following are available via the NCC Online Learning: Early Childhood AAS and Certificate, CDA Specialized Diplomas, School Age Child Care SD, and Leadership for Early Childhood Program Directors SD.
This is a Tech Prep program . . . ask your high school counselor.
Program Outcomes
Graduates of the program will:
- Child Development and Learning: Students use knowledge of child development and learning to understand that each child's learning and development is unique due to multiple interacting influences. Students apply this knowledge to create inclusive, responsive learning environments and experiences that are healthy, safe, and arts-integrated.
- Building Family and Community Relationships: Students integrate their knowledge about the complex characteristics of families and communities with their abilities to incorporate multiple perspectives to build reciprocal relationships with families and the community.
- Observing, Documenting, and Assessing to Support Young Children and Families: Students systematically record observations that are consistent with the goals, benefits, and appropriate uses of assessment. These observations are the basis for informing their decisions about creating inclusive learning environments, arts-integrated curriculum and learning experiences, and responsive interactions with children and their families.
- Teaching and Learning: Students integrate knowledge of child development, families and communities, effective teaching strategies, assessment and early childhood content areas to design, implement, and evaluate learning experiences for all young children.
- Becoming a Professional: Students implement their knowledge of ethical guidelines and professional standards to become continuous, collaborative learners who demonstrate knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on their work; make informed decisions that integrate knowledge from a variety of sources; and advocate for sound educational practices and policies.