Early Learning:

Working With Children 0-6 and Their Families 41 credits

This major is designed for students seeking to work with young children 0-6 years old and their families in educational settings that do not require licensure from the Massachusetts Department of Education. Such settings may include early care and education programs, private schools, early intervention programs, and other specialized education settings, such as Early Head Start, Even Start, Healthy Families program, Early Intervention, or museums.

Minors which Complement the Major

If a student decides to complete a specialization in Early Intervention, Explorations in the Reggio Emilia Approach, Early Care and Education, or Emergent Literacy, s/he must choose a minor in Psychology.

If a student chooses to complete any other specialization or chooses not to pursue a specialization, s/he may choose any liberal arts minor.

* Students must meet the benchmark grades in these courses before entering the Junior or Senior Practicum Experience.

Course Descriptions

CEDUC 1352

Teaching, Learning and Social Responsibility
4 credits
This course introduces aspiring teachers to the role of the school in a multicultural society and helps them develop a professional identity. Issues related to mainstreaming and inclusion are addressed. Through a variety of means which include site visits, speakers and panelists, and case studies, students are introduced to five areas of education: early childhood, elementary, special, middle, and secondary education. Issues related to the integration and inclusion of students with special needs in regular education environments are addressed. Students also expand and develop their critical thinking skills. Field visits/experiences are incorporated into the course throughout the semester

Note: Both a grade of C or higher in this course and the successful completion of the early field experience are prerequisites for CEDUC 2351, 2352, 2353 or CSPED 2354.

CEDUC 2351

Early Childhood Education
4 credits
This certificate-specific course lays the groundwork for those preparing to teach in preschools, child care centers, kindergartens, and grades 1-2. The focus is on provision of developmentally appropriate experiences in inclusive settings. Included are strategies for observation and assessment as these are related to the planning of integrated curriculum experiences which are relevant to the needs of children and families with diverse backgrounds. Also considered are the role of play in children's learning, various philosophical models that have impacted the field of early childhood education, and an historical perspective on current programs. A one-day a week field experience is an integral part of this course. Prerequisite: CEDUC 1352. Both a grade of C+ or higher in this course and the successful completion of the field experience are prerequisites to student teaching.

CEDUC 2401

Literacy Learning
3 credits
This course explores a child's journey into the world of literacy. Critical issues and pedagogy involved in teaching children to read, write, and communicate through listening and speaking are introduced. The language and literacy development of children from preschool through elementary levels is explored. Focus is also given to issues related to learners of varied cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Major reading approaches, such as whole language, language-experience, basal, and phonics are examined. Attention is also given to the specific components of the reading process: sight vocabulary, phonics, context clues, and comprehension, and to the stages of the writing process. This course provides opportunities to informally assess the reading/writing abilities of children and to design and implement appropriate instructional strategies. Prerequisite: CEDUC 1352. A grade of C+ or higher in this course is a prerequisite to student teaching.

CEDUC 3373

Developmental Experiences in Mathematics and Science
3 credits
This course helps prospective teachers to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to create a learning environment that fosters the development of each young child's mathematical and scientific power. A constructivist view of learning provides the foundation for consideration of the content, methods, and materials for the mathematics and science curriculum for children aged 3-8 years. Play strategies and integrated curriculum themes are developed. Students are expected to design a curriculum unit and to implement and evaluate the unit within their concurrent field placement. Developmental readiness, learning styles, multicultural issues, and other diagnostic concerns are addressed. Prerequisites: CEDUC 2351 and CPSYC 2401. Must be taken concurrently with CEDUC 3702.

CEDUC 3702

Junior Practicum and Seminar in Early Childhood Education
3 credits
This practicum provides one of the student teaching experiences required for the initial licensure in Early Childhood Education. The student engages in student teaching for a minimum of 150 hours at either the preschool level (3 or 4 year olds) or kindergarten level OR a minimum of 200 hours in grade 1 or 2. During this time, s/he works under the direction of an experienced teacher in planning and implementing experiences for young children. S/he assumes increasing responsibility for the classroom program and also attends a weekly seminar in which s/he is encouraged to reflect on his/her experiences as these are related to professional teaching standards. Each student must fulfill the licensure standards assigned to the course in order to receive a passing grade. Infancy and Parenting Studies/Early Intervention students will complete this practicum in a setting for children 0-3 and their families. Prerequisites: A grade of C or better in CEDUC 1352; C+ or better in CEDUC 2351 and 2401; and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. Passing score on MA Educator Test of Communication and Literacy Skills. This course must be taken concurrently with CEDUC 3373. Taken for a pass/fail grade.

CEDUC 4360

Working with Parents and Children in Integrated Early Childhood Settings
3 credits
Taken concurrently with a practicum, this course is designed to be a synthesizing experience. It focuses on individual differences and how to create the environmental and curricular adaptations to meet them. It also considers differences in families, in parenting styles, and in culture as the basis for planning parent-teacher interactions around issues of curriculum, behavior management, and home-school continuity. In addition, it includes a variety of ways for gathering information about a child's development and for keeping track of a child's progress. Prerequisites: CEDUC 2351 and CPSYC 2401. This course is taken senior year, simultaneously with student teaching.

CEDUC 4725

Senior Practicum and Seminar in Early Learning
9 credits
This practicum prepares students for teaching in an early care or preschool setting. Students teach full time for the semester. They are involved in program planning and practicing the interpersonal skills essential for communication with children, parents, staff, and outside agencies. As the semester progresses, they will assume increasing classroom responsibility. As a complement to the practicum, students participate in a weekly seminar which integrates study of the learner and the learning situation, including working with families, and the learning process. Prerequisites: CEDUC 2351with a grade of C+ or better and cumulative grade point average of 3.0; readiness for student teaching demonstrated by successful pre-practicum field experiences in CEDUC 1352 and 2351; all incomplete grades completed. Taken for pass/fail grading.

CPSYC 2401

Child Psychology
3 credits
This course focuses on human growth and development from conception through early adolescence. Emphasized are the characteristic stages of physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional development considered from various theoretical perspectives. Also considered are the broad range of children's abilities and needs; the influence of family structures on personality and behavior; and common health problems, including substance abuse, as these impact development. Students must fulfill the certification-related competencies assigned to the course in order to receive a passing grade.

CPSYC 2437

Characteristics of Children and Youth with Special Needs
3 credits
This course offers students a legal, social, and educational understanding of inclusionary practices as they pertain to students with disabilities. The course examines the physical, cognitive, affective, and social experiences of children and youth with a variety of disabilities and discusses the implications of these characteristics for participation in school and community.

EEDUC 6139

Dimensions of Learning Through Play
3 credits
How does one define play? What are the debates about the relationship of play to children's learning, to the development of meaning, and to creativity, PreK-2? Are there variations in play across cultures, between typically developing children and those with disabilities, and between genders? This course will examine theory and research that will help us explore these and other questions.

Usually offered summer semester.

EEDUC 6158

Enduring Ideas and Current Issues in the Education of Young Children
3 credits
This course examines ideas that have consistently influenced thinking in early childhood education and have significantly impacted program planning for young children. Through examination of the ideas, students gain an understanding of some historical and theoretical frameworks that have shaped current educational thought. They use the theoretical frameworks as a basis for exploring current issues related to the processes of young children's development and learning. Assessment, leadership, and advocacy efforts are integral components of the course.

Usually offered spring semester.