EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (BIRTH - KINDERGARTEN) PROGRAM

The goal of the Birth through Kindergarten teacher education program is to graduate students qualified to facilitate the nurturance and development of children with a wide range of capabilities, consult and collaborate with families and other professionals, analyze and plan developmentally appropriate activities and environments for children; evaluate and assess the appropriateness of programs, books and materials, apply principles of child development and successfully work with and advocate for families from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. Specifically, Birth through Kindergarten teacher education graduates will:

1. Know patterns of child growth and development to insure developmentally appropriate practices for all children;
2. Recognize and provide environments that are safe and health y, predictable, and consistent:
3. Be broadly educated to select curricula goals and activities that allow children to construct knowledge, acquire skills, concepts, attitudes, and behaviors that are developmentally appropriate, theoretically sound and implemented in a responsive environment that uses positive guidance techniques;
4. Understand that families are the carriers of the child’s history and as such are the primary frame of reference for children’s development and learning, and that outside care and education must be sensitive to the cultural context of the family and effectively communicate with and involve parents in the educational process;
5. Know developmentally appropriate ways to assess and evaluate children and programs and use that information to make decisions about future programs, interventions, referrals, planning, and teaching strategies;
6. Know Developmentally-Culturally Appropriate Practices sanctioned by NAEYC, and can integrate them in the development, implementation, and management of programs and in consultation and collaboration with parents and community professionals; and
7. Commit to continuing professional development, advocacy, and leadership, and a professional code of ethics.

The goals and objectives of the Elementary Education program are to provide prospective elementary teachers with;

1. An understanding of the diverse roles of elementary teachers.
2. Knowledge of the history, philosophy, theories, and principles that under gird modern elementary education.
3. Sensitivity to attitudes, emotions, cultural heritage, and special needs of all children.
4. Knowledge in promoting good school/community relations through effective communication skills.
5. Appropriate decision-making skills in developing and implementing the educational process.
6. Knowledge of human growth and development as it applies to the appropriate developmental practice in elementary school.
7. An understanding of the importance of reading, skills for teaching and improving the reading skills of children, and an appreciation for literacy connections between reading ability and overall student success.
8. Opportunities to plan and implement developmentally appropriate practices with children in grades K through 6.
9. Opportunities for practical experiences in a sequential program.
10. Skills and research for the use of educational technology in the classroom.
11. Multicultural education approaches to learning by creating instructional opportunities adapted to learners from diverse cultural backgrounds and exceptional learners.