Early Childhood Education

Foundations of Early Childhood Education emphasizes the standards set forth by NAEYC for teacher preparation. It covers how these standards are reflected in the workplace. Students develop a résumé and create an electronic Professional Portfolio they can use for interview purposes. Adhering to the NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation for Associate Degree Programs and the NH ECE Professional Development System, the portfolio includes competency statements with supportive artifacts. Over the course of their ECE Associate Degree education, students build their portfolio with work from other ECE classes. The course also emphasizes the history of and current research in the field of Early Childhood Education, including NH Learning Standards, professional organizations, community resources, and support for families. Students explore the philosophies and theories of various program models and the way these models apply developmentally appropriate practices across a child’s range of development. Students discover the importance of reflective practice and begin to define their own personal ECE philosophies.

Introduction to Early Intervention provides an overview of early intervention from historical, legal, and current best-practices perspectives. The course introduces ways to care for infants and toddlers who are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities or who already have such conditions. Students explore key aspects of consultation, assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration, service coordination, techniques of intervention, and family-centered services with a focus on culturally responsive practices. The course emphasizes the collaborative development, implementation, and evaluation of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) as the framework for early intervention.

Organization and Management of Early Childhood Programs addresses the organizational and administrative practices that apply to programs serving children ages birth to 8 years old. The course emphasizes ways to plan, organize, manage, and evaluate programs and facilities for children. It covers NH licensing rules, marketing, public relations, customer service, federal and state funding, fiscal management, NAEYC accreditation, as well as hiring, motivating, and evaluating staff. It also covers the importance of community service and leadership for ECE program directors. Students study with an ECE credentialed administrator/mentor in an approved setting for fifteen hours to create a "Director Planning" section for their professional portfolio.

Sociology of Children and Families provides an overview of adverse childhood experiences (ACES) and the impact of ACES on the physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development of young children. Students learn about the effects that family culture, economic status, and current societal issues have on the development of young children, along with the types of social-emotional learning (SEL) that can mitigate negative influences. The course introduces the Social and Emotional Development domain of the NH Early Learning Standards and offers techniques to reduce biases in classrooms. Students create SEL lesson plans and activities to add to their professional portfolios. Additionally, they learn about and develop effective models for teacher/program/family partnerships that provide information and support for families.