The associate degree and Certificate in Early Childhood Education provide the theoretical studies and practical experiences that prepare the graduate to care for and teach children from infancy through age eight in a variety of early childhood education and care settings. Graduates may be qualified for employment opportunities in child development and child care programs, preschools, nurseries, head start, after school programs, and private kindergartens. Degree graduates may also be eligible for employment as a paraprofessional in the public school setting in kindergarten through third grade. For students looking to pursue an education beyond the associate degree, the degree program is designed to provide transferability to bachelor degree programs in Early Childhood Education. Students work closely with their academic advisor for proper course selection and sequencing to prepare for transferability.
The Early Childhood Education degree and certificate course curriculum follows the standards of the National Association of the Education of the Young Child Degree Standards for Preparing Early Childhood Professionals. The degree also provides general education courses that offer the student the opportunity to develop an understanding and knowledge of concepts and skills that support the development of the educated person. Supervised practicum field experiences provide direct experience with the young child in an early childhood setting. Future early childhood teachers are encouraged to gain extended practical experience with young children by completing observation experiences offered in many of the courses.
Students in this program are advised that to participate in the practicum field experience, and to gain employment working with young children, they must be free of criminal convictions as required by the NH Bureau of Child Care Licensing and the NH Department of Education. It is now required that students complete the fingerprinting process through State Police or DMV in order to participate in the ECE practicum field experience. The student may incur fees in meeting these requirements. The College must insure that students in the program do not put themselves or children in jeopardy during the practicum field experience.
TECHNICAL STANDARDS
Technical Standards have been established to provide guidance to students as to skills and abilities required to function successfully in the program and ultimately in the Early Childhood Education profession. Applicants who feel they may not be able to meet one or more of the technical standards should contact department faculty to discuss individual cases.
The Early Childhood Education Department will seriously consider all academically qualified candidates provided that the technical standards can be met with or without reasonable accommodations. No essential technical standards will be waived or modified. Information on the Technical Standards for this program is also available in the Technical Standards section of this catalog.
Students in Early Childhood Education program must have sufficient strength, stamina, motor coordination and sensory capabilities to perform the following:
- Standing for sustained periods of time, walking, running, bending, and sitting on the floor to meet children’s needs and accomplish tasks;
- Frequent lifting, moving and transferring children, especially infants and toddlers;
- Sufficient visual and hearing acuity to ensure a safe environment; and ability to respond quickly to children, colleagues, and professional partners in the event of emergency;
- Sufficient verbal ability to express and exchange information and ideas as well as to interpret important instructions to children, colleagues, professional partners, and parents;
- Sufficient skills in written expression to accurately record children’s daily progress and milestones as well as medications administered, accident and suspected child abuse/neglect reports, etc.;
- Ability to work with frequent interruptions, to respond appropriately to unexpected situations including situations requiring immediate crisis response and role responsibility exchange; to demonstrate safe and required care for children, families, colleagues and the workplace as a whole; and to cope with substantial variations in workload and stress levels;
- Ability to consistently attend and participate in classes and practice in a timely manner;
- Ability to demonstrate and maintain organizational skills and time management in classes and at the practicum site;
- Ability to respond to children’s personal needs, including changing diapers, in a manner that safeguards the health and safety of the student, children, and staff;
- Ability to work in a professional and respectful manner with a diverse range of children including children of different races, cultures, religions, and ethnicities as well as children with a wide range of disabling conditions;
- Ability to maintain proper boundaries in both the school and home environments; and
- Ability and disposition to adhere to and practice the Code of Ethical Conduct set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
NCC reserves the right to amend its technical standards at anytime and impose them on all current students.
Upon the completion of the degree in Early Childhood Education, graduates will be able to:
- Promote Child Development and Learning in Context Early childhood educators are grounded in an understanding of the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains. They understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations. Early childhood educators understand that children learn and develop within relationships and within multiple contexts, including families, cultures, languages, communities, and society. They use this multidimensional knowledge to make evidence based decisions about how to carry out their responsibilities.
- Build Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections Early childhood educators understand that successful early childhood education depends upon educators’ partnerships with the families of the young children they serve. They know about, understand, and value the diversity in family characteristics. Early childhood educators use this understanding to create respectful, responsive, reciprocal relationships with families and to engage with them as partners in their young children’s development and learning. They use community resources to support young children’s learning and development and to support children’s families, and they build connections between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies.
- Understand Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment Early childhood educators understand that the primary purpose of assessments is to inform instruction and planning in early learning settings. They know how to use observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches and tools. Early childhood educators use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically grounded and developmentally, culturally, ability, and linguistically appropriate to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child. Early childhood educators build assessment partnerships with families and professional colleagues.
- Use Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices Early childhood educators understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages and characteristics and on the settings in which teaching and learning occur. They understand and demonstrate positive, caring, supportive relationships and interactions as the foundation for their work with young children. They understand and use teaching skills that are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of each child. Early childhood educators use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, and evidence-based teaching approaches that reflect the principles of universal design for learning.
- Demonstrate Knowledge, Application and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum Early childhood educators have knowledge of the content of the academic disciplines (e.g., language and literacy, the arts, mathematics, social studies, science, technology and engineering, physical education) and of the pedagogical methods for teaching each discipline. They understand the central concepts, the methods and tools of inquiry, and the structures in each academic discipline. Educators understand pedagogy, including how young children learn and process information in each discipline, the learning trajectories for each discipline, and how teachers use this knowledge to inform their practice They apply this knowledge using early learning standards and other resources to make decisions about spontaneous and planned learning experiences and about curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation to ensure that learning will be stimulating, challenging, and meaningful to each child.
- Demonstrate Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator Early childhood educators identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession. They serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession. They know and use ethical guidelines and other early childhood professional guidelines. They have professional communication skills that effectively support their relationships and work with young children, families, and colleagues. Early childhood educators are continuous, collaborative learners who develop and sustain the habit of reflective and intentional practice in their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.
- Complete Early Childhood Field Experience Early Childhood educators participate in field experiences and clinical practices that are planned and sequenced for students to develop the knowledge, skills and professional dispositions necessary to promote the development and learning of young children across the entire developmental period of early childhood – in at least two of the three early childhood age groups (birth- age 3, 3 through 5, 5 through 8 years) and in the variety of settings that offer early education (early school grades, child care centers and homes, Head Start programs).
1-7 NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (naeyc.org, 2020)
In addition, the graduate will be able to demonstrate competency in the general education outcomes.
This degree meets requirements for State of New Hampshire DHHS Bureau of Child Development and Head Start Collaboration credential of Childhood Educator II.