Renee Higgins
Director, Division of Education
D134
scheiter@jwcc.edu
217-641-4334
Early Childhood Education
Associate in Applied Science
The
associate in applied science degree in early childhood education is designed
to prepare students for employment as child care workers and teachers.
Students learn the fundamentals of caring for children and how to select and
organize various activities for children, as well as health and safety.
Activities are designed for children from infancy through age 12. An
internship integrating classroom instruction is required for all students.
The demand for skilled, college-educated child care workers and teachers has increased dramatically in recent years. Child care workers and teachers are employed in day care centers, pre-schools, family day care homes, and before-/after-school programs. In addition to enjoying interacting with children, child care workers must be able to plan, organize, and implement activities for children that help the child develop academically, socially, and physically. They must be able to create a warm, consistent, and nurturing environment that encourages the development of each child to the fullest.
Applicants for the program must possess either a high school diploma or a GED diploma. Qualified applicants will be admitted into the program based on the date of the applications. Students will be placed into mathematics and English classes based upon assessment scores.
Before starting the internship, the student will be required to submit a current record of a physical examination, indicating good physical and mental health. According to regulations of the Department of Children and Family Services, a background check, concerning child abuse, will be done on each student and satisfactory clearance must be met.
NOTE: Only students who do not need additional coursework and who take the number of credits or courses as listed each semester can complete the program in the time given. Others will take longer to complete.
REQUIRED COURSES
| FIRST SEMESTER | |
| CSC 106 Intro to Computers | 3 |
| EDU 102 Intro to Early Childhood Educ | 3 |
| EDU 110 Hlth & Safety of Young Children | 3 |
| EDU 160 Art & the Young Child | 3 |
| EDU 180 Music & the Young Child | 2 |
| ENG 101 Rhet & Comp I | 3 |
| 17 | |
| SECOND SEMESTER | |
| EDU 202 Child Growth & Development | 3 |
| EDU 204 Intro to Tech in Education | 3 |
| EDU 210 Lang & Lit for Young Child | 3 |
| EDU 220 Guidance of Young Children | 3 |
| EDU 240 Science for Young Children | 3 |
| Math Requirement * | 3 |
| 18 | |
| THIRD SEMESTER | |
| CMN 101 Prin of Speech I OR CMN 104 Interpersonal Comm |
3 |
| EDU 230 Math for Young Children | 3 |
| EDU 271 Working with Families & the Community | 3 |
| ENG 102 Rhet & Comp II OR ENG 191 Business Writing |
3 |
| PSY 101 Intro to Psychology OR SOC 101 Intro to Sociology |
3 |
| Early Childhood Education Electives** | 3 |
| 18 | |
| FOURTH SEMESTER | |
| EDU 260 Curriculum for Early Childhood Programs | 3 |
| EDU 280 Internship/Early Childhood Educ | 3 |
| PSY 123 Career Management | 1 |
| Early Childhood Education Electives** | 3 |
| Elective | 1 |
| 11 |
* Choose from AAS general education math except MAT 100-Technical Mathematics
** Early Childhood Education Electives: EDU 100-Introduction to Education, EDU 101-Foundations of Education, EDU 150-Caring for Infants & Toddlers, EDU 171-Play & Motor Activities for Young Children, EDU 201-Educational Psychology, EDU 205-Introduction to Special Education, EDU 215-Assessment & Evaluation of Young Children, EDU 251-Child Care Administration, EDU 281-Seminar in Child Care, PSY 108-Applied Psychology, SOC 221-Social Psychology