Early Childhood Education & Care » Program Syllabus & Recommendations

Program Syllabus & Recommendations

Early Childhood Education & Care

Early Childhood Education & Care can be extremely rewarding if you enjoy working with children. This program prepares you for a future career in many different settings including preschools, elementary education and park districts. This program is an excellent foundation for continuing on to college for careers in education. 
 

What will my classes be like?

Studying basic philosophies of early childhood education, preparing lesson plans and implementing them in the on-site laboratory preschool are just a few of the aspects of the program. The skills you acquire here will set you on the path to an exciting career in education.
 

Course Goals/Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
 
  • Identify the various types of early childhood education and care programs
  • Demonstrate knowledge of child development, principles and theories
  • Identify characteristics of various ages and stages of early childhood
  • Ability to promote children’s health and safety
  • Establish classroom limits
  • Demonstrate the ability to handle daily routines
  • Demonstrate knowledge and ability to guide different areas of the preschool classroom
 

Program Components

There are three areas of the program:
 

Areas  

Knowledge Application
Classroom Theory/Level1 ECE
Lesson Planning LessonPlans/Self-Assessment
Preschool Hands-on Lab
 
Course Outlines (Syllabus)
Topic-based outline for first year students on a regular schedule for high school credit:
 

Skill 

Time Frame
Mastery of Age Appropriate Child Growth & Development August-September
Support Intellectual Emotional and Social
Development through Positive Guidance
 October
Learning Experiences for Children  November-December
Maintaina Safe & Healthy Environment January-February
Demonstrate Knowledge of Programs,Special Needs Parent Involvement and Child Care Careers March 
Professionalism  April-May
 
Curriculum sequence for The Gateways to Opportunity ECE Credential Level 1 High School Training
 

Module Number*

Module Title*

Approx. date of delivery
1 Child Development Overview 9/3
2a Health Issues for Group Care 9/10
2b Nutrition Issues for Group Care 10/30
2c Safety Issues for Group Care 10/14
3 Observation and Guidance 10/28
4 Learning Happens in Relationships 11/11
5 Family and Community Relationships 11/25
6 Personal and Professional Development 12/9
7a Child Growth and Development, Birth-8 months 1/6
7b Child Growth and Development, 8 months-18 months 1/13
7c Child Growth and Development, 18 months-36 months 1/27
8a Preschool Age Child-Social Emotional Development 2/10
8b Preschool Age Child-Physical Development 2/24
8c Preschool Age Child-Language Development 3/10
8d Preschool Age Child-Cognitive Development 2/24
9 The School-Age Child 4/7


Assessments Standards/Grading Practices

ECEC High School Syllabus
There is a test after each goal completion.
 
An assessment is taken after each module from the Level 1 ECE.
 
Semester grades are based on the following:
  • Skills and Goals, 80%
  • Professionalism, 20%
 
Grading Scale
90%-100%  A
80%-89% B
70%-79% C
60%-69% D
59%and under F
 
 

College Credit Opportunities

 
Level 1 ECE credential
 
Students may earn college credit while also earning high school credit in the following College of DuPage class:
 
ECE 1100 Student must meet College of DuPage criteria
 

Field Experiences

Extended Campus/Job Shadow experiences available (see instructor for details)
 

Career Pathways

AuPair
Nanny
Teacher Assistant
Elementary School Teacher
Recreational Child Specialist
Family Child Care Provider
Lead Teacher (child careprogram)
Teaching & Training
Professional Support Services
Administration

For sample occupations and postsecondary educational requirements, visit:

www.careertech.org and click on“Career Clusters & Pathways”


Placement Guidelines/Recommendations:

 
We are confident that the Early Childhood Education & Care Program at Technology Center of DuPage is a positive and productive learning opportunity for DuPage County students. With this in mind, the following academic guidelines are recommendations intended to assist in scheduling students for success.
 
If a student considering Early Childhood Education & Care has questions about one or more of these guidelines, contact a guidance representative from the home high school to clarify individual situations.
 

Academic Readiness:

  • Mathematics
    • add, subtract, multiply & divide whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
    • only single operation problems must be solved
    • basic geometric concepts
  • Literacy
    • read and comprehend at 7th grade level
    • understand multiple step instructiondecode words
  • Writing
    • ability to write in complete sentences
    • ability to transfer preschool observations into written form
  • Attendance
    • Students are expected to attend and effectively participate in program experiences to be successful in the Technology Center of DuPage experience.
    • 95% attendance is expected of successful students in this program.

Professional Skills:

 
Early Child Education and Care students are also expected to effectively display skills and abilities in:
  • Reasoning and Problem Solving
    • recognize the nature of a problem
    • anticipate a possible problem
    • think of news ideas and creative ways to solve problems
    • identify problems and review information
    • analyze options and apply solutions
    • remember information such as words, numbers, pictures and procedures
    • use reasoning to discover answers to problems
    • judge the costs and benefits of a possible action
  • Managing Oneself, People, Time and Things
    • ability to demonstrate time management skills
    • be able to stay on task
    • be self-motivated
    • ability to demonstrate cost effectiveness
  • Working with People
    • be respectful of peers, teachers, preschool children & preschool families
    • ability to demonstrate teamwork skills
    • exhibit appropriate verbal & nonverbal behavior in a preschool setting
    • A willingness to learn and be flexible
  • Perceiving and Visualizing
    • imagine how something will look if it is moved around or its parts are rearranged
    • know one’s location in a physical setting and recognize where other objects are located in relation to oneself