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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

Director: Candace Jaruszewicz, MEd

Overview

This 64-credit two-year program is designed to meet entry-level Pennsylvania requirements for assistant teachers in private preschools and kindergartens, as well as child care and Head Start programs. With two years experience, the student will be qualified to be a head teacher in both child care and Head Start classrooms. With three years of experience, a person with an Associate Degree in Early Childhood is qualified to direct or administer a child care program.

For those who decide later to continue their education, all credits earned in the program will transfer to the four-year baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood/Special Education. The graduating student would then be well-prepared to enter the graduate program in Early Intervention.

Program Requirements

Credits

Required Courses

Professional Education Core (14 credits)

• Planning and Managing Instruction
• Children with Exceptional Needs
• Three-week Practicum I
• Three-week Practicum II
• Three-week Practicum III
• Associate Degree Student Teaching
• Associate Degree Professional Seminar

Required Education Courses (15 credits)

• Child Development
• Early Reading and Literacy
• Children's Literature
• Physical Well-being of the Child
• Expressive Arts

Early Childhood Block (9 credits)

• Early Childhood Education Overview
• Early Care and Education
• Integrated Curriculum in Preschool and Kindergarten

Special Education Block (14 credits)

• Instruction and Management of all Exceptionalities I:
  Early Intervention and Preschool
• Collaboration and Partnerships
• Programming and Assessment

Professional Outlook

Data indicates that approximately 95% of students seeking teaching positions after graduation are successful in securing jobs.

Field Placement Experiences

As an education major at Gannon University, students will gain experience in a variety of school settings. Beginning with the spring semester of the freshman year, they will work with students and teachers to test classroom theories in the practical settings of day care centers, pre-schools, kindergartens or elementary schools. These practical experiences culminate in a full semester of student teaching in the senior year, when students will be responsible for the entire classroom curriculum.

Teacher-Trainee Option

The Teacher-Trainee Option is offered to students of the Erie Diocese. It is a cooperative work program in which trainees pursue a major in Early Childhood or Elementary Education for two full years and four summers.

During the junior and senior years, the trainees assume teaching responsibilities in elementary schools in the Erie Diocese. Upon completion, trainees receive a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education. While teaching, trainees work under the close supervision of qualified teachers, school principals and University personnel.