MCCCD Program Description

Major: 3124 Catalog Year: 2023-2024 Effective Term: 2014 Fall Last Admit Term: 2015 Spring Award: AAS Total Credits: 63-68 CIP Code: 13.1209	Primary College: Initiating College: Rio Salado College Program Availability: Not Found Program Availability: Shared Program Availability: CGC MCC RSC SCC Field of Interest: Not Found Instructional Council: Early Childhood Education (62) GPA: 2.00
SOC Code:

Description: The Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Early Learning and Development program is designed to prepare individuals to enter the workforce as Early Childhood Professionals and to assist individuals employed in the field to upgrade and expand their skills. The program emphasizes the roles of early care and education professionals, families and the wider society as they together meet the contemporary needs of young children. Course work includes the principles of developmental science, professionalism in early childhood work, philosophies and methods of early learning, and the impact of standards on practice. To apply planning, management and evaluation skills, students will observe, participate, and intern in state licensed early childhood programs.

Suggested Course Plan Sequenced by Semester: RS, CG, MC, SC

Required Courses

ECH128 Early Learning: Play and the Arts 3
EED200 Foundations of Early Childhood Education 3
EED212 Guidance, Management and the Environment 3
EED215 Early Learning: Health, Safety, Nutrition and Fitness 3
EED220 Child, Family, Community and Culture 3
EED222 Introduction to the Exceptional Young Child: Birth to Age Eight 3
EED245 Early Learning: Language Acquisition and Literacy Development 3
+ EED255 Portfolio Development and Writing for the Profession 3
+ EED260 Early Childhood Infant/Toddler Internship 1
+ EED261 Early Childhood Preschool Internship 1
+ EED278 Early Learning: Curriculum and Instruction - Birth/Preschool 3
+ EED280 Standards, Observation and Assessment of Typical/Atypical Behaviors of Young Children Birth to Age Eight 3

Credits: 32

Restricted Electives
Students must complete one of the following Blocks: Block One: Infant and Toddler Development: ITD200 The Physical Child: Birth to Age Three 3 ITD210 Early Attachments, Relationships and Families: Birth to Age Three 3 ITD220 Cognition and Communication: Birth to Age Three 3 Block Two: Family Child Care Management: CFS163 Family Child Care: Introduction to Business Management 3 CFS164 Family Child Care: Curriculum and Environment 3 CFS207 Organization and Community Leadership in Child and Family Organizations 3 Block Three: Early Childhood Business Management: CFS206 Child and Family Organizations: Management and Administration 3 CFS207 Organization and Community Leadership in Child and Family Organizations 3 CFS208 Child and Family Organizations: Fiscal Management and Grant Writing 3 Block Four: Any CFS, ECH, EED, ITD or FCS prefixed courses not listed in the Required Courses area 9 CFS+++++ Any CFS Child/Family Studies course(s) 1-9 ECH+++++ Any ECH Early Childhood Education course(s) except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area. 1-9 EED+++++ Any EED Early Education course(s) except courses used to satisfy Required Courses area. 1-9 ITD+++++ Any ITD Infant/Toddler Development course(s) 1-9 FCS+++++ Any FCS Family and Consumer Science course(s) 1-9	Credits: 9

General Electives
	Credits:

General Education Requirements

General Education Requirement	Credits: 22-27

General Education Core	Credits: 12-17

First-Year Composition	Credits: 6
+ ENG101 First-Year Composition (3) OR + ENG107 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) AND + ENG102 First-Year Composition (3) OR + ENG108 First-Year Composition for ESL (3) 6

Oral Communication	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course in the Oral Communication area. 3

Critical Reading	Credits: 0-3
+ CRE101 College Critical Reading (3) OR Equivalent as indicated by assessment. 0-3

Mathematics	Credits: 3-5
Any approved general education course in the Mathematics area. 3-5

General Education Distribution	Credits: 10

Humanities, Arts and Design	Credits: 3
Any approved general education course in the Humanities, Arts and Design area. 3

Social-Behavioral Sciences	Credits: 3
CFS/ECH176 Child Development (3) OR EED205 The Developing Child: Prenatal to Age Eight (3) OR CFS235 Developing Child: Theory into Practice, Prenatal - Age 8 (3) 3

Natural Sciences	Credits: 4
Any approved general education course in the Natural Sciences area. 4

Program Competencies
1. Explain the importance of play, creativity and the arts in contemporary early childhood programs, and how they support early learning. (ECH128) 2. Demonstrate planning, management and evaluation skills related to developmentally appropriate play, arts, and learning activities. (ECH128, EED261) 3. Review the emerging professionalism of the field of early childhood education, including a code of ethical conduct. (EED200) 4. Identify theories, standards, and public policy within the field and describe how these influence early childhood programs. (EED200) 5. Describe how developmental characteristics, individual needs, adult expectations and cultural contexts influence the behavior of children from birth through age eight. (EED212) 6 Describe policies, practices and regulations which ensure the health and safety of young children in group settings. (EED215) 7. Describe the nutritional needs of young children from birth on and explain how these needs are met with food selection, food preparation, and daily eating/feeding routines. (EED215) 8. Explain how community diversity and demographics influence early childhood programs, professionals, and the young children and families served. (EED220) 9. Identify appropriate professional responses that ensure the social and emotional well-being of young children including identification of child maltreatment. (EED220) 10. Describe the process of identification, referral and assessment of young children whose development differs from the average. (EED222) 11. Identify strategies for inclusion, instruction, and support for the exceptional young child within the contexts of family, community and early childhood programs. (EED222) 12. Describe how young children develop language, literacy and writing skills and how adults support literacy development. (EED245) 13 Construct a portfolio which demonstrates professional development over time in a variety of dimensions, including professional writing samples. (EED255) 14. Contrast current approaches to curriculum for young learners and explain how state standards relate to curriculum and instruction. (EED278) 15. Identify multiple assessment procedures, their strengths, weaknesses and relationship to early learning standards. (ECH128, EED278, EED280) 16. Apply professional knowledge, skills and ethics of the early childhood profession to early learning settings in the community. (EED200, EED260, EED261) 17. Explain how Arizona Learning Standards are applied within programs serving children three to five and five to eight years of age. (EED280)
+ indicates course has prerequisites and/or corequisites. ++ indicates that any suffixed course may be selected. MCCCD Governing Board Approval Date: June 24, 2014

All information published is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, but based on the dynamic nature of the curricular process, course and program information is subject to change in order to reflect the most current information available.