Early Childhood Education

Minimum Units Required: 60.0 units

Successful completion of this major prepares students to work in the field of early childhood education. Students will learn about child development, health and safety, observation and assessment, and techniques for effective classroom teaching including child guidance, curriculum development, and educating in a culturally respectful manner. One semester of practicum is required. This program aligns with the statewide Early Childhood Education Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP) which is designed to aid in student transfer. The CAP courses include: CDFS 038, CDFS 050, CDFS 053, CDFS 054 (or NUTR 054), CDFS 062, CDFS 063, CDFS 064, and CDFS 065. The Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education is fully transferable to the CSU. Students who meet the CSU’s minimum eligibility requirements are guaranteed priority admission to a CSU campus, though not necessarily to a particular campus or major. With this degree you will be required to take no more than 60 semester or 90 quarter units after transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree if you transfer into a program at the CSU that’s similar to the Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer. To earn the Associate in Science in Early Childhood Education for Transfer, students must: 1. Complete 60 semester units that are eligible for transfer to the California State University, including both of the following: a. The California General Education Transfer Curriculum (Cal-GETC) b. A minimum of 18 semester units in a major or area of emphasis, as determined by Solano Community College District 2. Obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 3. Complete all courses within the major with a minimum grade of C or P if taken on a Pass/No Pass basis

Program Learning Outcomes

• Demonstrate reflective practice in work with young children by building awareness of self as teacher, child as learner, and early childhood pedagogy.

• Demonstrate understanding of the context of individual development including the centrality of family, culture, and community through developing techniques for creating meaningful relationships between home and school.

• Develop curriculum and early care environments that are derived from unbiased observation and assessment of children's interests and developmental levels.

• Demonstrate an understanding of child development theory, current research, and trends in the field, and their application to responsive practice in early care settings.

Program Requirements