Western Washington University · Bellingham, Washington
Early Childhood Education (P-3), BAEd
What Is the Study of Early Childhood Education?
The program in early childhood education consists of an academic major in Early Childhood Education and a sequence of professional certification courses that lead to teacher licensure Pre-K through third grade. Upon completion of the program, candidates can work in childcare centers, preschools, Head Start programs, and primary grades in public schools. The course work offers a combination of theory, methods, and field experiences in a variety of early childhood education.
Students seeking a bachelor’s degree with teacher certification and an endorsement in early childhood education (P-3) must complete the General University Requirements, the Early Childhood Education (P-3) Major, and the professional education coursework.
Why Should I Consider this Major?
The Early Childhood Education (P-3) major has several unique program features:
- Students attend classes with other early childhood education students as a cohort group throughout the program.
- Students gain experience in teaching children in three age groups (infant/toddlers, pre-primary and primary) and in a variety of settings.
- Students are taught to understand and respect intercultural/familial diversity as they learn to develop partnerships with families.
- Students learn to use inquiry tools and process for developing meaningful and integrated learning experiences for young children.
How to Declare:
Admission to the Elementary Education Professional Program is required before a student may begin taking courses in the Professional Sequence. Requirements for consideration of an application include:
- Completion of at least 45 credits.
- Cumulative overall, or last 45 credits, GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Satisfaction of the testing requirement: Pass the WEST-B
- English composition course with a grade of B- or higher.
Experiences with children, strong interpersonal communication skills, and other skills helpful in teaching are given special emphasis. An essay, to be written on site, is required at the time of application.
Meeting the above criteria makes the applicant eligible for admission, but does not guarantee admission. For further information, visit Teacher Education Admissions, Miller Hall 214, 360-650-3313 or visit the web site at www.wce.wwu.edu/admiss. See also: Elementary Education Professional Program Guide
Coursework
Students seeking a bachelor’s degree with teacher certification and an endorsement in early childhood education (P-3) must complete
the General University Requirements, the Early Childhood Education (P-3) Major, and the professional education course work below.
Required courses
44 credits
- ECE 390 - Infant and Toddler Practicum and Seminar
- ECE 391 - Preschool Practicum and Seminar
- ECE 431 - Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education
- ECE 438 - Family and Community Relationships
- ECE 435 - Child Abuse and Neglect
- ECE 434 - Environments for Early Childhood Education
- ECE 439 - Curriculum Planning in Early Childhood Education
- ECE 430 - Creativity & Play in ECE
- ECE 432 - Social Studies for Early
- SPED 443 - Early Development Variations
- SPED 444 - Assessment and Intervention in Early Childhood Special Education
Elective courses (3-5 credits)
- Select one elective course from the following:
- ANTH 481 - Childhood and Culture
- CSD 251 - Introduction to Communication Disorders
- CSD 354 - Speech and Language Development in Children
- EDUC 309 - Storytelling: Oral Narrative in History, Culture,
- and Society
- ENG 442 - Studies in Literacy and Learning
- HSP 315 - Human Development and Human Services
- TESL 401 - Introduction to English Linguistics for TESOL
Early Childhood Education Professional Program (75 credits)
- ECE 380 - Foundations of Literacy for Early Childhood Education
- ECE 495 - Internship - Preschool
- ECE 496 - Internship - Primary
- ECE 498 - Seminar in Early Childhood Education (2 credits with ECE 495; 2 credits with ECE 496)
- EDUC 301 - Educational Psychology I: Development and Individual Differences
- EDUC 302 - Educational Psychology II: Motivation, Learning and Assessment
- EDUC 310 - Education, Culture, and Equity
- ELED 480 - Literacy: Beginning Communicators
- IT 344 - Basic Instructional Technology Skills
- IT 442 - Classroom Use of Instructional Technology (Elementary)
- MATH 381 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics I
- MATH 382 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics II
- MATH 383 - Teaching K-8 Mathematics III
- PE 345 - Physical Education for Elementary School
- SCED 480 - Science Methods and Curriculum for the Elementary School
- SCED 490 - Laboratory/Field Experience in Elementary Science
- SPED 364 - Teaching Each Student
- SPED 430 - Problem Solving for Diverse Needs
GURs:
The courses below satisfy GUR requirements and may also be used to fulfill major requirements.
BCOM/CCOM: EDUC 309
Sample Careers
- Elementary Education Teacher (P-3)
- Head Start
- Childcare
Department
Contact
Department Chair:
Joanne Carney
MH 301E
360-650-2163
Joanne.Carney@wwu.edu
Program Director:
Eileen Hughes
MH 303A
360-650-3416
Eileen.Hughes@wwu.edu
Assistant Professor:
Marilyn Chu
MH 302B
360-650-2737
Marilyn.Chu@wwu.edu
Undergraduate Advisor and Program Manager:
Ellen Kreider
MH 301D
(360) 650-7948
Ellen.Kreider@wwu.edu
Teacher Education Admissions
MH 150
360-650-3313
www.wce.wwu.edu/admiss