Early Childhood Studies
Admissions Contact
Undergraduate Recruitment & Admissions
(860) 832-2278
admissions@ccsu.edu

Academic Contact

Lori Blake
Early Childhood Program Coordinator, Assistant Professor
Literacy, Elementary, & Early Childhood Education
Center for Teaching and Innovation
860.832.2184
lblake@ccsu.edu

Academic Department

Literacy, Elementary, & Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Studies, BS

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies will be qualified to assume a variety of roles within the field of early childhood education and will be positioned well for continued studies in early childhood or related fields of study. Graduates will be eligible to apply for a LEVEL I (Infant Family Associate) Endorsement to the Connecticut Infant Mental Health Association (CT-AIMH), become an Early Childhood professional and a Quality Staff Member (Lead Teacher) in a state-funded early learning program, and will be positioned to enter graduate degree programs in early childhood or closely related fields. 

Mission

The Early Childhood Studies program (birth through age 8) prepares professionals who are reflective practitioners that will be able to provide and design a child-centered developmentally appropriate learning environment, for children that is safe and nurturing; promotes and stimulates each child’s social/emotional, physical, cognitive and aesthetic development; develops high-quality early learning programs that are informed by policy, research, and practice; and prepares students to become teacher leaders, dedicated to serve as advocates for and work in a trusting, respectful, reciprocal relationship with diverse children, families, and communities.

Fieldwork and practicum experiences are an essential component of the Early Childhood Studies degree program. These carefully designed experiences provide opportunities to connect coursework with authentic practice, allowing students to apply theory, develop professional competencies, refine teaching skills, and build confidence while working alongside experienced educators in diverse early childhood settings. Through these experiences, students develop the knowledge, dispositions, and reflective practices necessary to become effective, responsive professionals who positively impact young children and their families.

The Early Childhood Studies program includes fieldwork experiences in the following courses:

Course Number of HoursSemester
EDEC 200304th
EDEC 204306th
EDEC 300305th
EDEC 403150-2007th
EDEC 404150-2008th

Detailed information regarding fieldwork expectations, placement procedures, required documentation, professional responsibilities, and practicum requirements for each course is provided throughout this manual. Students are expected to review the appropriate sections carefully before beginning each field experience.

View the Manual

Learning Outcomes

To produce new professionals who have the requisite knowledge, competencies, and dispositions to become a highly qualified practitioner in the field of early childhood, our program goals have been aligned to the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s (NAEYC) Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals. Specifically, graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Studies will be...

  1. Knowledgeable and competent in child development and learning in multiple contexts, graduates will be grounded in an understanding of the developmental period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains and will understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations and contexts
  2. Knowledgeable and competent in understanding family–teacher partnerships and community connections, graduates will understand that successful early childhood education depends upon educators’ partnerships with the diverse families of the young children they serve and with the community resources that support young children’s learning, development and their families.
  3. Knowledgeable and competent in child observation, documentation, and various assessment strategies and tools, graduates will understand that the primary purposes of assessments are to inform instruction and planning and in doing so to partner with families and professionals.
  4. Knowledgeable and competent in developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate teaching practices, graduates will understand that teaching and learning with young children is a complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages and characteristics and on the settings in which teaching and learning occur.
  5. Knowledgeable and competent in the application, and integration of academic content in the early childhood curriculum, graduates will have knowledge of and implementational skills in the content of the academic disciplines (e.g., language and literacy, the arts, mathematics, social studies, science, technology and engineering, physical education) and of the pedagogical methods for teaching each discipline.
  6. Knowledgeable and competent in professionalism as an early childhood educator and will identify and participate as members of the early childhood profession, graduates will be ready to practice reflectively and ethically and to serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the children in their care, and for the early childhood profession.