Early Childhood Development

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences offers a broad education aimed at developing the professionals of tomorrow for men and women interested in working in careers associated with Early Childhood, Fashion Merchandising, Interior Design, and Vocational Family & Consumer Sciences Education. The Early Childhood Development program prepares individuals to work with children ages birth through eight, families, and programs serving individuals and families within communities.

Mission Statement

The Early Childhood Development option seeks to prepare professionals who will work with children and families or with programs for the betterment of children and families. Students and faculty share the responsibility for learning, discovering and applying knowledge.

Career Opportunities

See Career Opportunities page at http://www.pittstate.edu/fcs/CareerOppECD.html

Early Childhood Development Compentencies

Students will:

• Acquire knowledge of child development principles for birth through eight years of age.
• Acquire knowledge of curriculum development as it relates to developmentally appropriate practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of and skill in program leadership through professional decision making, delegation, giving feedback to others and willingness to accept feedback on their own performance.
• View themselves as having a special area of knowledge from which they can positively affect the lives of families and children.

PSU Early Childhood Laboratory

The Child Development Laboratory provides an onsite opportunity for observation of and interaction with preschool age children. Students participate with children as they implement curriculum and practice using child management and guidance skills learned in lecture courses. Instructors in the labs provide supervision of the students as they work with the children.

Link to Preschool Lab.

Research & Resources

• What to look for in childcare
• Types of knowledge according to Piaget
• NAEYC Early Childhood Internet Resources
• KDHE Child Care Licensing and Registration Section
• Answers to commonly asked questions about Developmentally Appropriate Practice
• White House Conference on Early Childhood Development and Learning
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Time Magazine special report on brain Development
  • "FERTILE MINDS"
• Write papers using the APA format.
  • The Writing Center
  • Guidelines for Writing in APA Style

Curriculum

ECD Program of Study

Core courses

Student teaching: Students complete a student teaching experience in two settings. They are in the child development preschool lab for a part of their experience and then either in a Head Start program or an infant/toddler program. The second placement depends on each individual student's career goals. All early childhood develoment students are directed toward this experience.

Internship: In addition to student teachig students have the possibility to complete an internship. These are where students participate in an internship to further develop their area of expertise related to their specific goal. Under rare cercumstances students complete an internship in place of a student teaching experience. This must be approved by the student's advisor to serve as a substituition.

Electives: Student can focus electives on what will best prepare them for their chosen career. Common choices are in the areas of program leadership, physical education, intervention or literacy.

Areas of Special Interest

• Infant/Toddler
• Preschool Age
• School Age
• Community Programs