Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education
University of Arkansas Fort Smith
Key Information
Campus location
Fort Smith, USA
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
Request info
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
Request info
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2023
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
The Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education degree is a 60 credit hour, four-semester program. It is designed primarily for preschool workers and P-4 teaching assistants or paraprofessionals who do not seek admission into a teacher licensure program, and coursework is designed to address the birth to age 5 population. Additionally, students who are successful in completing the degree will meet the educational component of the Arkansas Birth through Prekindergarten Teaching Credential awarded by the Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education.
Based on the standards set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), students who complete the A.A.S. in Early Childhood Education will be able to:
Show an understanding of young children’s developmental stages of learning from birth through age eight creates healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children.
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity in the community and the classroom by engaging families and communities in respectful, reciprocal relationships that foster classroom development.
Exhibit understanding of the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment as they work with young children by using developmentally-appropriate assessment to develop curriculum, use teaching strategies, and set goals for their pre-kindergarten students.
Demonstrate an understanding of early childhood best practices by creating diverse and differentiated teaching strategies to help young children engage in their learning and diverse developmental stages. Candidates will practice self-reflection to promote positive outcomes in their teaching, and they will use a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies/learning approaches.