Online Early Childhood Education Associates Degree Online: Course Curriculum

Published Nov 05, 2009

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An online early childhood education associate degree program is a good choice for students who want to study early childhood education but would like to be able to take classes at home. Early childhood education associate degree programs provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work in early childhood education as daycare workers, nannies, preschool teachers and elementary school teaching aides.

Online Early Childhood Education Associate Degree Course Curriculum

Online associate degree programs in early childhood education prepare students for childcare and educational professions. The focus in these programs is generally on the healthy mental and physical growth of children. Some programs provide specialized courses for different age groups, including infants, toddlers and school-age children. Graduates of online early childhood education associate degree programs are ready to begin work after graduation, but may also choose to enter into a 4-year degree program in a related field. Courses that students may be required to take in order to earn their degree include:

  • Literature for Children: A survey of literature, both poetry and proses, appropriate for children of various ages.
  • Child Psychology: This course includes instruction in the unique psychological characteristics of children as well as a consideration of the implications child psychology has on education and policy.
  • Teaching Exceptional Children: Students in this class learn how to work with children who have special social mental, physical and emotional needs.
  • Child Development: Topics covered in this course include the development of children's emotional, physical and intellectual well being in addition to development over the course of childhood from infancy to school age.
  • Observing Young Children's Behavior: An exploration of the ways proper observation of young children can be used to develop both clinical reports and class curricula.
  • Teaching Through Play: The central idea in this course is that play can be an effective means of teaching children in subjects like math, geography, history and science.
  • Infant and Toddler Development: This course covers the growth and development of infants and toddlers in areas like motor skills, social skills, emotion, cognition and language.
  • Special Education for Early Childhood: Concerns specific to the education of young special needs children, including laws and official procedures governing the teaching of these children, are the focus of this class.
  • Writing for Education: Designed to help future teachers develop writing skills to be used in the classroom, students in this writing-intensive course learn effective communication.

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