Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education (ECE) majors join the fast growing field of early care and education. There is great demand for certified early childhood and early childhood special education teachers. By combining intensive coursework with multiple field placements, our students graduate with the skills necessary to succeed in inclusive classrooms. Students enrolled in the ECE program learn to:

• teach children birth through second grade in inclusive and special education classrooms, develop curriculum, and collaborate with families and specialists in the community;
• be an early interventionist, working with children with developmental disabilities
• teach children by assessing their skills and using interventions to help them learn how to develop fully and to be successful; the program’s developmental emphasis teaches students how to match instructional strategies and materials to children’s social-psychological, cognitive and physical maturity.
• apply for a 4+1 program, earning graduates an ECE undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in a specialty area.

Collaborate across the University of Delaware

ECE students partner with Engineering students to complete a collaborative toy project. ECE students serve as consultants, providing child development information to engineering students who design age-appropriate toys for the Laboratory School.

ECE majors frequently visit UD’s Childrens Campus, where the Early Learning Center and Laboratory School service children and families in Delaware. Students can complete classroom observations and placements at these sites, where they are supported by exceptional teachers and classroom technology.