2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
    Oct 09, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Early Childhood Education Minor

Location(s): Brookings Main Campus


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Program Coordinator/Contact

Heidi Sackreiter, Assistant Professor/ECE Coordinator
School of Education, Counseling and Human Development
Pugsley Hall 141
605-688-5039

Program Information

The Early Childhood Education Minor prepares students to promote development of young children in the areas of cognitive, physical, emotional, and social development. Students who complete this academic experience may work with children in various settings including preschool, childcare, before and after school programs, etc. 

Course Delivery Format

Courses in Early Childhood Education are delivered face to face, online and hybrid (face to face and online combination). All ECE courses have practical applications in field experience settings in childcare and Pre-K-Grade 3.

Student Learning Outcomes


Standard 1. Promoting child development and learning

1a: Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs, from birth through Age 8.
1b: Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on early development and learning.

Standard 2. Building family and community relationships

2a: Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.

Standard 3. Observing, documenting, and assessing to support young children and families

3a: Understanding the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment – including its use in development of appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies for young children.

Standard 4. Using developmentally effective approaches

4a: Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with young children.
4b: Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education, including appropriate uses of technology.

Standard 5. Using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum

5b: Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines.

Standard 6. Becoming a professional

6b: Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other early childhood professional guidelines.

Total Required Credits: 18