Curriculum in Early Childhood Education

For the Degree of Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education

Illinois law and Council on Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for admission to a teacher preparation program pass the Illinois Certification Testing System test of Basic Skills prior to admission. This program focuses on preparing teachers for preschool, kindergarten, and the early primary grades (one through three) of the elementary school. Graduates of the program qualify for the early childhood certificate with early childhood special education approval. A minimum of 128 semester hours of credit, excluding basic military science, is necessary for graduation.

In order to be recommended for certification, candidates are required to maintain UIUC, cumulative, content area, and professional education grade point averages of 2.5 (A=4.0). Candidates should consult their advisor or the Council on Teacher Education for the list of courses used to compute these grade point averages. For teacher education certification requirements applicable to all curricula, see the Council on Teacher Education section elsewhere in this catalog.

General Education Requirements

All courses must be selected from the campus general education course list. (A list of courses approved for the laboratory, speech performance, and health/physical development requirements may be obtained from the college office.)

Hours	Communication Skills
6-7	RHET 105 or 108 and a speech performance elective, or SPCM 111 and 112
0-3	Advanced Composition
6-10	Total

Hours	Mathematics/Science¹
6-8	Life science
6-8	Physical science (mathematics not acceptable)
3	Quantitative Reasoning I
4	MATH 103—Theory of Arithmetic
19-23	Total

Hours	Humanities²
6	Literature
3	MUS 130 or 133—Introd to the Art of Music or Introduction to World Music
3	ART 140—Introduction to Art
12	Total

Hours	Foreign Language
0-12	Three years of one foreign language in high school or completion of the third semester of college-level foreign language.

Hours	American History
3-4	Choose from:
	HIST 170—US Hist to 1877-ACP
	HIST 171—US Hist to 1877
	HIST 172— US Hist Since 1877
	HIST 173—US Hist Since 1877-ACP
	HIST 270—United States History to 1815
	HIST 271—Nineteenth Century America
	HIST 272—Twentieth Century America

Hours	Social Sciences²
4	PSYC 100—Intro Psych
3	PS 101—Intro to US Gov & Pol
3-4	Social and Behavioral sciences elective
10-11	Total

Hours	Health and/or Physical Development
2	Health and/or physical development
2	Total

Hours	Area of Concentration²
18	Additional study in one academic discipline selected from the categories of mathematics, science, social sciences, or humanities. No more than nine of the required eighteen hours may be taken at the 100 level. (Consult an adviser for the list of approved disciplines.)

Hours	Professional Education
2	ART 201—Art in Early Childhood
5	CI 420—Found of Early Childhood Educ
3	CI 421— Prin & Prac in Early Childhood
5	CI 442—Math, Sci, Tech in Early Child
2	CI 444—Early Childhood Ed
3	CI 465— Lang Literacy in EC Educ, I
2	CI 466—Lang Literacy in EC Educ, II
2	CI 468—Children’s Lit for EC Edu
3	Choose one from:
	CI 422—Families, Communities, Schools
	SPED 438— Collaborating with Families
1	EDPR 250—School & Community Experiences
2	EDPR 420—Ed Prac Students with Sp Needs
4	EDPR 432—Ed Prac in Elementary Ed ³
2	EDPR 438—Ed Prac in Sp Fields in Ele Ed
3	EPSY 236—Child Dev For Elemen Teachers
3	EPSY 401—Child Language and Education
3-4	EPS 201/202—Foundations of Education
2	MUS 345— Mus Methods in Early Childhood
3	SPED 414—Assessment in ECSE
2	SPED 450—Introduction to ECSE
3	SPED 465— Curriculum & Methods in ECSE
55-56	Total
128	TOTAL minimum hours, including general education and professional education credits

1. At least one science course must be a laboratory course.
2. At least one 3-semester-hour course in humanities, social sciences, or the area of concentration must be taken in non-Western culture.
3. Illinois law and Council on Teacher Education policy require that all candidates for certification in this program pass the Illinois Certification Testing System test in Early Childhood prior to student teaching.