Early Childhood Education - M.Ed.
School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies
404 White Hall
Kent Campus
330-672-2580
www.kent.edu/ehhs/tlcs
Description
The Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education prepares critically reflective teachers with advanced knowledge in pre-school through primary multi-disciplinary curriculum. Students are prepared to be democratically accountable leaders, co-decision makers, pedagogical experts and committed professionals in various early childhood realms. The program emphasizes commitment to equitable and caring learning communities.
Ohio endorsements for pre-school and literacy endorsement or generalist (grades four and five) may be embedded in the program. In addition, students have the opportunity to receive an International Baccalaureate (IB) recognition award in the M.Ed. degree.
The Early Childhood Education major includes the following optional concentrations:
- Early Childhood Leadership: Advocacy, Curriculum and Policy
- Globalization and Intercultural Competence
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
Fully Offered At:
- Kent Campus
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university for unconditional admission
- Minimum 3.000 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000 point scale for unconditional admission
- Official transcript(s)
- Goal statement
- Two letters of recommendation
- English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning one of the following:
- Minimum 550 TOEFL PBT score (paper-based version)
- Minimum 79 TOEFL IBT score (Internet-based version)
- Minimum 77 MELAB score
- Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
- Minimum 58 PTE score
- Minimum 110 Duolingo English Test score
For more information about graduate admissions, please visit the Graduate Studies admission website. For more information on international admission, visit the Office of Global Education’s admission website.
Program Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Co-construct curriculum as a co-worker with learners and others (parents, families, colleagues and community members) to make sound decisions for learning and teaching experiences, as opposed to being passive receivers of prescribed curriculum.
- Synthesize conceptual understandings of children, theory, content, technology and socio-cultural contexts into meaningful activities and opportunities for learning with all students in pre-kindergarten to grade three..
- Engage in the habit of self-assessment in order to continually uncover unknown possibilities in children’s learning, classroom practice, educational theory and one’s own teaching identity in the local and global context.
- Become committed to the children and their learning, the families and the local community while having an awareness of the global context.
- Engage in continuous self-improvement and lifelong learning.
- Apply skills, knowledge and dispositions to challenge “questionable” policies that limit opportunities for all children.
- Utilize research and theory to develop varied and effective pedagogies and assessments that will positively impact all students’ learning (Learning and teaching is a transdisciplinary practice).
- Advocate as ethical leaders and moral agents striving for social justice.
- Acknowledge and practice multiple, multi-ethnic, multicultural, multiracial, multi-social, multi-economic and multilingual perspectives in a global society.
Program Requirements
Major Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements | ||
ECED 60152 | APPLICATION OF SELECTED THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN | 3 |
ECED 67296 | INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
or ECED 67298 | RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | |
Major Electives, choose from the following: | 11 | |
VARIABLE TITLE WORKSHOP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE EARLY YEARS | ||
CRITICAL INQUIRY INTO INTEGRATED CURRICULUM IN THE PRIMARY YEARS | ||
HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS | ||
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT IN PRE-PRIMARY EDUCATION | ||
TEACHING MATHEMATICS:EARLY YEARS | ||
ORGANIZATION AND SUPERVISION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS | ||
CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING IN TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS | ||
DEVELOPING A BALANCED LITERACY PROGRAM | ||
TEACHING HUMANITIES: EARLY YEARS | ||
PRESCHOOL EDUCATION | ||
SOCIOMORAL ENVIRONMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
RECONCEPTUALIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM | ||
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY:UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT | ||
PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
Additional electives with advisor approval | ||
Additional Requirements or Concentrations | ||
Choose from the following: | 15 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 32 |
Additional Requirements for Students Not Declaring a Concentration
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Major Requirements | ||
ECED 60115 | SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS FOUNDATIONS FOR EARLY AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
or ECED 60158 | RECONCEPTUALIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM | |
or ECED 60169 | UNDERSTANDING EMERGENT BILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES | |
ECED 60116 | SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH INQUIRY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
or ECED 60163 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND TRENDS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | |
or ECED 60171 | TEACHING EMERGENT BILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANTS IN THE EARLY YEARS | |
Additional Major Electives, choose from the following: 1 | 9 | |
VARIABLE TITLE WORKSHOP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
TEACHING SCIENCE IN THE EARLY YEARS | ||
CRITICAL INQUIRY INTO INTEGRATED CURRICULUM IN THE PRIMARY YEARS | ||
HOME, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS | ||
TEACHING MATHEMATICS:EARLY YEARS | ||
ORGANIZATION AND SUPERVISION OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS | ||
CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING IN TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS | ||
DEVELOPING A BALANCED LITERACY PROGRAM | ||
TEACHING HUMANITIES: EARLY YEARS | ||
PRESCHOOL EDUCATION | ||
SOCIOMORAL ENVIRONMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
RECONCEPTUALIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM | ||
LANGUAGE AND LITERACY:UNDERSTANDING DEVELOPMENT | ||
PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
INDIVIDUAL INVESTIGATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
RESEARCH IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
Addiional electives with advisor approval | ||
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
1 | Courses fulfilling major program requirements (listed above) may not be used to also fulfill the requirements for the additional major electives. |
Early Childhood Leadership: Advocacy, Curriculum and Policy concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements | ||
ECED 60101 | CONSTRUCTIVIST TEACHING IN TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTINGS | 3 |
ECED 60158 | RECONCEPTUALIZING EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM | 3 |
ECED 60163 | CONTEMPORARY ISSUES AND TRENDS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
ECED 60170 | WRITING FOR PUBLICATION AND DISSEMINATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
Advisor-Approved Concentration Elective | 3 | |
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Globalization and Intercultural Competence concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements | ||
ECED 60169 | UNDERSTANDING EMERGENT BILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANT STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES | 3 |
ECED 60171 | TEACHING EMERGENT BILINGUAL AND IMMIGRANTS IN THE EARLY YEARS | 3 |
Concentration Electives, choose from the following with advisor approval: | 3-6 | |
MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION: STRATEGIES | ||
INTERCULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF TEACHING AND LEARNING | ||
CRITICAL INQUIRY INTO INTEGRATED CURRICULUM IN THE PRIMARY YEARS | ||
English Education Electives, choose from the following | 3-6 | |
METHODOLOGY OF TEACHING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE | ||
THEORIES IN SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION | ||
TEACHING LITERATURE AND CULTURE | ||
HERITAGE LANGUAGES AND SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNING | ||
Additional elective with advisor approval | ||
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics concentration Requirements
Code | Title | Credit Hours |
---|---|---|
Concentration Requirements | ||
ECED 60115 | SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS FOUNDATIONS FOR EARLY AND MIDDLE CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
ECED 60116 | SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING AND MATH INQUIRY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | 3 |
Mathematics Education Electives, choose from the folloiwng with advisor approval: | 3-6 | |
SPECIAL TOPICS IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION | ||
TEACHING MATHEMATICS USING COMPUTERS AND CALCULATORS | ||
RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION | ||
Science Education Electives, choose from the following with advisor approval: | 3-6 | |
NATURE OF SCIENCE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION | ||
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION | ||
CRITICAL INQUIRY AND INTEGRATION: SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADE 4 | ||
CRITICAL INQUIRY AND INTEGRATION: SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADE 5 | ||
Additional elective with advisor approval | ||
Minimum Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Graduation Requirements
Students are guided by faculty in the development of a program of study that satisfies both individual professional goals and expectations of the department, college and university. All students are expected to complete an exit project that involves a practicum or action research project.
Students completing the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education must take at least 32 credit hours for completion.