Early Childhood Education I

The Early Childhood Education I course is designed to provide an overview of the expectations and roles of the educator. In this course, students will:

Prepare for industry-recognized certification
Prepare for challenges they may face as well as the rewards of being able to influence the life of a young child
Develop the ability to offer support to children as they learn, and grow is a point that is highlighted throughout each lesson

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Discover a career in early childhood education. Our early childhood education course is designed to provide an overview of the roles of the early childhood educator.

Early Childhood Education I Course for the High School CTE Classroom

Prepare students for the challenges and rewards in a career in early childhood education.

Student-Centered Design

Based on decades of educational research, each course is designed to maximize student learning, motivation, and achievement. Utilize pedagogical concepts such as Understanding by Design, Growth Mindset, and Video and Project-based Learning.

Interactive Learning

Engage students every step of the way with relevant content, interactives, videos, discussion boards, text-to-speech, language translations, projects, and more. It’s a learning experience students love.

Ready for the Real World

Students become career ready when they go beyond understanding concepts to applying them in real life. Through practical activities, students gain the skills they need for in-demand careers.

Certification Prep

When paired with Early Childhood Education II, this course prepares students for the Child Development Associate® (CDA) certification exam from the Council for Professional Regulation, providing students everything they need to excel on certification exams and earn resume-boosting credentials.

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Prepare for a career in early childhood education

Course Outline
Module Introduction
Interactive Instructional Design
Formative and Summative Assessments
Accessibility

Early Childhood Education Course Outline by Module

Module 1: The Early Childhood Education Profession

Module 2: Planning a Safe, Clean & Healthy Learning Environment

Module 3: Planning Food Service & Nutrition

Module 4: Typical & Atypical Development

Module 5: Observation & Recording Methods

Module 6: Methods of Guidance

Module 7: The Influences of Nutrition, Environment & Heredity

Module 8: Current and Future Technology in Childcare

Module 9: Exploring Your State: Child Abuse & Neglect

Module 10: Exploring Your State: Rules & Regulations in Childcare

Module Introduction

Module Introduction Video and Description

Each module begins with an introductory video where the instructor sets the stage for topics and learning objectives for the upcoming module. The video is followed by a short description of the module content.
Module Learning Objectives

Each module introduction includes the set of learning objectives for students to review prior to beginning instruction.
Polling Question

Students engage with an interactive poll related to the upcoming module content. After completing the poll, students can see how their peers responded with a percentage breakdown of the results.
Introduce New Vocabulary

The module introduction concludes with an interactive vocabulary matching activity, designed to familiarize students with words and concepts they will learn in the upcoming module.

Interactive Instructional Design

Engaging Lesson Videos

Each lesson begins with an instructional video from an expert educator, designed to grab students’ attention while addressing learning objectives.
Interactive Reading

Each lesson video is followed by an interactive reading where students dive into new material with embedded interactives like hot spots, flip cards, slides, videos, and more!
Integrated Activities

Activities are embedded purposefully between lessons and incorporate a variety of interactive tools for students to practice what they’ve learned.
Project-Based Learning

End-of-module projects provide the opportunity for students to apply what they’ve learned to a real-world situation that they would encounter in the workforce.

Formative and Summative Assessments

Concept Check

Embedded concept checks include a variety of low-stakes activities, including short answer responses, matching, flashcards, and sorting.
Discussion-based Reflections

Thought-provoking discussion prompts invite students to process and share their learning with their peers. Utilize your LMS discussion board or have students work in an individual course journal.
Short Answer Assignments

Short answer assignments are included at the end of each module, providing an opportunity for students to analyze and apply their learning to a real-world situation. Students are supplied with a detailed assignment rubric, with clear expectations.
Module Quizzes

Each module concludes with a quiz, assessing student understanding. Quizzes are auto-scored and the results report back to the teacher’s gradebook in their LMS.
Final Exam

A comprehensive final exam assesses student skills and knowledge at the end of the course. The final exam is auto-scored and the results report back to the teacher’s gradebook in their LMS.

Accessibility

Text-to-Speech

Audio features allow greater accessibility for students. Highlight any text within the course to have it read out loud, including image alt text.
Language Translations

Translate any text within the course, including video transcripts, into 60+ languages. Additionally, many language translations can be read out loud using the text-to-speech feature.
Closed Captioning

All videos within the course include closed captioning with the ability to access video transcripts and translate into 60+ languages.
Alternative Activities

Alternative activities are embedded throughout lessons to meet accessibility standards and provide alternatives to the interactive activities in multiple choice format.

Explore course content to promote learning.

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Course Preview

Get a sneak peek into the course, featuring key learning highlights.

Digital Tour

Experience the engaging instructional design and learn about system integrations.

Flexible System Integrations for Your CTE Program

Seamless Integration With Your LMS

CTE has never been more accessible with digital courses that integrate smoothly with your Learning Management System. Course materials are available anytime, anywhere, all in your familiar and convenient LMS.

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Additional Early Childhood Education I Resources

Downloadable Instructors’ Guide
Course Syllabus
On-Demand Training

Downloadable Instructors’ Guide

The downloadable Instructors’ Guide includes answer keys for Reflections. Detailed grading rubrics are provided for Short Answer Assignments and Module Projects.

Course Syllabus

The syllabus includes a high-level course overview, module overviews, and module learning objectives.

On-Demand Training

An on-demand, self-paced teacher training course covers the fundamentals of implementing the curriculum.

Frequently asked questions about Early Childhood Education I

What modules are covered in this course?
Module 1: The Early Childhood Education Profession

Module 2: Planning a Safe, Clean & Healthy Learning Environment

Module 3: Planning Food Service & Nutrition

Module 4: Typical & Atypical Development

Module 5: Observation & Recording Methods

Module 6: Methods of Guidance

Module 7: The Influences of Nutrition, Environment & Heredity

Module 8: Current and Future Technology in Childcare

Module 9: Exploring Your State: Child Abuse & Neglect

Module 10: Exploring Your State: Rules & Regulations in Childcare
What grade levels is this text appropriate for?

Grades 9–12
What types of programs is this course designed for?

This program is designed for CTE Childhood Development pathways or elective offerings.
Does this course align to any industry certifications?

Yes. When paired with Early Childhood Education II, this course prepares students for the Child Development Associate (CDA) certification exam from the Council for Professional Regulation.
Is this program available in print or digitally?

Early Childhood Education I is a robust, digital–only course ideal for virtual or blended learning.
What teacher resources are available?

Teacher resources include the course syllabus, instructors’ guide, and digital courseware access. Additionally, an on-demand, self-paced teacher training course covers the fundamentals of implementing the curriculum.
Which Learning Management System (LMS) does this course integrate with?

Digital courseware is delivered by LTI integration with the following Learning Management Systems: Canvas®, Schoology®, Blackboard®, Moodle®, AGILIX® Buzz®, D2L or Focalpoint.
What are the digital license options?

Student digital access to Early Childhood Education I can be purchased for 1 year.
How long does it take to complete the course?

Early Childhood Education I is designed to support a full-credit course and therefore may be used to support a semester- or year-long option. On average, this course requires 80 instructional seat-time hours, equating to roughly 3–4 lessons per week. Teachers can make course customizations if desired to meet specific needs.

Early Childhood Education I