In The Spotlight: Master's Degree Courses In Early Childhood Education

If you have already heard many amazing things about the perks and benefits of getting enrolled in a Master's Degree Program in Early Childhood Education or Early Childhood Studies, you are probably left wondering which are the main courses and subjects you will have to take, should you decide to pick such an alternative for your graduate degree.

Depending on the type of college and program you should choose, you could be looking at some subjects and courses such as early childhood learning environment and its influence on children, the development of the perfect strategies that can eradicate all learning gaps or the accurate evaluation of problematic learning environments. To be more accurate, here are the main core and specialization courses you are very likely to come across on your journey:

Master's Degree Program in Early Childhood Education: Core Courses

Classroom management strategies - such a core course should help you understand the advantages of using some pre-tested strategies and practices that can prove their effectiveness in relation to the accurate management of your teaching classes.

Foundations of educational leadership - this course should introduce you to all the important philosophical, historical and even sociological foundations of American education. Plus, by the end of these courses you should also be able to personally identify the main gaps and problematic areas of the Unites States public schooling system.

Exceptional children in the early childhood setting - this course should be able to highlight the importance of knowing and reviewing every important and less essential detail concerning the work with children with disabilities; aspects such as legal requirements, adaptations, accommodations, typical development, development that is atypical, inclusion techniques are just some of the main topics that are going to be studied.

Standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment - this course is based on the proper development of curriculum, assessment plans and instructions which are all based on national standards; aspects such as the comprehensive assessment systems and their role in teachers' lives or the supervision and the evaluation processes are other essential steps of the course.

Master's Degree Program in Early Childhood Education: Specialization Courses

Early childhood learning environment - this course refers to the proper examination of the best development practices for young children between the ages of 3 and 8; notions such as space, materials, schedules or activities are also to be learned and used.

Instruction in early childhood reading and literacy - students will earn the best theoretical and practical ways of teaching children how to write and read. They will study vocabulary, word identification, phonics and phonemic skills; and they will learn how to accurately spot any difficulties in reading or writing and the best ways to cope with them in young children. The connection between writing, reading and the development of literacy is also to be assessed.

Practicum in early childhood education - there will be a number of hours students will have to dedicate to these courses (up to 240 hours), under the attentive supervision of an instructor. Students will learn how to properly apply all the theory they have learned, as well as how to become a part of the teaching team.