Program Overview

Early Childhood Education Program

The Early Childhood Education program at New Mexico State University is designed to prepare students for careers in teaching, administration, and other related fields. The program focuses on the development and education of young children from birth to age 8.

Course Descriptions

The program offers a variety of courses, including:

• ECED 1110: Child Growth, Development, and Learning: This course provides a theoretical foundation for understanding child development and learning.
• ECED 1115: Health, Safety, and Nutrition: This course covers standards and practices that promote children's physical and mental well-being.
• ECED 1120: Guiding Young Children: This course explores various theories of child guidance and practical applications.
• ECED 1125: Assessment of Children and Evaluation of Programs: This course familiarizes students with assessment methods and instruments.
• ECED 1130: Family and Community Collaboration: This course examines the involvement of families and communities in early childhood programs.

Program Requirements

The program requires students to complete a series of courses, including:

• ECED 1110: Child Growth, Development, and Learning
• ECED 1115: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
• ECED 1120: Guiding Young Children
• ECED 1125: Assessment of Children and Evaluation of Programs
• ECED 1130: Family and Community Collaboration

Advanced Courses

The program also offers advanced courses, including:

• ECED 2110: Professionalism: This course provides a broad-based orientation to the field of early care and education.
• ECED 2115: Introduction to Language, Literacy, and Reading: This course prepares early childhood professionals to promote children's emergent literacy and reading development.
• ECED 2120: Curriculum Development through Play Birth through Age 4 (PreK): This course places play at the center of curriculum in developmentally appropriate early childhood programs.
• ECED 2130: Curriculum Development and Implementation Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3: This course focuses on developmentally appropriate curriculum content in early childhood programs.

Practicum and Field Experience

The program includes practicum and field experience courses, such as:

• ECED 2121: Curriculum Development through Play Birth through Age 4 (PreK) Practicum
• ECED 2131: Curriculum Development and Implementation Age 3 (PreK) through Grade 3 Practicum
• ECED 329: Early Primary Field Placement
• ECED 458: Field Experience (Infants Pre-K)
• ECED 459: Field Experience (K-3)

Research and Special Topics

The program offers research and special topics courses, including:

• ECED 315: Research in Child, Growth, Development and Learning
• ECED 395: Special Topics
• ECED 489: Topics

Graduate Courses

The program also offers graduate courses, such as:

• ECED 510: Issues in Early Childhood Education
• ECED 515: Working with Parents of Young Children
• ECED 520: Seminar on Child Development, Assessment and Well-being of Young Children
• ECED 530: Leadership and Advocacy in Early Childhood
• ECED 540: Science/Math Curriculum
• ECED 550: Student Teaching/Seminar
• ECED 570: Play in the Early Childhood Curriculum
• ECED 612: History and Philosophy of Early Childhood Education
• ECED 614: Early Childhood, Communities, and Social Policy
• ECED 698: Selected Topics in Early Childhood Education