Program Overview

State Early Childhood Education Certificate, Certificate of Proficiency

The State Early Childhood Education Certificate aligns with the general staff qualification education requirements for staff interested in lead teacher and management level positions in ECE. All of the classes in this certificate apply towards the AAS in Early Childhood Education at LWTech.

The State Early Childhood Education Certificate graduates will:

• be prepared for a lead teacher or entry-level management position in the child care field
• be prepared to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children
• be prepared to monitor and make appropriate changes for safety in both the indoor and outdoor learning environment
• plan and monitor the children’s menu and all food service
• be prepared to apply learning theory and best practices in all interactions with children
• be prepared to follow all guidelines as outlined by DEL
• be prepared to establish positive and clear lines of communication with families and staff
• be prepared to plan, implement and evaluate the children’s curriculum
• be prepared to document children’s growth and development and use those documented observations to make program modifications to meet the needs of the individual child and to share with parents
• demonstrate communication, critical thinking, cultural humility, information literacy, and teamwork skills
• meet Quantitative Reasoning, Social Science, and Written Communication general education distribution area outcomes

Program Requirements

The courses listed below are a suggested sequence; as long as prerequisites are met, courses may be taken in a different order.

Recommended Course Sequence

• Quarter One
  • ECED& 105 Intro to Early Childhood Education 5 credits
  • ECED& 107 Health/Safety/Nutrition 5 credits
  • ECED& 120 Practicum - Nurturing Relationships 2 credits
• Quarter Two
  • EDUC& 115 Child Development 5 credits
  • EDUC& 130 Guiding Behavior 3 credits (Students can choose to take ECED& 170 instead of this course.)
  • ECED& 160 Curriculum Development 5 credits
• Quarter Three
  • ECED& 170 Learning Environments 3 credits (Students can choose to take EDUC& 130 instead of this course.)
  • ECED& 190 Observation/Assessment 3 credits
  • ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5 credits
• Quarter Four
  • EDUC& 150 Child, Family and Community 3 credits
  • MATH& 107 Math in Society 5 credits (or any college-level, transferable Quantitative Reasoning course)
• Quarter Five
  • ECED& 180 Language/Literacy Development 3 credits
  • Specialization course 3 credits (Select a course from the list below.)

Specialization Areas

Select one of the following specialization areas OR students can complete EDUC& 130 and ECED& 170 to meet requirements.

• ECED& 132 Infant/Toddler Care 3 credits
• ECED& 134 Family Childcare Management 3 credits
• EDUC& 136 School Age Care 3 credits
• ECED& 137 Outdoor Learning Environments 3 credits
• ECED& 139 Administration of Early Childhood Education 3 credits

General Education Requirements - 10 Credits

• ENGL& 101 English Composition I 5 credits
• MATH& 107 Math in Society 5 credits (or any college-level, transferable Quantitative Reasoning course)
• Social Science content included in program requirements

Diversity and Social Justice Requirement

Within the degree requirements, students must complete a 3-5 credit course that meets the college’s Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) requirement. DSJ courses are designed to meet other general education or technical requirements simultaneous to meeting the DSJ requirement.

Total Program Credits: 47

The State Early Childhood Education Certificate requires a total of 47 credits. Lake Washington Institute of Technology does not offer every course each quarter. It is the student’s responsibility to consult the Class Schedule and work out an individual schedule with an advisor. Any developmental coursework a student may be required to complete may increase the program length.