Exploring Early Childhood Education Courses at Saddleback College

Saddleback College offers a comprehensive range of Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful careers working with young children. These courses cater to various levels of expertise, from introductory programs to advanced studies, and emphasize the importance of developmental theory, practical application, and culturally responsive practices.

Comprehensive Curriculum Overview

The curriculum in the Early Childhood Education program at Saddleback College is meticulously designed to prepare students for roles as teachers and caregivers for young children, spanning from infancy to eight years old. Furthermore, the program offers transfer students the chance to earn an Associate Degree for Transfer in Early Childhood Education, ensuring a broad understanding of the field in accordance with state and national standards. This includes an introduction to various teaching methods and the opportunity to complete both major preparatory coursework and general education requirements.

Foundational Theories and Practical Application

A core focus of the ECE courses is the study and application of foundational theories of child development and learning. Students delve into appropriate strategies for teaching and caring for children from birth to age 8. Key aspects emphasized throughout the program include:

Family Collaboration: Recognizing the crucial role of families in a child's development.
Cultural Sensitivity: Understanding and respecting diverse cultural backgrounds.
Relationship-Based Practice: Building strong, positive relationships with children and families.

Certificate Programs

Saddleback College offers several certificate programs in Early Childhood Education, each designed to meet specific career goals and educational requirements.

Teacher Level Certificate

This certificate prepares students to provide competent and effective care and instruction to children in various early childhood settings. It also fulfills the education requirements for the Teacher level of the Child Development Permit issued by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

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Associate Teacher Level II: Work Experience Certificate of Achievement

Building upon the introductory developmental and learning theory and appropriate strategies for the care and education of young children covered in the Associate Teacher Level I certificate, the Level II certificate includes CDE 180WE. This provides students with the opportunity to earn and document hours that count towards the work experience requirement (50 days of 3+ hours per day) necessary to obtain the Associate Teacher Permit from the Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Toddler Program

Saddleback College's ECE program includes a high-quality toddler program that serves children aged 18 to 30 months. This program is designed to provide a nurturing and stimulating environment for young learners.

Key Features

Primary Care System: The program utilizes a primary care system that allows children to establish deep connections with their caregivers.
Intimate Setting: The toddler program offers an intimate setting with one-on-one interactions and small group activities in a caring and positive atmosphere.
Play-Based Learning: Recognizing the integral role of play in a child's learning process, the program provides a safe environment for exploration with diverse learning opportunities.
Bonding and Security: Toddlers develop close bonds with their caregivers, fostering a sense of security and self-esteem.
Brain-Based Research: The program incorporates current brain-based research, which demonstrates how warm, responsive, and consistent care promotes successful social, emotional, and cognitive development in toddlers.

Goals

Understanding and Supporting Needs: The primary goal is to fully understand and support the needs of each child and family enrolled in the program.
Partnership Approach: The program emphasizes forming partnerships with parents through daily communication, building mutual trust, involving families in the program, and respecting cultural and family differences.
Building Trust and Understanding: By taking a partnership approach, the program aims to build a relationship of trust and understanding between educators and families.

Student-Created Portfolio Option

Saddleback College recognizes that many early childhood professionals possess valuable experience, certifications, and training that may not have been credit-bearing. To address this, the college offers a Student-Created Portfolio option.

How it Works

Candidates can provide documentation and respond to reflection questions aligned with course objectives. A meeting with a CDE faculty member is required to learn about the requirements and determine the course that best matches the candidate's experiences. Once approved, candidates are added to a Canvas Course Shell to submit their documentation for evaluation. A CDE Faculty member evaluates submissions, and if the submission is sufficient, a grade is issued for the course.

Available Courses

This option is available for the following courses:

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CDE 7 Child Growth and Development
CDE 15 Child Family Community
CDE 101 Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children
CDE 110 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum
CDE 112 Health, Safety, and Nutrition
CDE 117 Teaching in a Diverse Society
CDE 120 Observation and Assessment
CDE 121 Practicum: Student Teaching

Sample Expectations

Each course has 6-10 objectives. Here are some sample expectations for demonstrating competency for an objective:

CDE 15 Child Family Community

Objective 2: Identify how the child develops within a system and is influenced by multiple factors of socialization, including the educational, political, and socioeconomic impacts on children and families.
- Evidence to Upload: A description of the demographics of the population your program serves, including community needs based on geography, availability of jobs and resources, choices in education locally, languages spoken, health care, food availability, safety, and other unique characteristics.
- Reflection:
  - How do the community characteristics described in your demographic statement have an impact on the children’s socialization?
  - How are you contributing to and supporting the children’s socialization in your role as an early childhood educator?

CDE 101 Principles and Practices for Teaching Young Children

Objective 8: Explain how theories of learning and development guide early childhood environment design, curriculum, and teaching strategies.
- Evidence to Upload: Activity plans and photos of your classroom.
- Reflection:
  - Discuss how the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, Erikson, and Bronfenbrenner influenced your decisions in:
    - A. Designing the environment - room arrangement, color selections, etc.
    - B. Selecting materials and setting up activities - materials chosen, activity layout, etc.
    - C. Determining the teacher's role - your guidance and participation during activities
    - D. Determining instructional methods - strategies and approaches
  - For each item above (A-D), choose two theorists and explain their influence on your decisions.

Transfer Opportunities

Students who complete the Associate Degree for Transfer in Early Childhood Education receive priority admission to the California State University system, although admission to a specific campus is not guaranteed.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Saddleback College prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, or pregnancy in the administration of its educational policies, personnel practices, and college programs. The college, by law, cannot engage in any such discriminatory activity. Grievance procedures exist for students, employees, and job applicants. Information regarding formal complaints is on file in the office of the Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and the office of the Vice President for Student Services, which maintains grievance procedure information for students. Any questions concerning discrimination may be directed to the Department of Education. Consistent with that policy, disability accommodations will be provided as needed for program access, upon request.

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