Go to mccnh.edu/programs for more details about this and other MCC programs and certificates.
The Early Childhood Education (ECE) program is designed to prepare students to work with children from birth through age 8 years in a variety of professional settings including but not limited to child care, public schools, early intervention and Head Start. Graduates meet the New Hampshire Child Care Licensing (NHCCL) requirements for a lead teacher and center director and are eligible for many transfer opportunities including public school certification Pre-K through 3rd grade.
The Associate of Applied Science degree provides a combination of theory and practical experience related to child development, curriculum design, social and emotional competencies, family supports, and health and safety training. Graduates have approximately 300 hours of supervised experience with children of at least two different age levels (infant/toddler, preschool or primary grade).
The goal of the Early Childhood Education program is to provide students with the most current knowledge and skills, as well as cultivate the disposition to become exemplary early childhood educators. To do so, MCC maintains high academic and professional expectations which adhere to the standards of quality set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Students will learn to be competent, reflective practitioners able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the early childhood profession and a commitment to its Code of Ethical Conduct
- Demonstrate understanding of the diverse developmental, cultural and individual needs of all children
- Create high-quality, inclusionary, positive and nurturing learning environments and curriculum for young children
- Demonstrate skillful observation, documentation and assessment of children’s progress
- Build and maintain positive, productive and reciprocal relationships with children, families, colleagues and the community
- Serve as an advocate on behalf of young children and their families to improve the quality of early childhood programs and services
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Compare, contrast and discuss the diversity and breadth of learning and developmental theories, philosophies, and educational approaches from a historical and current perspective.
- Explain and demonstrate knowledge of the multiple interacting influences on children’s development and learning, and demonstrate the ability to support the physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of young children from birth to age twelve, including those with unique developmental or learning needs.
- Establish and maintain safe, healthy, supportive, inclusionary and culturally pluralistic learning environments for young children.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the goals, benefits and purposes of assessment and the ability to utilize a variety of assessment and evaluation strategies and tools, including technology, effectively and ethically to observe and document children’s development and behavior in a positive and constructive manner, noting each child’s strengths and interests as well as needs.
- Design, implement and evaluate a meaningful, challenging, and developmentally appropriate curriculum that demonstrates a wide array of teaching practices reflecting the spectrum of content areas as well as intentionally taking into consideration the individual needs, learning styles and interests of young children.
- Establish and maintain positive, productive relationships with families by respecting families’ choices and goals for children, communicating effectively and meaningfully with families, and using families as a primary source of information in planning to meet the needs of individual children.
- Establish and maintain positive, productive relationships with colleagues, work effectively as members of instructional teams and communicate effectively with other professionals, agencies, and the larger community to support children’s development, learning and well-being.
- Demonstrate an awareness of professional standards that will guide your practice and a commitment to the profession’s code of ethical conduct.
- Demonstrate reflective thinking and the ability to continually evaluate the effect of your choices and actions on others, seek out opportunities to grow professionally, and serve as an advocate for children, families and the early childhood profession.
The Early Childhood Education A.A.S. degree at Manchester Community College is nationally accredited by the Commission on the Accreditation of Early Childhood Higher Education Programs of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The current accreditation term runs from March 2024 through March 2031.