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The undergraduate early childhood education major will prepare you as a professional educator to teach in grades PreK – 4, facing the realities of the 21st-century classroom. You will be instructed by a knowledgeable and experienced faculty: All full-time and adjunct faculty members in the education department at Cedar Crest are certified teachers. 

This program leads to Level I certification in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The teacher preparation program at Cedar Crest College is grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation that is aimed at providing our future teachers with a strong background in academic content-area knowledge. 

If you wish to earn additional teaching certifications, you will work individually with faculty to develop a plan to reach your goals. 

Program Highlights 

  • The opportunity to participate in pre-teaching experiences in urban and suburban settings, beginning year one of your studies, including one experience in a special education setting. 
  • Faculty members who provide a strong mentoring and support system, helping you select and schedule classes. Also, when you student-teach, your supervisor will go into the classroom with you and provide you with weekly feedback. 
  • Guaranteed student-teaching placement in a local school district. 
  • Our superior reputation in school districts in the Lehigh Valley means that students who graduate from Cedar Crest are considered strong candidates for future employment. 

Dive A Little Deeper

Early Childhood Education Major Course Requirements

Liberal Arts Curriculum and General Education (PDE) Requirements

WRI 100 College Writing (WRI-1) 3 credits
WRI-2 satisfied in major with SPE 241 The Exceptional Child: Special Education Process
ENG 101, ENG 102, OR ENG 120 American or British Literature (HUM) 3 credits
MAT 110 Probability and Statistics (ML) 3 credits
MAT 202 Mathematics for the Early Childhood Teacher (ML) 3 credits
HIS 121 OR HIS 122 Survey of U.S. History I or II (HUM) 3 credits

Ethics LAC 3 credits
PSY 100 Introduction to Psychology (SS) 3 credits
PSY 210 Lifespan Development (PDE requirement; prerequisite PSY 100) 3 credits
SOC 100 Introduction to Culture and Society (SS) 3 credits
DNC 209 Creative Movement and Embodied Learning (ART) 3 credits
ART 110 Principles of Visual Organization (ART) 3 credits
BIO 111 Concepts in Ecology & Environmental Issues and Lab (SCI) 4 credits
BIO 112 or other physical science course (SCI) 3 credits
CCC 206 Sophomore Experience or Global Studies Course (GS) 3 credits

First-Year Experience (traditional students only): 4 credits
FYS 1XX First-Year Seminar 3 credits
CCC 101 College Life 0.5 credits
CCC 102 Exploring Your Future 0.5 credits

Electives: 12 credits

Total credits for LAC /PDE requirements and electives: 59 credits

Education Program /Course Requirements

EDU 100 Foundations of American Education 3 credits
EDU 102 Educational Psychology 3 credits
EDU 151 Field Experience I 1 credit (co-requisite EDU 100)

ECE 207 Literacy Teaching and Learning (Pre-K to Grade 5) 3 credits

EDU 211 Teaching Writing 3 credits
EDU 213 Field Experience III: Early Childhood Education 1 credit (co-requisite EDU 211)
EDU 240 Nutrition, Health, and Safety 3 credits

ECE 305 Issues and Advocacy in Early Childhood Education 3 credits
EDU 308 Integrating the Arts Across the Curriculum 3 credits
EDU 317 Curriculum, Assessment, & Learning Experiences in Science for Early Childhood Educators 3 credits
EDU 319 Curriculum, Assessment, and Learning Experiences for Social Studies for Early Childhood Educators 3 credits
EDU 321 Field Experience IV: Early Childhood Education (co-requisite EDU 317 or EDU 319) 1 credit

EDU 332 Curriculum, Assessment, and Learning Experiences in Mathematics for Early Childhood Educators 3 credits
EDU 340 Differentiated Reading Instruction for Early Childhood Education 3 credits

EDU 359 Teaching the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Student 3 credits SPE 220 Evidence-Based Approaches 3 credits
SPE 241 The Exceptional Child: Special Education Process 3 credits
SPE 245 Field Experience II (co-requisite SPE 241) 1 credit
SPE 344 Adaptations, Modifications, and Assistive Technology 3 credits

Student Teaching:  

EDU 372 Student Teaching: Early Childhood Education 9 credits
EDU 374 Professional Education Seminar 3 credits

Total = 61 credits
Total Credits for Early Childhood Education Major = 120 credits

Upcoming Admissions Events

Nov 09
  • Sat
  • 1:00PM – 4:30PM
Mission SIMpossible: Interactive Undergrad Nursing Event Learn More
Nov 11
  • Mon
  • 7:30PM – 8:30PM
ABSN Virtual Information Session Learn More
Dec 10
  • Tue
  • 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Graduate Nursing Virtual Information Session Learn More

Hear from Your Peers

The Art of Teaching program was a wonderful experience! The online/hybrid options made it easy for me to balance work, family, and school. Each class I took was so insightful and contained a good balance of theory and practice. The readings provided me with solid background information, while the assignments gave me the opportunity to connect this knowledge with my experiences and think about how I would apply it in the classroom. My professors did a great job bringing the textbooks ‘to life’ and had so much expertise in the field that I was able to learn from. Dr. Kamyab was especially supportive from beginning to end. Thank you, Cedar Crest, for helping me ‘soar ahead!’

Zaheda Hasham ’23, Master of Education- Art of Teaching

Cooperative Agreements

Cedar Crest College collaborates with several academic institutions to provide our students with innovative pathways that help them succeed in their chosen fields.

Cedar Crest Accounting Students in the Classroom

How To Apply

Ready to apply as an undergraduate student?

Cedar Crest student smiling on campus

Accreditation

Cedar Crest College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education; 1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801

Faculty & Staff

Who’s teaching you is as important as the curriculum you choose.
Let’s put a face to some of the names you’ll be seeing on the course listings!

Julie Borden
B.S. Special Education; Elementary Education Concentration, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
M.Ed. Reading, Kutztown University

Lynn Fuini-Hetten
B.S. Elementary Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Elementary Education; Instructional Technology Certification, Kutztown University
Principal Certification, Penn State University
Superintendent Letter of Eligibility, Wilkes University

Valerie Gulych
B.S. Psychology, Penn State University
M.S. Education, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Special Education Supervisory Certification, Penn State University
Principal Certification, CLIU 21

Deborah Hartman
B.S. Special Education and Elementary Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Special Education, Kansas State University

Donna Hibshman
B.S. Certification in Mentally/Physically Handicapped, Bloomsburg University
M.Ed. Certifications in K-8 General Education; Reading Education, Lehigh University

Michelle Johnston

B.S. Computer Science, Kutztown University
M.Ed. Master of Education, DeSales University
ESL Program Specialist Certification, DeSales University
M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration, Lehigh University
Principal Certification, Lehigh University

Leah Naylor

B.S., University of Pittsburgh
M.A., New York University

Kelly Rosario

B.S. Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education, Bloomsburg University
M.S. Educational Leadership; K-12 Principal Certification, Wilkes University

Diana Schantz

M.S. Education Technology, DeSales University
Principal Certification, Penn State University

Amanda Strack

B.A. Criminal Justice; Political Science, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
M.Ed. Master of Education, DeSales University
M.A. Educational Leadership and Administration, Lehigh University

Melinda Watkins

B.S. Elementary Education & Early Childhood Education, Kutztown University
M.S. Education, West Chester University
Middle Level Math Certification
Reading Specialist Certification, Cedar Crest College

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