Early Childhood & Childhood Education
Dr. Lindsey Russo, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator
Old Main 115
845-257-2860
The Early Childhood & Childhood Education Program is a four-year Bachelor of Science program that prepares students for careers as teachers of young children. Graduates of the program are qualified to receive dual certification, i.e., teaching certification in both Early Childhood Education (birth through grade two) and Childhood Education (grades one through six). To obtain these certifications, students must complete the program and pass all required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations.
Ready to declare your major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education?
Eligibility for ECCE declaration is contingent upon completion of the following requirements:
- An overall GPA of 3.0 or greater.
- B or better in 4 credits of Basic Communication (ENG160 and ENG170)
- Students intending on the Math concentration must also have received a B- or better in MAT251 (calculus 1)
If you have met these requirements, please schedule an appointment with Collin Cusack, the advisor for education programs.
E-mail: Cusackc2@newpaltz.edu
Features of the Early Childhood & Childhood Education B-6 program:
- Freshmen begin with EDI233 Education Seminar, which includes visits to local schools.
- Subsequent education courses prepare students to to work effectively with children from different backgrounds and in different settings, including developmentally appropriate teaching practices and curriculum planning. A thorough grounding in child development is part of the program.
- Students complete 8-10 courses in a liberal arts concentration, or major. They have a faculty advisor from their concentration as well as an education advisor.
- Students are encouraged to study abroad.
- Faculty emphasize a balanced approach to teaching literacy; mastery of mathematics, social studies, and science appropriate to the early childhood and elementary school years; and an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning.
- Faculty conduct their own research, in areas such as STEM, reading, social studies, play, inclusion, and multicultural education, and incorporate current research findings into their courses.
- Students are assessed at three "checkpoints" for their readiness to continue in the program.
- More than 130 hours of supervised fieldwork, paired with education methods courses, lead to the final student teaching semester.
- Students are responsible for transportation to fieldwork and student teaching, as well as for certification expenses (exams, workshops, fingerprint clearance).
- There are student teaching opportunities throughout the Hudson Valley, plus New York City, Long Island, and selected upstate areas.
- Each spring, the Career Resource Center hosts a Teacher Recruitment Day, where our candidates interview with dozens of school district representatives.
- In addition to teaching in early childhood settings and elementary/middle schools in New York State and elsewhere, graduates of the program go on to careers in human services, public relations, educational publishing and other related fields.
