8 Early Childhood Education Associate of Arts Programs in USA

The Paraprofessional Education program prepares teaching assistants to work in K-12 schools in special education, reading, and general education classrooms. The program articulates the core requirements of the Elementary Teacher Education program while providing needed coursework to improve student learning. This degree is designed for teaching assistants and early childhood care providers.

The Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education focuses on providing students with the knowledge, skills, and training required to prepare educators to work with young children.

This program is offered through Liberal Arts for students who wish to prepare themselves for an Associate degree or wish to transfer and earn a baccalaureate degree in Early Childhood Education or Elementary Education.

The Early Childhood Education Program provides students access to knowledge, skills, and professionalism surrounding the field of early childhood education and family and community development to assure the provision of quality services that address Native American families' complex needs in the 21st century.

The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) Early Childhood Education program is designed for students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor's degree and Maryland teacher certification in Early Childhood Education Birth to Grade 3.

The AA in Early Childhood Education is designed for students who wish employment as a preschool director or open their own preschool or daycare facility.

To teach young children in Illinois public schools (birth to second grade), teachers must be certified by the state of Illinois. To transfer into an approved baccalaureate program in early childhood education as a junior, students must complete specific requirements and a minimum of 60 semester credits. Students are strongly encouraged to complete an A.A. degree prior to transfer. Since admission is competitive, completion of the recommended courses does not guarantee admission.

The major purpose of the A.A. in Early Childhood Development is to provide students with fundamental understandings of the typical and atypical development of young children, the criticality of family-community partnerships, current findings of the interrelationships of health, safety, and nutrition for the developing child, and the nature of learning through different kinds of experiences.