Oct 30, 2024

Yakima Valley College Catalog 2024-2025

Early Childhood Education, AAS-T

This is a dual-purpose degree that is intended to prepare students for employment in the Early Childhood Education (ECE) field, as a general paraeducator, and/or for transfer to specific baccalaureate degree programs such as the Applied Baccalaureate Degree Program in Teacher Education at YVC. An AAS-T degree in ECE will prepare you for careers in early learning, childcare, policy, parent and family support and education. It is also a pathway to studies in teacher education, child and family studies, and other areas. The Associate in Applied Science - Transfer degrees (AAS-T) are designed to build upon the technical courses required for job preparation but also includes a college-level General-Education component, common in structure for all such degrees.

In addition to supporting the college-wide Core Learning Outcomes, the Education & ECE Department promotes specific early childhood education outcomes. These goals and objectives identify the knowledge, attitudes and skills that students will acquire in the program curriculum, and are based on Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and Washington State Core Competencies for Early Childhood and School Age Care Professions.

Required Distribution Courses 48-50 Cr

Basic Skills
ENGL& 101: English Composition I 5 Cr
ENGL 102 or ENGL 203 5 Cr
MATH (Quantitative or Computational Math above 100 or designated “Q/SR”) 5 Cr

Communications 3-5 Cr

CMST& 210: Interpersonal Communication 5 Cr or CMST& 220 5 Cr (recommended)
Humanities (Must be from two different subject areas) 10 Cr
- Elective Humanities Distribution 10 Cr
Natural Science (Must be from two different subject areas with one lab) 10 Cr
BIOL& 100: Biology for Non-majors with Lab 5 Cr (recommended)
Elective Natural Sciences/Math Distribution 5 Cr

Social Science (Must be from two different subject areas) 10 Cr

PSYC& 100: General Psychology 5 Cr
Social Sciences Distribution 5 Cr

Required Professional Tech/ECE Courses 45 Cr

ECED& 105: Introduction to Early Childhood Education 5 Cr
ECED& 107: Health, Safety, and Nutrition 5 Cr
ECED& 120: Nurturing Relationships 2 Cr
EDUC 191: Field Experience K-12 5 Cr
EDUC 202: Introduction to Education 5 Cr
EDUC 204: Introduction to Inclusive Education 5 Cr
EDUC 211: Social - Emotional Learning and Trauma-Informed Instruction 5 Cr
EDUC 240: Diversity in Education 5 Cr
EDUC& 115: Child Development 5 Cr
EDUC& 130: Guiding Behavior 3 Cr

Total Credits 93-95

Students will be able to:

Plan, implement, and evaluate meaningful curriculum and equitable teaching practices for young children.
Analyze evidence-based and developmentally appropriate teaching and assessment strategies that reflect a culturally responsive and universal design for learning.
Identify the multidimensional strategies and responsibilities of early childhood educators using culturally responsive and inclusive practices.
Outline strategies to build collaborative partnerships with colleagues, families, community members, and organizations in order to support the early care education of young children.
Analyze the central concepts, foundational theories, and intellectual frameworks of education and teaching.