Early Childhood Minor

The Early Childhood Minor educates students in the science and theory of early human development to promote a holistic view of children within the socio-cultural context of their families and communities and appreciate the need for advocacy on behalf of young children and their families.

The Early Childhood Minor prepares students to:

Learn about child development science and theory
Better understand the needs of young children within their sociocultural environments
Develop an advocacy agenda around young children and their families
Build the skills to partner with families

The Early Childhood minor is designed, in part, for students who are interested in studying the early childhood period, but who are not necessarily interested in a career as a teacher. The minor complements many majors and minors in the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Education, and other professional schools at Elon.

Minor Requirements

Required courses: 8 sh

PSY 245	EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT	4 sh
EDU 467	EARLY CHILDHOOD POLICY AND ADVOCACY	4 sh

Select three courses from the following: 12 sh

HSS 212	COUNSELING INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES	4 sh
HSS 367	PLAY THERAPY: THE POWER OF PLAY WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES	4 sh
EDU 246	SUPPORTING MATH AND SCIENCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD	4 sh
EDU 332	EARLY CHILDHOOD FAMILY-TEAM PARTNERSHIPS	4 sh
EDU 333	SUPPORTING EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD	4 sh
EDU 354	EARLY CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE AND LITERACY DEVELOPMENT BIRTH - 2ND GRADE	4 sh
EDU 455	EARLY CHILDHOOD EXCEPTIONALITY	4 sh

At most, one HSS course can count toward the Early Childhood Minor. (Students who wish to take an HSS course for the minor can choose either HSS 212 or HSS 367, but not both, to count toward the minor.)

Early Childhood Minors should contact the Chair of the Human Service Studies Department for permission to enroll in HSS 212 without taking the prerequisite.

Program Outcomes

In the area of child development, students enrolled in a minor in Early Childhood will
-demonstrate their understanding of child development theories and current research on brain development as well as play
-explain the holistic, interrelated nature of development across cognitive, linguistic, social-emotional, physical and health domains
-explain the role that early childhood intervention can play in preventing future developmental and academic difficulties
-explain how development occurs within and is influenced by cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic contexts

In the area of partnerships with families and community members, students enrolled in a minor in Early Childhood will
-explain the key roles of family members as decision-makers for their children
-demonstrate an understanding of diversity and an ability to develop meaningful collaborative relationships with family and community members who are different from them in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, linguistic background, religion, or sexual orientation

In the area of advocacy, students enrolled in a minor in Early Childhood will
-demonstrate knowledge of agencies, funding, legislation, policies, regulations, initiatives, rights, and resources relevant for children with and without disabilities and their families
-learn to provide support for children and families in accessing resources and becoming advocates for themselves
-use current research findings to advance humanitarian approaches toward work with poor and diverse families with young children
-look for opportunities to promote a focused, integrative, and comprehensive reassessment of the nation’s child care policies
-articulate the need for quality early intervention in the lives of children who are poor, have disabilities, or are at risk for social-emotional difficulties

In the area of dispositions, students enrolled in the Early Childhood minor will
-value diversity
-demonstrate leadership
-demonstrate advocacy
-believe that every child is valuable and has gifts to be nurtured
-be reflective
-demonstrate self-awareness
-act in a professional manner

Total Credit Hours: 20