UD’s Early Childhood Education major prepares students to help young children--with and without special need--to reach their full potential. Graduates can teach in public and private schools and child care programs, become early interventionists and advocates, or work for community service agencies. Our coursework focuses on child development--teaching students how to identify appropriate instructional strategies and materials that meet each child’s social, cognitive, and physical characteristics. Early childhood education students gain real-world experience, on our children’s campus and in community agencies and schools, working with young children from diverse backgrounds and with special needs.Our graduates emerge well-prepared professionals, eligible for teaching certification in two areas—Early Childhood Education (birth – 2nd grade) and Early Childhood Special Education. As a nationally recognized blended Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education program (one of very few in the country), graduates are eligible for teaching certification in all 50 states.Develop and implement experiences for children based in an understanding of child development and learning for children birth to age 5 (STANDARD 1: Child Development and Learning in Context) Develop and implement experiences for young children that demonstrate an understanding of the importance of developing strong relationships with families and the broader community in and around the school (STANDARD 2: Family-Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections). Employ appropriate professional practices to observe, document, and assess learning in formal and informal learning environments and situations and use this information in planning appropriate educational experiences for young children (STANDARD 3: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment) Develop and implement lessons and teaching practices that are developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate (STANDARD 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices) Demonstrate appropriate content knowledge by applying and integrating academic content in developing and implementing educational experiences for young children with and without disabilities. (STANDARD 5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum)