B.S. in Early Childhood Education: P-3

The Early Childhood Education P-3 major is designed for students seeking a preschool through grade 3 teaching endorsement.  Coursework and field experience provide multiple opportunities for applied understanding of children's growth and development, building family and community relationships, conducting observations and assessments, understanding developmentally appropriate practices, implementing curriculum, and promoting the well-being of young children and their families. 

Students complete two consecutive semesters of part time practicum teaching prior to student teaching.  During the practicum semesters, students spend the equivalent of four half-days in supervised settings working directly with children while concurrently completing their P3 methods and other upper division courses. The student teaching semester is a full time, whole day, fourteen-week supervised experience in a K-3 classroom setting. No other courses are taken during the student teaching semester.

Students must receive a grade of "C" or higher in all required courses and must be admitted into the Teacher Education Program prior to taking their upper division methods and practicum coursework.

Upon completion of the degree, students are eligible for licensure in the state of Montana.  For more information on admission to the Teacher Education Program, student teaching, licensure, professional expectations, and more, please see the Teacher Education Program section of this catalog.

Program Learning Outcomes

• Promoting child development and learning:
  Knowing and understanding young children’s characteristics and needs.
  Knowing and understanding the multiple influences on development and learning.
  Using developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments.
  
• Building family and community relationships:
  Knowing about and understanding diverse family and community characteristics.
  Supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships.
  Involving families and communities in their children’s development and learning.
  
• Observing, documenting, and assessing:
  Understanding the goals, benefits and uses of assessment.
  Knowing about and using observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment tools and approaches.
  Understanding and practicing responsible assessment to promote positive outcomes for each child.
  Knowing about assessment partnerships with families and with professional colleagues.
  
• Using developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and families:
  Understanding positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation of their work with children.
  Knowing and understanding effective strategies and tools for early education
  Using a broad repertoire of developmentally appropriate teaching/learning approaches.
  Reflecting on their own practice to promote positive outcomes for each child.
  
• Using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum:
  Understanding content knowledge and resources in academic disciplines.
  Knowing and using the central concepts, inquiry tools, and structures of content areas or academic disciplines.
  Using their own knowledge, appropriate early learning standards, and other resources to design, implement, and evaluate meaningful, challenging curricula for each child.
  
• Becoming a professional:
  Identifying and involving oneself with the early childhood field.
  Knowing about and upholding ethical standards and other professional guidelines.
  Engaging in continuous, collaborative learning to inform practice.
  Integrating knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives on early education.
  Engaging informed advocacy for children and the profession.