Early Childhood Education: AAS to BIS

The Early Childhood Education track is designed for students who have earned their Associate Degree in Early Childhood from a Virginia Community College. Completers of this program earn a four-year degree and are eligible for a Virginia teaching license in PK-3rd Grades. All of the courses are offered fully online.

For additional information, please refer to the ECED advising site: BIS in ECED Advising

Course Descriptions

JMU Courses

LED 355: Early Literacy Development

This is the first course in a two-course sequence designed to provide pre-service inclusive early childhood teachers with the foundation of literacy development for children, as well as instruction to support and enhance the emergence and continued development of literacy learning.

ECED 372: Intro to ECED

An introductory study of the role of the teacher, the role of the learner and the developing child as the basis for designing programs and developing curriculum for children 0-8 with different abilities and from various cultures. Prerequisite: Admission to teacher education. Corequisite: LED 366.

ECED 304: Diversity in ECED

This course guides students in critically examining their own perspectives regarding diversity, seeks to expand students’ awareness and understanding of individuals and groups representing differences, and explores pedagogical issues and practices essential for embracing the whole community of learners and families.

ECED 412: Natural and Social Sciences in PK-3

Study of content, processes, teaching methods, and materials for teaching science and social studies in the early childhood classroom. Knowledge of cognitive development as applied to the selection of content in method will be examined.

ECED 442: The Young Child

This course integrates child development knowledge and theories, academic content knowledge, and age/stage appropriate guidance strategies for teaching children pre-kindergarten through grade three. Emphasis on observational/assessment strategies and inquiry processes related to young children’s growth and development as a basis for teaching decisions.

ECED 443: Practicum in Primary Grade

This two-hour, weekly practicum in first or second grade will provide students with experience in planning and implementing math and literacy experiences for young children.

ECED 444: Mathematics Content and Pedagogy for Early Childhood Education 

This is the first of two courses that helps prospective early childhood teachers (PreK-3) develop mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge, skills and understanding to design and implement effective, developmentally appropriate mathematics instruction for grades PreK-3. Emphasis is on children's mathematical learning in the following mathematical strands: Number and Number Sense, Computation and Estimation, and Patterns, Functions and Algebra.

ECED 445: Mathematics Content and Pedagogy for Early Childhood Education 

This is the second of two courses that helps prospective early childhood teachers (PreK-3) develop mathematical content and pedagogical knowledge, skills and understanding to design and implement effective, developmentally appropriate mathematics instruction for grades PreK-3. Emphasis is on children's mathematical learning of geometry, measurement, data analysis and probability.

ECED 461: Integrated Day Practicum

This all-day, primary-grade practicum allows students to demonstrate their educational decision-making skills through planning, implementing and evaluating appropriate activities for children of diverse interests, needs and abilities. Strategies to assess learning, guide behavior, work with professionals and family involvement are applied in this practicum and accompanying seminar.

ECED 480: Student Teaching

Enables students to apply in public school classrooms those understandings, skills and attitudes acquired in all components of teacher education. Under the guidance of university supervisors and cooperating teachers, students engage in full-time teaching responsibilities.

EXED 402: Behavioral Supports and Interventions

This course is designed for early childhood educators (ECEs) who may work with young children with challenging behaviors. This course focuses on basic principles of behavior as means to help ECEs understand the function of behavior, or the reasons why behavior occurs. This course focuses on proactive strategies as a means to prevent challenging behavior, measuring behaviors using data collection and implementing behavior interventions that are aligned with behavior function. This course emphasizes a positive approach to behavior management aligned with best practices in teaching social emotional skills to young children.

EXED 490: Inclusive Practices

Designed to allow the student to complete independent study under faculty supervision.

IS 498: Capstone in ECED

An in-depth study of an interdisciplinary topic directly related to the student's area of concentration.

LED 456: Literacy Learning in the Elementary Grades

This course is the second of a two-course sequence covering the development of the reading process and methods for teaching reading in elementary classrooms, as well as assessment and intervention for students at risk for or with identified disabilities. Participants will develop an understanding of the reading process and reading disabilities. Emphasis will be on the use of effective practices for primary, secondary and tertiary instruction for children across the lifespan.

General Education Courses for ECED

HIST 102: World History Since 1500

A survey of important historical developments from 1500 to the present. Emphasis is given to the growth of nationalism, the development of colonialism, and to world events, problems, and conflicts of the present century. May be used for general education credit.

ISCI 172: Physical Science for Teachers

This course provides university-level foundations of physical science for future pk-8 teachers. Content aligns with various teacher competencies, and includes such topics as matter, conservation of mass and energy, chemical structures and bonds, coordinate systems and their use in describing motion and force, thermodynamics, light, sound, magnetism and electricity, and how physical science knowledge and technologies function with social context. Hands-on, experiential inquiry will be integrated into the course, as will an exploration of such methods as observation, classification, comparison, measurement, data interpretation, mathematical analysis, inference, prediction and hypothesis testing. Normally open to IDLS majors only, but other students may request admission by special permission. May be used for general education credit.