The Early Childhood Education program is offered by the Health and Human Services Department at the Quad-Cities Campus, Moline, through distance learning at the East Campus, and online courses. The Early Childhood Education program is especially designed to prepare persons to work with children birth through age five in a child care or preschool setting. The Black Hawk College Early Childhood Education program has been approved as an entitled program through Gateways to Opportunity. Courses taken at Black Hawk College support the attainment of the following Gateways Credentials: Levels 2, 3, and 4; Infant-Toddler Credential Levels 2, 3, and 4.
Students will take classes designed to give particular understanding and skills in such areas as human growth and development, curriculum and guidance. Observation and practical experience will take place in off-campus preschool and child care facilities.
Students must successfully document and meet all health and background checks required by academic programs and/or courses.
ECE Program FlyerLearn more about Early Childhood Education student support and the ECACE Scholarship
Students who complete this program will be able to:
- Create an individualized instructional plan for a specific child based on his/her strengths and weaknesses, as informed by both standardized assessment and research-based developmental domains.
- Develop and implement developmentally appropriate health, safety and nutrition activities.
- Develop, implement, and evaluate a preschool lesson plan for each of the learning domains (math, science, social studies, language, literacy, the arts, health and safety, music and movement) that incorporates evidence-based practices in content and delivery methods.
- Evaluate the role of ecological, child and teacher factors in the social emotional development of children and how to make changes in the classroom environment to improve child outcomes.
- Demonstrate knowledge and application of professionalism in early childhood education as indicated by image, behavior and dispositions expected of students receiving an AAS in early childhood education.
- Assess and analyze family-friendliness and cultural competencies of the early childhood education program/environment and create associated improvement plans.