Des Moines Area Community College.

Early Childhood Development Associate Skills Guide

Recommended High School Level Background Courses

  • *Biology
  • Keyboarding
  • Speech
  • *Health
  • *Psychology
  • Art
  • *Composition
  • *Sociology
  • Home Economics

* Courses available in the Academic Achievement Center or High School Completion Center

Basic Skills in the Program and on the Job

Reading

Textbook assignments are a central part of the courses in this program, with tests based on a combination of lectures, audio-visual materials, and texts. Texts in first-semester courses are written at approximately an eleventh to twelfth grade level.

In addition to their texts, students will be reading curriculum guides, children's books, and handouts from professional journals. They must also be able to use reference books as resources to answer children's questions. They can expect to continue this type of reading on the job, where they will also be reading notes from parents and directors, agency forms, and medical information pertaining to the children in their facilities.

View more information on reading skills in the Early Childhood program.

Language

Good communication skills are essential in this program. In their classes, students will participate in discussion groups covering the day's activities. They may also conduct interviews. In addition to interacting with children and staff members, they must be able to communicate clearly to parents as they describe and justify the actions they have taken. On the job, they will also have contact with the general public, including agency representatives, newspaper reporters, and law enforcement officials.

Within the program, students engage in a variety of writing activities: recording their observations in a journal, writing short essay responses on tests, evaluating their progress, preparing lesson plans, composing letters to parents, developing statements of policy and procedure. These activities help to prepare them for similar writing requirements on the job.

To meet their formal English course requirement, students may choose one of the following: Communication Skills  (COM 703), Composition I (ENG 105), or Business English (ADM 157).

View more information on language skills in the Early Childhood program.

Math

Students who choose to complete an Early Childhood Education Associate in Science degree must take a college-level math course, typically Finite Math (MAT 141), which has a prerequisite of Introductory Algebra. They will use math in their program coursework to prepare budgets, determine the nutritional content of foods, plan menus, figure cost per serving, and measure portions accurately. In addition to these activities, they must be able to measure dosages of medication on the job.

View more information on math skills in the Early Childhood program.

Learning

Several crucial thinking skills are refined in this program for independent use on the job. Students must learn to be objective observers of the children with whom they interact. They should also be able to apply principles discussed in class to specific cases, adapting as necessary to fit the circumstances. They need to make on-the-spot decisions and trace the consequences of their actions.

View more information on learning skills in the Early Childhood program.

Computer

In some courses no handwritten work is accepted; therefore, students will find word processing skills helpful. They can continue to use these skills on the job as they prepare forms and write letters to parents.

View more information on computer skills in the Early Childhood program.

In general, students who succeed in this program possess energy, enthusiasm, and good health. They relate well to children (in a childlike rather than a childish manner) and have the ability to take charge and to think on their feet. They accept evaluation as a means of improving their performance. Finally, they have sufficient academic skills and a stable enough life outside the classroom to handle their coursework.