Early Childhood Education at Algonquin College

Facilitating children`s learning through play.

The 42-week Early Childhood Education Ontario College Diploma program, prepares you to become an educator of children in a variety of early learning settings. Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to work with families and other professionals to support children`s learning and development.

This program provides you with the ability to create, implement and assess play-based curricula while building stimulating child-centred environments.

Benefit from both theoretical and hands-on learning opportunities. You have three field placements during the program that focus on children from birth to age 12. These real-world experiences allow you to integrate theory with professional practice in early learning programs.

You assist in providing guidance to children while planning, implementing and evaluating programs. Through your placements, you gain valuable hands-on skills and experience to help you understand the diverse roles, settings and responsibilities of an Early Childhood Educator.

Upon graduation, you are eligible to register with the College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE). Registration with the CECE is required to be eligible to work as an Early Childhood Educator in Ontario.

SUCCESS FACTORS

This program is well-suited for students who:

• Enjoy working with children and their families.
• Have strong observational and analytical skills.
• Enjoy working as a member of a team.
• Have strong language (oral and written) skills.
• Are self-reliant and enjoy challenges.
• Are interested in child development and teaching children through play.
• Are comfortable using computers and other forms of technology.
• Have effective interpersonal skills.

Early childhood education is a physically demanding profession. Individuals entering this profession must be able to lift children, materials and equipment (up to 32kgs). As well, individuals must be able to run/move quickly between areas in the room and outside in order to ensure children`s safety. In addition, educators must constantly observe children to ensure safety and to assess children`s abilities, skills and interest in order to develop meaningful curricula. Entering the program without these abilities may result in unsuccessful field placements and students who are unsuccessful in placements are not eligible to graduate.

Careers

Graduates may find professional employment opportunities as educators in early learning and care programs (infant, toddler, preschool, school-age), nursery schools, resource and Ontario Early Years Centres, full-day kindergartens, programs run by community health agencies and as home child care advisors. Opportunities in entrepreneurial areas (e.g. marketing of educational toys/books/materials consulting) are emerging.

Graduates are required to register with the College of Early Childhood Educators to be eligible to apply for jobs within the profession.

Learning Outcomes

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

1. Create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples` worldviews and Francophone identity.
2. Co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children`s learning, holistic development and well-being following children`s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences.
3. Co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings.
4. Collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being.
5. Use observation strategies to identify children`s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources.
6. Use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children`s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector.
7. Act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one`s own role in early years and child care settings.
8. Identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures.
9. Create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services.
10. Engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators.
11. Engage with Indigenous children, families and communities to co-create, implement and evaluate Indigenous early years and child care and child and family programs and environments that are culturally sensitive and culturally relevant to the communities they serve.
12. Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.

Program Eligibility

• English, Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent) with a grade of 65% or higher.

• Applicants with international transcripts must provide proof of the subject specific requirements noted above and may be required to provide proof of language proficiency. Domestic applicants with international transcripts must be evaluated through the International Credential Assessment Service of Canada (ICAS) or World Education Services (WES).
• IELTS-International English Language Testing Service (Academic)Overall band of 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each band. OR TOEFL-Internet-based (iBT)-overall 88, with a minimum of 22 in each component: Reading 22; Listening 22; Speaking 22; Writing 22.

Should the number of qualified applicants exceed the number of available places, applicants will be selected on the basis of their proficiency in English.