This course focuses on becoming proficient in basic communication and writing skills expected at the post secondary level. Students will become aware of appropriate form, style, and level of analysis/detail, based on message, audience, and purpose of communication. Students will develop skills in the following areas: research, writing (including APA referencing and citing), editing, and oral presentation.

30 Hours

This course focuses on the genetic and environmental factors which influence children’s growth and development from preconception to age twelve. Students will be introduced to theories of child development and their connection to best practices in Early Childhood Education. Children’s holistic development and well-being in various areas, including social, emotional, language, physical, cognitive, perceptual, and moral development, will be considered from infancy to late childhood, as will social contexts of development.

60 Hours

This course will integrate elements of Capable, Confident and Curious: Nova Scotia’s Early Learning Curriculum Framework and apply the framework’s learning goals and objectives to program planning and the design of learning environments for children ages birth through school age. Specifically, students will promote play-based learning, reviewing the following curriculum areas in an early learning and child care program: art, music, science, math, and literacy (reading). Students will recognize how the outdoor space is an extension of the indoor classroom and will identify opportunities to support play-based learning in an outdoor environment. Students will be introduced to various curriculum approaches and will focus on emergent curriculum, learning how to follow children’s interests and ideas to create meaningful learning and play experiences. Students will recognize their own role as educators in supporting children’s play as an observer, a scaffolder, and a facilitator.

60 Hours

This course focuses on elements which have a profound influence on children’s health and well-being, particularly in the early years when children are most vulnerable to environmental influences (University of New Brunswick Early Childhood Research and Development Team 2008, p. 14). Students will be challenged to promote the health and safety of young children and of professionals working in early learning environments. This course will also examine the role of nutrition in early childhood education settings. Students will reflect on curriculum experiences which promote health, safety, and nutrition with young children.

30 Hours

This course provides a foundation for understanding and guiding children.  Students will learn the principles and techniques of developmentally appropriate guidance strategies, which will be explored and applied in the context of curriculum, role modelling, and appropriate intervention.  A variety of direct and indirect guidance strategies will be introduced and opportunities to practice these will be integrated in all content areas. Students will explore prevention and intervention techniques.  This course focuses on assisting adults in early learning environments in their understanding of children’s behaviour as it is influenced by developmental and environmental factors. Students will learn practical skills for supporting and guiding healthy interactions between children and between adults and children.  Respectful guidance strategies will be practiced which promote children's development and learning by facilitating trusting relationships and positive interactions.  Students will review policies as they relate to guiding children’s behaviour, including centre-based policies and provincial regulations.

30 Hours

This course will be a combination of classroom content and a field placement opportunity in early learning and child care. In the module portion of this course, students are provided with an introduction to the roles and responsibilities of the Early Childhood Educator. Upon completion of these modules, students are placed in child care centres working with children from infancy through school age. Practicum I is designed to provide students with an opportunity to become familiar with child care through observation and reflection and to gain experience interacting with children and families.

146 Hours | (ECE 101 or ECE 147 or concurrent)

This course introduces students to the historical, theoretical, and philosophical components related to providing quality, inclusive early childhood education. Students will explore the evolution of human rights as it relates to the creation of childcare programs and early childhood education. Specifically, students will explore feminism and women’s rights, children’s rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Students will also explore human rights through the lens of Nova Scotia’s heritage communities: Indigenous Peoples, African and Black Nova Scotians, Gaels, Newcomers, and Acadians. Students will explore child development theories, comparing and contrasting Western theories with other world views. Students will evaluate specialized curriculum approaches such as Montessori, Steiner (Waldorf), High Scope, Te Whariki Curriculum Framework, Head Start, and Anji Play.

30 Hours

This course will integrate and apply elements of Capable, Confident and Curious: Nova Scotia’s Early Learning Curriculum Framework to program planning and the design of learning environments, including outdoor play spaces. Students will begin to examine transitions, focusing on transitions between the indoor and outdoor learning environment. Students will promote play-based learning in the following curriculum areas in an early childhood education program: block play, sensory play (including sand and water play), literacy (writing), and wood-working. Students will also explore children’s use of technology in play. Students will be introduced to Thornhill’s (2018) practices of examining schemas. Students will continue to use an emergent curriculum lens, building on children’s interests and ideas to extend their play experiences. Students will begin to engage in reflective practice. Students will recognize their own role as educators in supporting children’s play and how their use of materials and environmental design impacts behaviour, ideas, and play in children from birth through school age. Particular emphasis will be placed on the use of loose parts and natural materials in supporting children’s play.

60 Hours

Observation and documentation are key areas outlining the scope of practice for Early Childhood Educators in Nova Scotia. This course focuses on elements of the Reflective Planning Cycle; specifically, students will learn to observe and listen by writing, collecting, and noticing ideas. Students will practice interpreting their observations and planning responses. Students will develop skills in both formal and informal observations using a variety of observation tools and will use objective observations to assess children’s progress across developmental domains. Students will be introduced to authentic assessment to capture children’s ideas, learning, and play.

30 Hours

This course offers a framework for supporting creative arts in early learning and child care programs. Students will explore the value of creative arts, with particular emphasis on visual arts, musical arts, and dramatic arts. Students will begin to value art as a means by which children (birth through school age) can express their identities and cultures. Students will design experiences for children to promote artistic expression and engagement and will be inspired by art to create experiences in other curriculum areas. Students will be encouraged to explore and interact with materials, ideas, and each other, discovering deeper meanings and connections, as they will do with children. Using art as a lens, students will practice making the learning process visible and communicating the value of creativity in early learning environments.

60 Hours

This course provides students with an opportunity to study and understand the sociology of the family, the challenges families face, and the effects of those challenges on children. Students will give serious consideration to the role of the early childhood educator and how they create environments that welcome all families. Students will recognize that children’s lives are shaped by their families, communities, and cultures, and that their earliest development and learning takes place through these relationships. Students will explore various aspects of human diversity and will examine their own biases and understand the roots of prejudice and stereotypes. This course will support the Early Childhood Educator in acquiring the knowledge, perspectives, and skills needed to include all children and families in their practice.

60 Hours

Building on previous practicum experiences, students will continue field placement opportunities in early learning and child care settings working with children from infancy to school age. Students will build on skills observed in Practicum I, strengthening communication, professionalism, curriculum planning and implementation, and child guidance. Students will demonstrate an understanding of planning, implementation, and reflection of developmentally appropriate experiences. Students will function as team members during this time but may still require periodic assistance in demonstrating the required skills.

146 Hours | (ECE 105; ECE 101 or ECE 147 or concurrent)

This course will offer students the opportunity to gain knowledge of children with developmental differences, including developmental disabilities and delays.  Students will explore their “Image of the Child” as it relates to views on disability and equity.  Informed by a tiered public health model of promotion, prevention, and intervention practices, this course will focus on building an effective workforce through educating students about philosophies of inclusion, evidence-based practices, and specific developmental differences.  This course will also emphasize nurturing responsive relationships, including with families and with community partners and supports, following a transdisciplinary model.  Emphasis will be placed on children’s rights, in the context of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.  This course will emphasize family-centered practice and how to communicate with families.  High quality supportive environments will be considered, emphasizing specific strategies to support the belonging of all children in inclusive early learning environments. 

60 Hours | (ECE 101)

Building on information covered in Child Guidance I: Strategies and Approaches, students will continue to explore the principles of child guidance with an emphasis on social emotional learning (SEL). This course identifies the need for Early Childhood Educators to establish relationships, support play, and foster children's acceptance within peer groups. It examines strategies that enhance healthy self-regard, self-regulation, executive function, social competence, resilience and the development of moral identity. Students will learn about possible challenges for children, including early exposure to stress. The focus will be on learning how to implement techniques that foster positive relationships and create opportunities for learning.

30 Hours | (ECE 147)

This course introduces students to professional practice and ethical decision making in the field of early childhood education. Students will develop their professional knowledge and skills, and discover that working in partnership with children, families, and communities is the best way to ensure that all children experience positive learning opportunities. Students will consider how professional relationships between educators and other early childhood professionals allow for a collaborative, comprehensive, and consistent approach to early childhood education. This course will also provide students with information which will assist them in working as professionals and advocates for children, families, and the ECE profession. Students will articulate their personal educator’s philosophy and explore the image of ECEs as capable, confident, and curious.

30 Hours

This course offers a framework for engaging in responsive caregiving with children from infancy through school age. It is based on the principle that secure attachment sets the stage for healthy emotional development and the ability to form attachments throughout the lifespan. Using responsive caregiving as a foundation, students will be introduced to developing routines and reciprocal relationships that support the whole child. Students will appreciate infants and toddlers as capable beings and will be able to respond to infants’ and toddlers’ cues and other non-verbal communication in respectful and sensitive ways. Special emphasis will be placed on planning and offering developmentally appropriate, individually appropriate, and culturally appropriate experiences for all children.60 Hours

This course offers students the opportunity to explore various aspects involved in creating and offering indoor and outdoor early learning environments that will support the recommended levels of physical activity for young children from birth through school age. The content will also focus on physical literacy and will identify fundamental movement skills (FMS) for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Students will design developmentally appropriate active play experiences throughout the routines, transitions, and activities of the day, with a focus on outdoor play. Students will explore the concept of risk in active play including unstructured and structured play experiences. Students will draw links to current research on the role of physical activity in brain development, healthy outcomes for children, and well-being for everyone involved in early childhood programs.

30 Hours

Building on previous practicum experience, students will continue field placement opportunities in early learning and child care, working with children from infancy to school age. Students will now have opportunities for “out of-classroom” placements that will provide a wider range of opportunities in inclusion, administration, and family-centred practice. Students will build on skills observed in Practicum I and II, further strengthening communication, professionalism, curriculum planning and implementation, and child guidance.  Students will continue using observations as a foundation for planning developmentally appropriate experiences for children and will function as an effective team member.

137 Hours | (ECE 205; ECE 101; ECE 147)

Extending from Inclusion: Relationships & Environments, this course will offer students the opportunity to gain experience with program planning for children with developmental differences, including developmental disabilities and delays. Informed by a tiered public health model of promotion, prevention, and intervention practices, this course will focus on implementing targeted social emotional supports and intensive intervention. This course will emphasize incorporating intervention in a child’s existing routine and implementing strategies for success. Family-centered practice will remain at the core of developing and implementing inclusive practices, as “families are often children’s most influential teachers, and building genuine and respectful partnerships with children’s parents, guardians, and families helps educators build diversity and familiarity into children’s learning environments” (Nova Scotia, 2018).

60 Hours | (ECE 306)

Building on knowledge of curriculum planning and play-based learning, students will explore theoretical and practical issues regarding language, literacy, and numeracy for children from birth through school age. Students will be introduced to methods of selecting children’s literature and using books to support the development of language and literacy in early learning environments. Students will use an anti-bias lens and learn how literacy can promote identity and expression. Students will learn how to support children’s numerical knowledge and concepts related to numeracy and symbolic representation.

30 Hours

This course offers students the opportunity to explore the significant educational models and modern theorists that have influenced the field of early childhood education, in order to understand the Cycle of Inquiry as it relates to Emergent Curriculum and Pedagogical Documentation. This course offers students an opportunity to study Emergent Curriculum as a model of program design used in early learning environments. Students will analyze the theoretical framework of this model and demonstrate an understanding of its practical applications. These will include observations and responses, reflection, pedagogical documentation, project development, and revitalizing the learning environment. Students will plan curriculum that is based on a thorough understanding of child development, and will learn to facilitate planned and spontaneous experiences, based on accurate systematic observations of children and reflection with peers. Students will design curriculum that provides for the holistic development of individual children and groups of children, from birth to school age, and learn how to design and implement curriculum which will effectively meet the emerging skills, strategies, and ideas of each child. Students will explore pedagogical documentation in depth and practice making children’s thinking and learning visible using different methods for documenting children’s explorations and communication.

60 Hours | (ECE 211)

This course provides students with the opportunity to explore the administrator's role in using Quality Matters and to practice Continuous Quality Improvement as a member of a team. Students will examine issues and opportunities related to: Leadership (professional, pedagogical, and administrative), Staffing (qualifications, professional development, human resources, and compensation), Learning Environments (high quality and inclusive), and Relationships (interactions and partnerships with children, families, staff, other professionals, and the community). They will learn how to engage in the process of self assessment, how to set priorities, and how to set and evaluate goals. Students will learn skills to manage budgets, monitor expenditures, and analyse the impacts of funding opportunities. Students will understand the role of an Early Childhood Development Consultant in the process of Quality Matters. Students will recognize the impact of accountability, including compliance (with provisions of Nova Scotia’s Early Learning and Child Care Act and with provincial Early Learning and Child Care Regulations, policies, standards, and licensing and monitoring activities), accountability (for financial reporting and respecting any public funds received), and program quality (to be maintained through the implementation of the Nova Scotia Early Learning Curriculum Framework and through the development, implementation, and assessment of Quality Improvement Plans). Students will practice using the CQI cycle of reflection and planning: Plan, Do, Review, Adjust.

60 Hours

According to the Educator’s Guide to Capable, Confident, and Curious: Nova Scotia’s Early Learning Curriculum Framework, “young children learn best in environments where they can have secure relationships with caring and responsive adults, feel safe, and feel free to explore and learn” (p. 57). This course examines strategies for creating respectful and nurturing environments that build on children’s strengths and capabilities. Students will examine high quality and inclusive environments, with specific attention to curriculum, materials, space, routines, transitions, and people, as key to supporting children’s development, play, behaviour, and learning from birth through school age.

30 Hours

Building on previous practicum experiences, students will continue field placement opportunities in early learning and child care settings working with children from infancy to school age. Students will continue to have opportunities for “out-of-classroom” placements that will provide a wider range of opportunities in inclusion, administration, and family-centred practice. Students will consistently and independently demonstrate competence in communication, professionalism, curriculum planning and implementation, and child guidance. Students will combine skills in observation, knowledge of child development and curriculum planning to demonstrate an understanding of an inclusive and holistic approach to program planning. Students in Practicum IV should be expected to function as a member of the team and complete all the expected tasks of a practicing Early Childhood Educator.

137 Hours | (ECE 305; ECE 101; ECE 147)