Program: Child Development: Early Childhood Education

Are you interested in exploring careers working with children and families? Employers in the fields of Child Development and Early Childhood Education want to hire people who understand how children of all ages learn and develop. Our students go on to a wide range of related careers including preschool teachers, child psychologists, and elementary teachers. We offer the classes you need to gain knowledge and to build skills to get hired! 

CHILD DEVELOPMENT - Program Brochure

(Program Video: LBCC Career Technical Education, Child Development: Early Childhood Education)
 

DEGREES & CERTIFICATES

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Early Childhood Education, Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T)

Child Development: Early Childhood Education, Associate in Arts (AA)

Child Development: Early Childhood Education, Certificate of Achievement (ACH)

Special Education Paraprofessional, Certificate of Achievement (ACH)

CDECE – Assistant Teacher, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

CDECE – Associate Teacher, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

CDECE – Family Development, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Child Health & Safety, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Children with Exceptional Needs, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Curriculum in Early Childhood Education, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Early Literacy, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Family Child Care, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Child Development Permit Specialization Area – Infant/Toddler, Certificate of Accomplishment (ACC)

Family Child Care Management, Certificate of Completion (C-COMPL)

Parent Educator, Certificate of Completion (C-COMPL)

View all LBCC’s Programs of Study and Curriculum Guides.
(New students need to refer to the current academic year for the most up-to-date info) 

Receiving a Degree/Certificate

Class Schedule

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COURSE OFFERINGS

View courses offered in different semesters to assist in academic planning.

Course Name	Fall	Winter	Spring	Summer
CDECE 19 Health, Safety and Nutrition
CDECE 259 Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood
CDECE 31 Adult Supervision
CDECE 34 Children’s Literature
CDECE 40 Infant/Toddler Development
CDECE 41 Infant/Toddler Curriculum
CDECE 45 Child and Adolescent Development
CDECE 47 Human Development
CDECE 48 Child, Family and Community
CDECE 50 Intro to Curriculum
CDECE 53 Principles and Practices
CDECE 54 Art & Creative Development – Early Childhood
CDECE 55 Music & Movement in Early Childhood	TBD	TBD	TBD	TBD
CDECE 57 Science & Math in Early Childhood
CDECE 58 Language and Literacy in Early Childhood
CDECE 59 Guiding Young Children
CDECE 60A Administration of Child Development Programs
CDECE 60B Advanced Supervision
CDECE 61 Teaching in a Diverse Society
CDECE 66 Observation and Assessment
CDECE 68 Practicum
CDFDC 212A Family Childcare Management A
CDFDC 212B Family Childcare Management B
CDLL 52 Fieldwork
CDLL 603 CDC Participation
CDSED 5 Community Resources/Special Education
CDSED 67 Intro to Children with Special Needs
CDSED 70 Curriculum for Special Needs

View Course Descriptions on LBCC College Catalog.

CAREER INFO

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• Work as a Teacher’s Assistant with as few as 6 units.
• Work your way up the career ladder with our many certificates and degree options.
• Take courses necessary to earn Child Development Permits from the State of California.
• Earn our ECE AA and ECE AS-Transfer degrees and complete your education at the CSU/UC level.
• Elementary Teachers can complete the 24 units required to teach the new grade – Transitional Kindergarten.

POTENTIAL JOBS

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To explore potential jobs in this field of study, we strongly urge you to visit LBCC Career Center. Working with a career counselor, we will assess your strengths, skills, interests, and accomplishments to help you identify internship opportunities and career goals that match your educational and professional needs.

FAQ

(click questions below to reveal the answer)

I’m interested in Child Development/Early Childhood education, where do I start?

The best place to start is by calling the Counseling Department to schedule an appointment with an LBCC academic counselor who specialized is CD/ECE. A counselor can create an Educational Plan with you to make sure you are on the right path to meet your goal.

Make a 30-minute appointment with an academic counselor to receive services in educational plans, transcript evaluation, and career planning.

MEET LBCC COUNSELORS

How many units do I need to get a job working with young children?

You can begin your career in CD/ECE with as little as 6 units (two courses)!  Most programs that serve children ages 2-5 years employ teaching assistants who meet the minimum unit requirement with 6 teaching units. The Assistant Teacher Certificate of Accomplishment is available at LBCC. 

I want to be an elementary school teacher and work with Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Is this the right program for me?

Degrees in Child Development or Early Childhood Education (ECE) are excellent preparation for an eventual Multiple Subject Teaching Credential program. Since Elementary teaching preparation and certification is something that you apply for after completion of a Bachelors degree there are several undergraduate degree options. In California, there is a new grade “transitional kindergarten”. Students who want to be prepared to teach this grade will need a minimum of 24 units of ECE, so if you know you want to work with young children a degree in Child Development or Early Childhood education is the way to go.

Your program says that you offer several different certificates. What’s the difference in the jobs I can qualify for at the different certificate levels?

In the field of Early Care and Education, there are more employment opportunities when you complete more units. Our certificates are very closely aligned with the California Child Development Permit levels from the California Department of Education. You can begin your career with as little as 6 units as a teaching assistant and work your way up to be a lead teacher, director or early elementary school teacher with different degrees. Please contact one of the counselors who specialize in Child Development and Educational studies for more specific information.

What is the difference between a certificate or degree from LBCC and a teaching permit from the state?

Our certificates at LBCC are titled in the same way as the levels of the CD permit because they provide you with the appropriate educational preparation to apply for each level of the permit. Applying for a permit from the CDE is a separate process. You can find more information about the permit from Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Do you assist students in applying for a teacher permit?

Through the Child Development Training Consortium grant, we can assist current students with applying for their Assistant through Teacher level permit from the Child Development Division of the California Department of Education. For more information about applying for your permit contact Dr. Julie Frumkin at jfrumkin@lbcc.edu.

I am already working in a child care center and have some units. Now I want to earn a certificate and/or complete my associate’s. What should I do to get started? 

The best place to start is by calling the Counseling Department to schedule an appointment with an LBCC academic counselor who specialized is CD/ECE. A counselor can review your transcript and create an Educational Plan with you to make sure you are on the right path to meet your educational and career goal(s).

I think I want to work with young children but I’m not sure. Do you offer any courses that can give me real experience in the classroom so I can find out? 

CDLL 52: Fieldwork (a 3-unit course) offers students an opportunity to work with children in a supervised setting, at one of our two campus lab schools. We encourage all students to take this course early in their education to get a feel for your future role as a teacher in the early childhood classroom.

I am a Transitional Kindergarten (TK) teacher with a bachelor’s degree and a multiple-subject teaching credential. Do you offer the 24 units I need?  

Yes, we do! 

By 2020 Multiple subject credential holders who want to teach transitional kindergarten in California need to complete 24 units of child development coursework. Any combination of our “CDECE” courses will satisfy this requirement however we do have a recommended series of courses- please feel free to contact the Child Development and Educational Studies Department Chair or any other full-time faculty member in the department for specific information, support or advice. 

What is the best preparation for students who want to teach in the early elementary grades (Kindergarten, first, and second)?

We believe that the best preparation for work with young children (ages birth to age 8) is Child Development. Students find success in completing their AA or AS-T with us before transferring to a four-year university to complete their degree in elementary education and earn their credentials. Understanding Child Development is critical to success in the classroom.

I want to work with children but not in the classroom. Do you offer courses that will prepare me for other careers with children and families?

Being a classroom teacher is just one of the career paths that education in child development or early childhood education can lead to. A degree in Early Childhood Education can lead to careers in psychology, social work, human services, resource and referral, child life, and many others. Most of these careers require additional degrees and/or certification but an undergraduate foundation in child development is excellent preparation for any career working with young children and families. 

How long does it take to complete the program?

Depending on the number of units you take and whether you are a full-time or part-time student, completing a certificate program can take as little as one semester and completing an associate degree program can take about two years.

How much does the program cost?

Please visit Financial Aid for tuition costs and Federal Work Study information.

How to transfer and lookup comparable listings.

To help determine if courses taken at other schools are comparable to Long Beach City College courses, please visit LBCC Transfer Evaluation System (TES).

For more information, please visit LBCC Transfer Center.

How do I receive my degree or certificate after I finish the coursework?

You will need to complete an application for your degree or certificate and submit that application to the LBCC Admissions & Records office. Read how to apply for graduation and receive your degree or certificate for more details.