Early Childhood Education | Gateway Technical College

Explore child development and learning through coursework and hands-on field experience.
Gain practical skills by applying theory under the expert guidance of experienced faculty and practicing early educators, developing your ability to create effective lesson plans and curriculum.
Earn a certificate in Child Care Group Essentials or Child Care Teacher as you work toward your degree, or an Infant/Toddler Credential to individualize your studies.
Save on the cost of a bachelor degree in teaching with career pathways and transfer agreements.
Enjoy flexible course scheduling, including blended and online options to help you balance life and learning.

Program Credits

61

LOCATION

Online, Racine Campus

Financial Aid Eligible

Yes

ESTIMATED PROGRAM COST

Tuition & Fees: $10,174
Books and Supplies: $4,654

Start Dates

Spring, Fall

Salary Outlook

$41,995

Career Opportunities:

Early Head Start Teacher, Educational Assistant, Child Care Center Director, District Substitute Teacher 4K-12, Special Education Assistant

Early Childhood Education Career Pathway

Career Pathways are designed to help you reach your educational goals and explore college and career options. Pathways are made up of related certificates, diplomas and degrees that build on common skills and knowledge. You can begin at any point on the Career Pathway and customize your pathway to fit your goals. View the pathway for your area of interest.

There are many opportunities, both in high school and through previous college, work, and/or military experience, to earn credit for prior learning at Gateway.

Certificates include a streamlined set of courses in a specific program area, providing a set of industry-recognized skills preparing students for entry-level employment. Certificate opportunities in this pathway include:

Child Care Group Essentials, Child Care Teacher

Associate degrees are typically completed in two years by full-time students and combine hands-on technical skills with general education. Associate degree opportunities in this pathway include:

Early Childhood Education

Prepare to enter your exciting new career, or choose to continue your education with another Gateway program or by transferring your credits to a four-year college or university.

Curriculum Sheet:

10-307-1 Early Childhood Education Full-Time 2025-26 Curriculum Sheet.pdf

Part Time Curriculum:

10-307-1 Early Childhood Education Part-Time 2025-26 Curriculum Sheet.pdf

Course Number: 307-179Credits: 3.00

This three credit course examines child development within the context of the early childhood education setting. Course competencies include: analyze social, cultural, and economic influences on child development; summarize child development theories; analyze development of children age three through eight; summarize the methods and designs of child development research; and analyze the role of heredity and environment.

Course Number: 307-160Credits: 3.00

This three-credit introductory field experience course introduces the foundations of early childhood education under the guided supervision of supervising faculty and a mentor teacher in an early childhood setting working with children from birth through age 8. This course meets the requirements for the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards 18hour training. This course includes 36 lecture hours plus 54 hours of field experience in an actual early childhood setting.

Course Number: 307-148Credits: 3.00

This three credit course introduces you to the early childhood profession. Course competencies include: integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives; investigate the history of early childhood education; summarize types of early childhood education settings; identify the components of a quality early childhood education program; summarize responsibilities of early childhood education professionals; and explore early childhood curriculum models.

Course Number: 307-167Credits: 3.00

This three credit course examines the topics of health, safety, and nutrition within the context of the early childhood educational setting. Course competencies include: integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives; follow governmental regulations and professional standards as they apply to health, safety, and nutrition; provide a safe early childhood program; provide a healthy early childhood program; provide a nutritionally sound early childhood program; adhere to child abuse and neglect mandates; apply Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk reduction strategies; and incorporate health, safety, and nutrition concepts into the children's curriculum.

Course Number: 801-136Credits: 3.00

This course is designed for learners to develop knowledge and skills in all aspects of the writing process. Planning, organizing, writing, editing and revising are applied through a variety of activities. Students will analyze audience and purpose, use elements of research, and format documents using standard guidelines. Individuals will develop critical reading skills through analysis of various written documents.

Course Number: 890-155Credits: 1.00

In this course, students explore the Gateway Technical College community. They examine college resources and services, investigate skills that lead to academic success, and identify strategies for achieving educational and personal goals.

Course Number: 307-108Credits: 3.00

This course explores strategies to encourage the development of early language and literacy knowledge and skill building in children birth to 8 years of age. Learners will investigate the components of literacy including; literacy and a source of enjoyment, vocabulary and oral language, phonological awareness, knowledge of print, letters and words, comprehension and an understanding of books and other texts. Theories and philosophies regarding children's language and literacy development will be addressed. Dual language learning will be examined within the context of developmentally appropriate practices. Assessment tools for early language and literacy acquisition will be reviewed.

Course Number: 307-170Credits: 3.00

This 3-credit intermediate field experience course includes assisting the mentor teacher in carrying out classroom routines and implementing developmentally appropriate learning experiences that promote child development and learning through play for children from birth to age 8. This course requires 18 hours of lecture and 144 hours of field experience in an actual early education setting.

Course Number: 307-188Credits: 3.00

This three credit course examines positive strategies to guide children's behavior in the early childhood education setting. Course competencies include: integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives; summarize early childhood guidance principles; analyze factors that affect the behavior of children; practice positive guidance strategies; develop guidance strategies to meet individual needs; and create a guidance philosophy.

Course Number: 307-110Credits: 3.00

This 3-credit course will focus on beginning level curriculum development in the specific integrated content areas of social studies, art, music, & movement (SSAMM).

Course Number: 804-134Credits: 3.00

All college students, regardless of their college major, need to be able to make reasonable decisions about fiscal, environmental, and health issues that require quantitative reasoning skills. An activity based approach is used to explore numerical relationships, graphs, proportional relationships, algebraic reasoning, and problem solving using linear, exponential and other mathematical models. Students will develop conceptual and procedural tools that support the use of key mathematical concepts in a variety of contexts.

Course Number: 307-195Credits: 3.00

In this three credit course, you will examine the role of relationships with family and community in early childhood education. Course competencies include: implement strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives when working with families and community; analyze contemporary family patterns, trends, and relationships; utilize effective communication strategies; establish ongoing relationships with families; advocate for children and families; and work collaboratively with community resources.

Course Number: 307-190Credits: 3.00

This 3-credit advanced field experience course focuses on supporting young children's development from birth to age 8 through observation, assessment, and implementation of developmentally appropriate teaching strategies. This course requires 18 hours of lecture and 144 hours of field experience in an actual early childhood setting.

Course Number: 307-151Credits: 3.00

In this three credit course, you will study infant and toddler development as it applies to an early childhood education setting. Course competencies include: integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives; analyze development of infants and toddlers (conception to three years); correlate prenatal conditions with development; summarize child development theories; analyze the role of heredity and the environment; examine research-based models; and examine culturally and developmentally appropriate environments for infants and toddlers.

Course Number: 307-112Credits: 3.00

This 3-credit course will focus on beginning level curriculum development in the specific integrated content areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Course Number: 809-198Credits: 3.00

This course introduces students to some of the major theories and topics of psychology, including the physiological basis of behavior, personality and learning theories, memory, states of consciousness, stress, research methods, intelligence, human development, psychopathology, and social behavior.

Course Number: OPTION-E307.1Credits: 3.00

Complete three elective credits. The suggested electives are: 307-141 ECE: Special Healthcare Needs 307-169 ECE: Infant/Toddler Group Care 307-149 ECE: Child Care Operations Management This is for informational purposes only. Once you register for your course, you can delete this block from your timeline.

Course Number: 307-187Credits: 3.00

This three credit course focuses on the child with differing abilities in an early childhood education setting. Course competencies include: integrate strategies that support diversity and anti-bias perspectives; provide inclusive programs for young children; apply legal and ethical requirements including, but not limited to, ADA and IDEA; differentiate between typical and exceptional development; analyze the differing abilities of children with physical, cognitive, health/medical, communication, and/or behavioral/emotional disorders; work collaboratively with community and professional resources; utilize an individual educational plan (IEP/IFSP) for children with developmental differences; adapt curriculum to meet the needs of children with developmental differences; and cultivate partnerships with families who have children with developmental differences.

Course Number: 307-210Credits: 3.00

This final 3-credit pre-professional field experience course focuses on demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of children birth to age 8, and families. An emphasis is on practicing the lead teacher role to design, implement and evaluate a connected unit of learning experiences. This course requires 18 hours of lecture and 144 hours of field experience in an actual early childhood setting.

Course Number: 801-196Credits: 3.00

This course focuses upon developing speaking, verbal and nonverbal communication, and listening skills through individual presentations, group activities, and other projects.

Course Number: 809-196Credits: 3.00

This course examines interpersonal relationships of humans and groups and the consequent structure of society. It details the various social processes and concepts which shape human behavior, analyzing such phenomena as organizations, deviance, race and ethnic relations, population, urbanization, social change, and social movements. Religion, education, and the family are studied.

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Application for Admission & Application Fee
Official High School Transcript or GED/HSED Credential, including a graduation or passing date.
Students must meet one of the following multiple measures: earned a technical diploma or higher,* earned a minimum high school GPA of 2.6, earned a minimum college GPA of 2.0 or submit ACT or Accuplacer test scores. Submit any needed transcripts or test scores. *Please note short term technical diplomas do not fulfill Multiple Measures. These programs include Nursing Assistant, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Advanced EMT, and Truck Driving.
Background Check
- This program requires a WI Department of Children and Families Background Check. Please visit the iChildCare Portal and click "create a logon" to create an account and begin the background check process. Once the background check has been completed, you will have access to your Letter of Eligibility, which will need to be submitted to complete your application. If you are currently employed in the childcare field and your employer has completed the DCF background check, please submit a copy of your eligibility letter. Letters of eligibility can be submitted to a Student Services Center on any campus, via fax at 262-564-2801 or emailed to admissionsoffice@gtc.edu.
  - iChildCare Portal Instructions
  - Barred Offenses
Review the Professional Licensure information regarding your program of study.
Review the program technical standards. An acknowledgement of these standards will be completed within the online application.

Note: Gateway's program meets the licensure requirements for the State of Wisconsin. Gateway has not determined if the program meets the licensure requirements of any other state.