Phone: (845) 257-2860
Location: OM 115
Web address: www.newpaltz.edu/elementaryed
The Early Childhood Studies non-certification program blends theoretical and pedagogical content with practical experience, providing students with multiple opportunities to apply foundational knowledge within a variety of educational contexts where young children (infant through age 8) play and learn outside the public school classroom.
Classes explore early childhood pedagogy and practice, curriculum development and design, research and policy to prepare students to work in such alternative learning environments as daycare settings, after-school and tutoring programs, and programs for young children, parents and caregivers in museums, hospitals and community organizations. Multiple fieldwork experiences and an 80-hour internship provide opportunities for students to apply course content in settings that align with students' interests and career goals.
As with all School of Education programs, Early Childhood Studies offers:
- high-quality instruction from dedicated, passionate faculty;
- courses that reflect current research in such areas as play, early childhood development, social and emotional learning, curriculum development, and language and literacy development;
- clinically rich preparation that emphasizes a balanced and interdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning;
- a commitment to preparing caring, critical, and reflective professionals.
Successful completion of the Early Childhood Studies program leads to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree without recommendation for the issuance of a New York State teacher certificate.
Notice to Persons Who Have Prior Felony Convictions
State University of New York (SUNY) policy prohibits SUNY New Paltz admission applications from inquiring into an applicant’s prior criminal history. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet the licensure requirements for certain professions, including the program in Early Childhood Studies.
Individuals with prior criminal histories are advised to seek advice and guidance from the chair of the academic department regarding the impact of a criminal record on meeting the requirements of the major/professional licensure or certification prior to declaring the major.
Admission Requirements
- Students may declare a major in Early Childhood Studies during their first year. Those who enter the program at a later point may need more than eight semesters to graduate.
- Students must choose an academic concentration, some of which have their own entrance criteria.
- Students must meet the following requirements to continue in the program:
- 3.0 GPA overall; 2.5 GPA in academic concentration
- 4-7 credits in Writing and Rhetoric (1-2 composition courses) with a grade of “B” or better; minimum “B-” or “S” for required EED and SPE courses; minimum “C” for required foundation courses (EDS340 Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education, EDS371 Child Psychology and Development , MAT140 Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I, MAT240 Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II, GEO202 Physical Geography, foreign language)
- 30 hours of independent fieldwork (classroom observations; paid or volunteer work with children in schools, camps, daycare centers; coaching, tutoring, etc.)
- Passing score on writing sample (to be evaluated by Early Childhood Studies faculty for organization and appropriate English grammar and usage).
Education Course Requirements
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
The sequence described below is for a full-time student; however, the program may be completed on a part-time basis. | ||
Years One and Two (57-60 Credits) | ||
EDS340 | Sociological and Philosophical Foundations of Education | 3 |
EDS371 | Child Psychology and Development | 3 |
EDS376 | Expressive Arts in Education | 3 |
EDS494 | Fieldwork in Educational Studes | 3 |
EED301 | Fieldwork I (Pre-K-2) | 1 |
EED322 | Play: The Roots of Learning for Young Children | 3 |
EED345 | Seminar in Early Childhood Studies | 3 |
EED370 | Education of Diverse Populations in Early Childhood & Elementary School | 3 |
EED375 | Teaching Reading in the Elementary School I | 3 |
EED391 | Field Experience Infants and Toddlers | 1 |
EED411 | Infant and Toddler Curriculum | 3 |
EED412 | Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum | 3 |
EED413 | Curriculum III: First and Second Grades | 3 |
EED414 | Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Children Birth-Second Grade | 3 |
EED415 | The Development of Symbolic Representation, Language, and Literacy | 3 |
EED485 | Field Experience Preschool and Kindergarten | 1 |
EED492 | Research in Early Childhood Studies | 3 |
SPE350 | Creating Inclusive Elementary School Classrooms | 3 |
MAT140 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I | 3 |
MAT240 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II | 3 |
LANxxx | World Language Requirement | 3-6 |
Total Credits | 57-60 |
Majors for Early Childhood Studies Students
The concentrations (majors) available to Early Childhood Studies students are the same as those in the Early Childhood & Childhood Education (B-6) program.
Art History
30 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (24 Credits) | ||
ARH201 | Art of the Western World I | 3 |
ARH202 | Art of the Western World II | 3 |
ARH358 | Modern Art, 1900-1970 | 3 |
ARH382 | American Art | 3 |
or ARH420 | Art of the Hudson Valley | |
ARS105 | Intro to Studio Art | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Introduction to Ceramics | ||
Introduction to Metal | ||
Introduction to Sculpture | ||
Select two courses in Asian Art from the following: | 6 | |
The Arts of Early China | ||
The Arts of Later China | ||
The Arts of Japan | ||
Japanese Arts of the Edo Period | ||
History of Buddhist Art | ||
Art in Modern China | ||
Sacred Spaces, Divine Images | ||
Chinese Painting: Figure in Landscape | ||
Art History Electives (6 Credits) | ||
Select 6 credits | 6 | |
Total Credits | 30 |
Biology
29-31 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO201 & BIO211 | General Biology I and Gen Bio 1 Lab | 4 |
BIO202 & BIO212 | General Biology II and Gen Bio 2 Lab | 4 |
BIO320 & BIO321 | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 4 |
BIO340 | Ecology | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Plant Morphology | ||
Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Field Biology Fall | ||
Evolutionary Theory | ||
Animal Behavior | ||
Biology Electives (6-8 Credits) | ||
Select two upper-division Biology electives | 6-8 | |
Total Credits | 29-31 |
Black Studies
30 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (12 Credits) | ||
BLK100 | Intro To Black Studies | 3 |
BLK357 | Psychology of the Black Child | 3 |
BLK370 | Education in the Black Community | 3 |
BLK396 | Black English: Language and Culture | 3 |
Core Requirement (18 Credits) | ||
Each major must complete six (6) courses from either the Historical Core or the Language Arts Core. | 18 | |
Historical Core | ||
Introduction To Africa | ||
Black History I | ||
Black History II | ||
Development of Afro-Latin Amer. Civilization (1492-1825) | ||
Contemporary Afro-Latin American Civilization Since 1825 | ||
Survey of Pre-Colonial Africa to 1800 | ||
Survey of Contemporary Africa: Nineteenth Cent to Present | ||
Introduction to Afro-Brazilian History | ||
Blacks in the Caribbean, 1492-Present | ||
History of Slavery in the Americas | ||
The American Civil Rights Movement | ||
History of South Africa | ||
History of Terrorism Against Blacks and Native Americans | ||
Blacks in New York History | ||
The Portuguese in Africa | ||
West African Kingdoms in the Nineteenth Century | ||
African/African-American History & Experiences | ||
Language Arts Core | ||
Survey of Black American Literature | ||
Black Poetry and Drama | ||
Rap and Spoken Word | ||
Blacks and the Media | ||
Black and Latino Child Lit | ||
Contemporary Black American Literature | ||
Black Poetry | ||
Black Drama in America | ||
Black Rhetoric | ||
Critical Analysis of Black American Literature | ||
Recurrent Themes in Black Literature | ||
Contemporary Black Women's Literature | ||
Total Credits | 30 |
Earth Science (Geology)
34-35 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Geology Courses (27-28 Credits) | ||
GLG120 | Weather and Environment | 4 |
GLG201 & GLG211 | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory | 4 |
GLG202 | Historical Geology | 4 |
GLG305 | Paleontology | 4 |
GLG311 | Mineralogy and Crystallography | 4 |
GLG331 | Stratigraphy-Sedimentation | 4 |
One 300-level geology course, by advisement | 3-4 | |
Cognate Courses (7 Credits) | ||
PHY205 | Exploring the Solar System | 3 |
or PHY206 | Exploring the Universe | |
CHE201 & CHE211 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | 4 |
Total Credits | 34-35 |
English
31-33 credits
- At least one-half of your courses for the English major must be completed at New Paltz.
- Credits for Composition courses (ENG160 Composition I, ENG170 Writing and Rhetoric, ENG180 Composition II, ENG206 Advanced Writing and Rhetoric, ENG207 Intermediate Composition ) are not included in the major requirement.
- Courses taken S*/U* or graded below C- cannot be counted toward the major.
- Students who transfer 3-credit English courses considered equivalent to 4-credit English courses at New Paltz may need to take additional English electives to make up missing credits. Early Childhood Studies students with a concentration in English must complete at least 31 credits.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Literature Requirement (12 Credits) | ||
ENG303 | Introduction to British Literature | 4 |
ENG333 | Introduction to American Literature | 4 |
ENG353 | Multiethnic and Diasporic Literature | 4 |
or ENG453 | The Craft of Poetry | |
Writing Requirement (12-13 Credits) | ||
Select any four (4) of the following courses: | 12-13 | |
Expository Writing | ||
Practical Grammar | ||
Seminar in Critical Practices | ||
Creative Writing Workshop I | ||
Theories of Writing | ||
Intro To Linguistics | ||
Elective Courses (7-8 Credits) | ||
Select one of the following upper-division courses in literature before 1800: 1 | 3-4 | |
The Bible | ||
Greek and Roman Literature | ||
Medieval Literature | ||
Elizabethan Literature | ||
Shakespeare I: Selected Works | ||
Shakespeare II: Selected Works | ||
Seventeenth-Century Literature | ||
Eighteenth-Century English Literature | ||
The Rise of the Novel | ||
Early American Literature | ||
Major Authors | ||
English Selected Topics (by advisement) | ||
One 400-level course in English 2 | 4 | |
Total Credits | 31-33 |
- 1
Note that ENG303 Introduction to British Literature is a prerequisite for most of the elective courses listed.
- 2
Excludes ENG420 Literary Criticism , ENG423 Contemporary Literary Theory, ENG445 Creative Writing Workshop II , ENG448 Writing the Novel, ENG451 Senior Seminar , ENG452 The Craft of Fiction , ENG453 The Craft of Poetry , ENG454 The Craft of Creative Non Fiction , and ENG455 The Craft of Dramatic Writing .
French
30-39 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Basic Language Courses (9 Credits) 1 | ||
FRN101 | Elementary French I | 3 |
FRN102 | Elementary French II | 3 |
FRN201 | Intermediate French I | 3 |
Required Courses (30 Credits) | ||
FRN202 | Intermediate French II | 3 |
FRN301 | French Comp and Conver 1 | 4 |
FRN302 | French Comp and Convers 2 | 4 |
FRN319 | French Civilization | 4 |
FRN320 | Francophone Cultures | 4 |
FRN375 | French Literature before 1800 | 4 |
FRN376 | Frnch/Franc Lit Aft 1800 | 4 |
FRN3xx/4xx | Upper-division French elective | 3 |
Total Credits | 39 |
- 1
Students with prior training or experience in French may obtain waivers for one or more of the basic language courses listed above, after consultation with the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures.
Geography
31-33 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (10 Credits) | ||
GEO201 | Human Geography | 3 |
GEO213 | Economic Geography | 3 |
GEO342 | Cartography | 4 |
Electives (21-23 Credits) | ||
Each major candidate is required to complete, by advisement, seven (7) courses in geography, selected from systematic and/or regional courses, at least five (5) of which shall be at the 300 level or above. | 21-23 | |
Total Credits | 31-33 |
History
30-34 credits
- You must have eighteen (18) upper-division credits from this plan of study.
- All majors are required to write a 2-3 page "exit essay" as a requirement of graduation.
- Grades below C- do not count toward the major.
- All majors must take, with the approval of the adviser, at least one course 'pre-1500' and at least one course 'post-1500.'
- It is expected that at least one course will focus on race, gender, and ethnicity.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (30-34 Credits) | ||
I. United States History: | ||
Select two (2) courses | 6-8 | |
II. World History: | ||
Select four (4) courses 1 | 12-14 | |
III. New York State History: | ||
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
The Empire State | ||
Indians of New York State | ||
Hudson Valley Culture | ||
or alternative course by advisement | ||
IV. Upper-Division History Electives: | ||
Select three (3) courses | 9 | |
Total Credits | 30-34 |
- 1
Students must select courses in at least two (2) geographic areas of the world outside of the United States - that is, Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean.
Mathematics
32-34 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (29-30 Credits) | ||
MAT140 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers I | 3 |
MAT240 | Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers II | 3 |
MAT241 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
MAT251 | Calculus I | 4 |
MAT252 | Calculus II | 4 |
MAT260 | Introduction to Proof | 3 |
MAT304 | Foundations of Algebra | 3 |
MAT331 | Axiomatic Geometry | 3 |
Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
Visual Programming | ||
Computer Science I: Foundations | ||
Upper-Division Mathematics Elective (3-4 Credits) | ||
Select one (1) 300- or 400-level mathematics course | 3-4 | |
Total Credits | 32-34 |
Political Science
36 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Required Courses (12 Credits) | ||
POL216 | American Govt and Politics | 4 |
POL227 | Intro International Politics | 4 |
POL229 | Intro to Comparative Politics | 4 |
Upper-Division Electives (24 Credits) | ||
Select 24 credits, to include no more than six (6) credits of POL480 Government Internship. | 24 | |
Total Credits | 36 |
Spanish
31-40 credits
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Basic Language Courses (9 Credits) 1 | ||
SPA101 | Elementary Spanish 1 | 3 |
SPA102 | Elementary Spanish 2 | 3 |
SPA201 | Intermediate Spanish 1 | 3 |
Required Courses (31 Credits) | ||
SPA202 | Intermediate Spanish 2 | 4 |
SPA301 | Communication and Culture in Spanish 2 | 4 |
SPA361 | Communication and Writing in Spanish 2 | 4 |
SPA365 | The Culture and Civilization of Spain | 4 |
SPA372 | Culture of Latin America | 4 |
SPA375 | Survey of Spanish Literature | 4 |
SPA376 | Survey of Latin American Literature | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 3 | |
Spanish Phonetics and Oral Practice | ||
Advanced Spanish Composition | ||
SPA4xx | Spanish elective | |
Total Credits | 40 |
- 1
Students with prior training or experience in Spanish may obtain waivers for one or more of the basic language courses listed above, after consultation with the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures.
- 2
Students whose home language is Spanish may substitute SPA315 Spanish for Native Speakers for either SPA301 Communication and Culture in Spanish or SPA361 Communication and Writing in Spanish.
General Education Requirement
Early Childhood Studies students take selected course work by advisement to meet General Education requirements while also satisfying Early Childhood Studies or concentration (major) requirements. See the Education Advisor (OM 115) to ensure that all curricular requirements are met.
Cain, Lizabeth
Assistant Professor
Ed.D., Binghamton University
Office: OM 222
Phone: (845) 257-2864
E-mail: cainl@newpaltz.edu
Collins, Kellian
Visiting Lecturer
Ed.D., Northcentral University
Office: OM 218A
Phone: (845) 257-2863
E-mail: collinsk@newpaltz.edu
Forde, Elizabeth
Assistant Professor
Ph.D., Florida International University, Miami
Office:
Phone:
E-mail: fordee@newpaltz.edu
Goldfisch, Nataly
Associate Professor
Ed.D., Montclair State University
Office: OM 218D
Phone: (845) 257-2872
E-mail: goldfischn@newpaltz.edu
Greene, Kiersten
Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Teaching & Learning
Ph.D., Graduate Center of the City University of New York
Office: OM 224
Phone: (845) 257-2887
E-mail: greenek@newpaltz.edu
Isabelle, Aaron
Interim Dean, School of Education, and Professor
Ph.D., Clark University MA
Office: OM
Phone: (845) 257-2837
E-mail: isabella@newpaltz.edu
Lewis, Tarie
Lecturer
M.S., SUNY New Paltz; M.A., University of California, Berkeley
Office: OM 227D
Phone: (845) 257-2869
E-mail: lewist@newpaltz.edu
Musso, Maura
Lecturer
M.S.Ed., SUNY New Paltz
Office: OM 227B
Phone: (845) 257-2861
E-mail: mussom@newpaltz.edu
Noel, Andrea
Professor
Ph.D., SUNY Albany
Office: OM 221
Phone: (845) 257-2896
E-mail: noela@newpaltz.edu
Russo, Lindsey
Associate Professor
Ed.D., Binghamton University
Office: OM 115B
Phone: (845) 257-3116
E-mail: russol@newpaltz.edu
Watts-Politza, Irene
Lecturer
M.S., SUNY New Paltz
Office: SCB 154
Phone: (845) 257-2860
E-mail: politzai@newpaltz.edu