Western Oklahoma State College

Western's Early Childhood/Child Development Program is 100% online.

Upon completion of any Early Childhood program, a student will...

• be grounded in a child development knowledge base and use their understanding of young children’s characteristics and needs, and the multiple interactions influencing their development and learning to create healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging environments for each and every child.
• welcome partnerships with children’s families and communities, knowing the value and importance of the complex characteristics within the family structure and community. Graduates will use this understanding to create respectful, reciprocal relationships that support and empower families, and to involve all families in their children’s development and learning.
• be prepared to observe, document, and assess children knowing the goals, benefits, and developmentally appropriate uses.  Graduates are prepared to use assessment to partnership with families and other professionals to positively influence the development of each and every child.
• use positive relationships and supportive interactions as the foundation for their work with young children and families. Graduates will use a wide array of developmentally appropriate approaches, instructional strategies, and tools to connect with children and families for optimal development and learning.
• use their experience and knowledge of academic disciplines to design, implement, and evaluate children’s capabilities that promote positive development and learning by knowing the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and structure of content areas including academic subjects.
• use ethical guidelines and other professional standards related to the early childhood practice while continually collaborating and learning. Graduates demonstrate reflective and critical perspectives on their work and make informed decisions using a variety of sources. Graduates are informed advocates for sound educational practices and policies.