The undergraduate inclusive early childhood education major and licensure program is designed to prepare resilient, culturally responsive educators who are advocates for children and youth in inclusive public education settings.  

Academic experiences in the major, including coursework and field experiences, assist students as they gain knowledge and understanding of early childhood inclusion (Birth-3rd grade) and practices that promote access, participation, and support for young children and their families.  Students completing the four-year licensure program are prepared to serve as teachers of students birth through 3rd grade with and without exceptionalities (Birth- age 5 special education and PK-3rd grade general education). 

The inclusive early childhood education pre-professional major enables students to become knowledgeable about and understand: 

• young children's characteristics and needs, and the multiple interacting influences on children's development and learning,
• diverse family and community characteristics
• supporting and engaging families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships 
• collaborate with colleagues and families using multiple types of assessment information 
• general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities.  
• the significance of lifelong learning and participation in professional activities and learning communities.  

Students completing the four-year licensure program are prepared to serve as teachers of students with and without disabilities in various educational placements and service delivery models; including early intervention, hospital education, ECSE, and public elementary settings. 

Students not pursuing teacher licensure will be prepared to work with individuals with and without disabilities in many areas of life, including non-profit, policy-making, and government agencies.

Dr. Katrina Maynard
Program Coordinator
maynarkl@jmu.edu

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