Early Childhood Education
The Early Childhood Education Department at Manhattanville College prepares students to work as socially responsible, caring, reflective teachers of children from Birth through Grade 2. We help students learn to nurture and support children's growth, development and learning, while respecting and collaborating with their families and communities.
The Department strives to ensure that all students in the Program will:
- possess a comprehensive knowledge of child development and learning from birth-age eight, including special needs and diversity:
- apply child development knowledge to facilitate development and learning in order to create inclusive, developmentally-appropriate experiences, curriculum and environments;
- use tools of assessment to evaluate and modify the curriculum and the environments they create, including technology
- respect and collaborate with the families and the communities of their students;
- develop professional skills, habits and attitudes;
- demonstrate knowledge of concepts and principles in the curriculum areas in which they teach.
Further, we believe that:
- Learning is a socially mediated process whereby learners construct knowledge as they act upon their environment.
- Children and adults learn best in physically and psychologically safe environments.
- Each individual is unique and special, with talents, abilities and skills that can be encouraged.
- Children and adults are affected by their families and communities, as well as by socio-cultural, economic and political factors.
Course work and field experiences are designed to create success in many environments.
Certification Options
Faculty
Chairperson:Patricia Vardin, Ed.D. vardinvrisp@mville.edu (914) 798-2714
Diane Lang, Ph.D.