Develop understandings and skills to work authentically and meaningfully with young learners and families to build healthy communities and to create stronger foundations for future learning.

This certificate program is available for in-service teachers who desire further professional growth opportunities to support their pedagogical and assessment practices for Prekindergarten to Grade 3. Attention to Indigenous and newcomer cultural and linguistic experiences is integral to the program.

Quick facts

• Two year certificate
• Part-time program
• You cannot begin this program directly from high school
• You can combine this program with an EAL specialization
• This certificate is not open to international teachers or educators

What you will Learn

The ECE Certificate program will support early childhood professionals to further their understanding and enhance their pedagogical practices by responding to young learners and their families in developmentally, and linguistically and culturally, appropriate ways.

Courses are designed to inspire reflection, engagement, and growth in the complex interplay of early learning principles and practices such as the following: the image of the child; the role of the educator; indoor and outdoor learning environments; parent and community engagement; the "play-development" relationship; constructivist approaches to teaching and learning; assessment literacy; and current trends and issues in the field.

The curricular goals address essential philosophical, theoretical, and pedagogical understandings about early childhood education, Prekindergarten to Grade 3. Course participants will:

• explore, affirm, and/or challenge beliefs and assumptions about early childhood education and how young children learn
• develop familiarity with and use current scholarly and professional resources to inform philosophical, theoretical and pedagogical underpinnings
• develop a deeper understanding and application of the four principles of early learning as outlined in Saskatchewan Ministry of Education (2008, 2009) curricular documents
• strengthen pedagogical practice through examining and applying foundational elements of high-quality early learning programs and by responding to young children's interests and ways of being and knowing
• differentiate practice through knowledge of children and their milieus
• attend to Essential Learning Experiences, Play and Exploration, and K-3 Saskatchewan Curriculum as well as Saskatchewan Ministry of Education resource documents to guide critical analysis and reflection
• learn ways to create a community of learners that promotes agency, voice, and choice
• nurture the sense of importance, value, and honour of being an early childhood educator within the profession

Why study Here?

The College of Education offers several longstanding and new certificate programs to assist current educators to deepen their knowledge in a chosen area. Our certificate programs are flexible, designed to support busy schedules, and respond to community needs.

The ECE certificate program, Prekindergarten to Grade 3, is designed in response to the identified need for teachers with specialization in the field of Early Childhood Education in public and First Nations schools in our province and beyond.

The program's vision, developed in collaboration with partner school division leaders and teachers, is founded on current and developing research in early years philosophy, theory, and pedagogy.

Careers

If you already have your Bachelor of Education (or an equivalent degree) and are currently teaching in the Prekindergarten to Grade 12 school system, this certificate program will enhance your career.

Approved by the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board (SPTRB) as an Additional Qualification Certificate (AQC) or as part of course requirements in an AQC Integrated Program, the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Certificate offered through the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan is for teachers wishing to pursue professional learning in Early Childhood Education.

In addition to the five ECE courses, completion of another five elective courses available through the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan in Early Childhood Education (AQC), or another approved subject area (AQC Integrated Program), will qualify you to advance to a higher salary classification.

The College of Education is now offering an integrated Early Childhood Education (ECE) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) additional qualification certification. See below for details.

If you are currently teaching in another province, please consult with your provincial Ministry of Education to learn how the Early Childhood Education (ECE) Certificate offered through the College of Education at the University of Saskatchewan can benefit you and your students.

Early Childhood Education (ECE) & English as an Additional Language (EAL) Additional Qualification Certificate (AQC) Plan

An integrated Early Childhood Education (ECE) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) additional qualification certificate (AQC) plan combines two specialized areas of study into one very powerful professional learning program that prepares early childhood educators to work with diverse young learners in Saskatchewan schools.

The aim of the ECE Certificate is to enrich the education of young learners in Saskatchewan schools by increasing the professional knowledge and expertise of early childhood educators.

With the increase in the number of young diverse learners in Saskatchewan schools, culturally responsive practices are used to reaffirm the important role of each child's family, culture, language, and background experiences in the learning process.

Parent engagement and family contributions are an integral part of early childhood programming.

The tenets of the ECE Certificate program run parallel to the principles of the Post-Degree Certificate in English as an Additional Language Education (PDCEAL).

ECE courses are designed to inspire deep understanding of the complex interplay of early learning principles and practices including the image of the child; the role of the educator; indoor and outdoor learning environments; parent and community engagement; the "play-development" relationship; constructivist approaches to teaching and learning; assessment literacy; and current trends and issues in the field.

The PDCEAL program shares research-based EAL practices that highlight the positive effects of prior knowledge, first languages, cultural experiences, and family engagement on the academic success of English language learners.

Adaptations to the curriculum build vocabulary, comprehension, and content area knowledge. Culturally responsive pedagogy draws on the storehouse of knowledge each EAL learner brings to the classroom.

This integrated plan, pre-approved by the Saskatchewan Professional Teachers Regulatory Board, combines the five required and pre-approved courses from the ECE certificate program (15 credit units) with five specialized and pre-approved courses in the EAL certificate program (15 credit units) for a total of 30 credit units.

All teachers are encouraged to contact the SPTRB with AQC questions prior to embarking on an integrated plan. Teachers must also apply to the SPTRB for AQC standing after completion of all courses.