Early Childhood Education Assistant:
Child Growth & Development
This course allows students to learn how children grow and develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. There will be an emphasis on needs at any given age and stage and strategies on how these needs can best be met.
This program has been approved by the Private Training Institutions Regulatory Unit (PTIRU) of the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.
Program Hours: Program Weeks: Program Months: | Delivery Method: Campus: |
Upon completion of this course the successful student will have reliably
demonstrated the ability to:
• Provide the student with a background in research and theories related to
child growth and development.
• Review of developmental psychology
• Review of whole child development
• Review of cognitive developmental
• Review of language development
1. What is the primary focus of the Early Childhood Education Assistant (ECEA) program?
The Early Childhood Education Assistant Certificate program prepares students to work with young children in early learning settings. It focuses on fostering children’s intellectual, physical, and emotional growth within a child-centered environment.
2. What are the admission requirements?
Applicants must be at least 19 years old before the program starts or hold a high school diploma (or equivalent). They must also demonstrate English proficiency through prior education or recognized certification tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, CAEL, CELPIP, and others.
3. What kind of career opportunities can graduates pursue?
Graduates from this program can work as licensed ECE Assistants once they apply for and are granted an ECE Assistant license from the ECE Registry. ECEAs work under the supervision of ECEs. To obtain their ECE Assistant license, students completing this program must apply to the Registry via the equivalency pathway, which includes submitting a course outline along with their transcript.
Students are required to be 19 years of age prior to the start of the program or possess a high school diploma (or equivalent), and provide evidence of one of the following English proficiency requirements:
- Completion of grades 9-11, including English 10 with a grade of ‘C’ or higher from a country where English is one of the principal languages, or
- Completion of 2 years of full-time post secondary education at an accredited institution where English is the language of instruction, or
- Provide verified results for one of the English language proficiency tests listed below. Test results must be dated no more than two years before the start date of the program:
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic – Minimum overall score of 5.5
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) IBT – Minimum overall score of 46
- Canadian Academic English Language Assessment (CAEL) – Minimum overall score of 40
- Canadian English Language Proficiency Index Program (CELPIP) Listening 6, Speaking 6, Reading 5, and Writing 5.
- Duolingo English Test (DET) – Minimum overall score of 95
- Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic – Minimum overall score of 43
- Cambridge English Qualifications: B2 First exam (FCE) – Minimum overall score of 160 or “C”
- Cambridge Linguaskill – Minimum overall B2 level
- LANGUAGECE T Academic – Minimum overall B2 level
- The Michigan English Test (MET) – Minimum overall B2 level
- iTEP Academic – Minimum overall score of 3.5
- EIKEN – Minimum placement of Grade Pre-1
For successful completion of the course:
• Students would have to score a minimum of 65% on each course.
• Students must maintain a minimum of 70% attendance on each course.
Upon successful completion of this program, students can expect to work as:
- Early Childhood Education Assistants
- Daycare Assistants
- Childcare Centre Assistants
One of the requirements to work as an Early Childhood Education Assistant in a licensed childcare facility in BC is to be certified by the Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Registry.
The Early Childhood Education Assistant program offered by Kootenay Columbia College is not recognized by the ECE Registry. This means that upon graduation, students will have to apply for certification through the ECE Registry’s equivalency process. For more information about the process visit the ECE Registry website.
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