Diploma in Early Childhood Education - Intensive

Sheridan College (Ontario)

Fast-track your career

This program was created specifically for students who have already completed university or college programs in a related field and want to fast-track their early childhood education career. The ECE – Intensive program is of particular interest to those returning to a second career educating children or for those who have international credentials not currently recognized as equivalent to ECE.

What you'll learn

Best practices for supporting young children's learning and development

Current issues and theories of child development

Roles and responsibilities of the early childhood educator

Curriculum theory and approaches

Programming for infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children

Professionalism and advocacy in early childhood education

Field placements

You'll have the chance to transfer your learning into practice by completing two different field placements at Sheridan's highly acclaimed childcare centres, full-day kindergarten classrooms and other early learning settings. There's even an opportunity for international placements, which may include Hong Kong, Grenada or St. Vincent.

Career Opportunities

When you complete your one-year Early Childhood Education diploma program, you'll be ready to begin an exciting career in this field.

Here are some places you might work:

Before- and after-school programs

Centre-based child care programs

ESL/LINC child minding programs

Full-day kindergarten programs

Literacy and parenting programs

Ontario Early Years Centres

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the program, graduates will have demonstrated the ability to plan and implement play-based, child and family centred learning that honours the uniqueness of each child and applies fundamental and current principles of child development in recognition of the significance of the early years.

Program Outcomes:

Design, implement and evaluate inclusive and play-based early learning curriculum and programs that support children’s holistic development and are responsive to individual children’s and groups of children’s observed abilities, interests and ideas.

Establish and maintain inclusive early learning environments that support diverse, equitable and accessible developmental and learning opportunities for all children and their families.

Select and use a variety of screening tools, observation and documentation strategies to review, support and promote children’s learning across the continuum of early childhood development.

Establish and maintain responsive relationships with individual children, groups of children and families.

Assess, develop and maintain safe, healthy and quality early learning environments which meet the requirements of current legislation, agency policies and evidence-based practices in early learning.

Prepare and use professional written, verbal, nonverbal and electronic communications when working with children, families, colleagues, employers, and community partners.

Identify, select and apply relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics, policies and evidence-based practice guidelines, and interpret their impact on a variety of early learning environments.