Birth to Kindergarten Education

The B.A. in Birth to Kindergarten Education is designed for students who are interested in working with young children. The major provides special focus on child development, relationship building in early childhood, and special education. The major leads to recommendation to the Michigan Department of Education for certification in the Birth-Kindergarten grade band which qualifies students to work in early intervention and home visiting programs such as Early On®. 

The curriculum is designed for students to complete in sequential phases which are outlined in the Birth to Kindergarten Pathway to Teacher Certification. The pathway includes academic coursework, professional preparation (i.e., field experiences), and passing scores on the relevant Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) exam(s), during or following student teaching.

Certification

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services recommends students for the Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate upon successful completion of the program. The Michigan Department of Education ultimately awards the certification.

Standard Teaching Certificate

The initial teaching certificate awarded to the beginning elementary school teacher is the Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate. This certificate is valid for teaching all subjects to children Birth through Kindergarten. Students are able to obtain endorsements by completing the course work and successfully passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their grade band area. The Standard Teaching Certificate is valid for five years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times provided that renewal conditions are met. Legislative or other state action may change these specifications. Therefore, students are advised to contact the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Office of Student Success to learn of the most recent policies.

Apprenticeship Semesters

Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend two full academic terms in apprenticeship work. The period of time is called the “apprenticeship semesters.” This entails two full day's teaching load and all school-related activities at University-negotiated sites for two seven-week experiences in two different grade levels, ideally within the same context. 

Internship (Student Teaching)

Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn is expected to spend one full academic term exclusively in professional work. This period of time is called the internship. The Internship, also known as student teaching, and its related seminar serve as the core for this particular term. This entails a full day's teaching load and all school-related activities at a University-negotiated site.  

Opportunities for the internship are available only in the University's fall and winter terms. Students intending on entering their internship in the fall semester should complete this step in the preceding September whereas those entering in the winter term should do so during the preceding January. Information related to the screencast and application materials will be available on the Field Placement Office website. Requirements for acceptance into the professional semester are outlined in the Birth to Kindergarten Education Pathway to Teacher Certification.

Incompletes, Unsatisfactory Grades, and Withdrawals

No student will be assigned to, or registered for, the internship with incomplete work in the Professional Sequence of courses.

Any student, who has withdrawn from or received an unsatisfactory grade in the internship (student teaching), whether through the action of a school district, the University, or by personal choice, will have a request for future placement carefully reviewed by the College. Reassignment to the internship is not guaranteed, nor is it an automatic process.

Students must complete a remediation plan with the Field Placement Director which is subject to approval by the College’s Administrative Council.

General Field Placement Policy

Students in the teacher preparation program are assigned field placements, either as apprentices or as interns (student teachers) , in public or private schools. Field placement shall be made in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and in compliance with accreditation standards.

The student is expected to maintain professional dispositions in order to conform to the expectations of the placement school and the University. Appropriate academic preparation is required as outlined in the elementary and secondary programs of the College. Professional responsibilities during the Internship (Student Teaching) term are detailed in the "Department of Education Clinical Experience Handbook" which is located on the CEHHS Student Teaching Eligibility website.

The public and private schools exercise the right to screen the University's students. Acceptance or rejection of students is not controlled by the University. A placement school may reject a University student for several reasons, including a lack of placement positions in the school or a determination that the University student's presence in the school or classroom may disrupt or interfere in some way with the educational process.

Currently there is no way in which the University can require the placement school to state specific reasons for rejection.

If a University student is repeatedly denied placement by the field schools, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services will recommend career counseling and terminate matriculation in the teacher certification program.

Dearborn Discovery Core

Please see the Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education) webpage or additional information.

Foundational Studies

Writing and Communication (GEWO) – 6 Credits

Upper-Level Writing Intensive (GEWI) – 3 Credits

Quantitative Thinking and Problem Solving (GEQT) – 3 Credits

Critical and Creative Thinking (GECC) – 3 Credits

Areas of Inquiry

Natural Science (GENS) – 7 Credits

  • Lecture/Lab Science Course
  • Additional Science Course

Social and Behavioral Analysis (GESB) – 9 Credits

Humanities and the Arts (GEHA) – 6 Credits

Intersections (GEIN) – 6 Credits

Capstone

Capstone (GECE) – 3 Credits

Requirements 

Core Courses

Language Arts
EDA 219Early Literacy: PreKindergarten to Grade 33
EXPS 298Exploring Writing to Communicate, Learn, & Teach3
EDA 210Early Literacy: Birth to Kindergarten3
Social Studies
EDM 290History Education in Elementary Schools3
EDM 291Democracy and Education3
Mathematics
MATH 381Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 1: Attribution, Geometry, and Measurement3
MATH 382Mathematics for Elementary Teachers 2: Early Number Concepts3
Integrated Science
NSCI 231Inquiry: Physical Science3
NSCI 232Inquiry:Earth/Planet Science3
NSCI 233Inquiry: Life Science3
Supplementary Content Requirements
COMP 105Writing & Rhetoric I3
EDD 416Creativty/Crit Thnk Yng Childr3
EDF 450Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity for Children and Families3
EXPS 407Inquiry-based Math and Science3
Pre-Professional Studies
EDC 240Psych of Child Development3
EDC 431Constructivist Education3
EDC 439Child Maltreatment and Trauma3
Total Credit Hours51

Birth to Kindergarten Education Major Requirements

EDC 325Partnering with Families of Children with Disabilities3
EDFP 326GB Partnering with Families of Children with Disabilities Seminar1
EDC 412Social Devl/Pos Guidnce Techn3
EDC 414Early Child Ed Special Needs3
EDC 442EC: Fam/Sch/Comm Collaboration3
EDC 445Develop Assess of Young Child3
EDC 440The Child: Birth to Three3
EDB 422Lead,Advoc, Admin Early Ch Prg3
EDD 422Teach Strategies Early Child B-K3
EDD 423Cross-disciplinary Emergent Inquiry Curriculum in B-K3
EDFP 438Apprenticeship I: Birth to Kindergarten3
EDD 456Intervention Strat EC Spec Ed B-K3
EDFP 439Apprenticeship II: Birth to Kindergarten3
EDT 430Assistive Technology3
EDT 317Learning Technologies in Content Areas1
EDT 418Learning Technologies in the Classroom1
Total Credit Hours42

Internship

EDFP 414Internship: Early Childhood Environments10
EDD 426Seminar for Internship for Directed Teaching: Birth to Kindergarten2
Total Credit Hours12
Notes:
  1. The minimum number of semester hours required to graduate is 120.
  2. CEHHS recommends successful program completers for State of Michigan Certification, however, it is ultimately up to the State of Michigan to issue certificates. Certain offenses on a criminal record can keep individuals from obtaining teacher certification. Please refer to The Revised School Code, Act 451 of 1976, section 380.1539b.
  3. Students are required to pass all of the MTTC test for Birth to Kindergarten to be recommended for certification.

Birth to Kinder- Pathway to Teacher Certification

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) at the UM-Dearborn is committed to providing quality preparation for pre-service teachers. A screening procedure is employed to help identify students most likely to achieve the level of excellence defined by the college.  This screening procedure is divided into five successive phases.  Requirements at one phase must be successfully completed before continuing on to the next.  Students are also responsible for meeting all program requirements for their selected degree as listed in Degree Works.

Pre-Professional Studies

  • Successful Completion of Pre-Professional Studies Courses (EDA 210, EDC 240, EDC 431, EDC 439, and EDT 215)
  • Completion of three field clearances:
    • Criminal Background Check Consent Form
    • Video Recording Consent Form
    • Bloodborne Pathogens Training (online module produces a PDF certification which should be uploaded sent to clearance form)
  • Minimum Overall GPA of 2.75 required to move to Professional Studies
  • Required Academic Advising Appointment Upon Completion of 36 Credits

Professional Studies

  • Successful Completion of EDD 422, EDC 325, and EDFP 326.
  • Minimum 55 credits earned to move to Apprenticeship I
  • Minimum GPA of 2.75 overall and in major to move to Apprenticeship I
  • Completion of Apprenticeship I Application

Apprenticeship I

  • Successful Completion of Apprenticeship I
    • EDD 423
    • EDFP 438
  • Minimum GPA of 2.75 overall and in major to move to Apprenticeship II
  • Completion of Apprenticeship II Application
  • Attendance at an Internship Application Meeting

Apprenticeship II

Internship

  • Successful completion of the Internship:
    • EDFP 414
    • EDD 426 

Passing scores on relevant MTTC exam(s) are required prior to recommendation to the Michigan Department of Education for teacher certification.

Learning Goals 

  1. Building respectful relationships with students
  2. Leading a group discussion
  3. Learning about students’ cultural religious family intellectual personal experiences and resources for use in instruction
  4. Eliciting and interpreting individual student thinking5.Explaining and modeling content