Early Childhood Education

Employment opportunities

  • Childcare Lead Teacher
  • Exceptional Children Assistant
  • Family Childcare Provider
  • Private In-home Care Giver
  • Child Development Specialist
  • Preschool Teacher
  • Before and After School Counselor
  • Public and Private School Instructional Assistant
  • Parent Educator
  • Early Childhood Administrator
  • English Language Learner Assistant

The early childhood curriculum prepares individuals to work with children from infancy through middle childhood in diverse learning environments. Students will combine learned theories with practice in actual settings with young children under the supervision of qualified teachers.

Course work includes child growth and development; physical and nutritional needs of children; care and guidance of children; and communications skills with parents and children. Students will foster the cognitive/language, physical/motor, social/emotional, and creative development of young children.

Upon completing an Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education you will be prepared to execute principles of developmentally appropriate practices, while promoting leadership and administrative skills in an early learning environment birth through 3rd grade as well as after-school programs 5-12 years of age. Employment opportunities include but not limited to the workplace of early learning programs, public and private schools, Head Start Programs, and school-age programs.

The Rowan Cabarrus Community College Early Childhood Education program is accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).

Program Chair

Isha Goode

Portrait of Isha Goode

isha.goode@rccc.edu

704-216-7165

North Campus

A child goes through the most rapid phase of growth and development from birth to the age of eight.

Employment of Preschool Teachers is projected to grow 8 percent from 2018 to 2028 in North Carolina.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Preschool Teachers have an average salary of $28,260 in the state of North Carolina as of May 2020.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), enrollment in prekindergarten-level education has risen from 96,000 to over 1 million in the last 30 years.

Early childhood education focuses on the emotional, social, physical and intellectual development of young children. Our Early Childhood Team understands the overall effect of child development and we will use relevant research, expertise and real world experiences to educate our scholars. In return, our scholars will apply their keen knowledge to invest in young children to maximize their development to become life-long learning individuals.
Waynett Taylor

Program Chair, Early Childhood Education

The Rowan-Cabarrus Early Childhood program allowed me to turn my passion for young children in to a not only a job but a career I am proud of. The welcoming and friendly environment in the program helped me succeed. My instructors were always available to answer my questions and ensured that was prepared for my career after graduation. I received my associates degree in 2013 and am now working on my bachelor’s degree in special education.
Cassie Karriker

Rowan-Cabarrus alumna, 2013