--- title: "Early Childhood Education (ECE)" type: "wiki" space: "School of Early Childhood Education" author: "Tracy Rogers" created: 2022-12-20T21:20:43Z updated: 2026-10-02T15:08:15Z url: "https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/3/school-of-early-childhood-education/wiki/view/8460/early-childhood-education-ece" --- # Early Childhood Education (ECE) # ![Early Childhood Education](https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/content/dam/projects/seneca/Program-2018/new-banners/ece2_top.jpg) Early Childhood Education - 2 year Diploma Offered at [Newnham Campus](https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/campuses/newnhamlocation.html) and [King Campus.](https://www.senecapolytechnic.ca/campuses/kinglocation.html) [Early Childhood Education - Seneca, Toronto, Canada \(senecacollege.ca\)](https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/ECE.html) ## **Program Overview:** In this four-semester diploma program, you will learn about the physical, cognitive, social and emotional needs of children. You will understand how to develop and implement inclusive programming in order to support the healthy development of children ranging in age from infancy to school-age. Your studies will include courses in child development, curriculum, philosophy of education, communication, working with families and administration. [Field placement](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/3/school-of-early-childhood-education/wiki/view/11433/field-placement-documents)is central to the learning experience. You will obtain over 500 field placement hours in a variety of Childcare and Early Years professional settings. These experiences will provide you with the opportunity to integrate classroom learning into practice with groups of children within the community. As a graduate of this program who meets GPA requirements, you are eligible to pursue [internal pathway](https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/ECE/pathways.html#menu) opportunities at Seneca, including the [Honours Bachelor of Child Development](https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/BCD.html) and [Honours Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies](https://www.senecacollege.ca/programs/fulltime/INS.html). ## ECE Program Learning Outcomes This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities. As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to: - To create learning contexts to enable, build and maintain caring, responsive relationships in partnerships with children, families and communities that value and respect social, cultural and linguistic diversity including Indigenous peoples’ worldviews and Francophone identity. - To co-create, facilitate and reflect upon inquiry and play-based early years and child care programs and pedagogical approaches to support children’s learning, holistic development and well-being following children’s capabilities, interests, ideas and experiences. - To co-design and maintain inclusive early learning environments to value and support equitable, accessible and meaningful learning opportunities for all children, their families and communities in a range of early years and child care settings. - To collaborate with children, families, colleagues, agencies and community partners to create, maintain, evaluate and promote safe and healthy early learning environments to support independence, reasonable risk-taking and healthy development and well-being. - To use observation strategies to identify children’s strengths and challenges and to ascertain when children and families might benefit from additional support or community resources. - To use professional communication in interactions with children, families, colleagues, employers, the regulatory body, government authorities and children’s service agencies to meet legal and ethical standards of the early years sector. - To act in accordance with relevant legislation, regulations, College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, agency policies and procedures and principles of evidence-informed practice and reflect upon their impact on one’s own role in early years and child care settings. - To identify, report and document when a child is in a situation of perceived risk for, or actual neglect or abuse, in accordance with legislation, the College of Early Childhood Educators Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, policies and procedures. - To create and engage in partnerships with families, communities, colleagues, inter-disciplinary professionals, authorities and child service agencies to advocate for quality early years and child care programs and services. - To engage in reflective practice and continuous professional learning in accordance with principles of lifelong learning, evidence-informed practices in the early years sector and requirements of the College of Early Childhood Educators. ## **Program Map** **![](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=b7pCJ1sFmXm5nFkVYUdaDA%3D%3D)** **Prerequisites** \(Pre-req\): A course that must be completed before taking a course. **Corequisites** \(Co-req\): A course that must be taken at the same time as, or prior to, another course. #### Course Outlines Every Seneca Polytechnic course has an outline, available online, which describes the content, methods, and weighting of evaluations.  These are legal documents, and any changes made to them during the delivery of the course must be agreed upon by students and the professor and require approval by the Chair of the School of ECE. Subject outlines are important documents.  Refer to them during the semester and save them digitally.  If you continue your studies at any other post-secondary institutions or post diploma programs, these will be essential documents. ## ECE Academic Policies #### **DUE DATES, EXTENSIONS AND ASSESSMENT POLICIES** - Due dates for the assignments and other evaluation procedures for each subject are set in class. - Requests for extensions must be made to the professor before the due date.  Many professors require written requests and approval forms for extensions. - If an assessment is late, 10% may be deducted the first day.  20% may be deducted day eight, etc. Once an assessment is three weeks late without a negotiated extension, a **final** grade of 0 will be automatically applied. - Unless an extension has already been approved by the professor, the last day to submit any *ungraded* coursework is the last class for that subject.  As of this date, any work not submitted will be given a 0. - When an assessment grade has been reduced to an "F" because of late submission, the "F" grade will be used to calculate the final subject grade. - If an F is received on two or more assessments weighted 10% or higher, the student will receive an F in the course regardless of the final weighted grade. ### Field Placement Field placement is a mandatory and rewarding component of the ECE program. All placements are arranged by the Seneca Works Field Placement team in advance of the term. You will be placed within reasonable distance of your home campus and/or your local home address. All field placements must be completed in-person within Ontario. Before being assigned a placement, students must complete the required medical clearances and authorization documents. To make the process easy to follow, Seneca has organized the requirements into the [ABCD steps](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/276/school-of-ece-field-placement/home "https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/276/school-of-ece-field-placement/home") \(Authorization - Bio - Consent - Done\). Verification is coordinated through a third-party provider, and students are responsible for any associated fees. **Seneca Academic Policies** - [Academic Appeal Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/academic-appeal-policy.html) - [Academic Integrity Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/academic-integrity-policy.html) and [Academic Integrity Badges](https://employees.senecacollege.ca/spaces/197/academic-integrity/student-resources) - [Discrimination and Harassment Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/discrimination-and-harassment-policy.html) - [Recording Lectures and Educational Activities Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/recording-lectures-and-educational-activities-policy.html) - [Student Code of Conduct](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/student-code-of-conduct.html) - [Student Progression and Promotion Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/student-progression-and-promotion-policy.html)https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/recording-lectures-and-educational-activities-policy.html - [Tuition Fee and Refund Policy](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/tuition-fee-and-refund-policy.html#app_b) Visit our [Policies page](https://www.senecacollege.ca/about/policies/academics-and-student-services.html) for a full list of Seneca's policies. ### LIBRARY RESOURCES This guide was created to support **Early Childhood Education** students and faculty at Seneca. It showcases articles, documents, websites, and other resources of interest to the program. [Early Childhood Education - LibGuides at Seneca Libraries](https://library.senecacollege.ca/ece) [Academic Integrity | School of Early Childhood Education](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/3/school-of-early-childhood-education/wiki/view/8409/academic-integrity) ### What is APA Citation Style? APA Style is a set of rules for research papers.You must cite sources with an in-text citation in the body of your paper and in a full citation in the Reference List at the end of your paper. [Welcome - APA Citation Guide \(APA 7th Edition\) - LibGuides at Seneca Libraries \(senecapolytechnic.ca\)](https://library.senecacollege.ca/apa) [APA Citation FAQs - APA Citation Guide \(APA 7th Edition\) - LibGuides at Seneca Libraries \(senecapolytechnic.ca\)](https://library.senecacollege.ca/c.php?g=718641&p=5159085) | ![](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=cV7Zsbua1scI1i94%2FXy2vg%3D%3D) | [Student Resource Guide - School of Early Childhood Education, Faculty of Community & Health](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/spaces/3/school-of-early-childhood-education/wiki/view/14390/student-resource-guide-school-of-early-childhood-education-faculty-of-community-health) | | --- | --- | ## Attachments - [Resource guide.jpg](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=cV7Zsbua1scI1i94%252FXy2vg%253D%253D) - [mceclip0.png](https://students.senecapolytechnic.ca/attachment?file=b7pCJ1sFmXm5nFkVYUdaDA%253D%253D)