Please Note: The program requirements listed below are for students entering in the catalog year 2011-2012.  Students who entered in previous catalog years should refer to the program requirement sheets in the Advising area of MyWheelock. Students entering in future years should follow the requirements in that catalog year.

The Elementary Education major prepares students to become teachers of elementary school children (grades 1 to 6) in public and private schools, with a focus on urban settings. Students study the foundations of elementary education, theories and methods of teaching and assessing student learning in inclusive classrooms, and standards‑based curriculum development. Students study the arts and sciences disciplines including human development, and they build content knowledge in the subject matter they will be teaching. They develop a theoretical framework for understanding and evaluating educational practice and work with children and their families in diverse communities in a multicultural society. Students learn to design, implement, and assess the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction in relation to the development and academic achievement of all children. For information on teacher licensure, please refer to the Professional Certification and Licensure section of this catalog.

Required Support Courses (12‑16 credits in addition to the courses required for the major)

These support courses may also apply to the General Education Requirements.
MAT Concepts and Processes 130/131/132 (8-12 credits)
or
MAT Concepts and Processes 140/141
AST 150 Introduction to American Government (4 credits)
HIS 165 America through the Civil War (4 credits)
or
HIS 167 America since the Civil War

Major Course Requirements (18 credits)

EDU 201 Orientation to Education Programs (0 credits)
EDU 255 Racial and Cultural Identities (2 credits)
EDU 306 Introduction to Elementary Teaching (4 credits)
EDU 330 Elementary Mathematics (4 credits)
EDU 337 Teaching Reading in Grades preK-8 (4 credits)
EDU 338 Teaching Nonfiction Literacy (completed prior to or concurrent with the pre‑practicum) (2 credits)

Elementary Pre-practicum Core (8 credits)

EDU 316 ELE Curriculum Development (3 credits)
EDP 317 Elementary Pre‑practicum (minimum 100 hours) (1 credit)
EDU 321 Elementary Science and Technology (2 credits)
EDU 323 Elementary History & Social Sciences (2 credits)

Elementary Practicum Core

EDU 446 Elementary Teaching & Learning (4 credits)
EDP 447 Elementary Practicum (6 credits)
EDU 445 Meeting Diverse Learning Needs (2 credits)

Completion of Major

EDU 485 Capstone: Elementary Education (2 credits)

Additional Requirements

• Successful passing scores on the MTEL Literacy & Communication (Reading and Writing sub-tests), General Curriculum (Multiple Subject and Math sub-tests) and MTEL Foundations of Reading Tests for Educator Licensure required prerequisites.
• Students are required to take arts and sciences courses that provide them with content knowledge appropriate to the elementary teaching role. The courses must also meet the state requirements for program approval. Please see your academic advisor for specific guidance.