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Lasell University
Lasell University

Early Childhood Education Licensure (pre-kindergarten - grade 2)

Major

What You'll Learn
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The Early Childhood Education (PreK-Grade 2) major is designed for students who seek licensure in the Early Childhood licensure program (Pre-K-2nd grade).  The program teaches you developmentally appropriate practices for teaching and learning in grades pre-kindergarten through 2. 

Students complete practicum experiences all four years in suburban and urban school settings through our partner school district sites. 

 A fifth-year option allows you to graduate with a Master of Education.

Program Features

  • Lasell’s two on-campus Holway Child Study Centers give you the chance to work with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers steps from your dorm – from the start of your first year.

  • Gain additional teaching skills using innovative technologies like TeachLivE which simulates a real classroom and allows you to try out strategies and methodologies.

  • Courses include literacy development in preschool and early elementary school districts.

  • Complete pre and full practicums in urban and suburban school districts.

  • Students are expected and supported to complete their MTELs so that they can be licensed and ready to teach once leaving Lasell.

Note: Lasell offers licensure and non-licensure degree programs in education that are designed to meet the licensure requirements in the state of Massachusetts. Licensure may be valid in other states but may require additional steps and cannot be guaranteed. To learn more about licensure requirements in other states, please visit the Licensure Disclosure page.

What You'll Learn

From your first day, you’ll take courses in your major and advance towards graduation with a yearly plan. Not sure what classes to take? We’ll help you create the perfect plan. 

Courses and Sample 4-Year Plan

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

WRT101
Writing I

In this course, students gain understanding of and confidence in strategies for effective writing by composing and reading in a variety of genres. The course emphasizes writing as a process and focuses on the rhetorical choices writers make. Students engage critically with sources by examining how genre, context, purpose, credibility, and bias work together to create meaning and impact audiences. Students who choose to take Writing I Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a “C” or higher in order to pass this course

The First Year Seminar (FYS) is part of the Core Curriculum and a requirement for all incoming first year students and transfer students with fewer than 15 credits. The First Year Seminar is a theme-based inquiry course that engages students in a specific area of interest while providing support for a smooth transition into the Lasell University community and the Connected Learning philosophy. Through studying an academic topic, students develop and apply core intellectual skills and receive an introduction to the core knowledge perspectives. At the same time, students connect to the experiences and people that make up the Lasell University Community. Course outcomes are accomplished through engaging activities including reading, writing, class discussions, presentations, team projects, field trips, and exploration of campus resources. Civic engagement and service-learning activities are often part of this course as is participation in the Connected Learning Symposium. Through the seminar, students develop close ties with faculty and peer mentors who serve as advocates for first year students' academic success. Past course titles have included: The Immigrant Experience, Fashion & Film of the 20th Century, The Social History of Rock & Roll, Exploring Cultures & Languages, The Spark of Creativity, Women and Sports, and Latin America: Food And Traditions. This requirement may be fulfilled by taking either FYS103 or HON101 (for students enrolled in the Honors Program).

This course is the foundational course for mathematical and quantitative reasoning at Lasell College. Mathematical reasoning is the critical skill that enables a student to solve real-world problems involving quantitative analysis by making use of particular mathematical skills. Through the development of their mathematical reasoning skills, students will recognize the power of mathematics in its own right as well as its relevance in the real world. Students will develop and enhance their mathematical reasoning skills through a project/application-based curriculum supported by readily available current technological tools and topics that will include, but not be limited to, the following: solving systems of equations, linear programming, statistical, and graphical data analysis.

This course explores careers in teaching beginning with the unifying question: Why should I become a teacher? Students examine their motivations to become teachers while they learn about college and state requirements and expectations.

This course provides education students with an introduction to earth science, astronomy, and environmental science. Topics include the weather, solar system, stars, the universe, and global pollution. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lectures. Prerequisite: ED Majors only

In this course, students learn to think like psychologists as they study classic and contemporary topics in human behavior, feeling, and thought. Students learn to apply psychological perspectives of thought, including biological, cognitive, sociocultural, humanistic, psychodynamic, and behaviorist, to better understand the human experience. Students will learn to use these perspectives to explore how individual behavior is influenced by and influences one’s biology, family, community and society. Topics may include human development, personality, psychopathology, human relationships, language, memory, perceptual processes, and intelligence, among others.

This course is a continuation of Writing I and focuses on research and public writing. Theme-based courses provide students with lenses to explore issues of interest and develop their reading, research, and writing skills. Students work with a topic of their choice, broadly based on the course theme. Assignments build upon each other, lead up to a researched position paper, and culminate in a public piece. Students who choose to take Writing II Workshop are provided with time during class to work on their writing while the instructor and a writing tutor are present to provide assistance. Students must earn a grade of “C” or higher in order to pass this course. Prerequisite: WRT 101

Equity & Intersectionality(KP)

This Knowledge Perspective course will provide students with the opportunity to interpret and analyze the complex interrelationships and inequities in human societies in a global historical context. Emphasizing the interrelatedness and mutuality of influence between East and West, we examine questions of exclusiveness, intolerance, and cooperation. Prerequisite: ENG101 with a C or better

This course is an introduction to the essentials of Euclidean geometry. Topics covered include: reasoning in mathematics, the relationship between algebra and geometry, analytic geometry, proofs and constructive triangles, circles, quadrilaterals, polygons, surfaces and solids and historical notes about famous geometricians. Prerequisite: MATH 106 with a grade of C or better or demonstrated competency through placement testing.

This course provides students pursuing or considering initial teacher licensure with an overview of the teaching profession. Students study and discuss history and philosophies of education systems, as well as current trends and issues. Massachusetts professional standards and requirements for licensure are explored. This course is a prerequisite for all other ED courses. Twenty-five hours of observation and tutoring in varied school settings are required. This is a presentation-intensive course.

This course provides students pursuing or considering initial teacher licensure with an overview of the teaching profession. Students study and discuss history and philosophies of education systems, as well as current trends and issues. Massachusetts professional standards and requirements for licensure are explored. This course is a prerequisite for all other ED courses. Twenty-five hours of observation and tutoring in varied school settings are required. This is a presentation-intensive course.

001
KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

KP (Knowledge Perspective) Course

This course explores literacy development in the elementary years (through grade 6), including reading in content areas, fluency, reading/writing connections, varied assessments to measure literacy development, and instructional strategies and materials to support elementary learners through grade 6. Minimum 25 pre-practicum hours; Prerequisite: ED110 Co-requisite ED208L.

This course explores literacy development in the elementary years (through grade 6), including reading in content areas, fluency, reading/writing connections, varied assessments to measure literacy development, and instructional strategies and materials to support elementary learners through grade 6. 25 pre-practicum hours. Prerequisite: ED 206.

This course introduces students to characteristics of learners with special needs in classroom and community settings. It focuses on principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in developing appropriate learning environments to meet the variability of all students in Pre-K through high school settings. A required minimum 25-hour pre-practicum provides opportunities to teach and observe in area classrooms. Prerequisite: ED 110

Field Exp:Supporting Learner Variability

This course engages students in mathematical concepts through examples, investigations, and active problem-solving explorations. Content is drawn from subject matter knowledge required for elementary and early childhood licensure, with emphasis on number theory and operations. This course is for students seeking elementary or early childhood licensure.

Choose an Elective or Minor course

In this project-based course, students explore a social or intellectual problem using at least two knowledge perspectives. Faculty and students follow a collaborative process of exploration, discussion, and problem solving that integrates knowledge perspectives and core intellectual skills.

This course explores literacy development in the preschool and early elementary years, including transitions to reading and writing, role of phonemic awareness and phonics in emergent and early literacy, varied informal assessments to measure developing literacy, instructional strategies and materials to support young learners. Minimum 25 pre-practicum hours in a placement assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. This is a writing intensive course. Co-requisite ED 206L

This course explores literacy development in the preschool and early elementary years, including transitions to reading and writing, role of phonemic awareness and phonics in emergent and early literacy, varied assessments to measure developing literacy, instructional strategies and materials to support young learners. 25 pre-practicum hours. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisite: ED 110.

This course covers the development of number sense, one to one correspondence, meaning of operations, estimation, graphing, and patterns. The use of developmentally appropriate materials, manipulatives, technology, and children’s literature for the teaching of math are addressed. The course explores a variety of math curricula, assessment techniques, and the use of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for designing instruction. Includes a 25-hour pre-practicum. Prerequisite: Pass all required MTEL.

Field Exp: Teaching Mathematics: PK - 2

This course focuses on essential elements of the structure of the English language: its phonology (sound structure), morphology (word structure), and syntax (sentence structure). Students draw on their own knowledge of language as they examine spoken English; they then study the relationship between spoken and written language. As students discuss issues pertinent to teachers and to writers, the relevance of linguistic analysis both to written language development and to writing practice is considered.

This course examines the physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and emotional development of the child from birth to adolescence. The contributions of social and cultural experiences as well as the role of biological factors in development are examined as are major theories of development. Students are introduced to the research approaches used to study human development and may be required to carry out observations in various settings. Prerequisite: PSYC 101.

PHIL302
Ethical Reasoning

This course will address the interaction between the lives we lead and the application of traditional (and some nontraditional) ethical theories and principles to important decision points in our lives. Students will take on real-life ethical problems and dilemmas for each class; each student will be responsible for presenting a number of issues, as well as for guiding the discussion of those issues in class. The problems we address will largely span a lifetime of experiences and concerns. Students will also write several papers that evaluate formal arguments, using standard tools of critical thinking and philosophy. The course is discussion based, so a willingness to read carefully, to think critically, and to engage in classroom presentations and discussions is essential. Prerequisite: Junior standing, MDSC203 & ENG102.

This course provides a grounding in current theory and practice related to teaching English Language Learners in Sheltered and bilingual programs. In particular, students learn to effectively shelter their content instruction, so that ELL students can access curriculum, achieve academic success, and contribute their multilingual and multicultural resources as participants and future leaders in the 21st century global economy. This course meets Massachusetts DESE standards for the required SEI endorsement. Course includes a minimum 25-hour pre-practicum in license-appropriate classrooms.Placement in schools is assigned by the Education Program Placement Coordinator or the Program Director. Prerequisite: ED110

This course explores strategies for integrating the language arts and teaching literacy across the curriculum for learners through grade 6, including assessment for planning and evaluation, classroom organization, management, unit and lesson planning, and resources. This is a writing intensive course. Prerequisites: ED 208; pass all required MTEL Communication and Literacy Test; Co-requisite 327L

Field Exp: Lit Assessment & Instruction

This is a foundations course required for the major and the minor in English. The course provides an introduction to a variety of forms and styles in poetry, drama, short story, fiction, memoir, and essay; European, North American, and world literatures are considered. The focus is on interpreting texts; students are introduced to various schools of interpretation and to standards for supporting an interpretation. Students become familiar with the conventional elements of each genre and with the terminology of critical interpretation. The course introduces print and database tools for research on literature.

This course examines the chief political, social, and cultural features of American society as they have developed through the period of Reconstruction. Emphasis is on Colonial America, the War of Independence, the Constitution, and the emergence of the Republic through the Civil War.

This course engages students in integrating early childhood science content with state and national curriculum standards and resources, including instructional technology, to develop effective science lessons. The course includes practice in integrating science concepts with early childhood curriculum and requires a 25 hour pre-practicum in local classrooms. Prerequisite: pass all required MTEL. 4 credits

Field Exp: Sci Concepts PK-2

In this course, students develop knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to create learning environments appropriate to the full variability of learners in pre-K through grade 6. Through in-class activities and a 25-hour pre-practicum, students expand their understanding and use of strategies and resources including Universal Design for Learning, appropriate instructional technology, and positive behavioral supports. Prerequisites: ED 219, Co-requisite ED 338L

Field Exp: Inclusive Education

In this course, students explore research on social studies education as well as the teaching methods and related teaching materials that encourage learning in this discipline among children in the early childhood education setting. In addition, students examine a variety of ways to effectively integrate the arts into the early childhood curriculum.

This course provides education students with an introduction to the scientific principles governing the contemporary technological world. Topics include scientific methodologies, gravity, energy, electricity, magnetism, light, and introductory chemistry. Laboratory experiments are conducted to complement the material covered in lecture. Prerequisite: ED Majors only

ED417
Pre-Practicum: PK - Grade 2

In this course, students complete a minimum of 150 hours of supervised field experience in classrooms appropriate for their concentration. Students observe, teach, and assist the cooperating teacher with classroom responsibilities. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of pre-practicum-related issues. Prerequisite: ED 330 and permission of the Education Program Director

In this capstone course, students integrate theory and previous field experiences with their 150-hour pre-practicum. Research and discussion topics include classroom management and organization, use of various curriculum materials and resources, and ethical issues in educational settings. Students design a classroom-based research project which will be completed during the practicum (ED 496 or 498). Prerequisites: Senior standing, pass all required MTEL, concurrent enrollment in ED433, 435 OR 437

Choose an Elective or Minor course

Choose an Elective or Minor course

This practicum provides experience in two early childhood education settings. One setting is in Preschool or Kindergarten and the other setting is in grade one or two. Students spend five days a week in the classroom, assuming increasing responsibility that culminates with “take over” weeks and completion of the Comprehensive Assessment of Performance State requirement. A weekly seminar provides a forum for discussion of practicum-related issues. Topics of discussion include the ethics of teaching, legal and moral responsibilities, student confidentiality, and working with parents. Permission of the Education Program Director is required. Prerequisite: Passing scores on all required sections of the MTELs.

Taken concurrently with ED 496 or ED 498, this capstone seminar engages students in ethical questions such as student confidentiality, testing, and communicating with various constituencies as well as practical aspects of preparing for an initial teaching position. It includes conducting and reporting on the classroom-based research project that was designed in ED 421. Co-requisite: ED 496 or ED 498.

Student teachers attend the site full-time (Monday - Friday) for the full semester. Working under the supervision of specific teachers, they take on increasing responsibility for planning, teaching, and evaluating lessons; interacting with children; and managing all aspects of the classroom. For two weeks near the end of the placement, student teachers take over the full day, including all planning, teaching, and management.

Freshman Tutoring
Freshman Requirements: Tutoring in Wednesdays at Williams (math) or other formal setting approved by ED 110 instructor. Licensure students begin teaching young learners in their first year at Lasell. These structured tutoring programs give them experience in meeting various needs and using appropriate materials.

Sophomore, Junior Pre-Practicum
Sophomore Requirements: A minimum of 25 hours per semester connected to literacy and math methods courses.
Junior Requirements: A minimum of 25 hours per semester connected to literacy, science, and social studies methods courses. Students work in specific classrooms with assignments specific to methods courses in which they are enrolled. Assignments begin with observing the classroom teacher and aspects of organizing for particular subjects, and include planning, teaching, and assessing using materials and objectives appropriate to the grade level and subject in urban and suburban schools.

Senior Pre-Practicum
Senior Requirements: A minimum of 150 hours in fall (pre-practicum) and a minimum of 300 hours in spring (practicum). Students attend the site two full days per week for the full semester. Working with one teacher, they take responsibility for various aspects of the curriculum. By the end of the semester, they have planned and taught lessons in all subjects in urban and suburban schools.

Sample practicum sites:

  • Cabot Elementary School, Newton
  • Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Waltham
  • Franklin Elementary School, West Newton
  • Gardner Pilot Academy, Allston
  • Hurley K-8 School, Boston
  • Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, Newton
  • McDevit Middle School, Waltham
  • Mission Hill K-8 School, Jamaica Plain
  • Oakdale Elementary School, Dedham
  • Pierce School, West Newton
  • Saint Bridget School, Framingham
  • Summer School, Lynnfield
  • Ward Elementary School, Newton
  • Whittemore Elementary, Waltham
  • William H. Lincoln School, Brookline
  • Williams Elementary School, Auburndale

This example four-year plan is provided as a broad framework that you can follow in order to complete your degree within four years. Be sure to always consult your academic advisor before registering for classes.

4-Year Plan
Student Profile
Autumn headshot

"The Education program has made me incredibly confident to pursue a career in teaching."

Autumn Walker '26

Secondary Education, English

Read More about Autumn
Autumn headshot
isabelle headshot

"I love the close-knit campus community Lasell offers."

Isabelle Conway '25

Elementary Education

Read More about Isabelle
isabelle headshot

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Colleges of Distinction - Education 2020-2021
Lasell University's education program has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction for its excellent programming. 

 

Learning Outcomes

  • Become am effective and engaging teacher who can write a lesson plan and lead a classroom
  • Create learning environments to support:
    • learners’ diverse needs (e.g., hearing or vision needs, learning styles, multiple intelligences)
    • students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds
    • opportunities for all students to demonstrate academic ability
  • Be understanding of own learning style and be able to to evaluate and modify your own teaching methods. plan and implement their own professional development based on their critical reflections.

For a complete list of courses and Learrning outcomes, view the Academic Catalog >>

Career Success

Our students have practice taught at:

  • Cabot Elementary School, Newton
  • Douglas MacArthur Elementary School, Waltham
  • Franklin Elementary School, West Newton
  • Gardner Pilot Academy, Allston
  • Hurley K-8 School, Boston
  • Lincoln-Eliot Elementary School, Newton
  • McDevit Middle School, Waltham
  • Mission Hill K-8 School, Jamaica Plain
  • Oakdale Elementary School, Dedham
  • Pierce School, West Newton
  • Saint Bridget School, Framingham
  • Summer School, Lynnfield
  • Ward Elementary School, Newton
  • Whittemore Elementary, Waltham
  • William H. Lincoln School, Brookline
  • Williams Elementary School, Auburndale
Beyond the Classroom
Tomorrow's Teachers

This club provides students with opportunities to interact with and learn from their fellow education majors and professors while also receiving MTEL support and the opportunity to meet professionals in the field of education.

Ninos de Veracruz

The non-profit was started by six students in 2003. The club raises money for micro-loans and scholarships for children in Veracruz, Mexico, so they can further their education and build a brighter futures.

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