Early Childhood Education (MAT)
"A teacher effects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Brooks Adams
"A teacher effects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." - Henry Brooks Adams
Madonna University’s Master of Arts in Early Childhood Education is designed to prepare you for the distinctive aspects of teaching and learning targeted for children ages 0-8 years. This program, along with its prerequisites, meets the State's requirements for the Early Childhood ZS Endorsement. It is open to teachers holding a Michigan teaching certificate, as well as those holding a Bachelors degree in Child Development or Children and Families.
Upon program completion, candidates holding a valid Michigan teaching certificate can take the test to earn the Michigan ZS endorsement after meeting with Madonna University’s Teacher Certification Officer.
Melissa Elsey '15
"I have served in the Archdiocese of Detroit for over ten years. Currently I am helping young learners to grow and encounter the Lord at Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Plymouth, MI. I am in my first year at this school and also my first year teaching second grade. I have taught different grade levels through the years.
Most of my time has been spent as a preschool teacher. Madonna was the top choice for me due to its top notch education program and most important to me being a Catholic University. Madonna also offered small class sizes and my professors and fellow classmates became like family."
This program enables classroom teachers certified at the elementary or the secondary level to meet the standards that qualify them as Reading Specialists/Literacy Coaches.
B.S. University of Michigan – Flint
M.S. Oakland University
Ed.S. Oakland University
Ph.D. Oakland University
734-432-5785, 2230G
Dr. Sue Ann Sharma is an Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Literacy in the College of Education at Madonna University. She is passionate about preparing teachers to meet the diverse needs of learners and developing instructional literacy leaders. Dr. Sharma is a literacy advocate and has served on the International Reading Association’s Literacy Reform Task Force. Dr. Sharma is the past president of the Michigan Reading Association, and also holds appointments on the Michigan Reading Association’s Board of Directors and Michigan Reading Journal Review Board.
B.S. State University of New York at Cortland
M.S. Central Michigan University
732-432-5654, 2230B
Tess Kelly is the Placement Coordinator for the College of Education at Madonna University. She has also served as an adjunct faculty in the Teacher Education, Early Childhood, and Children and Families programs.
Christine has been teaching part time in the college of education at Madonna University since 2015. Christine also works full time at HighScope Educational Research Foundation as and Early Childhood Specialist. She has 20 years of experience in the early childhood field as a classroom teacher, center director, and instructional coach/trainer. Christine has authored several books and articles in addition to contributing to the development of many classroom and digital teacher resources. Christine has served on several local, state, and national education councils and boards. She is active in advocacy work to advance equitable access to education.
In addition to being an adjunct professor in the Early Childhood Education Department at Madonna University, Holly Delgado is an Early Child Specialist at HighScope Educational Research Foundation. She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Central Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University. She is a certified teacher in both Michigan and Illinois and has experience as a teacher, coach, trainer, and administrator. Holly has spent over fifteen years working in inclusive classrooms and home-based environments, as well as self-contained early childhood special education classrooms, for children ages birth to five. Her work outside of the classroom includes developing and facilitating professional development surrounding best practices in the field of early childhood education at the local, state, national and international levels.
B.A. University of Michigan - Dearborn
M.Ed. University of Michigan - Dearborn
Ph.D. Oakland University
Dr. Anne Donato holds a doctorate in Early Childhood Education, with a primary emphasis on differentiated instruction. Her passion lies in literacy efforts that provide inclusion of all students into the world of reading. In addition to teaching, Dr. Donato has taught, lobbied, consulted, and advocated for early childhood education for over 25 years, in both the private and public sectors, including NAEYC and at the international level.
