Before you make a decision whether to start down the road to elementary or early-childhood education, understanding what ages you can -- and can't -- teach is key. Each state's board of education licenses teachers, regulating what grades each certification allows the educator to work with. Some states, such as Texas, combine early childhood and elementary certifications and allow educators to teach pre-k through grade six with one license or provide a separate option for the later elementary and middle school grades of four through eight. Other states make a wider separation, not included the entirety of elementary school in an early childhood certification. For example, Pennsylvania offers a preschool through grade four early childhood certification as well as a fourth- through eighth-grade license.
There are two main routes to go when it comes to elementary and early childhood education: bachelor's and master's degrees. A Bachelor of Arts in elementary education typically covers child development and learning as well as teaching in specific areas such as science, language arts, math and social studies. For example, New York University's childhood education -- for teaching children in grades one through six -- includes 137 credits of courses in general education, child development and teaching subjects to elementary-aged students. NYU's early childhood degree -- for teaching children birth through second grade -- has three fewer credits and focuses more on the developmental aspects of instruction than content-specific areas. While the number of courses in these and similar programs don't vary greatly, the content has subtle differences based on the ages and levels of teaching.
If you don't have an undergraduate degree in an instructional field, you can still work as a teacher by completing a master's program. Like a bachelor's degree, master's programs in both elementary and early childhood education will have similar numbers of classes. For example, the University of Pittsburgh's Master of Arts in teaching elementary education program includes 48 credits of classes that focus on instructional topics in teaching grade schoolers -- such as math, science and reading. This program leads to state certification. The university's graduate-level program for early-childhood state certification is a 37-credit degree that includes a similar schedule of courses but focuses on teaching younger students.
Whether you decide on an elementary school certification or an early childhood education degree, you'll need to take practical or hands-on teaching classes. Programs that lead to state licensure typically feature a student teaching course. Student teaching occurs, in both types of programs, during the regular academic year, taking up the fall and spring semesters. Unless you already have an instructional certificate -- and a bachelor's degree in education -- you'll need to take a practical or field experience class to complete either an elementary or early childhood degree.