Early childhood teachers teach in public schools, as well as charter schools and private nursery schools. Some early childhood teachers also teach special education. Certificates are available for those who do not have a degree in education or a teaching certificate, for instructional and teacher's assistants.
Many states have alternate route programs for those with a Bachelors Degree in areas other than early childhood education, which provides the essential education needed to teach in an early childhood setting, along with the appropriate additional training throughout the first teaching year.
Essential courses in early childhood include those in early childhood theory. There are a number of influential theorists in the area of education, whose work has had a tremendous impact in the field of education. Among these are Piaget, Howard Gardener, Vygotsky, Bandura and Erikson. No one theory dominates in education, and a knowledge of the various approaches is of benefit for the effectiveness of the teacher in helping young children to succeed in school.
A knowledge of child psychology and children's literature is of importance for the early childhood teacher. The early childhood teacher needs to understand how a child's home life is interrelated with his behavior in the classroom. A general knowledge of childhood psychological difficulties and an awareness of signs of child abuse are also of importance. Courses in education can help the teacher to know what her legal or ethical limits are and how to handle crisis situations when they arise.
Children's literature can have a positive impact on a child's character development if the teacher selects the literature thoughtfully.
The early childhood teacher also needs to have a knowledge of social studies, science and mathematics that includes and extends beyond the grade level that he will be teaching. Because the early childhood teacher covers all these topics and needs to be able to present the material clearly and simply to the student, academic requirements include knowledge in these subject areas as well.
Many programs require the potential early childhood education teacher to have completed courses in special education, health, and possibly a course covering families and communities. These courses will help the teacher to have the knowledge necessary to deal with a wide range of students and recognize these students' special needs.