Working in a preschool, daycare or childcare center typically requires a set amount of experience and/or education. Although most teachers must have some formal training, there is no consistent level or type of training required among all U.S. states. In their position statement on Standards for Programs to Prepare Early Childhood Professionals, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) recommends that all early childhood educators have specialized knowledge of child development and instructional areas. Pre-service and existing teachers can gain this knowledge through formal training programs at the associate, bachelor and graduate levels.
Child development majors at the associate, bachelor or master level include the concentrated study of how humans grow and develop in the early years. This early childhood related area typically includes course work in general child development birth through age eight, specialized courses in developmental domains, such as social or physical areas, learning and possibly development in family/community contexts. Having a major in child development provides the teacher with the knowledge of important milestones and abilities to create classroom lessons, understand the needs of the individual child and effectively instruct young learners.
The early childhood education major is a post-secondary course of study that helps to prepare teachers to instruct young children in preschools and sometimes early elementary school. This type of major contains child development course work, but also covers content in instructional practices, learning and education theory and may include a practicum or internship component. Students studying early childhood education may also, at the bachelors or higher level, earn a teaching or instructional certificate. This enables the holder to teach in public/private schools that require instructional licenses, such as a public primary school. Unlike a primary or elementary major, early childhood majors can typically teach preschool through third grade students.
There are a number of different majors for early childhood teachers outside of child development and early childhood education. These include general and highly specialized areas of study. General majors may include a basic education major, human learning, child care or educational psychology. More specialized majors typically focus on a particular area of education or child development. These may include special education, reading specialist/education, art education or early childhood administration.