BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR CHILDHOOD EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL
PREFACE
The quality of learning that young children experience is of crucial importance for both their future and that of their nation. In guiding young children’s learning and development, early childhood teachers must possess the knowledge, skills and sensitivity to interact successfully with not only the young child, but also parents, guardians, paraprofessionals, community organizations and others whose actions affect children. Moreover, they must accommodate the breadth of young children’s interests and needs in a diverse society.
Whatever the setting (child care centers, home care, Head Start programs, nursery schools, kindergartens, public or private primary schools), qualified teachers of young children should be recognized professionals in their field. The qualified teacher in early childhood education should be a licensed and/or certified professional. Licenses should recognize various levels of education or competency acceptable to employing organizations and the roles assumed by the teacher within the early childhood setting. Early childhood teachers (pre-K through 3rd grade) in a public or private school should be a graduate of an accredited four-, five-year or post degree teacher preparation program with professional study and experience recognizing the unique education needs of young children. This Position Paper identifies the curricular areas that should be addressed in a preparation program for teachers of children birth through 8 years of age. It does not attempt, however, to detail the specific experiences that could be designed to develop the desired qualities in these areas.
TEACHER PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS
Teachers of early childhood education should be well acquainted with the broad spectrum of child development, beginning with the prenatal period and including infant/toddler, preprimary, primary and elementary school age children. An early childhood specialty should be developed within the broad scope of teacher preparation. The specific preparation program for teachers of young children should include the following areas:
General Education
To be able to help young children explore and interpret the world around them in a way that makes sense to them, teachers must be broadly and liberally education persons. Teacher preparation experiences, therefore, should develop:
- An acquaintance with great music, art and literature
- A knowledge of health, safety and nutrition
- An understanding of the physical and biological aspects of the world and the universe
- A knowledge of mathematical concepts
- An ability to articulate one’s thoughts orally and in writing
- An ability to read with comprehension, then to analyze, interpret and judge a wide range of written material
- A knowledge of technology as an educational resource, instructional tool and curriculum component
- A comprehension of the variety and complexity of communication patterns as expressed by people of differing cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds in a global context
- A knowledge and understanding of differences and similarities among societies and cultures, both at home and abroad
An awareness of the social, historical and political forces affecting children and the implications for education within individual nations and world contexts.
Foundations of Early Childhood Education
Experiences should be designed to clarify the philosophical, historical, psychological, cultural, social and ethical foundations of early childhood education. The early childhood teacher should develop a personal philosophy and approach to the learning/teaching process consistent with current research and education theories.
Child Development
Teachers of young children should possess a broad synthesis of knowledge of child development principles derived from studying research in the social and behavioral sciences that influence learning (i.e., biology, physiology, psychology, sociology and anthropology). In addition to knowledge of child development theory and research, teachers should study children in a variety of situations to understand better the meaning and degree of variation and exceptionality among individuals. Moreover, techniques for observing and recording such behavior need to be developed in accordance with research and theory.
Learning and Teaching Process
Learning as a process and the role of the teacher in facilitating that process should be emphasized. All areas of development—cognitive, physical, social, emotional, aesthetic and moral (or ethical)— should be included. Examples of topics for study include: how learning takes place; factors that influence learning; climates for learning; and accommodation of children’s needs, including special needs, interests, attitudes and motivations.
The early childhood professional must be familiar with both curriculum content and instructional strategies that encourage children to become interested in learning in a wide variety of education contexts as well as to facilitate and encourage learning information appropriate to ability and level of the child. The teacher preparation program should include techniques for:
- Planning that integrates young children’s needs and developmental stages with the teacher’s education philosophy as well as local, state/province and national mandates
- Selecting and evaluating prepared materials and creating new materials consistent with stated goals and objectives
- Adopting a variety of curriculum models to meet individual as well as group needs
- Creating learning environments that foster creativity, healthy self-concepts and regard for others, and intellectual and physical growth in balanced proportions
- Integrating play, a growth process, as an integral part of a child’s intellectual, social/emotional, physical and aesthetic development
- Implementing a program of learning for young children that includes all curriculum areas such as language (oral and written, literature, reading), mathematics, use of technology, science (physical, life, earth and space, science and technology), social studies (geographical, political, historical, economical, cultural, anthropological), performing and visual arts (music, dance, theater, art, film) and physical education
- Recognizing the potential and need to integrate content across the curriculum, where appropriate, in varied education contexts
- Developing classroom management and guidance techniques for children
- Implementing appropriate roles for teachers, parents and peers in social contexts to encourage responsible social development
- Recognizing and responding to families (traditional and diversified) in school/parent/community relationships that involve them in the educational process
- Assessing and evaluating children’s total development (intellectual, social/emotional, aesthetic, physical) using authentic, performance-based assessment
- Working with paraprofessionals and community organizations
- Developing leadership ability for appropriate contexts.
Professional Laboratory Experiences
Early childhood teachers should have well-planned laboratory experiences under the supervision of experienced and qualified teachers of young children, at a variety of levels throughout the teacher education program. Laboratory experiences should include observation, participation, student teaching and seminar discussion. The program should encompass ongoing and increasingly more complex involvement with children in a variety of education settings (e.g., public/private schools, child care facilities, preschool, Head Start). Field and clinical experiences should be conducted at quality sites that are accredited or licensed.
The Association for Childhood Education International would like to thank Pearl Heath and the Teacher Education Committee for their efforts in preparing this document.
