What goes on inside of a child’s mind?
Watching a young student playing with a truck or airplane, rolling a ball, or sharing toys has far deeper connotations than meets the eye. Teachers need strong observational and analytical skills to determine how these seemingly playful interactions factor into greater cognitive and emotional growth.
Early childhood education graduate programs help teachers develop those skills needed to decipher the everyday actions of babies, toddlers, and children. Master’s degree programs focused on early childhood education help reinforce a teacher’s observational, assessment, and teaching abilities with children from birth to age eight. Discover how teachers hone their skills through research and evaluation in the early childhood classroom…
How can a graduate degree in early childhood education help me as a teacher?
Master’s programs in early childhood education help prepare teachers to better interpret and lead students through their early development stages by providing teachers with a greater understanding of research and knowledge in childhood development.
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During their early developmental years, children build up physical knowledge of the world, language development, social and moral development, and basic motor skills, all while expressing this development through play. Master’s programs give teachers expanded tool sets to analyze this play, making observational conclusions about a child’s developmental progress.
In a master’s program in ECE, you’ll learn how to better determine the goals of children by observing their actions and employing assessment tools like the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale and the Classroom Assessment Scoring System. This allows teachers to analyze classroom settings, a child’s individual work, group interactions, and play.
Using assessment and observational skills mastered in a graduate program, you’ll confidently answer questions about what goals children try to accomplish through play, why they took those actions, and then help them develop critical thinking skills by discussing alternative actions to accomplish their goals.
Coursework in early childhood education programs provides teachers with expanded resources to effectively guide their students through early childhood. Some of the typical classes you’ll take in an early childhood education program include:
By gaining knowledge of the challenges and processes behind early childhood growth, teachers help create nurturing classroom environments and encourage skill development and critical thinking abilities that lead to future student success.
How will a graduate degree in early childhood education help my students?
Preschool through second grade might seem like child’s play to most, but in reality it is so much more. Children from birth through age eight first begin to develop many of the critical thinking skills and social abilities that will determine their future personalities.
- Developmental LearningExamine the theories and concepts behind early childhood development and learning, including social, cognitive, and emotional development.
- Families, Societies, and SchoolsPaint a clearer picture of the links between family and societal effects on early childhood development. Learn how to better integrate school and family learning by addressing common concerns that arise between parents and teachers.
- Observation, Documentation, and AssessmentLearn how to properly observe and document early childhood growth, guiding students through some of their most formative years.
- Teaching Early Childhood Subject MatterEarly childhood teachers introduce children to subjects like literacy, science, art, and math. These courses focus on giving teachers resources and methods to jump start the learning process in these subjects for young students.
- Language DevelopmentThese courses allow teachers to better understand the study of spoken and written language for children. Teachers examine functions and structures of language, and how children acquire the ability to speak clearly and properly.
In fact, researchers believe quality early education to be a significant factor in later life success. Several studies found students with high-quality early childhood education were less likely to drop out of school and have future legal trouble, cementing the importance of highly qualified teachers in students’ early years.
Teachers with master’s degrees in early childhood education help provide high-quality education for their young students, applying the research and abilities they studied in their graduate programs to the classroom. With the guidance and leadership of these teachers, children are better able to make sense of the world around them, beginning their development of skills in art, writing, self-awareness, and emotional understanding.
Want to know more?
Effective and highly educated early childhood teachers are needed to guide young students through the hurdles and challenges of youth. If you’re interested in learning more how a master’s in early childhood education can help you become an even more effective teacher, research and contact schools offering degree programs in ECE. Pick your state from this map representing Master’s in Education programs throughout the country.
