Early Childhood Education Degrees in California
When you decide to become a teacher, you have the opportunity to choose which age range best suits you and which educational goals you want to advance in your community. If you understand the role of early childhood education in future academic development and overall success, you may be ready to make a difference in this rapidly growing field.
With the right training and education, you can help California students get a good start in school and develop strong education habits.
Becoming an Early Childhood Teacher in California
As you learn more about early childhood education, California schools are ready to help.
Check out the list of teaching programs below and contact those near you to learn more.
California is a huge state with diverse educational needs across its many metropolitan, suburban, and rural communities. Regardless of which part of California you decide to study and work in, you can look forward to devoting your career to a field that is evidence-based and advancing quickly.
This is the time to take control of your career and learn more about early childhood education programs. California universities and colleges are listed below.
Find programs that fit your needs and reach out to them for more information.
Getting Your Early Childhood Education Degree in California
There are multiple paths you can follow to start working in early childhood education in California.
With an Associate’s degree in early education, you may be a classroom assistant or a preschool teaching assistant.
If you want the flexibility of working with children from birth through age eight, a Bachelor’s degree may be a good fit for you. Plan on dedicating four years of full-time education to a Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education. You must earn at least 120 credits. Some of your credits come from general education subjects, such as mathematics, physical sciences, and history.
However, the majority of your credits should come from teaching courses and classroom experience coursework. Your curriculum may include the courses below or courses similar to them.
Commonly Required Early Childhood Education Courses
- Child Growth and Development
- Child, Family, and Community
- Curriculum for Young Children
- Principles and Practices of Teaching Young Children
- Teaching in a Diverse Society
- Effective Support for Children with Exceptional Needs
- Social and Emotional Competence in Early Childhood Education
- Integrating Learning Standards in Early Childhood Settings
The time you spend in local classrooms is a priceless part of your teacher education. No matter how much you master theory, it isn’t very helpful unless you can put it to work with real students. You may work in local classrooms from your very first semester, building connections with local teachers and administrators while figuring out how to communicate effectively with young children.
For your final assessment, you are assigned to a local early childhood education classroom. For a full semester, you work with an experienced teacher to test your skills, apply feedback and improve, and find out what it’s really like to be an early childhood teacher.
After being accepted to a teaching program, start to look into scholarships and grants that are available in California. The Child Development Grant Program awards scholarships to Associate’s and Bachelor’s degree students who plan on going into the field of child development after graduation.
Are you ready to start a career that allows you to make a difference every day?
Take the first step now and contact early childhood education programs in California.
Working as an Early Childhood Educator in California
The next step is applying for your license through the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. They require proof of your education and passing scores on the relevant California Subject Examinations for Teachers.
As a student and new teacher, you can learn a lot from those who have made a living in this field. Look into joining the California Association for the Education of Young Children to discover the goals of early education, the research behind this field, and how you can become a more effective teacher.
Across the board, California salaries are in line with national averages. Across the board, preschool teachers claimed an average income in 2017 of $33,670 per year. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that salaries ranged from $29,080 at child care centers to $50,040 at public elementary schools.
Job growth is trending upward in this area. By 2026, job openings for preschool teachers may swell by10 percent (CareerOneStop 2018). There may be an average of 6,160 annual job openings. Now that you know how you can make a difference in this field, start planning your new career.
Request information on earning an early childhood education degree from California schools below.
