3 Paths if You Want to the Field of Early Childhood Education

For people who want to enter the field of early childhood education, there is now a range of options to choose from depending on which educational path you choose to follow. Here are some ideas.

Non-qualified carers

There is a range of positions for non-qualified carers in child care centres; although, there is an ongoing push for most formal long-day care centres to take on carers with some level of qualifications. Family day care, which is carried out in a family home, can be another option for people who wish to work in child care but who do not want to commit to a full qualification. In order to work in child care, even if you work in a non-qualified capacity, it can be a good idea to do some industry specific training, such as first aid course for children and babies, or courses in other relevant areas such as allergy management. 

Qualified carers

Qualified carers work in child care centres or other formal early learning environments. They usually have  diploma-level qualification from a vocational education facility. These courses can be completed either in a block mode before entering work or in a part-time capacity around work commitments. The course helps carers to formulate developmentally appropriate learning plans and to plan activities for the week ahead. They also learn appropriate expectation for child development so that they can guide children to interact with adults and peers in an appropriate way, and they take on independent tasks such as eating, drinking, and toileting. 

Early childhood education teacher

Finally, there is a path to go into early childhood education through a teaching degree. This is done at a university level and is a speciality within the teaching degrees. Early childhood education teachers work in both child care centres and in schools teaching kindergarten-aged children. They can review the work of qualified carers and also prepare plans for the students, with a focus on developing pre-literacy and numeracy skills, and preparing the children for the structured learning environment of a school. This is often done through fun and play-based activities so that the children enjoy the process of learning. 

No matter what educational path you wish to take, there are many opportunities in the world of early childhood education. It's a wonderful field where you get to have a positive effect on young children and help them on a path towards lifelong learning. For more information, contact a school such as Hopskotch Kindergarten.

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