Master's Programs in Early Childhood Education

If you are thinking of advancing your career in early childhood education by doing a Master’s program, the wide range of options available will probably leave you confused. You are possibly speculating about the subjects you should take, the alternatives you should consider, and so on.

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Depending on the kind of program you choose, you may be looking at courses and subjects like influence over children of early childhood learning environment, strategies for bridging learning gaps and evaluation of learning environments that cause problems. Here are the core specialization courses in early childhood education:

The core specialization courses

1. Classroom management strategies: This course is designed to help students understand and appreciate the advantages of utilizing pre-tested practices and strategies. They can demonstrate their effectiveness relative to the proper management of their instruction classes.
2. Educational leadership foundation: This course introduces the students to all the significant historical, sociological and philosophical foundations of education. In addition, by the time students complete this course, they are able to identify themselves the problem areas and primary gaps in the schooling system of their country.
3. Children with special needs: This course highlights all the main aspects of and the significance of reviewing every important detail of work with students with special needs. Areas like legal requirements, accommodations, adaptations, typical development, atypical development, and techniques of inclusion are a few of the main aspects studied.
4. Instruction, assessment and standards-based curriculum: Such courses deal with an imaginative development of curriculum, instructions and assessment plans based on country standards. Areas like the Comprehensive Assessment Systems (CAS), and the role they play in a teacher’s life are some of the crucial aspects under focus here.

Specialized courses

1. Learning environment during early childhood: This course examines best practices for development of young children in the age group of three to eight.  Concepts such as materials, space, activities or schedules need to be used and learned through practice.
2. Instruction in relation to literacy and reading during early childhood: Students pursuing this course will learn the best practical and theoretical aspects of teaching reading and writing. They study word identification, vocabulary, phonics and phonemic skills. They learn how to spot problems in reading or writing accurately and the best ways of coping with these difficulties in young children. They will be able to assess in particular the relation between reading, writing and literacy development.
3. Early childhood education and practicum: Students will have to put in several hours of practical work in this course under the guidance of an instructor. They learn the best application of all concepts and theories they studied while pursuing their program. This is where they will learn what it means to be a teacher in an actual classroom.

Earning a master’s degree in early childhood education can open up several career opportunities. Furthermore, there is enormous scope for acquiring diverse skill sets and knowledge that can help one become a more rounded teacher.