Can You Teach Elementary With a Child Development Degree?

States have prescribed qualifications for a person to become a teacher. This includes finishing a bachelor’s degree and passing the teacher certification tests. However, can you become an elementary teacher if you have a degree in child development?

You can teach elementary with a child development degree, as long as it’s a bachelor’s degree. However, you must take a teacher preparation course and the state licensure or certification exams before being permitted to teach.

This article will discuss the degree required for elementary school teachers and the importance of understanding child development in teaching. I’ll also explore the difference between child development and early childhood education and other alternative career paths for child development graduates apart from education. Keep reading to learn more.

Table of Contents

What Degree Do Elementary Teachers Need?

Typically, prospective elementary school teachers must have a bachelor’s degree in elementary education to take teaching licensure exams and teach in elementary schools in the United States. They’re also required to obtain a teaching certification or license. However, this depends on the state where you plan to teach.

Suppose you graduate with related degrees, such as child development or early childhood education. In that case, you may be allowed to take the licensure exam, provided you have earned teaching preparation programs and alternative certification based on your state’s requirements.

Depending on your state education department’s specific requirements, you must also undergo student teaching practice during or after the teaching preparation program. It can take a semester or two to complete this under the supervision of a more experienced teacher in the school where you’re assigned to teach, and the supervisor assigned by your college or university to monitor your progress.

To gain some insight about getting an elementary education degree, here’s a YouTube video by Ryan Swayt:

Additionally, current elementary teachers and those who aspire to teach in elementary school can opt to take graduate courses that will lead to a master’s degree. Taking these courses will deepen your knowledge in your chosen field of specialization or help you advance your career in elementary education.

Is It Important for Teachers To Understand Child Development?

Teachers, especially those handling elementary-level classes, need to understand the basic concepts of child development. This will help them understand their learners’ needs and behavior inside and outside the classroom and prevent any issues. Some reasons it’s important for teachers to understand child development include:

It helps teachers identify possible reasons students struggle in the classroom.
It helps teachers assist parents in making decisions about their children’s education.
It helps teachers identify the appropriate teaching technique to deliver the learning content to their students so they can understand the lessons better.

It allows teachers to plan their class activities and assessments suitable for their students’ age, with the correct level of challenge.

Failing To Understand Child Development Can Lead To Problems

Teachers who fail to understand the importance of learning the concepts of child development can feel frustrated in their work because they are employing inappropriate teaching strategies for their students.

Failing to consider child development can prevent teachers from providing appropriate help to students struggling to focus and cope with class activities. This can lead to misunderstanding the student concerned as a problem, making the relationship between them strained and preventing learning from taking place.

Difference Between Child Development and Early Childhood Education

Both child development and early childhood education degrees focus on young children and their development. They’re also concerned with providing safe and conducive learning environments for children and minimizing negative learning experiences. But what could be their differences?

Early childhood education involves understanding child development and developmental milestones and how they play in classrooms daily. It focuses on children from infancy until they reach eight years old.

They’re primarily concerned with creating the best learning environment for young children. Early childhood education also looks at learning benchmarks to ensure children receive a proper education.

On the other hand, child development has a broader scope than early childhood education. It focuses on children’s emotional, physiological, psychological, and language growth from infancy to adolescence.

Child development tends to look at how a child develops naturally in all aspects rather than relying on a standard benchmark to ascertain development. This degree also allows a person to deal with children with special needs by offering support services.

Alternative Career Outlook for Those With Child Development Degrees

Aside from becoming an elementary teacher, there are other jobs that child development degree holders can pursue. These include positions in the following industries:

Childcare: Working in the childcare sector can help you build experience working with children through volunteer work in religious organizations, private homes, and daycare centers.
Community services: Degree holders in child development can work in summer camps, adoption agencies, hospitals, and community centers that can provide them with experience working with children.
Government: Graduates of child development can enter government service to do policy research concerning children and childcare. They can also work in law enforcement to help protect women and children through counseling. They can also participate in military childcare programs.

Manufacturing: Child development degree holders can work with manufacturing companies that produce children’s toys, clothes, and food.
Medicine and social services: Child development graduates can work in hospitals, treatment facilities, child daycare providers, and organizations focusing on children, youth, and families. Working in this sector can help them earn graduate degrees related to social work and counseling.
Museums: Holders of this degree can help curate exhibits that target children as their audience.

Final Thoughts

Any bachelor’s degree apart from elementary or secondary education, including child development, can be qualified to become an elementary teacher. They only have to meet the state’s requirements to obtain certification or licensure, which includes taking a teacher preparation program and completing student teaching practice.

With their vast knowledge of child development, these prospective teachers can provide students with great opportunities as they can identify the appropriate and suitable teaching strategies to maximize learning.

Sources

BestColleges.com: Child Development Careers

YouTube: Child Development vs. Early Childhood Education