Teaching Early Childhood vs. Elementary Students (2023)

FAQs

What is the biggest difference between teaching preschool and elementary students? ›

One primary difference between early childhood and elementary education is the age of students. Early childhood education encompasses teaching children up to 8 years old. Elementary education typically starts at first grade and can go through eighth grade.

1. Children (so many children!) Managing a room full of young children can be delightful, but it can also be hard and can drain a lot of your energy. The day-to-day challenges you will face can range from dealing with difficult behaviors to crying and cranky children.

Students within an early childhood education program or setting are preschool age and younger, while elementary education students are typically somewhere between kindergarten and fifth or sixth grade. It is partially because of this age difference that different skills are required to teach the two demographics.

Early childhood education (ECE) focuses on the academic, social and cognitive skills that develop in children from birth through preschool. Elementary education refers to the primary education that comes after preschool but before middle school (typically kindergarten through fifth or sixth grade.)

Handling paperwork

On average, early childhood educators spend 45 minutes each day on documentation. This accounts for a huge amount of time, when we take the various other activities they do daily such as teaching, managing the kids, taking care of, and recording their meals and nap times into consideration.

The hardest part of being a preschool teacher is often working with the children, even though being able to help kids learn is why you're interested in starting this career. While it is absolutely rewarding, and kids can be funny, smart, and sweet, they have their bad days just like anyone else.

Montessori teachers are typically employed by private schools, where salaries are generally lower. Public schools are taxpayer-funded, while private schools rely on tuition and charitable giving to fund teacher salaries. Although salary is a consideration, most Montessori teachers are dedicated to the mission.

Patience, communication, and a love of young children are just a few of the qualities you'll need if you want to become an early childhood educator. Young children move a mile a minute, aren't always the best listeners and are learning just about everything as if it's brand new.

How do I become a successful preschool teacher? ›

In traditional classrooms, students follow the same lessons — leaving some children behind while others pull ahead. In Montessori classrooms, students challenge themselves when they're ready, developing greater self-sufficiency and personal independence, and building an internal sense of purpose and motivation.

There's no definitive answer to the question, “when do kids start preschool?” There's an average age range for preschoolers of between three and five years old, but some kids will be ready sooner, and some kids may need to wait a little longer. There are many benefits to sending your child to a high-quality preschool.

“Early childhood education (ECE) creates a space where young children can play and learn together that is planned and guided by qualified educators. Children attend on a regular basis. ECE programs include quality child care centres, nursery schools, preschools, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten.”

Simply put, early childhood education is considered the official term for teaching young kids. More specifically, it refers to formal and informal educational programs that guide the growth and development of children throughout their preschool years (birth to age five).

What is a early childhood curriculum? Early childhood curriculum focuses on building relationships, developing physical skills, and teaching developmentally appropriate practices. It is used in daycares and is used at all points in the day.

There are many issues during the early childhood and toddler years that parents ask about during well child visits. These issues include sleeping difficulties, picky eating, thumb sucking, and school readiness. Formal education about these issues rarely occurs in family medicine residencies.

The daily challenges of teaching preschoolers include dealing with difficult behaviors like tired, cranky children. Not all children learn at the same pace. Some children may have learning challenges that require special attention. Sometimes children struggle with being away from their parents.

The social-science literature clearly shows that children who attend pre-K perform better academically in later grades, enjoy better health in later life, earn higher incomes, are less likely to get arrested, and are more likely to graduate from high school and complete college.

What is the advantage of early childhood education? ›

High quality early childhood education gives children the best start in life. It provides important opportunities to learn and develop. Early childhood education can help your child make friends, develop independence and learn new routines. It also supports their transition to school.

While being an educator is never without its struggles, the first year is by far the most challenging — pieced together with idealism, confusion, good intentions, excitement, fear, and expectations.

For children aged three and a half to four years and up, circle time should not be longer than 15 minutes. Nothing is more frustrating to me than when I go into a kindergarten or a first-grade classroom and circle time is 30 minutes long.

CMHA National has partnered with BGC, the Canadian Child Care Federation and YWCA Canada to produce a report looking at burnout among ECEs and Child and Youth Workers. Approximately 50% of ECEs leave the field within the first 5 years.

In the Montessori classroom, guides don't say “Good Job” to the children. This is done specifically to avoid placing judgment on a child's work. As educators it is our hope that children do not spend a lot of time, whether in the Montessori classroom or at home, in search of an adult's praise.

Disadvantages of the Montessori Method

The possibility of the emergence of an aggressive attitude in children with an older age towards a younger age is because of the age grouping. In other words, bullying occurs because they feel more entitled than other children.

The problem is, of course, that though preschool is quite expensive, educators working in preschool settings make a lot less than teachers of older children. This is partly because not all preschools require a bachelor's degree for their teachers.

Early childhood educators need patience, energy, and passion for the students and the work. The first eight years of a child's life and learning can be critical to their future success in the classroom and beyond. That's a lot of responsibility you have! Are you up for the challenge?

What is the highest paid preschool teacher? ›

Preschool Teachers made a median salary of $30,210 in 2021. The best-paid 25% made $38,620 that year, while the lowest-paid 25% made $28,440.

What are learning skills? The 21st century learning skills are often called the 4 C's: critical thinking, creative thinking, communicating, and collaborating. These skills help students learn, and so they are vital to success in school and beyond.

Teaching, Time, Text, Tongue, Test.

The 4As of adult learning: Activity, Analysis, Abstraction, and Application is illustrated in Figure 6-1. The constructivist approach to teaching asserts that a Learner gains and builds knowledge through experience. It recognizes that life experiences are rich resources for continued learning.

Hands-on. Elementary students generally learn best from hands-on activities. For instance, students will most likely have difficulty understanding the concept of multiplication if it is just explained to them.

Honesty is the best policy

An important life lesson for children is to always be honest. Lying will only get us in trouble, and it isn't worth it. The basis of any good relationship is honesty, whether it be with friends, family, or anyone else.

The social-science literature clearly shows that children who attend pre-K perform better academically in later grades, enjoy better health in later life, earn higher incomes, are less likely to get arrested, and are more likely to graduate from high school and complete college.

The hardest part of being a preschool teacher is often working with the children, even though being able to help kids learn is why you're interested in starting this career. While it is absolutely rewarding, and kids can be funny, smart, and sweet, they have their bad days just like anyone else.

Every Day is Unique

Preschool teachers get to create entertaining, engaging, and creative classrooms that promote learning as well as social, cognitive, and emotional development. In fact, every day brings unexpected learning experiences when you become a preschool teacher.

What are the disadvantages of early childhood education? ›

Most programs also teach children a variety of cognitive, social, emotional, and language skills. Concerns with preschools include a lack of one-on-one time, beginning learning too early, and the challenges of taking a young child out of the home (and away from their parents).

Isn't my child learning enough at home or at child care?" Research shows that kids who attend quality preschool may have higher math and reading skills, are better prepared for kindergarten, behave better in class, and are more likely to graduate from high school and attend college.

If you're looking for a rewarding job where you get to work with children, becoming a preschool teacher can be a great option. Preschool teachers use their creativity, compassion and patience to teach young children and prepare them to succeed in elementary school.

Perhaps the top reason people choose to pursue early childhood education is the personal reward and satisfaction that it brings. Early childhood educators have the very real opportunity to make a difference in young lives, and also influence future generations.

Early childhood educators dedicate their life's work to nurturing, educating and caring for young children. Only the most effective teachers and staff can ensure children in their care have the early experiences they need to be more likely to succeed in school, read on grade level and graduate on time.