Preschool Teachers

Summary

Preschool teachers educate and care for children, usually ages 3 to 5, who have not yet entered kindergarten.

Quick Facts: Preschool Teachers
2010 Median Pay	$25,700 per year $12.35 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Associate’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	456,800
Job Outlook, 2010-20	25% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	113,600

What Preschool Teachers Do

Preschool teachers educate and care for children, usually ages 3 to 5, who have not yet entered kindergarten. They explain reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.

Work Environment

Preschool teachers work in public and private schools, childcare centers, and charitable organizations. Many work the traditional 10-month school year, but some work the full year.

How to Become a Preschool Teacher

Education and training requirements vary based on settings and state regulations. They range from a high school diploma and certification to a college degree.

Pay

The median annual wage of preschool teachers was $25,700 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of preschool teachers is expected to grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth is expected due to a continued focus on the importance of early childhood education and the growing population of children ages 3 to 5.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of preschool teachers with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

Learn more about preschool teachers by contacting these additional resources.

What Preschool Teachers Do About this section

Preschool teachers use play to teach children about the world.

Preschool teachers educate and care for children, usually ages 3 to 5, who have not yet entered kindergarten. They explain reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.

Duties

Preschool teachers typically do the following:

• Prepare children for kindergarten by introducing concepts they will explore further in kindergarten and elementary school
• Work with children in groups or one on one, depending on the needs of children and the subject matter
• Plan and carry out a curriculum that targets different areas of child development, such as language, motor, and social skills
• Organize activities so children can learn about the world, explore interests, and develop talents
• Develop schedules and routines to ensure children have enough physical activity, rest, and playtime
• Watch for signs of emotional or developmental problems in children and bring problems to the attention of parents
• Keep records of the students’ progress, routines, and interests, and keep parents informed about their child’s development

Preschool teachers use play to teach children about the world. For example, they use storytelling and rhyming games to teach language and vocabulary. They may help improve children’s social skills by having them work together to build a neighborhood in a sandbox or teach science and math by having children count when building with blocks.

Preschool teachers work with children from different ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. Teachers may include multicultural topics in their lessons to teach children about people of different backgrounds and cultures.

Work Environment About this section

Preschool teachers usually work in public schools, private schools, and childcare centers that have preschool programs.

Preschool teachers held about 456,800 jobs in 2010. The following industries employed the most preschool teachers in 2010: 

Many preschool teachers work in in formal childcare centers that have preschool classrooms. Others work in public and private schools. Still others work for charitable or religious organizations that have preschool programs or Head Start programs. Head Start programs receive federal funding for disadvantaged children between the ages of 3 and 5.

Seeing children develop new skills and gain an appreciation of knowledge and learning can be very rewarding. However, it can also be tiring to work with young, active children all day.

Work Schedules

Preschool teachers generally work during school hours, typically 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many work the traditional 10-month school year, which includes a 2-month break during the summer. Some preschool teachers may teach in summer programs. Teachers in districts with a year-round schedule typically work 8 weeks in a row, then have a break for 1 week, and have a 5-week midwinter break. Those working in day care settings often work the whole year.

How to Become a Preschool Teacher About this section

Preschool teachers must plan lessons that engage young students and must also adapt their lessons to suit different learning styles.

Education and training requirements vary based on settings and state regulations. They range from a high school diploma and certification to a college degree.

Education

In childcare centers, preschool teachers generally are required to have a least a high school diploma and a certification in early childhood education. However, employers may prefer to hire workers with at least some postsecondary education in early childhood education.

Preschool teachers in Head Start programs must have at least an associate’s degree. However, by 2013, at least 50 percent of preschool teachers in Head Start programs nationwide must have a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field. As a result, Head Start programs may prefer to hire workers with a bachelor’s degree. Those with a degree in a related field must have experience teaching preschool-age children.

In public schools, preschool teachers are generally required to have at least a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field. Bachelor’s degree programs teach students about children’s development, strategies to teach young children, and how to observe and document children’s progress.

Certification

Some states and employers require preschool teachers to have a nationally recognized certification such as the Child Development Associate (CDA) offered by the Council for Professional Recognition. Requirements to earn the CDA include a high school diploma, experience in the field, and coursework. For more information about the CDA, contact the Council for Professional Recognition.

Some states recognize the Child Care Professional (CCP) designation offered by the National Child Care Association. Requirements to earn the CCP include a high school diploma, experience in the field, and continuing education courses. For more information about the CCP, contact the National Child Care Association.

Work Experience

Some states require preschool teachers to have some work experience in a childcare setting. The amount of experience necessary varies by state. Preschool teachers often start out as childcare workers or teacher assistants. For more information, see the profiles on childcare workers or teacher assistants.

Licenses

Many states require childcare centers to be licensed. To meet licensure requirements, their staff must pass a background check, have a record of immunizations, and meet a minimum training requirement.

In public schools, preschool teachers must be licensed to teach early childhood education, which covers preschool through third grade. Requirements vary by state, but they generally require a bachelor’s degree and passing an exam to demonstrate competency. Most states require teachers to complete continuing education credits to maintain their license.

Advancement

Preschool teachers can work their way up from assistant teacher to teacher to lead teacher (who may be responsible for the instruction of several classes) to director of the preschool. For more information, see the profile on preschool and childcare center directors. Those with a bachelor's degree frequently are qualified to teach kindergarten through grade 3, in addition to preschool. Teaching positions at these higher grades typically pay more.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Preschool teachers need good communication skills to tell parents and colleagues about students’ progress. They need good writing and speaking skills to convey this information effectively.

Creativity. Preschool teachers must plan lessons that engage young students. In addition, they need to adapt their lessons to suit different learning styles.

Instructional skills. Preschool teachers need to be organized and able to explain difficult concepts in terms young children can understand.

Patience. Working with children can be frustrating, and preschool teachers should be able to respond calmly to overwhelming and difficult situations.

People skills. Preschool teachers must understand children’s emotional needs and be able to develop good relationships with parents, children, and colleagues.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of preschool teachers was $25,700 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $17,200, and the top 10 percent earned more than $46,830.

In 2010, the median annual wages of industries employing the most preschool teachers were as follows:

Preschool teachers generally work during school hours, typically 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Many work the traditional 10-month school year, which includes a 2-month break during the summer. Some preschool teachers may teach in summer programs. Teachers in districts with a year-round schedule typically work 8 weeks in a row, are on break for 1 week, and have a 5-week midwinter break. Those working in day care settings often work the whole year.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of preschool teachers is expected to grow by 25 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations.

It is widely accepted that early childhood education is important for a child’s intellectual and social development. As a result, there has been increasing demand for preschool programs, which is expected to create demand for preschool teachers.

In addition, the population of children ages 3 to 5 is expected to increase. Because children between these ages are typically enrolled in preschool, increases to that population will increase the demand for preschool teachers.

The following are the growth rates from 2010 to 2020 for the industries employing the most preschool teachers:

Job Prospects

Workers who have postsecondary education, particularly those with a bachelor’s degree, should have better job prospects than those with less education. In addition, workers with the Child Development Associate (CDA) or Child Care Professional (CCP) credential should have better prospects than those without these certifications.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about early childhood education, visit

National Association for the Education of Young Children

For more information about professional credentials, visit

Council for Professional Recognition

National Child Care Association