Teacher Certification: Birth – Grade 3 (Type 04 certification) in the State of Illinois
The Early Childhood Education program prepares teachers for educational settings from birth through third grade. The program combines field-based experiences with classroom learning in a variety of settings (infant-toddler, pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten-primary).
The Early Childhood Education program at SIUE is delivered through a collaborative partnership agreement between SIUE and public school districts. Classroom teachers and university professors work together to provide Early Childhood Education majors a unique opportunity to regularly interact with children from birth to grade 3. This state-of-the-art program addresses both the standards set by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education and state standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education. Currently, students in the Early Childhood program can easily take two additional courses to earn an Early Childhood Special Education approval.
In addition, the EChOS program allows students to complete the undergraduate program while still pursuing their present job. This program is part-time and therefore will not follow the traditional four-year plan.
Graduates of the Early Childhood Education program may work in private or public school settings in pre-Kindergarten through third grade, early intervention, and parent educators.
