Early Childhood Education (B.S.): Pre-K to 4
ESU applies a nationally recognized model to prepare the next generation of educators.
ESU's Early Childhood Education Program has adopted the Professional Development School (PDS) model, which is shown to be one of the best teacher preparation models. ESU's Early Childhood program focuses on continuous professional learning and leading for all participants, guided by need and a spirit and practice of inquiry.
Our program makes a shared commitment to reflective practice, responsive innovation, and generative knowledge. It is built upon shared, sustainable governance structures that promote collaboration, foster reflection, and honor and value all participants’ voices. Our program creates space for, advocates for, and supports P–4 teachers to succeed in well-defined, boundary-spanning roles that transcend institutional settings.
All About Early Childhood Education (Pre-K to 4) at ESU
What do students learn to do?
- Our students are engaged in innovative, research-based instruction with the latest technologies used in schools.
- Students apply theory and practice in a wide range of educational settings and work alongside master teachers in best-practice Professional Development Schools.
- Students are nurtured to develop a beginning educator’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions relevant to the content, the learner and the learning environment, teaching and learning process, and professionalism.
- Program Mission
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The mission of our program is to create a community of learners who are competent and reflective professionals able to teach any child in any setting.
Our four-year Early Childhood (Pre-K to 4) and Early Childhood Professional Programs are designed to offer students a curriculum of general education and professional early childhood/elementary education that combine forward-thinking theory with its direct application teaching in our Professional Development School (PDS) partner schools.
Career Opportunities
Graduates of ESU’s Early Childhood Education program obtain jobs and build successful careers in traditional school settings as well as community-based education centers, museum programs, science centers, educational publishing, and ministries.
Our alumni earn positions as:
- Preschool Teachers
- Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers
- Childcare Center Directors and Childcare Workers
- Teacher Assistants
- Education Program Directors
- Home Care Centers educators
- Industry Care Centers educators
- Specialists in Family Support
Internships and Research Opportunities
Internships include
- Teaching in Pre-K Setting
- Teaching in Elementary Setting
Our program also offers the following research opportunities
- Literature Review
- Documents Analysis
- Action Research
- Student Learning Objective (SLO) Project
- Summer Research Project
Our students present their research at various local, national, and international conferences. Students publish in scholarly journals as well.
Learn more about ESU and the Early Childhood Education major.
Contact Us
Contact Information
- Campus Address
- Stroud Hall 209
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3356
- Title of Department Leader
- Department Chair Early Childhood & Elementary Education
- Name
- Dr. Nurun N. Begum
- E:
- nbegum@esu.edu
- Phone:
- (570) 422-3371
