Preschool teacher

A Preschool teacher is a type of early childhood educator who instructs children from infancy to age 5, which stands as the youngest stretch of early childhood education. Early Childhood Education teachers need to span the continum of children from birth to age 8.

Preschool teachers are encouraged to hold credentials in Early Childhood Education in the form of a Child Development Accreditation (CDA) or formal college education in Early Childhood or a related subject.

The term "preschool" refers to instruction in non-public arenas such as licensed preschools, childcare centers, family day care centers, home day care centers, center-based programs, federal programs like Head Start, and full or part-day private child centers/day care centers sponsored by religious bodies. The term "pre-kindergarten" refers to those lead teachers who offer instruction in a program for four-year olds funded as part of the state public school system.

Preschool teachers must be able to work well and interact with young children, sometimes as young as 2 years 9 months. Preschool children have a short attention span and their worries are usually fairly simple. Most preschoolers are loving, affectionate, playful, and like to play games, be read to, or play with toys.

See also

• Resources for Preschool Teachers
• Early childhood education

Prekindergartens can also be a part of private schools.