Classes for Kindergarten Certification
Kindergarten teachers provide the first formal instruction children receive. They introduce basic academic skills that are crucial for long-term academic success. Kindergarten teachers also have a tremendous impact on their students' attitude about school and learning. Teaching any grade level is rewarding and challenging, but kindergarten teachers get to see their students progress in monumental ways. They help students advance from alphabet recognition to reading books. By the end of the year, students can write simple sentences and figure simple addition and subtraction. All their students show improvement and most of them are enthusiastic about school. Not all teachers can boast this claim.
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Child Development
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An understanding of a child's emotional, academic and social development is crucial for kindergarten teachers. Early Childhood Education programs emphasize this by requiring students to complete courses in child development, child psychology and language acquisition. Child development classes cover the various stages in a child's physical and cognitive growth. Prospective teachers learn instructional methods and learning strategies that benefit the child and meet their specific needs at each stage.
Literacy
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Reading is the main subject emphasized in kindergarten. Math is taught through direct instruction. Social studies and science are taught indirectly through the thematic curriculum. Teachers must be aware of the stages of reading, from pre-reading to comprehension. Most early childhood programs require completion of courses in preschool language and early literacy skills. Children's literature is another course important for kindergarten teachers because many concepts are taught in reading experiences throughout the day.
Specialty Areas
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Kindergarten teachers need to take classes in child nutrition, physical education and safety at play. Many kindergarten teachers will have students in their class with special needs or developmental delays. Early childhood programs usually include introductory classes in special education.
Kindergarten teachers also will assess their students frequently through observations and formal assessments. To be adequately prepared for this responsibility, prospective teachers need to take procedural classes that demonstrate the most effective forms of assessment.
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