What Specific Outcomes Does Early Childhood Education Have on a Child’s Future?
The outcomes vary, as Alvarado explains, but all have been positive. “Studies have looked at everything from the broad social benefits of early childhood education, to something as specific as STEM learning outcomes (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and how introducing children to these topics early on can have a lasting impact,” she says.

She also stresses the importance of encouraging early childhood educators to really get to know their students and each of their specific interests. “When [teachers] do that, that relationship can really influence the students day to day and build trust — and studies have shown that when children are comfortable and trust the people around them, they learn more quickly and successfully,” she says.

Parental involvement is also a big component of this relationship-building process, and Alvarado says its important for teachers at this level to work closely with the families.“When the partnership between teachers and the family is successful, we see that echoing positively throughout the child’s life,” she explains.

What Is It Like to Work in Early Childhood Education?
According to Alvarado, someone who enjoys working with children and wants to make a lasting impact on their lives will probably be happy with a career in early childhood education. “Helping children to learn and grow is a big part of it, but this field also provides lots of opportunities to grow yourself — not just in your knowledge but overall in your social emotional growth as well. It can help you develop leadership skills and to become a reflective practitioner.”

If you’re interested in pursuing a career in early childhood education, the first step is to earn a bachelor’s degree. In addition to what’s required in your degree program, there may be state or country-specific coursework. Depending upon where you’d like to work, whether in the U.S. or abroad, you should contact the state Department of Education or the country’s Ministry of Education to learn about any location-specific course or licensure requirements.

What Are Some of the Biggest Challenges People Working in Early Childhood Education Face?
Alvarado says that one of the biggest challenges educators face is finding the right balance between working one-on-one with children and managing the larger group as a whole. “For example, if you’re working in a classroom, you could be really focused on learning what a child’s specific interests and needs are — meanwhile you’ve got lots of other children who also need your attention.”

Figuring out how to apply and implement classroom standards can also be an issue for new teachers. “I went a little crazy with making charts in my first year,” she says, “But the longer I was in the field, the more I was able to take a deep breath and realize that I didn’t need to be so hard on myself.”

She recommends that teachers not beat themselves up if they make a mistake. “Don’t try to be perfect,” she says. “It’s more important that you just keep going.”

How Can Teachers Maximize Learning Outcomes for Children at This Age?
In order to get the best outcomes in early childhood education, Alvarado strongly suggests working students’ natural curiosities into lesson plans. “Yes, we want to look at standards,” she says. “Yes, there are boxes we need to check, but a huge part of what we do with young children is looking at their interests and using those interests to better engage them in learning.”

Alvarado explains that teachers can take the topics or subject areas that fascinate individual students and expand on it through in-class or at-home activities.Targeting these areas can help students develop critical thinking skills, allowing them to give more complex answers than “yes” or “no.” To illustrate this technique, Alvarado describes a student who showed a passion for insects. At first, she says she was caught off guard and didn’t know what to do, but then she realized she could use this interest in bugs to engage the child in a number of other subjects besides science. “There could be math in there, language arts — it was really about using the child’s specific interest to open new doors for them.”

Why Should Students Pursue a Career in Early Childhood Education?
Early childhood education is a wide and varied career path. If you enjoy working with children and are willing to put in the work necessary to earn your degree, Alvarado believes you will find it rewarding.

It is also a growing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for individuals working in early childhood education is strong, with employment of preschool teachers expected to grow 10 percent over the next eight years.. In 2017, the median annual salary for preschool teachers was $28,990,with the highest 10% of earners making more than $54,000. The median in California is $36,760. (According to BLS statistics, “median” salary is the midpoint between half of workers who earn more than that amount and half of workers who earn less.)

But a preschool classroom isn’t the only place you can go with your degree. Alvarado started her career in a children’s shelter near San Diego. “It was a 24-hour facility,” she recalls. “The children lived there and went to school on site. Sometimes the site served as a transition between families and foster care.”

Alvarado adds that in addition to finding positions at schools, some of her past students have joined the teams at education-related non-profits — and fell in love with the work they do there.

According to the BLS, the top employers of preschool teachers are:

State, local, and private schools.
Individual and family services.
Religious, grantmaking, professional and similar organizations.
Child day care services.