Child Development, Birth-K
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
The Birth through Kindergarten Program in North Carolina Represents a new kind of professional preparation, combining skills and competencies from Child Development, Early Childhood Education, and Special Education. The departments housing these disciplines at Appalachian include: Family and Consumer Sciences, Curriculum and Instruction, and Language, Reading and Exceptionalities. Faculty from all three disciplines collaborate in an effort to model, as well as -to teach, current best practices in inclusive early education and care. A strong family focus and respect for cultural diversity are integrated throughout the program.
Regardless of the position you seek, if you are considering a degree in early childhood education you should enjoy children and have a strong desire to help them learn and succeed. The following list contains a representative sample of job titles of graduates with a Child Development, B-K major. Use this as an idea list, and remember that it represents some, but certainly not all, of the careers you might consider. Some of these jobs also require education beyond a bachelor’s degree.
Related Career Titles
| Camp Director Child Art Therapist Child Psychologist Child Development Center Director Child Development Specialist Child-Life Specialist Community Service Agency Director Coordinator-Family Resource Programs Director of Special Education Early Head Start Teacher Early Interventionist Education Specialist Educational Advocate Family Counselor | Family Services Social Worker Language Audiologist Occupational Therapist Orientation and Mobility Specialist Parent to Parent Coordinator Parenting Educator Pre-school Handicap-Itinerant Teacher Provider Specialist Research Coordinator Special Education Teacher Speech Pathologist State Hospital Worker Teacher, Early Childhood |
Related Employers
| Business and Industry Camps Churches Colleges and Universities Community Centers Educational Publishers | Hospitals Libraries Non Profits Public and Private Schools State and Federal Government Youth Services |
Related Major Skills
| Ability to teach/train Ability to teach students with different learning levels Computer skills Creativity Explaining ideas clearly Dealing with parents or guardians Decision making Flexibility | Lesson planning Organization Patience Planning Summarizing ideas Team player Writing and presenting information |
Professional Organizations and Associations
American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
American Federation of Teachers
Child Life Council
The Council for Exceptional Children
National Association for the Education of Young Children
National Association of Child Care Professionals
National Child Care Information Center
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
National Head Start Association
Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
