how do you write a personal statement for early childhood education

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Writing a Personal Statement for Childcare: Tips and Tricks

"Writing a strong personal statement for childcare is all about highlighting your skills, experiences, and passion for working with children."

If you're looking to pursue a career in childcare, writing a strong personal statement is a crucial step in the application process. Your personal statement is your chance to showcase your skills, experiences, and passion for working with children. To help you craft a compelling personal statement, we've put together a list of tips and tricks:

Start with a strong opening: Begin your personal statement with a strong and memorable opening. You could start with an interesting anecdote or a personal experience that sparked your interest in childcare.

Focus on your skills: Your personal statement should highlight your skills and qualifications that make you a great candidate for a career in childcare. For example, you could mention your patience, creativity, problem-solving skills, or your ability to communicate effectively with children.

Share your experiences: Don't be afraid to share your experiences working with children. Whether you've volunteered at a local daycare, babysat for family and friends, or completed an internship in a childcare setting, sharing these experiences can help demonstrate your passion and commitment to working with children.

Highlight your education : If you have any relevant education or training, such as a degree in early childhood education or a certification in first aid, make sure to mention it in your personal statement. This can help set you apart from other candidates and demonstrate your dedication to the field.

Be specific: Use specific examples to demonstrate your skills and experiences. For instance, you could describe a time when you used your problem-solving skills to resolve a conflict between two children, or a time when you used your creativity to come up with a fun and educational activity for a group of children.

Show your passion: Finally, make sure to convey your passion for working with children. Explain why you are drawn to this field and what you hope to achieve in your career. Your enthusiasm and commitment can help make you stand out as a candidate.

In summary, writing a strong personal statement for childcare is all about highlighting your skills, experiences, and passion for working with children. By following these tips and tricks, you can craft a compelling personal statement that showcases your strengths and sets you apart as a strong candidate for a career in childcare.

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Writing A Personal Philosophy For Childcare

• Written by  Lorina
• January 5, 2024

Writing a personal philosophy is a great way for others to read what your values and beliefs are in regard to early childhood education. The following article provides information on how to write a personal philosophy including details of what can be included, questions to think about and examples of personal philosophies.

As an educator, your own philosophical concept of early childhood education distinguishes you as an Educator. It's a declaration of your values, which in turn guides your actions. 

What Is A Personal Philosophy

A personal philosophy clearly defines you as an Educator. It is a statement of reflection about your beliefs that influence your actions. It's the process of continuously examining, testifying and verifying your personal beliefs.  It is a tool that not only guides your own teaching and beliefs but also helps other Educators and Parents understand your individual approach to early learning.

How To Write A Personal Philosophy

The personal philosophy of early childhood education should be used as a tool that not only guides your own teaching but also helps your staff and parents understand your individual approach to early learning.

If someone asked you to explain your personal philosophy in early childhood education, what would you say? How would you begin to formulate a statement that captures the essence of your beliefs about teaching and learning? It can include -

• How children learn,
• Your role as the educator,
• the Role of the community,
• Your understanding of early childhood education,
• Your commitment to further professional development,
• Role of families

The following are some of the most important areas you may want to address in your personal philosophy. 

• Take some time to express your thoughts about the job of an educator. Include your thoughts on child-led vs. teacher-led activities, the educator's involvement in playtime and the presenting of brand new ideas vs. discoveries made by the children on their own. Include a statement that expresses your true hopes and expectations for the children.
• What are your thoughts on how youngsters learn best? What kinds of activities and opportunities do you think should be included in the environment to help all children learn to their full potential, regardless of their preferred learning style? What impact might the child's preferred learning style have on the child's position as a knowledge receiver? Include both planned and open-ended learning activities, and discuss what you believe is the appropriate ratio of each in the room.
• As you educate diverse children, talk about how you'll handle varied personalities, learning styles, special needs, and cultural diversity. Include a statement on how children with unique learning needs will be welcomed in your classroom, as well as your specific tactics for fulfilling their needs as well as the requirements of others children. Embracing diversity is critical to creating a warm and welcoming learning environment. You'll want to make sure you clearly outline how you'll address a variety of demands when writing your philosophy.
• Plan out your curricular orientation, including details on how you came to hold the values you do. However, be careful not to disparage alternative ways when discussing this stage. Instead, consider tying your curricular orientation information to your prior assertions regarding the educator's role in early childhood education.
• Describe how you handle any behavioural difficulties that arise in this part, as well as why you think your method will succeed. Provide examples. 
• Finally, decide how parents and other primary caregivers will be included. Outline your plan for involving parents and keeping lines of communication open with family members.
• Clear statements about what you believe and how you intend to implement and support your beliefs.
• Explain the values that guide your teaching beliefs.
• Including specific examples of teaching theories and approaches
• Include child development theorists that you like and provide examples
• Relate your philosophy to current trends and theories, as this philosophy should guide your actions as an early childhood educator.
• Links to the EYLF (or approved learning framework), Code of Ethics

It is truly up to you to create a philosophy that accurately expresses your unique teaching style, values and beliefs when it comes to early childhood education. A good way to think of it is by writing down some of your beliefs regarding children's development and learning.

Questions To Think About

Use the following questions to help you think about your beliefs regarding teaching young children. It is not necessary to respond to each of these questions in your written philosophy. You may also decide to comment on additional issues as well. Take some time to think about each one in some depth.

• How do you view young children?
• What is the child’s role in their development and learning?
• What do you believe about how young children learn?
• How do you view your role as an Educator?
• How will your views influence your teaching?
• What kind of environment do you hope to create? How does this relate to your basic beliefs about young children and learning?
• What do you hope young children will become?
• What do you want them to achieve, accomplish, learn, feel, etc.?
• What kind of assessment in childcare  will you use to be sure that children have met objectives?
• Looking back at the history of early childhood education, who or what approaches have the greatest impression on you, and why?

Examples Of Personal Philosophies

Here are some examples of personal philosophies:

• I believe that each child is an individual and as an educator, I will value and develop each child's strengths, interests, skills, abilities and knowledge to extend their learning.
• I believe that children learn through play. I will provide opportunities for children to explore, discover, create and imagine.
• I believe in cultural diversity. I will celebrate the benefits of diversity with each individual child and enable them to understand and acknowledge differences.
• I believe young children are very concerned about themselves and the small world they live in: family and home. However, each child is unique with different interests, backgrounds, and developmental stages.
• I believe the environment plays a major role in the success of an early childhood program. It should enhance the children’s interests in all developmental domains. I believe learning in an early childhood environment is done most successfully through stations that can be visited, explored, and revisited again and again. The environment should take into consideration the social skills, communication skills, physical abilities or challenges, and learning styles of the children being served.
• I consider families a vital aspect of my program. Parents who are able to spend time in the classroom occasionally are more aware of the details of their child’s day. Observing what goes on first-hand helps a parent know what to ask the child at the end of the school day.”
• The early years of a child’s life are busy. I believe learning is happening all the time and is interwoven through all developmental domains. These include: physical, social/emotional, cognitive and communication. Therefore, the goal of my program is to make this ongoing learning experience safe, positive, and fun, nurturing the whole child as I strive to guide them into the next stage of development with confidence in themselves and an excitement for continued learning.
• Children need the assurance of being loved and cared for while they are enjoying an educational environment. Teaching children is my passion. Security and trust are very important components as well, of my relationship with each child.
• In planning my program I would strive for a developmentally appropriate, child-centred atmosphere where children have the opportunity to master new challenges through activities and topics that are meaningful to them, thus building their self-esteem as they develop and learn.
• Children should be given choices, responsibilities, and opportunities to initiate their own learning. I believe observations and assessments are excellent tools to use when planning a curriculum. Observations, not only aid in creating the curriculum but also give insight into the development, knowledge and skill levels of each individual child.

I believe that as an early childhood educator I am responsible for providing infants, toddlers and young children with positive learning experiences. I strive to model respect, patience, and care for children and adults I come in contact with. Children have the right to have their needs met and receive the proper education while in the care of their caregivers.

My philosophy is based on theorists, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky, and the early childhood movement from Reggio Emilia, Italy. I believe that children benefit from practices that are grounded in research.

Children are motivated to learn when they have opportunities to make choices in an environment that is enriching and stimulating. Children are curious from infancy and have a desire to learn from their environment and those around them. When children are encouraged to interact with their peers and adults in positive ways, they feel safe to explore their surroundings.

As a teacher, I seek to guide children from needing assistance with a task to accomplishing a task independently by providing experiences that are challenging yet attainable for every child. I facilitate learning through the in-depth study of a subject that is of interest to children. Children can be highly motivated, feel actively involved in their own learning and produce work of high quality when they have the time to engage in short and long term projects.

My role as a teacher is to be a facilitator and provide enriching activities so that children are supported as they learn about their strengths and work on their weaknesses. As a facilitator, I support children as they embark on a journey to make discoveries about themselves and learn to recognize and name their feelings.

My goal as a teacher is to provide children with a rich environment where they feel safe to explore, initiate learning, and feel free to express themselves.

As a teacher, I seek to form a close relationship with each child under my care, and their families. I make use of our communities' resources and incorporate the child’s community into the program. I see each child as a unique individual with a great capacity to learn and able to make positive contributions to those around him or her. I strive to provide an environment where children and families from different cultural backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted. 

As a teacher, I seek to form close relationships with each child under my care, and their families. I make use of our communities' resources and incorporate the child’s community into the program. I see each child as a unique individual with a great capacity to learn and able to make positive contributions to those around him or her. I strive to provide an environment where children and families from different cultural backgrounds feel welcomed and accepted.

Personal Philosophy Template

The Personal Philosophy template enables Educators to write and display their personal philosophy within their centre.  To download:  Personal Philosophy Template

When writing your personal philosophy remember:

• Use present tense, in most cases. Write the paper in first-person (which is the most common and easiest for your audience to read).
• Write in language and concepts that can be broadly appreciated. A general rule is that the statement should be written with the audience in mind. It may help to consider a school administrator (e.g., school principal) as your audience.
• Write a paper that will let your audience know where you stand in regard to important educational theories and practices. By including specific examples of teaching theories and approaches, you are able to let your reader take a mental “peek” of your classroom.
• Make the paper memorable and unique. Think of this teaching philosophy as part of a job application where your readers are seeing many of these statements. What is going to set you apart from others? What about you are they going to remember? Create a vivid portrait of yourself as someone who is intentional about teaching and committed to his/her career.

Once you've finished, make sure your personal philosophy statement is accessible to Educators and families within the service. Explaining the principles that influence your teaching and the overall teachings of service will assist other Educators in ensuring that their own teaching techniques are in keeping with the type of environment you wish to create.

Families will also benefit from hearing about your personal philosophy on early childhood education. During orientation, consider giving them a copy of your statement. This may assist parents in determining whether your approach to education aligns with their own values and whether the service is a good fit for their child.

Creating a personal philosophy should not be intimidating, in fact, it is an excellent opportunity to clarify your teaching philosophies and beliefs and commit them to paper. Reference: Foundations Of Early Childhood Developing A Personal Philosophy Of Teaching Developing A Personal Philosophy Of Early Childhood Education How to Develop a Personal Philosophy of Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Education Blog Jones, M., Shelton, M. (2011). Developing Your Portfolio--Enhancing Your Learning and Showing Your Stuff: A Guide for the Early Childhood Student or Professional, Second Edition. Routledge. 

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How to Write an Early Childhood Education Personal Statement

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The Importance of Writing an Early Childhood Personal Statement

If you’re serious about taking up early childhood education, you need to fulfill all the requirements asked of you. Aside from answering application papers, you also need to write an early childhood education personal statement to go along with them. You might think that personal statements creating don’t do much but you might be surprised when you learn of its importance especially when it comes to backing up your application form. If you are having a hard time coming up with a good personal statement for MSW MPA or any other dual degree, you should hire a professional writer to help you out.

What Are the Niceties of Writing an Early Childhood Education Personal Statement

Early childhood education is the level of education in which an infant is admitted before reaching up to age of eight years. This is usually Montessori to nursery level education. However, only a few persons want to be a part of early childhood education because it demands lots of patience, humble attitude and moral values. Within the same level of earning, people have lots of options to make their career, but only those people choose the early childhood education as their career who wants to devote themselves for betterment of mankind and for training of children. No doubt, there is deep necessity of people who want to choose early childhood education as a career but getting admission in this program needs a flawless early childhood education personal statement.

Tips for Writing Early Childhood Education Personal Statement

• Same of personal statement

Before start writing the early childhood education personal statement, it is highly advisable to read a winning sample personal statement early childhood education. In this way, you can judge the requirements that are necessary to include in your statement to make it a winning one.

• Reason to choose early childhood education as a career

Start your personal statement for early childhood education from mentioning the reason to choose this field as a career of your life. Obviously, there should be such a reason that would look sensible and genuine instead of giving fake impression to the reader.

• Include some inspirational event

In the body of personal statement, include such an event or incident of your life that inspired you to choose this field of life. You can take this incident as a part of your own childhood or from the childhood of someone else. Remember! You have to prove that only a touchy moment can change the aim of life and you have undergone such a moment.

• Highlighting the current issue of early childhood education

Another very important thing that you should make part of your personal statement is indicating some issue in the early childhood education and presenting a very practical solution of this problem. To take idea of such problems, you can consult some childhood studies personal statement examples as well.

Need Help with Your Early Childhood Education Personal Statement?

Writing a personal statement is never easy. This has been proven time and time again by applicants who failed to get noticed because their statements were poorly written. A personal statement shouldn’t contain information that you’ve already written in your resume but it should be about your skills and characteristics that make you the perfect addition to the program. This is where you need to promote yourself so you’ll be considered for the course. This is where we can help you out because our writers are adept in writing the best personal statements there are.

Best Personal Statement Early Childhood Education

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What Is Your Early Childhood Education Philosophy and Why Does It Matter?

What is your personal Early Childhood Education philosophy? In this article, we will explore practical questions you can ask yourself to clarify your ECE philosophy and discuss why it’s so important to have one and be able to communicate it to others. Read on to find out more.

What is an Early Childhood Education Philosophy?

Every childcare professional needs an Early Childhood Education philosophy. Your philosophy is your core set of values and beliefs about early learning, child development, and childcare. Your ECE philosophy may be very different from those of other childcare business owners you know, and that’s perfectly fine. There are many schools of thought, methodologies, curricula, and viewpoints out there. The important thing is to decide what you value and most believe in and how your childcare program will support and uphold your personal values and beliefs.

How to Create an Early Childhood Education Philosophy

Many Early Childhood Education professionals find it immensely helpful to write a statement of their early learning philosophy. A statement can help you better summarize what you believe and how your program will reflect what’s most important to you. You don’t have to worry about writing the perfect ECE philosophy statement. Consider your answers to the following questions to help you formulate a summary that rings true to you:

• What is a teacher’s role in the learning and development of a child?
• What is a child’s role in his or her learning and development?
• What kind of environment helps children to learn and develop best?
• How will your Early Childhood Education program provide the kind of environment you believe best supports children’s learning and development?
• What do you think young children should accomplish or learn in their early development years?
• How will your Early Childhood Education program help children accomplish or learn the things you think are most important?
• What teaching philosophies do you most identify with? Why?
• How will your Early Childhood Education program reflect the teaching philosophies you believe in?
• How will you support or address the variety of learning styles of children who participate in your early learning program?
• What do you believe about child behavior, conflict, and discipline?
• How will your Early Childhood Education program support your views on child behavior, conflict, and discipline?
• What do you believe about differing personalities, special needs, and cultural diversity in Early Childhood Education?
• What systems will your early learning program have in place to support children with out-of-the-box personalities, special needs, and who come from various cultural backgrounds?
• How important is the involvement of the parents/caregivers/family members in a child’s early learning and development?
• What measures will your Early Childhood Education program take to involve parents/caregivers/family members in the learning and development of their child that takes place through your program?

By answering these questions, you can develop a very clear and comprehensive personal philosophy of Early Childhood Education. Remember that your statement of beliefs isn’t set in stone, so as your experiences and outlook change over the course of your career as an ECE professional, you can adjust your philosophy to reflect your new values and views.

Why Does Your Early Childhood Education Philosophy Matter?

Not only is it important for you to be able to understand what you believe about Early Childhood Education and why, it’s important to be able to communicate your philosophy to staff members and the families you serve too. That way, you can build a team of teachers who align with your personal values and beliefs, and give families the opportunity to ascribe to them as well, or consider other childcare programs that may be a better fit for their own convictions.

In addition, making your ECE philosophy widely accessible to others, through your employee and family handbooks or on your website, for example, gives you several advantages:

• Refer back to your ECE statement whenever questions arise with staff members or parents.
• Market your childcare company based on the teaching philosophies, curriculum, learning environment, etc. that you want to set your program apart from others.
• Provide a set of core beliefs with which to create a kind, supportive, and harmonious community of educators, parents, and children.

What’s your Early Childhood Education philosophy? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Honest Buck Accounting is your full-service accounting partner committed to optimizing financial processes, increasing profitability, and equipping you with the strong financial foundation you need to thrive as a childcare business. Schedule a call with us today.

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How to Develop a Personal Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

To be a professional, you have to have an opinion on important topics related to your field and create a brand or philosophy on your approach.

Read on to discover why a personal early child care philosophy is important and how to develop your own!

Why a Personal Early Childhood Philosophy is Important

When you apply for ECE jobs, many prospective employers will ask you to explain your own personal philosophy and approach to education so they can begin to get a picture of who you are as a teacher.

However, developing your philosophy should go beyond a simple requirement for finding employment.

A personal philosophy of early childhood education should be used as a tool that not only guides your own teaching, but also helps your staff and parents understand your individual approach to early learning.

Developing Your Personal Philosophy

Going through the process of creating your own philosophy of early childhood education can help you more clearly define what kind of teacher you want to be and what sort of career path you want to take. Your ECE philosophy will become a document that explains your preferred style of teaching and outlines your strengths and areas of particular interest.

The following are some of the most important areas you may want to address in your personal philosophy document, but it is truly up to you to create a philosophy that accurately expresses your unique teaching style, values and beliefs when it comes to early childhood education.

Outline what you believe the role of a teacher is in an early childhood classroom.

What role should the educator take in the presentation of new ideas to children vs. the discoveries that children make on their own?

Explain how you will address the different learning styles of children in your care.

What types of opportunities and activities will you include in your early learning curriculum to encourage the best possible learning among all students?

Describe how you will handle conflict in the classroom and handle behavioral issues among students.

Detail how and why this approach will work.

Discuss how you will handle a variety of personalities, special needs and cultural diversity within your child care center to create a welcoming environment.

Detail your strategies for balancing the needs of these children with the rest of the children in your care.

Include details about how you will consult ECE colleagues and involve parents in your early childhood education curriculum.

Explain how you will maintain open lines of communication between parents and your staff in order to continually improve your center.

Communicating Your Philosophy of Early Childhood Education to Staff & Parents

Once it is complete, ensure that both your staff members and parents have access to your personal philosophy statement. Explaining the values that guide your teaching and the teachings of your child care center overall will help your staff ensure that their own teaching styles are in line with the type of atmosphere you want to create.

Additionally, sharing your personal philosophy of early childhood education will also benefit parents. Consider providing them with a copy of your statement when they begin to show interest in your child care facility. This may help parents decide if your approach to education is in line with their own values, and if your center would be a good fit for their child.

To ensure your child care center has the best communications possible with parents and staff, learn how HiMama can help your preschool or daycare! 

• Closing the Gap Between Your Philosophy and Your Communications

Never miss another important moment by improving your observation techniques!

Ron is the Co-Founder of Lillio a social-purpose business that helps early childhood educators improve learning outcomes for children.

More by Ron

Ron Spreeuwenberg

January 15th, 2019

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Early childhood studies personal statement example 4.

I first realised that I wanted my future career to be based around working with children completely by accident. I had started a college course which wasn't right for me, and had left during the first year. I then spent several months agonising over what to take the following September, with no feeling of direction. After flicking through what felt like millions of college prospectuses, my eye landed on the childcare and early years section. It had never once occurred to me to go into the Early Years sector before, but for some reason, right at that moment, it just seemed like the right decision to make. I arrived for my first lesson that September, with no idea what to expect and wondering if I'd made the right decision. As soon as the teacher started speaking, I was captivated, and I never looked back. I have always been an extremely curious person, fascinated by people and nature and what makes it all tick. There is nothing, in my opinion, much more fascinating than a child. Watching them grow, develop and learn is one of the most humbling experiences a person can have - there is nothing quite like it to make you realise how precious life is. I am a very passionate person - an attribute which is at its peak when it comes to certain issues surrounding children. My passion and determination to make positive changes for children and to get to a position in which I am capable of doing so is certainly something which helped me through the second year of my college course, which was made more challenging by my becoming pregnant early in the year. Despite my tutor's advice to lower my expectations and aim for a pass, I continued working towards my goal of triple distinction - which I eventually achieved the following December. My daughter has changed and matured me in many ways, and has instilled the firm belief in me that children can teach adults just as much about the world as adults can teach children! I am now able to view the world from an entirely different perspective - from that as a mother, and I feel I now have additional wisdom and skills which would certainly benefit me when working in the Early Years sector. As I have been a full-time Mum since finishing college, I have not yet started work - however I am planning to find a job in the Early Years sector with the qualifications I already have in the near future, which I will hopefully continue along side studying. To ensure that I continue to put into practice the skills I picked up through doing my college course, I have run a voluntary Parent and Toddler group at a local school for the past six months. I enjoy doing this immensely, as it gives me pleasure to know that the work I put into the group benefits the parents and children who attend. Running the group has most certainly improved my organisational skills, and I have put my imagination to good use through planning and putting into practice different arts and crafts activities each week, and thinking of healthy but varied snacks for the children to have. I love to read and write, and enjoy doing both when I get any time to myself. I've always had a vivid imagination and love reading as it enables me to get lost in another world! Indeed, the colourful and vivid imagination that many children possess, and their seemingly endless innocence and faith in the world is something I have always found to be wonderful. I do believe that the first step to working with and for children successfully is to possess at least some of this imagination, and to be able to see and assess the world from a child's point of view. My future plans are to study and to gain lots of experience in the Early Years field, until I am in a position where I am able to make real, positive changes for children, parents and professionals alike in the Early Years sector. I feel that my passion to do this, my knowledge, wisdom and love of children will enable me to achieve this goal.

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This personal statement was written by lizhinds for application in 2009.

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You should paragraph it, it.

Mon, 04/10/2010 - 14:23

you should paragraph it, it looks too cluttered

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Personal Statement - Primary and Early Years Education

Primary and early years education personal statement.

To work with children is my main goal in life. I very much enjoy being around children and would love to be able to teach them. I am excited by the thought of teaching children to read and write; skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. I think it would be a great thing to be responsible for the development of a group of children and to watch them grow and learn throughout the year. My interest in teaching began in 2007, when I was sixteen. During the school year I had the opportunity to do work experience. I had a slight interest in becoming a primary school teacher, so I decided to do the work experience at my local primary school, Clontuskert National School. I was there every Wednesday for five weeks during October and November. It these five days that made my mind up for me; I wanted to be a primary school teacher. The time I had there was one of the best experiences of my life. I got to work with the children, helping them with spellings and sums and I read stories to the Junior Infants ( Junior Infants is the first year of Irish primary schools.)

I spent time in every classroom with all age groups but it was my time with the Junior Infants class that I enjoyed the most. I loved reading to them, and helping them with arts and crafts (though messy!) was fun. The following February 2008, I had a week of work experience to do, and because I enjoyed my time in the primary school so much, I decided to go there again. That week was just as enjoyable as my first experience in the school. Again I was around all the classrooms, helping pupils when I could. My experience in the primary school taught me a lot of new skills. I learned to communicate well. I developed this skill while helping the pupils with their work. I learned to be patient which I also put to use when I was giving help to the pupils.

With regards to extra-curricular activities, I play Gaelic football and soccer for my local teams. I also play Gaelic football for my school. I was captain of the team in second year when we reached the semi-final of the Connacht championship. I love music and I play the guitar in my spare time.

I recognise the challenges of being a primary school teacher, but I feel that with my enthusiasm for primary teaching as a career I can overcome them.

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The 10 NAEYC Program Standards

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NAEYC has set 10 standards for early childhood programs that can help families make the right choice when they are looking for a child care center, preschool, or kindergarten. The standards and criteria are also the foundation of the NAEYC Accreditation system for early childhood programs. To earn accreditation, programs must meet all 10 standards.

Based on research on the development and education of young children, the standards were created with input from experts and educators from around the country. The standards define what NAEYC—the world’s largest organization of early childhood professionals—believes all early childhood programs should provide.

Review this guide to help identify programs that meet NAEYC standards for high-quality programs.

The Standards

Standard 1: relationships, standard 2: curriculum, standard 3: teaching, standard 4: assessment of child progress, standard 5: health.

• Standard 6: Staff Competencies, Preparation, and Support  

Standard 7: Families

Standard 8: community relationships, standard 9: physical environment, standard 10: leadership and management.

Warm, sensitive, and responsive relationships help children feel secure. The safe and secure environments built by positive relationships help children thrive physically, benefit from learning experiences, and cooperate and get along with others.

What to look for in a program:

• Children and adults feel welcome when they visit the program. Teachers help new children adjust to the program environment and make friends with other children.
• Teaching staff engage in warm, friendly conversations with the children and encourage and recognize children’s work and accomplishments.
• Children are encouraged to play and work together.
• Teachers help children resolve conflicts by identifying feelings, describing problems, and trying alternative solutions. Teaching staff never physically punish children.

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A well-planned written curriculum provides a guide for teachers and administrators. It helps them work together and balance different activities and approaches to maximize children’s learning and development. The curriculum includes goals for the content that children are learning, planned activities linked to these goals, daily schedules and routines, and materials to be used.

NAEYC and the NAEYC Accreditation system do not prescribe a specific curriculum; programs can design their own or choose a commercially available curriculum that meets NAEYC’s guidelines.

• Ask about the program’s curriculum and how it addresses all aspects of child development. The curriculum should not focus on just one area of development.
• Children are given opportunities to learn and develop through exploration and play, and teachers have opportunities to work with individual children and small groups on specific skills.
• Materials and equipment spark children’s interest and encourage them to experiment and learn.
• Activities are designed to help children get better at reasoning, solving problems, getting along with others, using language, and developing other skills.
• Infants and toddlers play with toys and art materials that “do something” based on children’s actions, such as jack-in-the-box, cups that fit inside one another, and playdough.

Children have different learning styles, needs, capacities, interests, and backgrounds. By recognizing these differences and using instructional approaches that are appropriate for each child, teachers and staff help all children learn.

• Teachers carefully supervise all children.
• Teachers provide time each day for indoor and outdoor activities (weather permitting) and organize time and space so that children have opportunities to work or play individually and in groups.
• Children’s recent work (for example, art and emergent writing) is displayed in the classroom to help children reflect on and extend their learning.
• Teachers modify strategies and materials to respond to the needs and interests of individual children, engaging each child and enhancing learning.

Assessment results benefit children by informing sound decisions, teaching, and program improvement.

Assessments help teachers plan appropriately challenging curriculum and tailor instruction that responds to each child’s strengths and needs. Assessments can also help teachers identify children with disabilities and ensuring that they receive needed services.

• The program supports children’s learning using a variety of assessment methods, such as observations, checklists, and rating scales.
• Assessment methods are appropriate for each child’s age and level of development and encompass all areas of development, including math, science, and other cognitive skills; language; social-emotional; and physical.
• Teachers use assessment methods and information to design goals for individual children and monitor their progress, as well as to improve the program and its teaching strategies.
• Families receive information about their child’s development and learning on a regular basis, including through meetings or conferences.

• Teaching staff have training in pediatric first aid.
• Infants are placed on their backs to sleep.
• The program has policies regarding regular hand washing and routinely cleans and sanitizes all surfaces in the facility.
• There is a clear plan for responding to illness, including how to decide whether a child needs to go home and how families will be notified.
• Snacks and meals are nutritious, and food is prepared and stored safely.

Standard 6: Staff Competencies, Preparation, and Support 

Teachers who have specific preparation, knowledge, and skills in child development and early childhood education are more likely to provide positive interactions, richer language experiences, and quality learning environments.

• Teaching staff have educational qualifications and specialized knowledge about young children and early childhood development. Ask, for example, how many teachers have Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials, associate’s degrees, or higher degrees.
• The program makes provisions for ongoing staff development, including orientations for new staff and opportunities for continuing education.
• Teaching staff have training in the program’s curriculum and work as a teaching team.

• All families are welcome and encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the program.
• Teachers and staff talk with families about their family structure and their views on childrearing and use that information to adapt the curriculum and teaching methods to the families served.
• The program uses a variety of strategies to communicate with families, including family conferences, new family orientations, and individual conversations.
• Program information—including policies and operating procedures—is provided in a language that families can understand.

• The program connects with and uses museums, parks, libraries, zoos, and other resources in the community.
• Representatives from community programs, such as musical performers and local artists, are invited to share their interests and talents with the children.
• The staff develop professional relationships with community agencies and organizations that further the program’s capacity to meet the needs and interests of children and families.

An organized, properly equipped, and well-maintained program environment facilitates the learning, comfort, health, and safety of the children and adults who use the program.

• The facility is designed so that staff can supervise all children by sight and sound.
• The program has necessary furnishings, such as hand-washing sinks, child-size chairs and tables, and cots, cribs, beds, or sleeping pads.
• A variety of materials and equipment appropriate for children’s ages, skills and abilities is available and kept clean, safe, and in good repair.
• Outdoor play areas have fences or natural barriers that prevent access to streets and other hazards.
• First-aid kits, fire extinguishers, fire alarms, and other safety equipment are installed and available.

Effective management and operations, knowledgeable leaders, and sensible policies and procedures are essential to building a quality program and maintaining the quality over time.

• The program administrator has the necessary educational qualifications, including a degree from a four-year college and specialized courses in early childhood education, child development, or related fields.
• The program is licensed and/or regulated by the applicable state agency.
• The program’s written policies and procedures are shared with families and address issues such as the program’s philosophy and curriculum goals, policies on guidance and discipline, and health and safety procedures.
• Appropriate group sizes and ratios of teaching staff to children are maintained (for example, infants—no more than 8 children in a group, with 2 teaching staff; toddlers—no more than 12 children in a group, with 2 teaching staff; and 4-year-olds—no more than 20 children in a group, with 2 teaching staff).

Families on NAEYC-Accredited programs

“Valued teachers lead to valued children … Accredited programs tend to attract employees who not only view themselves as educators, they consider themselves child advocates.” — Kate in San Antonio, Texas. Her child attends an NAEYC-Accredited program.

“Choosing a preschool for my first child was somewhat overwhelming, so when you find a program accredited by NAEYC, it adds peace of mind that you’re making a good choice for your child.” — Jen in Torrance, California. Her child attends an NAEYC-Accredited program.

“NAEYC is an organization that can be trusted with the future of my child’s education … That is why I chose an NAEYC-Accredited center—nothing but the best.” — Jennifer in Newark, New Jersey. Her child attends an NAEYC-Accredited program.