Elementary Education Degree Curriculum | Learn.org

To work as an elementary school teacher in a public school, you'll need a teaching license. This requires you to complete an undergraduate program, typically a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

Elementary education degrees train future teachers in areas like child development, classroom management, and pedagogy. Keep reading to learn more about what to expect in an elementary education degree curriculum, which can apply to both traditional and affordable online elementary degrees.

General Education Courses

Most bachelor's degree programs require students to take general education courses. These are basic foundational courses that give you a well-rounded base for your major.

You'll likely be required to take an entry-level college composition course. Beyond that, you'll have specific subject area requirements to fulfill, but you'll often be allowed to choose which classes you take to fulfill those requirements. These requirements often included courses in:

• English
• humanities
• math
• science
• social science
• social studies

At some schools, you must complete all your general education courses before you can move on to your major courses. At others, you can take one or two major courses each semester starting in your first year.

It's often wise to try to choose courses that apply to your area of study. For example, if a psychology course is required, look for a course that focuses on child or educational psychology.

Learn more: What Are General Education Courses?

Typical Coursework in an Elementary Education Degree Program

The specific elementary education courses you're required to take vary based on the school you attend. However, there are some common topics that most teacher education programs cover.

Basic courses include the following:

• Introduction to Education: Most programs include an introductory course that covers the foundations of teaching and instructional methods.
• Child Development: Child development courses cover the cognitive, social, and emotional development of young children, allowing you to better understand the students you teach.
• Classroom Management: Classroom management courses train future teachers on the best methods and strategies for maintaining control in a classroom environment.
• Teaching Reading and Literacy: Elementary school is when students learn how to read, a skill they will use for the rest of their lives. These courses teach the pedagogy of reading and literacy.
• Math Methods for Elementary Teachers: These types of courses focus on different methods of teaching mathematics, as well as math assessment and lesson planning.
• Science Methods for Elementary Teachers: Similarly, these programs focus on teaching methods and lesson planning for various science fields in the elementary school setting.
• Social Studies Methods: Social studies can sometimes be tricky to teach to young learners. These programs often cover not just how to teach social studies, but also how to incorporate social studies content into other areas of the curriculum.
• Assessment and Evaluation: One of the key roles of a teacher is to assess and evaluate students to ensure they get any additional assistance they need. These courses will train future teachers on the proper methods of assessment and how to interpret these assessments.
• Educational Technology: Education evolves rapidly, and these courses cover the different types of educational technology available to teachers and the best ways to utilize this technology.

Other related courses:

• Diversity and Inclusion in Education: Diversity and inclusion courses train future teachers to teach a variety of students, including those with disabilities or special needs or those from a variety of cultures.
• Special Education: Special education courses focus specifically on teaching special needs students, such as those with learning delays, cognitive disabilities, and behavioral or emotional disorders.
• Health and Physical Education for Elementary Teachers: Courses in physical education are common for those pursuing licensure in the physical education content area, but many programs require general education teachers to take at least a basic course in the subject.
• Art and Music Methods: Similarly, art and music courses are required for teachers in these subject areas, but general education teachers often need to take at least one course in their area of expertise.
• Foundations of Language and Literacy Development: Like reading skills, language skills can see rapid growth in elementary school. These courses focus on how to build various language arts skills to boost this growth.
• Educational Law and Ethics: A course on educational law and ethics is often required for elementary education students so they can understand the legal and ethical implications of the work they do and the actions they take.
• Psychology of Learning: These types of courses cover the psychological components of learning so that teachers can teach their young students most effectively.

If you're focusing on a specific area of teaching, like STEM education or special education, you'll need to take courses in those areas. This is also true for those pursuing licenses in other subject areas like art, music, or physical education.

If you're pursuing general education teaching, you'll likely still have elective courses to complete to meet your program's credit hour requirements. The amount of elective credits will vary, but Bachelor of Arts programs tend to have more free electives than Bachelor of Science programs.

Additional Requirements for an Elementary Education Program

In addition to courses, there are a few other education requirements you'll need to complete to earn your degree.

In a bachelor's degree program that leads to teacher certification, you'll usually conclude with student teaching. In a program that does not lead to certification or in a graduate program, you'll usually conclude with a capstone project or seminar.

Practicum and Student Teaching

In general, to earn a teaching license, you'll need to complete a certain amount of field experience during your elementary education major. This usually includes several weeks of student teaching experience.

While you're student teaching, you'll work in an elementary school classroom under the guidance of a licensed teacher. You'll work with diverse learners, creating lesson plans and honing your classroom management skills.

Some programs also scatter other clinical experiences or practicums throughout the program. These give teacher candidates classroom experience before jumping into student teaching.

Capstone or Seminar

For degrees that do not lead to licensure, the program often concludes with a capstone project or seminar. These allow you to utilize the skills you've developed during your program.

In a capstone project, you'll use these skills to complete a final project of some kind, which is often research-based. A seminar, meanwhile, is a small, discussion-based course.

Become an Elementary School Teacher Today

If you're interested in becoming an elementary school teacher, discover the accredited elementary education programs on Learn.org. Contact individual schools for more information about their education colleges, including admissions requirements, steps to enrollment, financial aid, and more.