Distance Education in Early Childhood Programs

If you want to teach young children or are interested in furthering your education in the field, you might want to consider a distance learning program dealing with early childhood. These programs provide you with all the coursework and learning material necessary for earning your degree, through your computer via your Internet connection.

General Information

Associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree programs are available online for distance learning. There is also an option to earn your early childhood education certificate, which consists of 15 to 30 units worth of classes related to children's health and nutrition and practices in early childhood education. With the certification program, you are eligible to work in daycares as a teacher. Sometimes, private schools and head start programs hire employees with this particular certification. However, some preschools and elementary schools require at least an associate's degree. A preschool director must obtain at least a bachelor's degree either online or in an actual classroom setting.

Classes

In typical online associate's degree program, you can expect to take English classes like English Composition, and math classes like Introduction to Algebra. You also take child development classes. Bachelor's degree programs feature courses revolving around both the educational needs of children and classes revolving around families, such as Children & Families in a Diverse Society. Master's degree programs include more specialized coursework entailing how to teach particular subjects and how to create a learning environment. Doctoral level classes include topics covering special education, curriculum and instruction and educational leadership.

School Examples

Many schools have early childhood education programs available in a distance learning format. The University of Phoenix, Northcentral University and Ashford are just a few.