How to Choose Between Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education

Mikaela Campbell

McKay Student Ambassador

Early Childhood Education

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Each major in the McKay School is designed to prepare you to love and serve God's children. You'll discover multiple opportunities for growth, gain confidence in working with others, and have many worthwhile experiences. That being said, it can already be difficult to decide what you want your focus to be, so it can be especially overwhelming to decide when two majors seem to overlap. If you have gone back and forth between Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education, you are not alone. They are so similar, but they also have many distinctions that set them apart. And both of them strongly prepare you to teach and support young children.

How do you decide then?

That is a decision that is unique and personal to you, but I will provide some insights into what distinguishes both of these majors and what makes each of them special.

What's the difference?

Elementary Education: You will be certified to teach a wider range of grades as you gain expertise in teaching students from Kindergarten through Sixth grade. Much of your program will also have a higher focus on the methodologies of teaching, which means you'll acquire more skills in planning, assessing, and teaching multiple subjects for both younger and older children.

Early Childhood Education: In Early Childhood Education, you will be certified to teach Preschool to Third grade. You will have more of an emphasis on teaching younger children and learning about their development. In Early Childhood Education, there is a balance between teaching methodology and child development. What also sets this major apart is the focus you will have on learning through play.

What classes will you take?

Since these majors do have many similarities, many of your classes will overlap. Some of these classes are multicultural education, the basics of mathematics, and art or dance education. Of course, there is much more, and if you decide to minor in TESOL or Arts Integration, then you'll collaborate even more with both majors. This can create a special opportunity to talk to others about why they chose their major, the experiences they've had in the program, and other insights they may have.

I've had many opportunities to talk to those doing Elementary Education and those doing Early Childhood Education. When asking the question, " Why did you choose your major often those in EL ED will tell me that they didn't know what grade they wanted to teach, along with wanting the ability to teach a broader range of grades. Those in ECE will often respond that they already knew they wanted to focus on young children, or they like the child development aspect of the major. These combined classes can offer a little more perspective and time when deciding what you want to do or if you decide to switch.

There are also many classes that separate EL ED and ECE. I'll mention a few of them, including those that really set the majors apart. In both majors, you'll take classes such as Physical Education, Science, and Literacy, but the difference is that Early Childhood Education will have an emphasis on young children, while Elementary Education will have a wider range or will sometimes have two classes on the same subject to cover all the content.

Classes for Elementary Education include children's literature, planning and assessment, concepts of mathematics, teaching subjects like science or social studies, and much more that focus on planning and teaching children.

Classes for Early Childhood Education include literature for young children, development classes like social or language development, teaching classes like teaching science or social studies specifically in the early childhood classroom, and much more that focus on teaching, along with understanding development in young children.

What about Practicum, Student Teaching, and Internships?

Both Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education have two semesters of practicum. For the first semester of practicum in EL ED, you will go to an elementary school teaching between grades K-3. For your second practicum, it will be between grades 4-6.

In ECE, your first practicum will be grades prek-k (often this will be at the BYU preschool lab), and your second practicum will be teaching grades 1-3. Both Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education majors have the option to do either Student Teaching or an Internship (depending on when you start your final year). The only difference is that you won't teach past third grade for Early Childhood Education.

So now what?

In the end, both majors create experiences where you can prepare to help your students succeed, meet core learning standards, manage a classroom, and make a difference to individuals and the community. Whatever you decide to do, you can work through the joys and hardships of teaching, become a more focused disciple of Jesus Christ, and be someone that a child needs in their life. You've got this, whatever you choose!

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