Early childhood educator.

Early childhood educator. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS PROVIDE CHILD CARE, supervision,guidance, nurturing and education for preschool children. They teachchildren, usually from ages three to five using a curriculum thatdevelops motor skills, social and emotional development, and languageskills. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Workplace Early childhood educators may be employed in either public orprivate educational settings or in child care services. In traditionalschool settings, they may work the regular school year with the samesummer months off; but in child care settings, the work schedule may beyear-round. Educational Requirements According to the U.S. Department of Labor's OccupationalOutlook Handbook, each state has its own licensing requirements, whichmay range from a high school diploma and a national ChildhoodDevelopment Associate (CDA) credential to community college courses or acollege degree in child development or early childhood education. Anincreasing number require at least an associate degree in earlychildhood education, and by 2011 all Head Start teachers must have anassociate degree. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Earnings The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that the median annualwages of pre-school teachers were $23,870 in May 2008, with the top 10percent earning more than $41,660. However, CareerBuilder.com citesearly childhood development teachers as one of America's top 10fastest-growing salaries, with a 4.8 percent increase this year. Thosewho continue their education to become administrators can increase theirearnings even more. Job Outlook The U.S. Department of Labor calls the job prospects for earlychildhood educators excellent and projects employment to grow by 19percent from 2008 to 2018. Continued emphasis on early childhoodeducation and turnover in the field will fuel this growth. Explore More To learn more about a career as an early childhood educator and thetraining and education it requires, here are some places to turn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educatorswww.accessece.org National Association of Child Care Professionals and the NationalAccreditation Commission for Early Care and Education Programs www.naccp.org National Association for the Education of Young Children www.naeyc.org Council for Professional Recognition www.cdacouncil.org National Child Care Association www.nccanet.org National Child Care Information Center www.nccic.org National Head Start Association www.nhsa.org