All Early Childhood Education students, whether in the certification preparation track or not, benefit from diverse fieldwork experiences where they can apply what they’ve learned in actual classrooms.
Fieldwork includes observation of and participation with
- Infants and toddlers
- Pre-primary-aged children (ages 3 and 4)
- Primary-aged children (kindergarten through third grade)
To ensure that our students experience the best and most diverse selection of teachers, students, and teaching methods, Kendall uses Virtual Field Experiences™, or DVD segments, to show our students master teachers in diverse early childhood settings.
B.A. in Early Childhood Education + Certification Preparation
In addition to fieldwork, the certification preparation track provides teacher candidates with focused, pre-primary and primary teaching experiences through clinical practice. This experience ensures students build the skills and knowledge for teaching children from birth through age 8 as required for the Illinois Type 04 Certificate. In conjunction with the clinical practicum, students participate in an online clinical practice seminar, which requires no on-campus visits.
While Kendall’s clinical practice meets state requirements, the format is flexible, designed to help working adults complete these requirements. In fact, educators already teaching in a pre-primary classroom may qualify to complete the pre-primary clinical practice requirements in their own classrooms.
B.A. in Early Childhood Education Internships
Students complete two internships, giving them a unique opportunity to explore diverse opportunities in the field of early childhood education. The School of Education works with students to craft individualized internship experiences. Recent Early Childhood Education students have interned at
- Chicago Public Schools
- Singapore American School
- Southern and Northern Illinois Public School Districts
- NAEYC-accredited agencies
- Community college child care centers
- Private, parochial, and public child care centers