Early Childhood Educator Competencies
INTRODUCTION
As an early childhood educator, demonstrating a set of core competencies is essential to providing high-quality education and care. The Children’s Learning Institute outlines these key competencies, which are part of the Texas Early Childhood Professional Competency-Based Recognition Pathway. Demonstrating excellence in early childhood education requires mastering various competencies related to the profession. We aim to provide guidance for professionals seeking resources and relevant training topics.
COMPETENCIES
The Core Competencies are important to the early childhood field of practice. Core competencies refer to the essential concepts, skills, and abilities that early childhood educators should learn, understand, and be able to demonstrate. These competencies are designed to equip early childhood educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to foster a nurturing and effective learning environment for young children. For more resources on a competency, select a credential below to see a list of observable competencies within each area.
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CHILD DEVELOPMENT: DOMAINS, STAGES, AND MILESTONES
Understand Developmental Domains
(E1.1.1)
Observe Developmental Behaviors
(E.1.1.2)
Define Stages and Milestones
(E.1.1.3)
Connect Developmental Domains
(E.1.1.8)
Identify Developmental Stages
(E.1.1.9)
Support Continuous Development
(E.1.1.10)
Support Individual Development
(E.1.1.11)
Set Individual Goals
(E.1.1.14)
Planning Across Developmental Domains
(E1.1.12)
CHILDREN WITH IDENTIFIED SPECIAL NEEDS
Special Needs and Disability Rights
(E1.3.3)
CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS
Encourage Active Participation
(E.3.2.4)
Provide Age-Appropriate Instruction
(E.3.2.5)
Modifying and Extending Lessons
(E3.2.10)
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PLAY
Engages in Playful Activities
(E1.5.4)
Elicit Elaborate Responses
(E2.3.1)
Expands on Play
(E2.3.11)
Ample Play Materials
(E2.3.6)
Utilizes Interest Areas
(E2.3.7)
Play Supports Learning
(E.1.5.1)
Playful Learning Activities
(E.1.5.2)
Designing and Adapting Play Areas
(E1.5.9)
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE GUIDANCE: SUPPORTING SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Provides Opportunities to Make Choices
(E2.2.11)
Models Pro-Social Behaviors
(E2.2.10)
Encourages Emotional Expression
(E2.2.12)
Models and Supports Self-Help Skills
(E2.2.13)
Model and Support Emotional Development
(E2.2.16)
Promote Problem-Solving Skills
(E2.2.17)
Building Self-Concept Skills
(E2.2.22)
Responds Promptly to Problems
(E2.2.3)
Labels Negative Behaviors
(E2.2.6)
Verbalizes Expectations and Limits
(E2.2.7)
Verbalizes Logical Consequences
(E2.2.9)
Individualized Guidance Approaches
(E2.2.19)
Spotting Tension, Guiding Consequences
(E2.2.20)
EMERGENT LITERACY: READING AND WRITING
Make Reading Fun
(E.4.3.2)
Engage Young Readers
(E.4.3.3)
Explore Everyday Print
(E.4.3.7)
Supporting Early Literacy
(E4.3.12)
Strategies for Dual Language Learners
(E4.3.13)
INFLUENCES ON DEVELOPMENT: BIOLOGY, FAMILIES, ENVIRONMENT, CULTURE, AND STRESS
Families as Primary Influence
(E1.4.2)
Stress and Child Development
(E1.4.3)
Using Parent Insights
(E1.4.4)
LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION: LISTENING, SPEAKING, AND VOCABULARY OBSERVABLE COMPETENCIES
Listens Attentively
(E4.2.1)
Engages in a Variety of Topics
(E4.2.4)
Praises Communication Attempts
(E4.2.5)
Extends Children’s Language
(E4.2.6)
Explain New Words
(E.4.2.13)
Building Vocabulary Through Repetition
(E.4.2.14)
Supporting Language Development
(E4.2.16)
MATHEMATICS
Math in Routines
(E.4.4.3)
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Support Gross Motor Skills
(E.4.9.1)
Build Fine Motor Skills
(E.4.9.2)
Model Active Play
(E.4.9.4)
PLANNING FRAMEWORK: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, ROUTINES, SCHEDULES, AND LEARNING FORMATS
Diverse Activities
(E3.1.10)
Balanced Daily Schedule
(E3.1.13)
Identified Personal Space
(E3.1.3)
Uses Signals for Transitions
(E3.1.4)
Daily Schedule
(E3.1.8)
Model Material Use
(E3.1.5)
Facilitate Play
(E.3.1.12)
RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
Sharing Family Experiences
(E7.2.1)
Home-to-School Transition
(E7.2.3)
Planning Family Sharing Activities
(E7.2.4)
RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN: SECURITY, WARMTH, AND RESPONSIVENESS
Cultural and Linguistic Respect
(E2.1.10)
Positive Nonverbal Behaviors
(E2.1.11)
Recognize Stress
(E2.1.13)
Specific Descriptive Praise
(E2.1.14)
Responds Promptly to Signals
(E2.1.15)
Warm and Secure Environment
(E2.1.2)
Positive Verbal Behaviors
(E2.1.4)
Patient and Relaxed Style
(E2.1.6)
Frequent Descriptive Praise
(E2.1.7)
Communicates Throughout the Day
(E2.1.8)
Provides Emotional Support
(E2.1.9)
Frequent Descriptive Praise
(E2.1.7)
Matching Response Styles to Children
(E2.1.16)
Fairness and Respect
(E2.1.5)
SCAFFOLDING AND COMMUNICATION-BASED STRATEGIES: SUPPORTING COGNITIVE AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Allows Time to Respond
(E2.4.4)
Frequent Opportunities to Talk
(E2.4.6)
Expands on Children’s Interest
(E2.4.8)
Scaffolding Downward
(E2.4.9)
Scaffolding Upward
(E2.4.10)
Questioning to Inform Instruction
(E2.4.11)
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: SELF-CONCEPT, BEHAVIOR REGULATION, EMOTIONAL CONTROL, ATTENTION, AND SOCIAL SKILLS
Nurturing Respect and Kindness
(E4.1.13)
Model Self-Help Skills
(E4.1.5)
Talk About Self
(E.4.1.2)
Explore Self-Awareness
(E.4.1.3)
Support Self-Control
(E.4.1.4)
Manage Escalating Behavior
(E.4.1.7)
Encourages Emotional Expression
(E.4.1.8)
Teach About Emotions
(E.4.1.9)
Encourage Task Persistence
(E.4.1.11)
Guide Peer Interaction
(E.4.1.14)
Foster Social Skills
(E.4.1.16)
Assessment-Based Instruction
(E4.1.18)
SOCIAL STUDIES