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
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)
Understand Developmental Domains
(E.1.1.1)
CURRICULUM AND STANDARDS
Provide Age-Appropriate Instruction
(E.3.2.5)
Encourage Active Participation
(E.3.2.4)
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH PLAY
Playful Learning Activities
(E.1.5.2)
Play Supports Learning
(E.1.5.1)
EMERGENT LITERACY: READING AND WRITING
Explore Everyday Print
(E.4.3.7)
Engage Young Readers
(E.4.3.3)
Make Reading Fun
(E.4.3.2)
LANGUAGE AND COMMUNICATION: LISTENING, SPEAKING, AND VOCABULARY OBSERVABLE COMPETENCIES
Building Vocabulary Through Repitition
(E.4.2.14)
Explain New Words
(E.4.2.13)
MATHEMATICS
Math in Routines
(E.4.4.3)
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT
Build Fine Motor Skills
(E.4.9.2)
Support Gross Motor Skills
(E.4.9.1)
Model Active Play
(E.4.9.4)
PLANNING FRAMEWORK: ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, ROUTINES, SCHEDULES, AND LEARNING FORMATS
Facilitate Play
(E.3.1.12)
Model Material Use
(E.3.1.5)
RELATIONSHIPS WITH INDIVIDUAL CHILDREN: SECURITY, WARMTH, AND RESPONSIVENESS
Frequent Descriptive Praise
(E2.1.7)
SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: SELF-CONCEPT, BEHAVIOR REGULATION, EMOTIONAL CONTROL, ATTENTION, AND SOCIAL SKILLS
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)
Encourages Emotional Expression
(E.4.1.8)
Manage Escalating Behavior
(E.4.1.7)
Support Self-Control
(E.4.1.4)
Explore Self-Awareness
(E.4.1.3)
Talk About Self
(E.4.1.2)
TYPICAL AND ATYPICAL DEVELOPMENT
Value Child Differences
(E.1.2.2)