This blog post was originally published on New America's website on January 23, 2018, and is part of Moving Beyond False Choices for Early Childhood Educators, a series edited by Stacie G. Goffin.
There are a multitude of reasons for such diversity in the names and focus of the various early childhood degree programs. Here are some of the drivers that influence degree names.
NAEYC has long supported teacher research efforts in the early childhood field, as it advances the field’s understanding of child development and produces creative approaches to building high-quality learning experiences for young children.