Middle childhood education prepares a teaching candidate for grades four through nine for teaching in two fields of concentration. The teacher candidate chooses two fields from the areas of social studies, mathematics, science, and reading/language arts. All students are required to take 21-24 hours in each of the two content areas that they choose for licensure. Core requirements may cross count as licensure concentration hours.
Students experience interdisciplinary learning, a hallmark of middle childhood education, as part of their learning experience at Xavier. The middle school teaching concept is unique, and our students are prepared for curriculum, pedagogy, philosophy and organization of the middle school. Due to the nature of the program, students who declare a middle childhood major after the freshman year will likely need summer courses.
The student enrolls in the first education course during the spring semester, freshman year. EDEL 100: Introduction to Education, provides the student with field experience in both early and middle childhood, allowing the student to investigate each level before declaring a program. "Introduction to Education" also addresses suitability for the teaching field.