Primary Education (Grades P-5)
Program Details
Students in the primary education major develop skills to shape the lives of children in preschool through fifth grade. Focusing on child development with a holistic approach, students learn from field experience and student-teaching beginning in their freshman year.
Graduates are hired to work in many of Xavier's more than 50 partner schools in the region where they complete their student-teaching fieldwork and gain extensive hands-on professional knowledge and skills.
Curriculum
The sample course sequence below illustrates class offerings for the Primary Education (Grades P-5) major. Consult the official Xavier University course catalog for detailed registration and advising information.
Fall
- CORE 100 First-Year Seminar............ 3cr.
- Biology 130/131............ 3cr.
- Second Language I............ 3cr.
- ENGLISH 100/115 English Composition/Rhetoric ............ 3cr.
- EDFD 110 Human Development and Learning............ 3cr.
- CORE 101 Goa: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program I............ 0cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 100 Intro to Education............ 3cr.
- Historical Perspectives ............ 3cr.
- Physics 114/115 ............ 3cr.
- THEOLOGY 111 Theological Foundations ............ 3cr.
- Second Language II ............ 3cr.
- General Elective ............ 3cr.
- CORE 101 Goa: First-Year Co-Curriculum Program II............ 0cr.
Fall
- PHILOSOPHY 100 Intro to Ethics............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 210 Early Childhood Development............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 251 Instructional Technology............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 260 Cultural Diversity in Education............ 3cr.
- MATH I............ 3cr.
- Theological Perspectives............ 3cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 205 Found in Early Child Special Ed............. 3cr.
- EDUCATION 324 Children's Literature for EC............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 269 Phonics and Foundation of Literacy............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 312 Reading Methods for Early Childhood ............ 3cr.
- MATH II............ 3cr.
- EDME 359 Community and Advocacy in Ed............. 3cr.
Fall
- ENGLISH 205 Literature & Moral Imagination............ 3cr.
- ARTS 222 Art in Early Childhood Education............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 325 Methods of Observation/Collaboration ............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 330 Math/Science Early Childhood ............ 6cr.
Spring
- EDUCATION 471 Content Area Literacy............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 230 Play in Early Childhood............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 335 Lang. Arts/ Soc. Studies in EC............ 6cr.
- EDUCATION 351 Instructional Strategies for ELL............ 3cr.
Fall
- EDUCATION 450 Student Teaching EC............ 9cr.
- EDUCATION 451 Seminar: Current Issues in EC Educ............. 1cr.
Spring
- PHILOSOPHY 200 Philosophical Perspective............ 3cr.
- EDUCATION 478 Diagnosis/Correction of Reading Dis............. 3cr.
- E/RS Focus Elective............ 3cr.
- Creative Perspectives............ 3cr.
- General Elective............ 3cr.
Sample Courses
Xavier is known for providing an education that's both challenging and personal. Here are some courses that are part of the Early Childhood Education major at Xavier:
Early Childhood Development (EDEC 210) - Specific study of children ages 3 to 8, developmental differences in young children, growth and health, developmentally appropriate practice in educational settings, assessment practices with young children.
Play in Early Childhood Educ (EDEC 230) - Theory and practice concerning developmental aspects of play, creativity, imagination, and their relationship to music, movement, and creative drama. Teacher's role in preparation of the play environment, including issues of special needs children.
Community Advocacy in Education (EDME 359) - Research supported theories and issues concerning developmentally appropriate practices for early childhood centers, birth to 8 years of age.
Diagnosis/Correcting of Reading Disabilities (EDRE 478) - Formal and informal testing for reading related disabilities surveyed. Factors associated with reading problems.
Student Clubs
Educators for Justice
Educators for Justice is the club for all education majors. It meets in the spirit of St. Ignatius and exists to form solidarity with each other and with the communities surrounding our campus and the school districts our majors are interfacing with. It includes the Xavier Leadership Initiative, which holds events and an annual retreat targeting future leaders in education. We meet once a month and also plans multiple service projects throughout the year. Dr. Knestrict and Dr. Bender-Slack are the faculty leaders of this dynamic club.
Career Outcomes
98% of Xavier students, including those in the primary education major, are working, volunteering or in graduate school within 6 months of graduation (Class of 2021).
Top jobs: Kindergarten Teacher, Intervention Specialist, Special Education Teacher, Co-Teacher, First Grade Teacher, Head Teacher, Lead Teacher
Top employers: Sycamore City School District, Hamilton County Educational Service Center, Lakota School District, St. Bernard School District, Holy Trinity Montessori, Lockland Local Schools, Reading Community School District
Take the Next Step
In the Classroom
Xavier’s early childhood education major (P-5 Primary Education) is focused on teaching developmentally appropriate practices and intense reading instruction.The approach is holistic, with a strong emphasis on an integrated learning approach.
Latino Focus
This unique elective course of study includes interdisciplinary courses, selected field assignments a 10-day study abroad experience in Peru where students work with children ages 6-12 at a school in Lima.
Earn a Master's
Students in the early childhood education major (P-5 Primary Education) can complete their MEd in Elementary Education at Xavier. Programs include concentrations in elementary, Montessori, multicultural children's literature, reading and English language learners.
Education Students' Virtual Learning Projects Benefit Real School Teachers
Lauren Angelone, PhD, was better prepared than most college faculty to switch to all-remote teaching online. After all, her area of expertise IS teaching with technology. But she wanted to help real teachers who suddenly had to teach children remotely, so she modified a class project and now her students' remote lesson plans are being used by elementary school teachers in their classrooms.
Graduate With Honors
Are you looking for an academic challenge? The University Scholars Honors Program offers incoming students a more challenging curriculum and close support from professors while completing their undergraduate degree. Acceptance into the program is highly selective and includes a $2000 travel grant.
Primary Education (Grades P-5) Major at Xavier University
The P-5 Primary Education program at Xavier University prepares graduates for careers as teachers in public and private schools. Many graduates also work in other educational settings such as hospitals and child care centers, or outdoor education and nature centers. The program has relationships with over 50 Cincinnati area schools to provide students with multiple options for required student-teaching experiences that often lead to full-time teaching jobs. About a quarter of graduates go on to earn master’s degrees, including at Xavier, leading to more job opportunities.
Xavier University's College of Professional Sciences prepares undergraduate and graduate students intellectually, morally and spiritually for careers and professions of service. CPS challenges students to strive for academic excellence and life-long learning through promoting collaboration and community partnerships, and incorporating research, scholarship and innovation.
Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."