Core Subjects EC-6 Education

Make a difference in the lives of young children

If you love the idea of working with young children as they take hold of new ideas and construct knowledge, SFA’s early childhood - grade 6 (EC-6) concentration is for you. Discover the excitement of being a part of the foundational experiences, rapid development, and academic learning that occurs in the early childhood and elementary school years.

As part of the EC-6 concentration, you will study the theory, pedagogy, and methods for teaching in the early childhood and elementary classroom. In the Department of Education Studies, you will earn a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) degree. This well-rounded interdisciplinary major includes courses in early childhood, elementary education, content area methods, literacy and much more. It is designed to equip you with all you need to teach and engage young learners.

Real-world teacher preparation for teacher candidates

SFA believes strongly in the importance of practical, authentic application of the skills, knowledge, and dispositions our teacher candidates acquire throughout their coursework. While you are taking classes to prepare you to enter the field of education, you will be engaged in teaching experiences in local schools allowing you to apply what you are learning in a practical sense. The supportive faculty in the Department of Education Studies is highly qualified to prepare you for success in the classroom – but it is equally important for you to develop your own teaching style. Beginning with your first semester, you will have the opportunity to observe effective teachers and lead activities in authentic school settings.

During your junior and senior years, you will have increased opportunities to engage in field experience courses that allow you to spend time each week in an elementary classroom. Field Experience I, typically completed in the second semester of junior year, includes up to 8 hours each week in which you will be working directly with students in a classroom setting. This course provides a focus on literacy skills and social studies content. Field Experience II, usually taken during the first semester of your senior year, also provides up to 8 hours each week teaching science and mathematics to students in a classroom setting. Clinical teaching is an immersive, comprehensive semester in which you will participate in a full-time field placement in an elementary classroom environment.

Enter a high-demand work force right away

With a BSIS, you will be prepared to seek certification through The Texas Education Agency to teach elementary school core subjects for Early Childhood through grade 6 in Texas public schools.

As the demand for highly qualified educators rise in Texas to accommodate rising student enrollment, more teachers will be needed to teach in the EC-6 classroom. Many school districts throughout the state seek to hire SFA graduates and welcome them into full-time teaching positions.

BS in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in early childhood - grade six core subjects

The core curriculum includes 42 credit hours in communication, mathematics, life and physical sciences, language/philosophy/culture, creative arts, American history, political science, and social and behavioral sciences. You must satisfy all the course requirements of the core curriculum and your interdisciplinary major for a total of 120 credit hours.

This interdisciplinary pathway will prepare you to teach all academic content areas in early childhood through sixth grade classrooms. This is an excellent choice for becoming a well-rounded teacher in an early childhood or elementary education setting.

Lumberjack Link-ED Distance Education Program

The Department of Education Studies at SFA offers a unique Distance Education pathway for *qualifying, non-traditional students who wish to pursue a BSIS in one of three specific concentration areas without attending courses on the SFA main campus.

Lumberjack Link-Ed program is designed for non-traditional students who:

• live 60 miles or more from Nacogdoches
• or are employed full time as paraprofessionals (40 hours/week).

*Documentation is required to determine eligibility.

Note that acceptance to SFA does not secure admission into the Lumberjack Link-Ed program. You will need to submit a separate application for the program. Information about this application process will be sent to you once you have been accepted to SFA.

For additional information, email ELEM.UG@sfasu.

Learn more about online programs available to students pursuing a BS in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in EC-6 education.