Teaching Young Learners
Shape the future by preparing Texas’s youngest students for lifelong success. Rice’s EC-3 Alternative Teacher Certification program empowers aspiring early childhood educators with specialized knowledge and hands-on experience designed for teaching children pre-kindergarten through third grade.
WHAT YOU'LL GAIN
Program Outcomes
Begin a career in a field that consistently seeks passionate leaders to nurture and educate our youngest learners. Here’s what EC-3 candidates can expect after completing the program:
- With personalized faculty support, earn the EC-3 certification necessary to teach early childhood through third grade in Texas.
- Rice-trained EC-3 educators benefit from a near-100 percent pass rate on required exams and a 100 percent program-to-hire rate in teaching positions in early childhood through third grade.
- Gain the skills and confidence to create engaging, supportive and rigorous yet developmentally appropriate classroom environments for young children.
- Join an award-winning Rice early childhood and early elementary educator network, providing mentorship and ongoing support throughout your career.
- Receive a scholarship to attend School Literacy & Culture's Early Literacy Summit for Teachers, which has served early childhood teachers for more than 25 years.
PROGRAM SESSIONS
Plan of Study
The EC-3 Alternative Teacher Certification program is designed to provide future teachers with a holistic understanding of teaching pedagogy, strategy and practice. Over the course of 4 sessions and 16 months, you will complete the professional education coursework, prepare for two state-required TExES exams (Early Childhood PK-3 and the Science of Teaching Reading) and one portfolio assessment (edTPA), and serve as a first-year teacher in a Houston-area school.
| Session One | Session Two | Session Three | Session Four | |
| Regular Track | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring |
The plan of study includes a state of Texas teacher certification and requires 315 clock hours of non-credit professional education coursework, 50 hours of field experience, and a paid internship..
Session Details
- Session One: Spring
-
This session includes:
Professional Education Coursework
- Child Growth & Development
- Principles of Early Reading Instruction
TExES exam prep
The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) is a content-specific computer-administered exam used to assess whether an individual has the knowledge and teaching skills required to become a first-year educator in Texas. Two TExES exams must be passed to earn your teaching certification in EC-3. You will work with an advisor one-on-one to prepare to take and successfully pass the TExES exam.Prepare for and take TExES Science of Teaching Reading exam.
- Session Two: Summer
-
This session includes:
Professional Education Coursework
- STEAM Instruction in Early Childhood Education and ELAR
- Social Studies Instruction in Early Childhood Education
Prepare for and take TExES EC-3 exam.
Apply for teaching position (paid internship)
- Session Three: Fall
-
This session includes:
Professional Education Coursework
- Diverse Learners in Early Childhood Education
- Theory & Methods in Early Childhood Education
Teacher of Record (Paid Internship)
Field Experience
Field experiences are in the classroom, where you will be the full-time, salaried teacher of record, with frequent observation, feedback and support. You will become familiar with authentic learning environments. Whenever possible, you are paired with a fellow Rice-trained educator to provide opportunities to expand your network and connect on your shared experiences. While classroom observations are typically conducted in-person, a selection of your required hours, including lesson debriefs, may be completed in an online format. - Session Four: Spring
-
This session includes:
Professional Education Coursework
- Seminar for New Teachers
Teacher of Record (Paid Internship)
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION CLASSES
Course Spotlight
A great teacher develops the ability to translate pedagogical principles into classroom practice. We provide a series of professional education coursework to help establish the foundations needed to be an effective practicing early childhood educator.
×
Child Growth & Development
EDUC 580
Class Hours Per Week: 3
This course provides an in-depth exploration of early childhood development, focusing on cognitive, social-emotional, language, and physical growth in children from birth to age eight. Participants will analyze Texas Pre-K Guidelines and TEKS while aligning with research-based best practices to create developmentally-appropriate learning environments.
Principles of Early Reading Instruction
×
Principles of Early Reading Instruction
EDUC 583
Class Hours Per Week: 3
The Principles of Early Reading Instruction course provides educators with foundational knowledge and practical applications of evidence-based reading instruction for children in Pre-K through 3rd grade. Aligned with Pre-K Standards, TEKS, and the scientific research on reading, this course emphasizes oral language development, phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension within developmentally appropriate, literacy-rich learning environments.
Diverse Learners in Early Childhood Education
×
Diverse Learners in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 581
Class Hours Per Week: 3
This course explores effective instructional strategies for diverse learners in early childhood (Pre-K to 3rd grade), with a focus on students with disabilities, Emergent Bilinguals (EBS), gifted and talented (GT) students, and students from diverse cultural backgrounds. Participants will analyze Texas Pre-K Guidelines, TEKS, and research-based best practices while integrating technology and assessment tools to support differentiated instruction, inclusive classroom practices, and culturally responsive teaching.
Theory & Methods in Early Childhood Education
×
Theory & Methods in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 582
Class Hours Per Week: 3
This course provides a comprehensive exploration of educational theories, instructional methodologies, and classroom practices that support early childhood learning (Pre-K to 3rd grade). Candidates will examine developmental learning theories, analyze instructional models, and apply research-based teaching strategies aligned with Texas Pre-K Guidelines and TEKS. The course also integrates 4E Model,* technology and assessment tools to support differentiated instruction and effective learning environments for young children.
STEAM Instruction in Early Childhood Education
×
STEAM Instruction in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 584
Class Hours Per Week: 3
This course prepares early childhood educators (EC-3) to design and implement STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) learning experiences that promote inquiry, creativity, and problem solving. Using developmentally-appropriate, play-based, and literacy-integrated approaches, participants will explore ways to cultivate young learners' curiosity and foundational STEAM skills.
ELAR & Social Studies Instruction in Early Childhood Education
×
ELAR & Social Studies Instruction in Early Childhood Education
EDUC 585
Class Hours Per Week: 3
This course equips early childhood educators (EC-3) with the skills to foster language, literacy, and social studies learning in young learners through developmentally-appropriate, play-based, and inquiry-driven instruction. Educators will learn how to integrate storytelling, oral language development, and culturally-responsive practices into ELAR and Social Studies instruction, leveraging research-based best practices.
Seminar for First-Year Teachers
×
Seminar for First-Year Teachers
EDUC 540
Class Hours Per Week: 3
First Year Teacher Seminar is a course to continue supporting beginning teachers with planning and with their classes for the spring. The course will include sharing best practices for teachers, including refining classroom culture, routines and procedures, lesson planning, and grade book and data conference practices. The course will also include locating and evaluating data for current students, including IEPs, 504s, English proficiency levels - data that allows the beginning teacher to select instructional strategies, materials, and appropriate resources to foster learning growth and mastery.
LEARN MORE
Request Information
Sign up to receive more information about the EC-3 Alternative Teacher Certification program.
Body