Birth Through Five

Program Overview

The Birth through Five Program prepares beginning professionals specialized to work with children birth through age 5 both with and without disabilities. The Birth through Five Program promotes developmentally appropriate inclusive and collaborative teaching practices. Our graduates specialize in providing engaging instruction and support to young children and their families. Enriching field placements in classes with infants/toddlers, preschoolers, pre-k, and kindergarten are provided.

Candidates in this emphasis are eligible for initial Georgia certification (B.S.Ed. and M.A.T.) or can add to existing teaching certifications (M.Ed., M.A. , Ed.S.). The Special Education Program recommends to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission that a graduate be awarded a clear renewable teaching (T) certificate in Special Education Adapted Curriculum (P-12).  The state of Georgia awards the certificate to an applicant based upon this recommendation and passing of the appropriate Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) tests.

Graduates with degrees in Birth through Five/Preschool find such rewarding careers as

• Working as an Early Interventionist with infants and toddlers who have developmental delays and their families
• Teaching in Early Head Start or Head Start with children living in poverty
• Teaching Preschool Special Education with 3-5 year olds who have developmental delays
• Teaching Pre-K in a public or private school setting (general or special education)
• Teaching Kindergarten in a public or private school setting (general education)
• Pursuing advanced degrees in related fields

General Information

• Prepares students to apply for initial T-4 certification or add to existing certifications to teach Birth through Five/Preschool in Georgia
• Multiple funding opportunities (see REED brochure)
• Field experiences each semester in a variety of settings
• For individuals interested in teaching students who are ages birth through five, with or without disabilities
• Prepares teachers to work in collaborative, inclusion, community-based, and other natural settings
• Offered at the Athens location only

For More Information:

Dr. Cynthia Vail
Associate Department Head & Associate Professor
Special Education Program Coordinator
Communication Sciences and Special Education
College of Education
Email: cvail@uga.edu
Phone: 706-542-4578