Best Early Childhood Education Courses Online with Certificates [2024] | Coursera (2024)

Early childhood education is the period of learning that children experience from the time they're born until they're around eight years old or in third grade. While the term technically includes both formal and informal education, it's often used in the professional world to describe federal, state, local, and private education programs for preschool and elementary school students. Experts believe this period of learning is one of the most important aspects of a person's life, as it can impact and shape a child's development for the rest of his or her life. Some theorists believe that early childhood education should address a child's physical, social, emotional, language, and cognitive needs.‎

If you work with young children or have young children in your family, you can benefit from learning about early childhood education. When you learn about a child's developmental milestones and fully understand the learning process and how it affects those milestones, you can help ensure the young children in your personal and professional lives receive the tools, access, and instruction they need for success.‎

Taking early childhood education courses online on Coursera can help you figure out if you want a career in the field, or if you already have a career in the field, it can help you build upon your previous education. If you're a parent or caregiver, these courses can help you understand your child's needs and provide you with some ideas on how to help your child reach his or her full potential during the first eight years of life. You can choose from basic courses about everyday parenting or more specialized topics, like teaching children with visual impairment in the classroom and ADHD strategies for elementary students.‎