Skills
Preschool Teacher Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in preschool teachers, and how to build and show them.
What skills do preschool teachers need?
Preschool Teachers need technical skills such as early childhood curriculum, classroom management, and child development observation, plus people skills like patience and warmth. They also use tools such as Learning center materials and Books and art supplies.
Technical (hard) skills
- Early childhood curriculum
- Classroom management
- Child development observation
- Health and safety practices
- Family communication
- Lesson planning
People (soft) skills
- Patience
- Warmth
- Creativity
- Communication
Tools, equipment and technology
- Learning center materials
- Books and art supplies
- Assessment tools such as Teaching Strategies GOLD
- Family communication apps
- First aid kits
- Classroom schedules
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how preschool teachers put their skills to work:
- How to lead morning circle time
- How to handle a conflict between children
- How to write a child observation
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Early childhood curriculum” and “Classroom management.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “patience,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Child Development Associate (CDA) near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our preschool teacher glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Preschool Teacher training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.