Day: September 22, 2025

The TEACH Early Childhood® Scholarship Program helps Florida educators earn professional credentials—like the FCCPC or CDA—through shared-cost funding and built-in support.

For directors, it’s a practical way to grow a stronger team without taking on the full financial burden. Retention is a part of the model, too; sponsored educators commit to staying with employers after completing their credentials for 1 year or longer.

In this guide, you’ll learn how TEACH Scholarship Florida works, what it covers, what the employer’s responsibilities are, and how to get started.

 

What Is TEACH Florida?

TEACH Early Childhood® Florida is a state-funded scholarship program designed to strengthen the early education workforce by tackling three major challenges: the cost of professional training, the need for qualified educators, and high staff turnover.

Through a shared investment model, TEACH helps early educators earn essential credentials like the FCCPC Certification, while also supporting the centers that employ them. The program reduces financial barriers, encourages long-term staff retention, and creates more opportunities for educators to grow within the field.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what each party contributes under the TEACH shared investment model:

TEACH Florida	Sponsoring Employer	Scholar
Covers most of the tuition, fees, and books	Pays a small portion of tuition (typically 10%)	Completes coursework and earns a credential
Provides a stipend each semester	Offers up to 3 hours/week of paid release time	Commits to stay with employer for ~1 year after completion
Reimburses paid release time (up to 48 hours/semester)	Approves and supports the scholarship application

The sections below go into more detail about the role and requirements of TEACH, the sponsoring employer, and the scholar. 

 

What TEACH Florida Provides

Let’s break down what TEACH Scholarship Florida actually provides as part of the shared investment model.

For directors, this is the support your program receives when you sponsor an educator:

• Covers most of the cost of tuition and books: TEACH pays the majority of these expenses, reducing the financial barrier for your staff and your budget.
  
• Provides a stipend each semester: Scholars receive $250–$300 per semester to help cover expenses related to their training.
  
• Offers tiered bonuses for degree-seeking educators: Educators working toward college credit may be eligible for completion bonuses ranging from $800 to $1,200 (center-based) or up to $1,500 (family child care).
  
• Reimburses your center for paid release time: If you provide up to 3 hours of paid release time per week, TEACH reimburses up to 48 hours per semester at Florida minimum wage plus $2/hour.
  
• Includes administrative and academic support: A dedicated TEACH counselor helps each scholar stay on track and ensures paperwork, planning, and progress go smoothly.

These benefits are designed to reduce the strain on your program while making it easier to retain and grow great educators. 

Learn more details at teach-fl.org/frequently-asked-questions/ 

 

What’s Required From Directors?

As a sponsoring center, your role in the TEACH scholarship process is simple but important. The program is built on a shared-cost model, so you’ll contribute in two key ways:

1. A portion of the educator’s tuition: Most TEACH models require the center to cover around 10% of tuition costs. The remaining amount is covered by TEACH and the scholar.
2. Paid release time during training: Educators receiving a TEACH scholarship are expected to have time each week to study or complete coursework. As the sponsor, you’ll provide up to 3 hours of paid release time per week. TEACH reimburses your program for this time at a set hourly rate (Florida minimum wage + $2/hour), up to 48 hours per semester.

You’ll also need to approve the educator’s scholarship application and communicate with TEACH if staffing or program changes occur during the contract period.

Many directors find the investment well worth it. In addition to financial reimbursement, TEACH gives your staff a clear path to grow and encourages them to stay and apply their learning in your classrooms.

 

The Scholar’s Commitment and Support

Now let’s take a closer look at what the educator or staff member—referred to as the scholar—receives through TEACH Florida and the employer’s support, and what they agree to in return.

What the scholar receives:

• A funded pathway to a credential: TEACH covers most of the cost for tuition, books, and fees for programs like the FCCPC certification, CDA, or college-level coursework.
  
• A stipend each semester: Scholars receive $250–$300 to help with incidental costs like materials, technology, or transportation.
  
• Access to dedicated support: Each scholar is paired with a TEACH counselor who helps guide them through the process—from application to completion.
  
• Eligibility for bonus incentives (if applicable): Those enrolled in degree programs may also qualify for completion bonuses.
  

What the scholar commits to:

• Complete their coursework successfully: Scholars are expected to follow through with their training and meet all program requirements.
  
• Stay with their sponsoring employer: Most TEACH contracts include a one-year commitment to remain at their center after completing the credential. This built-in retention model supports both educator growth and program stability.

For many educators, TEACH offers a turning point—a chance to earn their credential without the usual financial stress, and with a clear path toward long-term growth in the field.

 

Partnering with CCEI to Earn the FCCPC

One of the most accessible ways to use TEACH Florida funding is through CCEI’s fully online FCCPC Certification program—a DCF-approved pathway that meets Florida Staff Credential requirements.

CCEI supports directors and educators at every step—from enrollment and scholarship application to credential completion. We help navigate the TEACH process, including paperwork, approval, and ensuring funding is secured to cover the cost of training.

When paired with TEACH Florida, our program offers a streamlined, affordable way to help your staff grow—and stay.

👉 Learn more and get started through CCEI

Parents start thinking about reading long before their child ever picks up a book. By preschool, many are already asking: Are they ready for kindergarten? Will they be reading soon?

Preschool teachers feel that pressure too, even though formal reading instruction doesn’t begin until later. Still, most educators know that the early years matter. A lot.

But how does reading actually develop? And what helps children get there?

The answer lies in the Science of Reading—a large body of research that explains how the brain learns to read. It shows us that the path to reading starts long before children learn letter sounds or recognize words. It begins with the kinds of language-rich, playful, and intentional experiences that happen every day in preschool.

In this blog, we’ll explore what the Science of Reading says about how children learn to read—and how preschool teachers play a critical role in setting the stage.

 

How Do Children Learn to Read?

Reading might seem like a natural part of learning, but it’s not something the brain does automatically. Unlike speaking, which most children pick up just by hearing language around them, reading is a skill that must be taught and practiced over time.

That’s because the brain doesn’t come hardwired for reading. There’s no built-in “reading center” like there is for vision or spoken language. Instead, the brain has to create a new network by connecting areas that already exist, like the visual system that recognizes shapes and patterns, and the language system that processes sound and meaning.

In other words, reading has to be built.

This is where the Science of Reading helps. It shows us how that network forms, what kinds of input support it, and why some children need more structured guidance to build it effectively. According to the research, strong reading skills depend on two major components:

• The ability to recognize written words
  
• The ability to understand and make sense of language

When both pieces are strong, reading becomes smooth, meaningful, and enjoyable.

Children in preschool aren’t expected to master those skills yet, but they are developing the foundations. And the experiences they have now play a powerful role in preparing the brain for what comes next.

 

What Does the Science of Reading Mean for Preschool Teachers?

You don’t need to teach children how to read words to help them become readers. In fact, the Science of Reading confirms what many early childhood educators already know: the skills that lead to reading start developing long before a child can sound out a word.

In preschool, children begin building these foundational skills through everyday experiences. The Science of Reading highlights several key areas that set the stage for reading success:

• Phonemic awareness: This means hearing and playing with the sounds in spoken language, like clapping out syllables, noticing rhymes, or identifying the first sound in a word. It’s a critical early step before formal phonics instruction begins.
  
• Vocabulary: The more words children know and understand, the easier it is for them to make sense of what they read later. Talking with children, naming emotions, describing actions, and introducing new words during play all help build vocabulary.
  
• Print awareness: This includes understanding how print works—knowing that text goes from left to right, recognizing letters and logos, or realizing that print carries meaning. It’s one of the first ways children start to see themselves as readers.
  
• Reading comprehension: Even before children can read independently, they’re practicing comprehension when they listen to stories, follow along, answer questions, or talk about what happened. These experiences support the deeper thinking skills they’ll need later on.

These areas aren’t just “pre-reading” skills—they’re essential components of reading itself. And preschool teachers play a powerful role in helping children develop them through warm conversation, purposeful play, and consistent exposure to language and books.

 

Supporting Early Reading Skills in Preschool: What to Do (and What Not to Do)

There’s no shortage of opinions on how to teach early literacy, but not all strategies align with what the research actually says. In this section, we’ll look at which practices are supported by the Science of Reading and which common approaches may do more harm than good.

What to Do: Research-Based Strategies That Support Early Reading

Preschool educators can support future reading success through intentional language use, sound play, and meaningful engagement with books and print.

• Meaningful conversation: Talking with children in back-and-forth exchanges builds vocabulary and comprehension.
  
• Dialogic Reading: Reading with expression and asking questions helps children develop early thinking and understanding skills.
  
• Phonological awareness: Playing with sounds through songs, rhymes, and syllables strengthens one of the most critical early literacy skills.
  
• Print awareness: Pointing out letters, signs, and labels teaches children that print carries meaning and has consistent rules.
  
• Real-world connection: Linking language and books to children’s experiences makes learning more relevant and memorable.

How Not to Teach Early Literacy in Preschool

Some early literacy practices may look like a head start, but they don’t align with what we know from child development research. While the Science of Reading explains how the brain learns to read, child development theory reminds us that preschoolers aren’t yet ready for the complexity of formal reading instruction. At this stage, pushing too far, too fast can actually get in the way of long-term success.

In preschool, avoid these practices:

• Worksheets and drills: Isolated paper tasks don’t build deep understanding and often replace more effective, play-based learning.
  
• Early sight word memorization: Teaching children to memorize whole words skips the sound and letter skills they need first.
  
• Formal phonics instruction: Most preschoolers aren’t developmentally ready for structured decoding lessons and benefit more from sound-based play.
  
• Academic pressure: Expecting children to read independently too early creates stress and sets unrealistic goals for this stage.
  
• Performance focus: Emphasizing outcomes over exploration can limit curiosity and lead children to prioritize “getting it right” over learning deeply.

 

How Do I Talk To Families About Learning To Read in Preschool? 

You’ve probably had a parent ask, “Are you teaching the ABCs?” or “When will my child start writing?” Maybe a colleague has questioned whether your play-based classroom is “academic enough.” These moments can put you on the spot, especially if you don’t have the research language to explain what you’re doing and why.

Science of Reading knowledge changes those conversations completely.

CCEI’s Science of Reading course gives you the vocabulary and evidence to confidently explain how reading develops, advocate for developmentally appropriate practice, and guide families in supporting early literacy in effective, age-appropriate ways. You’ll connect brain research with practical strategies—and leave with the tools to back up your teaching with confidence.

👉 Enroll in CCEI’s Science of Reading course today