Study Tips and Resources for Early Childhood Education MTEL

• Print Early Childhood Education test objectives [pdf] and use as a study guide. Also, review Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for content knowledge you will be expected to know and teach.
• Brainstorm and think about your life schedule and how much time can you devote to study, taking practice tests, and writing sample essays.
• Network with other friends and contacts who have already completed MTEL(s).
• Print out and take the practice test [pdf] on the MTEL website.
• Use study resources available online and in books. Some suggestions:
  • Curriculum trade books -- E.D. Hirsch series, What Your Kindergartner (1st, 2nd grader...) Needs to Know
  • Text Books, Workbooks, Online Interactive Websites - Look for grade levels 5 – 7; the test is based on content above the 2nd grade level.
  • Curriculum guides -- individual school districts have guidelines for teachers about what will be taught in each grade. Public schools and libraries should have this available. Then, students can get a hold of a 1st grade math textbook, for example, to see how concepts are being taught. This can be done for math, literacy, social studies, health, and science.
  • Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts can be found at mass.gov/legis/const.htm.
• Use online educational games to practice factual recall and trigger information you may have learned a long time ago. Keep at it until you are an expert!
  
  • Brain Pop
    
  • Learning Games for Kid
  • Math Glossary
    
  • National Geographic Bee
  • USA Games by Sheppard Software
• The following list are suggested resources found either in bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, or at Amazon, or in libraries
  • Uniquely Massachusetts by Carol Domblewski , Heineman Library (2004). It's at bookstores in the kids section. It's great!
  • Summer Bridge Activities Grades 7-8, Rainbow Bridge Publishing (2003). It's a workbook, perfect for math and map skills, charts and some other science content. At bookstores such as Barnes and Noble or www.amazon.com.
  • Revised Edition Math Yellow Pages for Students and Teachers, Incentive publications, Inc (2002). Resource for math formulas (geometry, definitions, weights and measure, fractions); found in the workbook section at bookstores.
  • Flash Forward Math 6th Grade, Spark Publishing (2007). It's a workbook, GREAT for math, found in the workbook section at bookstores.
  • XAM MTEL Early Childhood 02 (Paperback), XAM Publishing. Contains some good info on developmental and other content in the beginning and 2 practice tests. May be ordered from Amazon.com and is available in library.
  • More Suggestions from an Early Childhood MTEL Peer Study Group [pdf]