Elementary Education

Students admitted to NIU to pursue the B.S.Ed. degree in Elementary Education enter directly into the major program.

• This major requires a university GPA of 2.75.
• Grades of C- or better are required in specific major courses.
• Current verification of TB test (required for specific coursework).
• You must meet all ISBE testing requirements for teacher licensure

The NIU College of Education embeds diverse, real-world learning opportunities in elementary education, offering you valuable experiences you won't get anywhere else.

• You'll have four field experiences prior to student teaching, each focusing on a specific element of education, including literacy and teaching learners from diverse backgrounds.
• If you choose to live in Stevenson Towers' TEACH House, home to students pursuing any area of teacher licensure, you'll interact with teacher licensure faculty as well as peers with similar professional aspirations.
• Our Educate and Engage Program provides hands-on experiences close and far from home. Educate Global sends selected students to China to teach English. Educate U.S. allows selected students to travel to the Houston Independent School District in Texas for an all-expenses-paid week during which they practice their skills and broaden their perspectives. Educate Local provides opportunities to volunteer, observe and participate in various campus, community and educational settings.

NIU's annual Educators' Job Fair brings school districts from throughout the state and around the country to interview for teaching positions. Our students and alumni are admitted free and are offered an extended open session time with recruiters. It's a great way to practice your professional communication skills and learn about employment opportunities, with the possibility of invitation-only interviews at the event.

• LTIC 301 Teaching with a Multicultural Perspective (3)
• LTIC 420 Methods and Materials for Teaching English Language Learners in the Content Areas (3)
• LTLA 341 Language Arts in the Elementary School (3)
• LTRE 300 Elementary School Developmental Reading Programs (3)
• LTRE 350 Content Area Literacy for Elementary Education (3)
• TLEE 282 Educational Participation in Clinical Experiences: Elementary Education (1)
• TLEE 342 The Teaching of Social Studies in the Elementary School (3)
• TLEE 344 Teaching Science in the Elementary School (3)
• TLEE 382 Clinical Experience in Elementary School Curriculum and Instruction (1)
• TLEE 383 Elementary Education Professional Year I: Internship to Student Teaching (2)
• TLEE 385 Differentiation in Elementary School Instruction: Field Experience with Diverse Learners (1)
• TLEE 485 Elementary Education Professional Year II: Student Teaching to Practitioner (10)

ELACHE is an organization of faculty in Illinois universities and other institutions that are involved in bilingual and English Learners (ELs) research and teacher preparation. ELACHE also has affiliated members who have an interest in advocating and promoting educational equity for ELs. James Cohen (Northern Illinois University) and Sonia Soltero (DePaul University) are the co-founders and current co-chairs of the organization. If you are interested in the field of bilingual/ESL and elementary education, you are invited to become a student member of ELACHE. As a member, you will learn about real-world advocacy and how advocacy fits into your future role as teachers of culturally and linguistically diverse students.