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If you like working with children and have ever considered pursing Houston teaching jobs, you should consider becoming a preschool teacher.

Preschool teachers work with young children in a variety of settings to promote social, physical, and intellectual growth. They typically teach children between three and five-years old about motor skills, social and emotional development, and language development.

Because younger children learn through play, preschool teachers use everything from games and books to music and artwork to introduce children to reading and writing, expanded vocabulary, creative arts, science, and social studies.

The education required to become a preschool teacher varies greatly depending on the state, employer, and source of funding. In Texas, most applicants must pass a written competency test from the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards.

There were about 457,200 preschool teachers throughout the nation during 2008, and that number is expected to grow by 19 percent by 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. About 65 percent of employees work in child day care services and about 15 percent work in public and private educational services.

Employment of preschool teachers in the Houston area is anticipated to grow by 30.5 percent to 12,850 workers by 2016. There will be about 165 openings per year due to replacement and about 305 openings per year due to job growth.

Throughout Texas, employment of preschool teachers should increase by 30.1 percent to 49,450 workers by 2016. There will be about 630 openings per year due to replacement and about 1,140 openings per year due to job growth.

According the the Texas Workforce Commission, the top industries that employ preschool teachers in the Houston area include:

• Child day care services - 78.21 percent
• Elementary and secondary schools - 13.26 percent
• Individual and family services - 2.85 percent

The average wage for preschool teachers during 2009 was $11.87 in the Houston area, $12.83 throughout Texas, and $13.20 across the nation.

Labels: Houston teaching jobs