Preschool teacher CV example: age group, setting and play
Nurseries and preschools read three things first: the exact age group you have taught, your early years qualification or licence, and how you plan learning through play. State the age group in the employer’s unit, months or years.1
Written 13 October 2026. CitedCV. How we write our guides
Name your age group the way the employer counts it
Early years work is organised by age far more tightly than school teaching, and the units differ by country. Türkiye's Ministry of National Education counts in months at the end of September; England's statutory framework covers birth to five; US preschools serve children who have not yet started kindergarten. Write your group in the employer's unit and add the other in brackets if you are applying across borders.
| System | How age is counted | Settings named in the official source | Example CV wording |
|---|---|---|---|
| Türkiye (MEB) | Months, at the end of September | Kindergarten (anaokulu) 36 to 68 months; nursery class in a primary school (ana sınıfı) 57 to 68 months | Group of 18 children, 48 to 60 months (age 4) |
| England | Birth to 5 under the EYFS framework | Childminders, and group and school-based providers | Pre-school room, ages 3 to 4, EYFS |
| United States | Younger than 5 and not yet in kindergarten | Head Start and public school programmes | Head Start classroom, 16 children aged 3 to 4 |
| Germany | Follow the wording of the job advert | Erzieher is a profession the federal states regulate | Kita group, with the ages exactly as the advert gives them |
What nurseries check before they read your experience
England: EYTS, background check and experience with children
The National Careers Service profile says early years teachers gain Early Years Teacher Status (EYTS) through early years initial teacher training, a Level 6 degree apprenticeship, or part-time study while working. EYTS lets you teach children up to age 5; older children and primary schools need QTS. The profile also lists an enhanced background check and experience of working with children.
United States: degree level depends on the programme
The Bureau of Labor Statistics says preschool teachers typically need at least an associate's degree, and Head Start centre teachers must have one. Public school preschool teachers generally need a bachelor's degree and a state licence, which covers preschool through third grade. Put the programme type next to each job so the reader can match it to these rules.
Türkiye: a Ministry programme and fixed group rules
The Ministry's regulation for pre-school and primary institutions sets groups of 10 to 20 children and a day of six continuous 50-minute activity hours that include play, meals, rest and the end-of-day review. Since 2024 to 2025, classes follow the Türkiye Century Maarif Model pre-school programme, which Eurydice describes as the first stage of a skills-based design running to grade 12. Ministry posts are filled through the MEB-AGS exam, whose pre-school subject test covers early childhood development, play, drama and early literacy.
Germany: recognition by the state
Germany's official recognition portal names Erzieher among the professions the federal states regulate, so a foreign early childhood qualification goes to the authority of the state where you want to work. Check that authority's list before you apply.
Worked example: a preschool teacher for 3 to 5 year olds
Example only. Elif Şahin is an invented person, settings are described rather than named, and the numbers are illustrative.
Header and qualifications
- Elif Şahin · Preschool teacher, ages 3 to 5 (36 to 68 months) · Istanbul · elif.sahin@example.com
- BA Pre-school Teaching (Okul Öncesi Öğretmenliği), 2019
- Paediatric first aid certificate, renewed 2025 · English B2 (test and year on request)
Experience
- Lead teacher, bilingual private kindergarten, Istanbul · Sept 2022 to present
- Lead a group of 16 children aged 48 to 60 months with one assistant; full day, 8:30 to 15:30.
- Plan weekly themes from children’s questions; a term-long “how bridges hold” project ended with a model bridge exhibition for 40 families.
- Keep an observation portfolio for each child (photos, work samples, short notes) and share it with families at two meetings a year.
- Ran a 6-week settling-in plan for 11 new 3-year-olds; all were staying the full day by week four.
- Teacher, Ministry kindergarten (anaokulu), Kayseri · Sept 2019 to June 2022
- Taught groups of 18 to 20 children aged 57 to 68 months, following the Ministry programme, with weekly outdoor play and monthly family activity days.
How each line reads to a nursery manager
| Line | What it tells the employer |
|---|---|
| 48 to 60 months, 16 children, one assistant | Group size and staffing you are used to |
| Themes from children’s questions | Child-led, play-based planning, shown not claimed |
| Observation portfolio for each child | You record development, which every framework expects |
| Settling-in plan, full day by week four | A measurable result in the hardest weeks of the year |
| Ministry kindergarten, 57 to 68 months | Experience with the year before primary school |
Skills table for early years roles
| Skill | What to write instead of the word |
|---|---|
| Learning through play | A project or play area you set up and what the children did in it |
| Observation and assessment | How you record progress and how often you share it |
| Working with families | Meetings, home activities or newsletters, with numbers |
| Safety and health | First aid certificate with renewal year; hygiene routines you run |
| Inclusion | Support you adapted for a child, without naming the child |
| Team leadership | Assistants or trainees you supervised |
The BLS describes preschool teachers teaching language, motor and social skills through play, and the National Careers Service lists sensitivity, patience and teamwork for early years teachers. The right-hand column turns those into lines you can talk about in an interview.
Sources, read on 13 October 2026
- MEB regulation on pre-school and primary institutions, as amended on 28 July 2026: age bands in months, group size, daily activity hours.
- Eurydice, Türkiye pre-school education (updated 18 September 2026): the Maarif Model pre-school programme in use from 2024 to 2025.
- ÖSYM, 2026-MEB-AGS guide: the pre-school subject test and its topics.
- National Careers Service, early years teacher; GOV.UK, EYFS statutory framework (versions effective 1 September 2026).
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, preschool teachers; anerkennung-in-deutschland.de, professions regulated by the states.
Early years rules change often. Check the linked page before you apply.
Not covered here
Primary and secondary teachers, whose CVs open with subject and licence, are covered in the teacher CV guide. If you mainly teach English to young learners at a language school, the English teacher guide explains CELTA and CertTESOL. Childminders in England follow their own version of the EYFS framework and work in a setting this example does not describe.
Applying abroad and next steps
- England: check whether the post needs EYTS or QTS; the UK teacher guide covers QTS for overseas teachers.
- Germany: find the recognition authority of the state for Erzieher before you send applications.
- Translate your degree title carefully; the degree recognition guide shows how to keep the original name beside the English one.
- Write a short cover letter that describes one play-based project. CitedCV can draft the CV in English, Turkish or German from your own entries if you want a starting point.
Questions people ask
What should I put on a preschool teacher resume?
The age group and group size, your early years qualification or licence, a play-based project with its outcome, and how you record children’s progress.
Should I write ages in months or years?
Use the employer’s unit: months for Türkiye’s Ministry schools, years for England and the US, with the other in brackets if needed.
How do I describe play-based learning on a CV?
Describe one project: what started it, what the children made or found out, and how families saw it; the word alone proves little.
Is an early years teacher the same as a nursery worker in England?
No. The National Careers Service treats nursery work as a route into the job; an early years teacher holds EYTS and leads learning.
Do preschool teachers in the US need a degree?
Usually at least an associate’s degree, and a bachelor’s plus a state licence in public schools, according to the BLS.
Should a first aid certificate go on a preschool CV?
Yes, if you hold one: give its type and renewal year under qualifications, and never list an expired certificate as current.
How can a new graduate fill a preschool teacher CV?
Use teaching practice placements as experience lines: setting, age group, how many weeks, and one activity you planned and led.
Sources
- MEB Okul Öncesi Eğitim ve İlköğretim Kurumları Yönetmeliği (mevzuat.gov.tr)www.mevzuat.gov.tr/mevzuat?MevzuatNo=19942&MevzuatTur=7&MevzuatTertip=5
- Eurydice, Türkiye: okul öncesi eğitimeurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu/tr/eurypedia/turkiye/okul-oncesi-egitim-0
- ÖSYM, 2026-MEB-AGS Kılavuzu (3 June 2026)dokuman.osym.gov.tr/pdfdokuman/2026/MEB-AGS/kilavuz-agsd03062026.pdf
- National Careers Service, early years teachernationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/early-years-teacher
- GOV.UK, Early years foundation stage statutory frameworkwww.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-foundation-stage-framework--2
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, preschool teacherswww.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/preschool-teachers.htm
- Anerkennung in Deutschland, Ländergesetzewww.anerkennung-in-deutschland.de/html/de/pro/laendergesetze.php