List your Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, AA or BA in Early Childhood Education, state preschool teaching permit, and any CLASS or DRDP assessor certifications. Head Start programs require specific credential levels tied to program funding requirements. Private preschools often seek teachers with higher credentials for quality rating system (QRIS) points. Your credential is the first filter.

Preschool resumes that use elementary school terminology ('lesson plans,' 'grading,' 'curriculum standards') miss the mark. Replace with ECE-specific language: 'developmental observations,' 'play-based exploration,' 'learning environment design,' 'teacher-child interactions,' and 'authentic assessment.' This signals to directors that you understand developmentally appropriate practice at its core.

Family partnership is a foundational pillar of quality preschool programs and is formally evaluated in Head Start, NAEYC accreditation, and most QRIS frameworks. Mention family meeting attendance rates, home visit participation, multilingual communication strategies, and community resource referrals. These metrics demonstrate program quality and administrator confidence in your relationship-building skills.