Child psychology is a sub-field of psychology which focuses on the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of children and the underlying mental processes that result in these outward manifestations. It's important for a preschool teacher to study child psychology so that they can appropriately teach to and socialize with their students. Preschool teachers may work with children between the ages of one and six years, and this period of early childhood involves many significant changes in the brain. Not only are these the peak years of language acquisition, children are also beginning to develop their social skills during this time.
It is important for early childhood educators to have a thorough understanding of the development of the young brain. Some mental capabilities, like the understanding of object permanence, develop in early childhood. Trying to teach content that is based upon object permanence to a child who is not yet capable of understanding the concept will not go well. Teachers who understand the developmental changes occurring in early childhood are better able to tailor appropriate lessons for their students. Children can also be quite sensitive to new information because everything is relatively quite new to them. Preschool teachers can make sure that their experiences with the world are not as shocking or damaging as they might otherwise be. Children need to hear things in words that they can understand, and often this differs from the way we might explain something to an adult.
I suppose that it isn't really necessary for a preschool teacher to have training in developmental psychology, but if they want to be a good teacher, it would behoove them to study it.
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