Teaching Strategies Launches Pre-K Curriculum that Pairs Play with Explicit Math and Literacy Instruction

News provided by

Oct 31, 2024, 09:03 ET

Informed by Strong Research and Educator Insights, New Curriculum Designed to Meet the Unique Needs of Young Learners, Teachers, and Families in the Critical Year Before Kindergarten

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Teaching Strategies, the leading developer of early childhood education solutions including the nation's top-rated, most widely-used curriculum, The Creative Curriculum®, has launched a first-of-its-kind curriculum tailored to meet the needs of young learners, teachers, and families in the critical year before kindergarten.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K leverages a whole-child approach that combines learning through hands-on, play-based studies with daily, explicit, and focused reading and math instruction to ensure students build the fundamental skills and experiences that will set them up for long-term academic success. It is rooted in decades of research on developmentally appropriate practices in learning and informed by over 45 years of insights from early childhood educators.

"We know children begin building a foundation for success in reading and math long before they enter kindergarten. We also know children learn best through inquiry and investigation," said Dr. Nicol Russell, chief academic officer at Teaching Strategies. "That's why we have evolved our curriculum to make more explicit to the teacher the daily focus on literacy skills like phonological awareness and mathematical concepts like connecting numerals and quantities and to do so in ways that are still enjoyed by children and nurture their social and emotional development."

Among the highlights, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K:

Embraces the science of reading. Today, just one in three fourth-grade students across the nation is proficient in reading, signaling an urgent need to build a strong foundation of reading and writing skills even before kindergarten. Rooted in the science of reading, the curriculum:
- promotes functional literacy through project-based studies that give children authentic reasons to read and write;
- develops children's phonological and phonemic awareness through developmentally appropriate engagement;
- individualizes learning for each child through intentional, small-group language and literacy experiences; and
- provides meaningful read-alouds and book discussions that nurture a love of reading.
Addresses each child's diverse, unique needs. The curriculum supports educators to create a classroom filled with experiences that honor children's diverse backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. It also provides valuable insight into a child's progress and development to help meet the needs of every learner, including those with disabilities.
Inspires joyful learning. The project-based, hands-on curriculum is designed to spark children's discovery, inquiry, and curiosity, while also building the confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills essential for academic and life success.
Saves teachers valuable time. The curriculum includes a user-friendly, digital platform that streamlines everyday tasks to help teachers maximize their time with their students. The curriculum allows teachers to:
- plan lessons for up to an entire year in a few clicks;
- view and customize daily resources;
- individualize instruction for all students with guided recommendations;
- document children's learning progress in real time;
- connect with their peers through an online professional learning community of over 100,000 engaged educators; and
- receive in-the-moment guidance from hundreds of microlearning videos as they prepare to facilitate activities.
Connects the home and classroom. The curriculum makes it easy for educators to share classroom resources directly with families to help them support their children's learning at home. Families have access to a mobile app that allows them to communicate with teachers, view those resources, and view videos of how to model activities with their children.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K builds on the strong foundation laid by The Creative Curriculum®, which is used by 90% of Head Start programs and by 4 out of 5 of the largest school districts. The curriculum is part of a connected ecosystem of early education solutions, which also includes assessment, reporting and analytics, family engagement, and professional development offerings.

About Teaching Strategies
Teaching Strategies® is the leading provider of early childhood curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family engagement solutions. Its products, including the most widely used curriculum and assessment solutions, The Creative Curriculum® and GOLD®, are found in over 270,000 classrooms and more than 80 countries around the world and reach over 4 million children each year. A trusted partner and advocate for the early education community for 45 years, today Teaching Strategies connects teachers, children and families to inspired teaching and learning experiences, insightful data, stronger family partnerships, and robust professional learning through SmartTeach™, the leading early learning platform. Learn more at www.teachingstrategies.com.

SOURCE Teaching Strategies