Early Childhood Curriculum & Instruction
Introduction
A core component of a high-quality early education experience is that children are provided opportunities, experiences and materials that allow them to engage deeply within developmental/early learning domains to build their school readiness skills. Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning articulates the skills and knowledge young children need to demonstrate by the end of preschool in order to be successful in kindergarten. Using effective curricula helps ensure that children are afforded the opportunities, activities and interactions within the classroom that support their learning and development of critical school readiness skills.
Early Childhood Curriculum
Teachers need effective early childhood curricula that provide stimulating and engaging learning experiences which are proven to promote school readiness. Use of an effective, integrated and comprehensive curriculum package helps ensure children are engaged in developmentally appropriate, child-led and teacher-guided activities that promote their school readiness skills.
Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning standards (below) are intended to help early childhood educators develop a comprehensive curriculum and effective classroom activities. A program’s curriculum may include one or more commercial curricula, locally developed curriculum and other instructional materials.
Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS), Birth-Five Learning Guidelines
Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds
This document describes specific learning and development standards for four-year-olds in the areas of reading, mathematics, science, history and social science, health and physical development, personal and social development, music and visual arts.
Note: The Foundation Blocks document has been updated and will be replaced by Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards, Birth-Five Learning Guidelines effective Fall 2021. This new document was approved by the Board of Education on March 18, 2021.
For more information read the press release: Board of Education Approves New Early Childhood Learning and Development Standards-This is a Word document..
New: Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS), Birth-Five Learning Guidelines
This document is Virginia's new set of comprehensive early learning and development standards for young children, birth to age five. The new standards focus on five Areas of Development: Approaches to Play and Learning; Social and Emotional Development; Communication, Language, and Literacy Development; Health and Physical Development and Cognitive Development.
All birth to five programs are expected to implement the new standards by Fall 2021.
Inclusive Practices
Research shows that participation in programs with typically developing peers is beneficial to both children with and without disabilities. For those with disabilities, inclusion enhances language and social skill. Children without disabilities appreciate diversity and show greater empathy.
Virginia Early Childhood Inclusion Guidance Document
This guidance document is designed to assist Virginia’s school divisions and early childhood communities in identifying, developing and sustaining inclusive opportunities within high-quality, early childhood programs for children with disabilities:
Instruction Resources
Reading & Literacy
- Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)
- Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA) - The national center for research on early reading, representing a consortium of educators from five universities
- Virginia Center for Young Readers
- National Reading Panel
- National Center for Family Literacy
- Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)
- CONNECT, The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge, Online Module – Dialogic Reading Practices
English Language Learners
Suspension & Expulsion Prevention
- Guidelines for the Prevention of Suspension and Expulsion of Young Children: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings (Word) – The guidelines are provided to assist program leaders, educators and families in supporting the healthy development of young children in early child care and education programs. Guiding principles, definitions, best practices for promoting positive behavior, suggested steps to prevent suspensions and expulsions, and resources for promoting social-emotional development are included in this document.
Cultural Competency
- Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center Diversity topic page
- Head Start National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness
- National Center for Cultural Competence Georgetown University
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- National Center of Universal Design for Learning
- Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, Universal Design for Learning Resources
- Building Inclusive Child Care Questions to Consider in UDL Observations (PDF)
Information Literacy
- Virginia Center for Young Readers
- National Reading Panel
- National Center for Family Literacy
- Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL)
- CONNECT, The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge, Online Module – Dialogic Reading Practices
Homelessness
- Project Hope at William & Mary
- Head Start Learning and Knowledge Center – Homelessness
- Campaign to End Child Homelessness
Social Emotional Skills, Challenging Behavior, Mental Health
- Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning
- Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention (TACSEI)
- Campaign for Children’s Mental Health
- Kids Mental Health Info – Early Childhood
- Positive Behavioral Intervention & Supports US Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
- Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
Response to Intervention in Early Childhood
- Recognition and Response
- National Center on Response to Intervention
- CONNECT, The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge, Online Module – Tiered Instruction
- Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development
Assistive Technology
- VDOE Assistive Technology
- Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
- The Family Center on Technology and Disability
- CONNECT, The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge, Online Module – Assistive Technology
Information Clearinghouses
- National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities
- Life Labs – A Life Without Limits at United Cerebral Palsy
Family Support
- Parent Organizer with Educational Resources (POWER) – This webpage provides a number of resources for parents of children with disabilities and is organized by early childhood, elementary, middle and high school
- Formed Families Forward
- New Path – The ARC of Virginia
- Beach Center on Disabilities
- Family Connect: For Parents of Children with Visual Impairments
- Medical Home Plus Virginia
- Parent Educational Advocacy Training Center (PEATC)
- Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children's Mental Health
- Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN) (SWAN)
- MATRIX Parent Network and Resource Center Blog