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 Early Learning and Development Standards, Birth-Five Learning Guidelines articulate 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. Using a research-based, integrated and comprehensive curriculum package effectively helps ensure children are engaged in developmentally appropriate, child-led and adult-guided activities that promote their school readiness skills.

Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards, Birth-Five Learning Guidelines (below) are intended to help early childhood educators implement 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.

Curriculum Vetting

Virginia has been reviewing curriculum at the state level to encourage more programs to use quality instructional tools. A curriculum review process helps programs to identify and implement curricula to best support the learning and development of their children.

Birth to five programs currently operating in Virginia that do not yet have an approved curriculum-This is a Word document. in use may be eligible for a comprehensive and expert-led review of their curriculum by the VDOE. Interested programs should first review the Overview of the Curriculum Process for Practice Year 1-This is a Word document.. Effective July 1, 2021, VDOE’s new, multi-level process begins with an interested program leader’s review and completion of the Curriculum Pre-Submission Checklist for Birth to Five Programs.

Note: Completion of the Curriculum Pre-Submission Checklist does not guarantee a comprehensive review will be conducted by VDOE. In 2021-2022, programs that are participating in Practice Year 1 of VQB5 will be prioritized for a curriculum review if eligible.

Programs that do not have a curriculum that meets VDOE’s Baseline Criteria for High-Quality Birth to Five Curriculum-This is a Word document. as listed in the pre-submission checklist should NOT rush to purchase a new product. Additional support in obtaining an appropriate curriculum will be forthcoming from the VDOE.

VDOE-Approved Curriculum List for Birth to Five Programs

This document includes a list of currently approved early childhood curricula options. This document will be updated on a monthly basis.

VDOE-Approved Curriculum List for Birth to Five Programs-This is a Word document.

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.

Virginia's Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS), Birth-Five Learning Guidelines-This is a PDF document.

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

Resources for teachers of young 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

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Information Literacy

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

Response to Intervention in Early Childhood

Assistive Technology

Information Clearinghouses

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

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Early Childhood Curriculum & Instruction

Introduction