New Whole Child Focused Curriculum Extends Project-Based Learning Into Kindergarten Classrooms

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwired - Apr 13, 2017) - Teaching Strategies, one of the most widely recognized and trusted brands in early learning, announced today the launch of their new The Creative Curriculum^® for Kindergarten. Developed in response to educator demand for resources that support hands-on, project-based learning in early elementary classrooms, the new curriculum builds on decades of Teaching Strategies' research and experience in early childhood education. 

"The curriculum's study topics provide opportunities for hands-on learning in areas sometimes overlooked in Kindergarten, like science and social studies," said Stefania Raschella, Early Childhood Curriculum and Assessment Specialist at the Catholic School Region of Northeast/East Bronx in the Archdiocese of New York, who worked with teachers piloting the curriculum. "Our teachers found the daily resources and training to be especially useful in their planning and meeting quality standards."

This fall, Teaching Strategies' Creative Curriculum^® for Kindergarten was piloted by over 50 Kindergarten classrooms across the US, including classrooms in New York City, Washington state, Alaska, and Alabama. The pilots are, in part, representative of a national shift toward alignment of high-quality early childhood education practices with early elementary grades to help students make a more seamless transition into elementary school.

"Eliminating achievement gaps in later grades starts with creating a seamless continuum of high quality teaching and learning environments from Pre-K into Kindergarten," said Sandy Little, Assessment Manager for the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education. "The integration of daily teaching and learning moments into larger, project-based investigations means that children are more deeply engaged, and educators can focus on personalizing instruction to align with student interests, strengths, and areas of improvement." 

Early childhood programs have been using Teaching Strategies' research-based curriculum, professional development resources, and observational tools to promote positive outcomes for students for over 25 years. The Creative Curriculum^® for Kindergarten, backed by decades of research, includes foundational volumes, Teaching Guides, Intentional Teaching Cards™, and other daily resources to help educators integrate project-based investigations into daily instruction.

"One of the most powerful features of project-based learning is that children have the opportunity to develop critical process skills like communicating and representing ideas, organizing information, solving problems, and making connections between learning experiences," said Kai-leé Berke, former Kindergarten teacher and CEO of Teaching Strategies. "What better way to create a foundation for future school success than by having children leave Kindergarten with the skills they'll need to be lifelong learners."

To learn more about the Creative Curriculum for Kindergarten, visit http://bit.ly/2p7Xe0c.

About Teaching Strategies: With ground-breaking solutions and a strong belief that a child's first 8 years form a critical foundation for school success, Teaching Strategies has been an advocate for the early education community for nearly 30 years. Today, Teaching Strategies provides curriculum, assessment, professional development, and family connection resources to programs across the country. Its award-winning products like The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool and widely-adopted assessment solutions like GOLD® reach over 2 million children each year. To learn why thousands of early childhood programs and many states choose to partner with Teaching Strategies to help ensure children's success in school and in life, visit www.teachingstrategies.com and follow us on Twitter @TeachStrategies.