Pre-Kindergarten - Gateway 2

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meets expectations for supporting social-emotional learning through a comprehensive approach that includes clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured developmental sequence, and research-supported instructional practices ((2.1a).

Foundation Volume 3: Social-Emotional, Physical and Cognitive Development describes how and why an intentional focus on promoting children’s social–emotional development (as well as physical development and cognitive development) is an essential aspect of every day in an early childhood classroom.

The first three chapters explain the three components of social–emotional development (positive relationships, emotional awareness and response, and social engagement) and how those components can be observed and nurtured in early childhood classrooms. In these chapters, teachers find guidance for supporting children's social and emotional development while they work and learn in the classroom’s interest areas and throughout different times of the day. The chapters also highlight relevant research that explains the importance of promoting social and emotional development in young children and the vital role that teachers and caregivers play to help children grow as individuals and positive, productive members of a community.

The curriculum provides clear, developmentally appropriate Social and Emotional objectives for Development & Learning, Three out of 38 research-based objectives focus on Social-Emotional:

Objective 1. Regulates own emotions and behaviors

a. Manages Feelings

b. Follows limits and expectations

c. Takes care of own needs appropriately

Objective 2. Establishes and sustains positive relationships

a. Forms relationships with adults

b. Responds to emotional cues

c. Interacts with peers

d. Makes friends

Objective 3. Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations

a. Balances needs and rights of self and others

b. Solves social problems

These objectives include detailed, color-coded developmental progressions that capture widely held expectations, indicators and strategies for each objective. Social and Emotional instructional resources appear in Intentional Teaching Experiences (ITEs) such as:

• Calm-Down Place (SE03), which introduces a place in the classroom where children can go take a break when they are feeling upset.

• Talk About Feelings (SEO6), which provides clear steps, materials, teacher language, and guidance aligned to goals like sustaining relationships and identifying emotions.

• My Turn at the Microphone (SE10), where children practice initiating and engaging in conversations.

Additional social and emotional resources are found in some of the Mighty Minute Activities (transition cards) that address Social and Emotional Objectives:

• The Feelings In Your Face (MM143) aligned with Objective 2b, “Responds to emotional cues”

• Welcome, Everyone, (MM201) activity which promotes skills related to Objective 3a, “Balances the needs and rights of self and others.”

• Sunshine & Rain Cloud (MM227 activity which describes a short activity to promote skills related to Objective 2b, “Responds to emotional cues.”

These activities are high-quality and developmentally aligned; however, their placement across the curriculum is inconsistent. There are only 36 Social and Emotional ITEs. While the ITEs reference SEL objectives, these goals are not explicitly embedded within daily lesson plans in the Teaching Guides, nor do they build on one another in a way that follows the developmental progressions provided in the Objectives for Development & Learning. As a result, teachers must make individual decisions about when and how to address SEL, leading to inconsistent implementation across classrooms.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials incorporates social-emotional learning foundations, clearly articulated objectives, research-supported developmental progressions, and generally high-quality activities; however, these elements are not consistently or systematically integrated into daily lessons. As a result, SEL objectives and instructional strategies lack a coherent, explicit progression across the Teaching Guides, which limits their overall effectiveness.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction that includes clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured scope and sequence, and research-supported instructional practices. (2.1b).

Foundation Volume 4, Language & Literacy provides educators with instructional content related to the components of language development and literacy learning as well as research-based information on planning for an effective literacy program that intentionally supports relevant objectives. Specific strategies and information are provided on the components of literacy, including:

• vocabulary and language

• phonological awareness

• knowledge of print

• letters and words

• comprehension

• books and other texts

• literacy as a source of enjoyment

There are several objectives that address language and literacy. Objectives 8, 9, and 10 relate to children’s language development, and Objectives 15–19 relate to literacy learning. Objectives 37 and 38 relate to multilingual learners’ English language acquisition.

Objective 8. Listens to and understand increasingly complex language

a. Comprehends language

b. Follows directions

Objective 9. Uses language to express thoughts and needs

a. Uses an expanding expressive vocabulary

b. Speaks clearly

c. Uses conventional grammar

d. Tells about another time and place

Objective 10. Uses appropriate conversational and other communication skills

a. Engages in conversation

b. Uses social rules of language

Objective 15. Demonstrates phonological awareness, phonics skills, and word recognition

a. Notices and discriminates rhyme

b. Notices and discriminates alliteration

c. Notices and discriminates discrete units of sound

d. Applies phonics concepts and knowledge of word structure to decode text

Objective 16 Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet

a. Identifies and names letters

b. Uses letter–sound correspondences

Objective 17 Demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses

a. Uses and appreciates books and other texts

b. Uses print concepts

Objective 18 Comprehends and responds to books and other texts

a. Interacts during reading experiences, book conversations, and text reflections

b. Uses emergent reading skills

c. Retells stories and recounts details from informational texts

d. Uses context clues to read and comprehend texts

e. Reads fluently

Objective 19 Demonstrates writing skills

a. Writes name

b. Writes to convey ideas and information

c. Writes using conventions

Objective 37 Demonstrates progress in listening to and understanding English

Objective 38 Demonstrates progress in speaking English

The curriculum has some instructional activities based on research and best practice. For example, In the Teacher Guide Architecture Investigation 3, Day 4 (p. 81), the activity “playing with pre-reading skills” supports phonological awareness by having children sort items by initial sounds. While this aligns to Objective 15 (“demonstrates phonological awareness, phonics skills, and word recognition”), it is presented as an isolated experience rather than part of a structured progression.

At the same time, the curriculum offers many meaningful opportunities for children to explore literacy. Children engage with print, letters, rhymes, new vocabulary, and emergent writing through read-alouds, small groups, interest areas, and daily routines (Volume 3: Literacy, pp. 20–22, 30–35, 44–47, 72–75, 110–115). Intentional Teaching Experiences Cards such as LL08, LL33, LL43, LL55, and LL61 show how teachers can connect literacy to science, storytelling, and creative play, while resources like the Message Board and Dramatic Play Area provide authentic chances to practice language in social and problem-solving contexts (Volume 2: Interest Areas, pp. 85, 92–100).

Supporting resources, such as Language and Literacy Volume 4 and Objectives for Development and Learning, provide research-based components, teacher strategies, and developmental progressions (e.g., Objective 17, “demonstrates knowledge of print and its uses,” p. 96). However, these expectations are not consistently embedded into daily lessons. Some activities do not clearly identify which literacy skills they target (Volume 3: Literacy, pp. 44–46; Volume 2: Interest Areas, pp. 105–108), and lessons can be taught in varying order, limiting coherence. The curriculum does not ensure a systematic sequence for building skills like phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, or early writing (Volume 3: Literacy, pp. 64–70, 72–75, 110–115).

The materials include daily plans with read-alouds and literacy activities that target specific skills, but they are not organized into a clear developmental sequence aligned with literacy milestones. Other than the first Teaching Guide, which relates to the first six weeks of school, and the final one, which relates to the final six weeks (Getting Ready for Kindergarten), there is no single right order for implementing the studies that are part of The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K. The studies can be taught in any order.

The scope and sequence that is provided shows where objectives appear across the studies, but it does not clearly outline what specific skills are taught within each study or capture how the learning builds across each study. The scope and sequence does not include what content is introduced, reinforced, and mastered over time.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials offers developmentally appropriate literacy experiences and multiple opportunities for children to engage with language, print, and emergent writing across daily routines, interest areas, and studies. The materials are grounded in research-based literacy components and provide supportive guidance through foundational resources. However, these strengths are offset by the absence of a clearly articulated scope and sequence that defines how literacy skills are introduced, reinforced, and built over time. Instructional activities are not consistently aligned to explicit literacy goals within lessons, and skill development, particularly in areas such as phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and early writing. The materials lack a systematic progression and rely on flexible implementation rather than intentional sequencing.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for using a comprehensive approach that includes clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured scope and sequence, research-supported instructional practices and mathematical process standards to ensure effective and meaningful mathematical learning experiences (2.1c).

Foundation Volume 5: Mathematics, provides educators with comprehensive content on the components of mathematics, guiding principles for effective instruction, and research-based strategies for fostering young children’s mathematical thinking. The volume addresses five key components of early mathematics learning, including

• number and operations

• geometry and spatial sense

• measurement

• patterns (algebra)

• data analysis

This foundation volume also discusses essential mathematical process skills, including problem-solving, reasoning, communication, connections, and representation. A particular emphasis is placed on strategies that support the integration of mathematics learning across daily routines and activities. There are four objectives that address children’s mathematical learning.

Objective 20. Uses number concepts and operations

a. Counts

b. Quantifies

c. Connects numerals with their quantities

d. Understands and uses place value and base ten

e. Applies properties of mathematical operations and relationships

f. Applies number combinations and mental number strategies in mathematical operations

Objective 21. Explores and describes spatial relationships and shapes

a. Understands spatial relationships

b. Understands shapes

Objective 22. Compares and measures

a. Measures objects

b. Measures time and money

c. Represents and analyzes data

Objective 23. Demonstrates knowledge of patterns Mathematics instruction includes:

• Small-Group Discovery Time: Teachers facilitate focused, play-based activities targeting specific skills, supported by Intentional Teaching Experiences (ITEs).

• Choice Time (Independent Discovery): Children engage in hands-on activities within interest areas that reinforce skills introduced during small-group sessions

The ITEs cards for mathematics outline objectives that are addressed in each lesson and there are some cross-curricular connections; however, clear learning goals are not present. For example, three different cards that address the same objective, Objective 20 Uses number concepts and operations b. Quantifies but has varying learning goals that are not explicitly stated.

• Card M01 Dinnertime-The activity has the teacher demonstrate and describe how to set a table using positional words (beside, above, on top) and ask students questions that encourage counting, separating and combining objects.

• Card MO3 Seek & Find-The activity has the teacher describe a group she’s thinking about (ex. “I am thinking of animals that live in very cold places”) and students look in the basket to find something that belongs to that group. Once the items that belong to that group are found they count the objects.

• Card M05 Sorting & Classifying-The activity has students sort objects by attributes (ie, big, small, color) and then students answer questions about each pile to determine which pile has more, is the smallest, and how are objects the same.

Other than the first Teaching Guide, which relates to the first six weeks of school, and the final one, which relates to the final six weeks (Getting Ready for Kindergarten), there is no single right order for implementing the studies that are part of The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K. The studies can be taught in any order. The scope and sequence that is provided shows where objectives appear across the studies, but it does not clearly outline what specific skills are taught within each study or capture how the learning builds across each study.

The materials provide daily opportunities for focused mathematics instruction through structured lessons and choice time; however, the organization of math content does not reflect a coherent sequence of skill development. For example, in the Percussion Instruments study Investigation 2:

• Day 1 focused Math lesson uses Mighty Minutes 160 labeled Objective 22 Compares & Measures c. Represents and analyzes data, children are asked to retell a story telling what happened first, second, third.

• Day 2 focused Math lesson uses ITE M59 More of Fewer Towers labeled Objective 20 Uses Number Concepts & Operations b. Quantifies, the children are asked to build towers with cubes and play a game where they practice with more or fewer blocks.

• Day 3 focused Math lesson uses ITE M83 Pendulum Power labeled Objective 22 Compares and Measures a. Measures objects, the teacher creates pendulums and the children have access to objects (i.e. blocks, boxes, toilet paper tubes) to stack up and knock over with the pendulums. Children make predictions and experiment with building shorter and higher structures.

Overall, the studies within The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials can be taught in any order, there is no intentional sequencing of mathematics content across the year. While the scope and sequence indicates where objectives appear across studies, it does not specify the particular skills addressed within each study or show how mathematical understanding builds over time. As a result, learning objectives and skill progression are not consistently visible to teachers. Although research-based practices are evident in the foundation volume, the materials would benefit from clearer articulation of learning goals and a more transparent progression of math concepts that is independent of study order.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting science and engineering learning experiences by offering clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals that encompass core knowledge concepts, as well as research-supported instructional practices (2.1d).

Foundation Volume 6: Science and Technology, Social Studies & The Arts, Chapters 1-3 provides educators with comprehensive content on the components of science, guiding principles for effective instruction, and research-based strategies for fostering young children’s scientific understanding and thinking. The volume addresses three key components of science, physical science, life science, and Earth and the environment, as well as four components of technology standards-awareness of technology, basic operations and concepts, tools and equipment, and people and technology. The volume also includes information about incorporating science and technology in classroom interest areas and outdoors.

Five of the objectives address children’s learning in the areas of science and technology, but there isn’t any evidence of clear learning goals for the Science and Technology objectives.

Objective 24: Uses scientific inquiry skills

Objective 25: Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things

Objective 26: Demonstrates knowledge of the physical properties of objects and materials

Objective 27: Demonstrates knowledge of Earth’s environment

Objective 28: Uses tools and other technology to perform tasks

Four of the six studies in The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K explicitly explore and investigate scientific concepts: percussion instruments (sound production), cameras, light and seeds. There aren’t any Intentional Teaching Experiences (ITEs) that explicitly focus on science and technology; however some ITEs cards that have science and technology as related objectives. For example Math ITE card M99 Living or Non-Living supports Objective 25 Demonstrates knowledge of the characteristics of living things by having children identify characteristics of living v/s non-living things and sorting photos.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K provides opportunities for children to engage in inquiry-based investigations that address scientific concepts such as:

Percussion Instruments Study

-What percussion instruments are made of wood?

-What percussion instruments are made of metal?

-How can we make and play them?

-How do you play percussion instruments?

-What sounds do percussion instruments make?

Seeds Study

-What do seeds need to grow?

-How are seeds spread?

-How are seeds alike and different?

-What can we do with seeds?

In the Cameras Unit, instruction spans six weeks with intentionally embedded skills and guiding questions such as, “What does the picture look like when you take a photo of something that is moving?” Choice Time extends learning as children create short videos from photographs, reinforcing technological exploration and creative expression. Children also engage in engineering behaviors as they take apart cameras with small screwdrivers to examine internal components.

Similarly, the Architecture Unit uses a guided discovery approach during Focused Mathematics. On Day 2, students measure objects, predict circumference, compare predictions to actual measurements, and chart their results—activities that support analytical thinking, data interpretation, and early engineering design.

Additional science and engineering practices appear throughout weekly investigations. In the Cameras Unit, children listen to How Big Is a Pig? They participate in questioning and hypothesizing activities tied to environmental concepts such as ocean pollution. During math explorations, students use manipulatives to model patterns found in nature, such as counting beans or replicating arrangements with unit cubes. These tasks deepen observation, prediction, and reasoning skills.

Teachers support these experiences with intentional modeling, visual charts, and structured tools. For example, during outdoor learning in Large Group Round-Up, teachers reference the “Our Project Plan” chart to connect children’s free play with ongoing investigations, reinforcing scientific thinking and project continuity.

There isn’t any content that addresses space science and there are minimal engineering practices. Science and Technology objectives are listed in the Year Ahead guide (scope & sequence) rather than within daily lesson plans, making it difficult to track progression or understand how concepts increase in complexity across studies.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials offers children meaningful opportunities to engage in science learning through hands-on investigations, inquiry-based studies, and guided discovery experiences that support observation, questioning, and exploration. While these experiences incorporate elements of science and technology across multiple units, the curriculum does not consistently articulate clear, explicit learning goals within daily lesson plans, nor does it document a coherent progression of science and engineering skills across studies.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting social studies learning experiences by offering developmentally-appropriate learning goals that encompass core knowledge concepts, as well as research-supported instructional practices (2.1e).

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting behavioral self-management (2.2c). The materials provide consistent and varied opportunities for children to develop behavioral self-management skills across units, routines, and learning contexts. Children regularly practice listening and attention through read-alouds (Volume 3: Literacy, pp. 44–47), small-group activities such as the “Mystery Bag” game (Intentional Teaching Card LL05), and following directions during play experiences in Dramatic Play (Volume 2, p. 86). These experiences offer frequent opportunities to focus, respond to prompts, and engage with peers in both structured and playful settings.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting receptive and expressive language development (2.3a). Daily structures such as large group meetings, question of the day, interactive read-alouds, small groups, and choice time create frequent opportunities for children to talk, listen, and share ideas (Volume 1: The Foundation, pp. 82–84). Read-alouds are designed as interactive experiences, with teacher prompts to predict, retell, and explain story events, guidance for repeated readings, and bilingual vocabulary supports (Volume 3: Literacy, pp. 44–47). Pre-reading activities, such as alliteration games (Light, Investigation 3, Day 3, p. 80), further strengthen vocabulary and phonemic awareness.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for providing opportunities to engage with vocabulary words and related concepts (2.3b). Each part of every Teaching Guide includes an At-a-Glance chart that identifies the important vocabulary (in both English and Spanish) that the teacher should introduce/reinforce during that part of the study.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting children’s comprehension and understanding through a variety of high-quality texts and genres (2.3e).

The materials include 44 texts, made up of 34 literary texts and 10 informational texts. This reflects a strong emphasis on narrative and story-based reading experiences, while still intentionally incorporating informational texts to build background knowledge, vocabulary, and early content understanding.

Across the texts, authors and illustrators represent a range of racial and ethnic identities, with White and Latinx/Hispanic creators most frequently represented, alongside Black/African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, Biracial, Multiracial, and Other identities. Several informational texts are credited to teams at Teaching Strategies, rather than individual authors or illustrators.Texts include a mix of female, male, and collaborative author/illustrator teams.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting development in patterns, structure, and algebraic thinking (2.4e)

In the Year Ahead Guide, patterns (Objective 23) are spaced throughout the curriculum. Each unit, according to the Year Ahead guide, has at least 2 weeks where patterns are taught. Students engage in experiences such as identifying and extending patterns with manipulatives, drawing repeating patterns, and acting out rhythmic or movement-based patterns.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for promoting the core ideas of life science, physical science, earth and space science, and engineering and technology through inquiry-based experiences (2.5a).

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for promoting the core ideas of visual arts, music, dance and drama through experiences that support artistic skill development (2.7a). The curriculum integrates fine arts elements such as music, visual art, drama, and limited dance experiences, though these are primarily presented through unstructured and exploratory activities rather than guided instruction. The Year Ahead guide indicates that all fine arts domains are present within each unit; however, the balance across visual arts, music, dance, and drama is inconsistent. While the materials suggest that these domains are embedded throughout the curriculum, implementation leans heavily on exploration and play without guided instruction. For instance, in the Percussion Unit, students are invited to experiment with instruments, but the resource does not provide guidance on how to interpret or build skills from the different sounds, vibrations, and tones. An example is seen on Day 1, when students fill cups and discuss their discoveries without any accompanying teaching points.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for embedding artistic expression, ideas, and artistic work through integrated and interdisciplinary experiences (2.7b). The curriculum provides moderate opportunities for artistic expression, but integration is inconsistent and uneven across domains. Music is the most consistently incorporated fine arts area, appearing in activities such as singing during read-alouds and experimenting with instruments during choice time. Fine arts opportunities often occur during unstructured play, including role-play and imaginative activities, but these experiences are not consistently connected to core instructional concepts. As a result, teachers are frequently left to interpret whether and how these activities align with the fine arts domain, limiting coherence and instructional depth.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting the development of cognitive processes (2.9a). The Teaching Guides for each study emphasize activities and experiences that invite children to ask questions, make connections, analyze information, make decisions and think logically as they explore and learn about the world. For example:

In the Camera Study, in the Exploring the Topic Large Group Focused Project Learning: Discussion and Shared Writing it shows: ● Display the What We Know About Cameras chart near the large-group area.

• Say, “Look at our chart! We already know a lot of things about cameras. Let’s think about some things we would like to learn about cameras!”

• Encourage the children to share their questions about cameras. Record their responses on a new chart titled What We Want to Find Out About Cameras.

• As the children respond, expand on their language and help them form questions. For example, a child might say, “My papa has a camera in the kitchen. We use it to call my grandma.” You could respond by saying, “You want to find out more about how we use cameras to talk to other people. I will write, ‘How do we use cameras to communicate with other people?’ on the chart.” (p. 26)