One of the most widely used preschool programs in the U.S. is the Creative Curriculum. It is a research-based curriculum program for early learning classrooms. Several resources are available when you use the creative curriculum, including teaching guides, assessment objectives and professional development. The system also includes a tool to help you align the Creative Curriculum to almost every state's standards for prekindergarten and preschool. The alignment tools include a chart that details the standards for your state, along with the specific curriculum component, as well as where you can find it in your resources that aligns with that standard.
HighReach is another curriculum program that offers alignment tools for many state's early learning standards. Its comprehensive curriculum includes program materials and professional development opportunities as well as state standards' aligned assessment tools. HighReach offers project-focused learning opportunities and a wealth of developmentally appropriate activities that align with most state's early learning standards. It includes easy-to-use charts that outline the curricular activity offered and which state standard the activity or lesson aligns with.
A professionally developed curriculum that includes teaching resources as well as classroom materials that can be ordered monthly or for the entire year, the Mother Goose Time curriculum is theme-based and includes hands-on activities for young children that align with several state's early learning standards. Also included in the curriculum are observation-based assessment tools. While Mother Goose Time does align with many state standards, it does not include a chart for each state, outlining the standards addressed. However, the teacher's lesson plan book provided by the company does list the skills taught for each activity.
HighScope is a research based curriculum that is widely used in many state-funded preschool and prekindergarten programs. In fact, HighScope researchers are often called upon to evaluate many state-funded preschool programs and the effectiveness of their early learning initiatives. The curriculum for preschools includes developmentally appropriate lesson plans and themes as well as tips for room arrangement, classroom management techniques and tips to creating a daily routine. In this way, the HighScope approach affects the entire classroom, not just the lesson plan. The assessment included in the HighScope plan is called the Child Observation Record (COR). The COR, combined with HighScope's quality assessment, paints a very vivid picture of the classroom as a whole and can easily be aligned with state standards for early learning.