New Curriculum Brings Project-Based Investigations to Kindergarten

BETHESDA, MD--(Marketwired - Jun 21, 2016) - Early learning pioneer Teaching Strategies today announced plans to expand The Creative Curriculum® to provide kindergarten teachers with a research-based, whole-child focused curriculum to support project-based teaching and learning.

The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten is being developed in response to educator demand for resources to help cultivate hands-on, investigation-based learning experiences in kindergarten classrooms. While children currently spend considerably less time on self-directed learning than they did fifteen years ago, research suggests that project-based investigations in the earliest years are critical for engaging children and teaching them how to critically analyze information and apply content knowledge in real-world situations.

"One of the most powerful features of project-based learning is that children have the opportunity to really develop critical process skills, like observing, connecting ideas, problem-solving, communicating -- skills that we use to learn throughout our lives," said Kai-leé Berke, a former kindergarten teacher and CEO of Teaching Strategies. "There's no better way to create a foundation for future school success than to have children leave the kindergarten classroom with the skills that they need to be lifelong learners."

For over 25 years, early childhood programs across the country have been using Teaching Strategies' research-based curriculum, professional development resources, and observational assessment tools to promote positive outcomes for young children. The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten builds upon decades of research, offering educators a developmentally appropriate, wrap-around curriculum that includes teaching guides and other daily practice resources to help educators integrate studies, or project-based investigations of science and social studies topics, into everyday instruction. 

Across the country, early elementary educators are embracing the project-based approach to learning, which has been used in high-quality preschool programs for decades.

"Kingwood Public Schools is moving towards project-based investigations to support the New Jersey Approaches to Learning guidelines," said Dr. Rick Falkenstein, Chief School Administrator of the Kingwood Township School District in New Jersey. "This approach will provide students with an environment that not only develops discrete skills but also supports executive functioning."

The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten, which integrates research-based teaching methods and developmentally appropriate objectives for kindergarten-aged students, will be piloted in Fall 2016 in over 50 kindergarten classrooms nationwide and is anticipated to be released in January 2017.

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 over 25 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.