Know

Two of the most basic and at the same time significant questions preschool professionals need to consider are: “What should the preschoolers in my care know?” and “How do we know if preschool children are making progress in their development and learning what we want them to know?” Spend a few seconds thinking about how you would respond to each of these two questions.

You may have noticed that the “what” in this question refers to the curriculum, or in other words, the experiences and activities you plan and use in your daily interactions with preschool children. And that the “how” in this question refers to the assessment, or in other words, the ways in which you find out about preschoolers’ development and progress over time.

Meaningful Experiences for Preschool Children and Families

Preschool children attending child care programs should have a variety of experiences that are developmentally appropriate, intellectually stimulating, engaging, and fun. High-quality programs rely on a well written, evidence-based curriculum as the foundation for preschool teachers to use when planning daily experiences and activities. Your program may have a chosen curriculum, assessment, and format for documenting children’s growth and development. This curriculum, assessment, and program evaluation that your center uses will directly impact how you as a preschool teacher manage your classroom.

As a preschool professional, you bring your own personality, talents, and interests in your work with young children to bring the written curriculum to life. The curriculum should build upon the current interests, experiences, and backgrounds of the children in your setting. Families should be invited to share information, knowledge, and skills with you in their child’s classroom. Adaptations and modifications to the chosen curriculum can be undertaken with the help of special education support staff (e.g., early interventionist or inclusion facilitator), or with the help of your Training & Curriculum Specialist (T&CS). You should refer to your Service- specific policies for guidance when making adaptations and modifications. Your program’s T&CS and administrator will support you in promoting high-quality developmentally appropriate practices for all preschool children in your care.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC, 2020) defines developmentally appropriate practice as “methods that promote each child’s optimal development and learning through a strengths-based, play-based approach to joyful, engaged learning.” NAEYC further highlights the following principles and guidelines to support your implementation of developmentally appropriate practice:

• Recognize the multiple assets all children bring to your program as unique individuals and as members of families and communities.
• Build on each child’s strengths, and design and implement learning environments to help all children achieve their full potential across all domains of development and across all content areas.

Recognize and support each individual as a valued member of the learning community, including practices that are culturally, linguistically, and ability appropriate for each child.

What are Indicators of Effective Curriculum?

As a preschool teacher, your goal is to implement experiences and activities that are carefully planned, engaging, developmentally appropriate, and culturally and linguistically responsive, and which promote growth and positive outcomes for all the children in your care. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) (2009), an effective curriculum can be identified by the following indicators:

• Preschool children in your classroom and program are active and engaged.
• Goals for preschoolers are clear and are shared by all (yourself, families, any related professionals or support personnel, your T&CS or administrator). 
• The curriculum is evidence-based. In other words, it is based on research-oriented knowledge about quality practices in the field of early childhood education.
• Experiences and activities are meaningful, intentional, and involve preschool children’s engagement with, and exploration of, their environment.
• Experiences and activities build on preschool children’s prior learning and knowledge.
• The curriculum is comprehensive and addresses all areas of child development.

Gathering information about the development of preschool children in your care helps you make informed decisions about their growth, and helps to identify needs and concerns that may require further support.  Your goal is to implement assessment practices that are respectful of each child’s unique strengths in their abilities and needs, developmentally appropriate, encompass all areas of development, include communications with families, and are culturally sensitive. Furthermore, your assessment practices should be based on a thorough knowledge of child development, help children see themselves as capable and competent learners, and be respectful and acknowledging of children’s and families’ varied cultural experiences.

The assessment practices you implement will play an essential role as you manage your classroom, and you should use this assessment information to support growth and positive outcomes for all children. In doing so, be sure to familiarize yourself with the following indicators of effective assessment practices, as stated by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE) (2009):

• Assessments are developmentally appropriate and culturally and linguistically sensitive for preschool children in your care. 
• Families know about assessments and are invited to be part of the process.
• Assessment information and evidence is gathered from realistic settings and situations that reflect preschoolers’ actual performance within their daily experiences.  
• The assessment is developmentally and educationally significant for each child.
• Assessments include multiple sources of evidence about a preschooler’s performance and are gathered over time.
• Evidence gathered from assessments is used to better understand preschool children and improve their development and learning.
• Assessment practices are ethical and responsible. For example, assessment instruments or screening tools are appropriately used based upon their intended design and purpose.
• Assessment evidence is collected in multiple and realistic ways, and any decisions regarding a child are not based on a single observation or assessment tool. In addition, children are not publicly compared to one another, rather they, and their families, are encouraged to reflect on the child’s own growth over time.

You should work with your T&CS or administrator to ensure that assessment practices are developmentally appropriate for the children in your care. Your program administration will ensure that you have the necessary resources (e.g., classroom or playground supplies, materials, equipment) and supports (e.g., observational feedback on your practices, additional resources) needed to promote these experiences and offer children and their families high-quality care and education.  

Considering your Own Professional Development

In order to be knowledgeable about quality practices in the field of early childhood education, you must stay informed on research and developments in the field. Joining a professional organization (e.g., NAEYC and the Division for Early Childhood) is an excellent way to receive timely information about what is new in the field. Websites that contain evidence-based information can be bookmarked and you can participate in  online workshops and webinars. Attending local or state conferences is another way to learn about evidence-based practices and keep current on new information in the field of early care and specifically on preschoolers.  

Your T&CS can be a great resource and mentor in your professional development. They can answer questions or address concerns you may have, conduct focused observations on your work with preschool children, give constructive feedback, assist you in identifying further or specific training, and help you with accessing resources like: books, articles, or videos, and support your overall professional growth. You may also consider looking for a mentor, book group, or seeking out groups on social media where you can share ideas and news about the early childhood field. You will be a better teacher and advocate for the children and families in your care when you attend to your own professional development. 

See

Do

In your daily work as a preschool professional, engage in the following practices with children, families, and colleagues:

• Get to know the children and families in your care. Plan for bias-free experiences, materials, and assessment. This includes treating each child and family member with respect, and acknowledging and honoring individual differences in abilities, gender, cultural backgrounds, experiences, family income, and family composition.
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate choices and experiences for preschool children.
• Have developmentally appropriate expectations for children’s behaviors.
• Ensure the curriculum goals are the basis for planning experiences and activities for preschool children, and make sure that you offer opportunities for each child to achieve those goals. During this process, make sure to invite families’ input.
• Review curriculum goals with colleagues or your supervisors.
• Act in a responsible, reliable, and dependable manner. Be at work on time, be prepared, and communicate clearly with children, families, colleagues and supervisors.
• Support practices that are ethical, responsible, and developmentally appropriate. Speak out when they are not. Familiarize yourself with your program’s or service’s regulations, standards, and expectations for high-quality practices. Remember to always look to your T&CS for guidance on difficult situations.
• Develop and cultivate a collaborative spirit and work with colleagues. Ask a more experienced preschool teacher questions about his or her practice or offer ideas to a colleague who may be newer than you and may need assistance.