Curriculum

The Circle Infant and Toddler Curriculum provides everything your program needs to implement positive and engaging learning environments and experiences that support children’s individual needs, interests, and abilities while building a joy for learning.

The Circle Activity Collection: Infant and Toddler translates research into practice through a variety of hands-on, play-based learning activities that teachers can implement in their classrooms in whole groups, small groups, and with individual children. Access the collection for free with your CLI Engage account.

The Circle Activity Collection: Pre-K to Grade 2 translates research into practice through a variety of hands-on activities that school-age teachers can implement in their classrooms. Filter these play-based activities by learning area or setting (e.g., small group). Access the collection for free with your CLI Engage account.

The Circle Pre-K Curriculum includes Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides for use throughout the school year. You can use the Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides together to provide weekly instruction that comprehensively supports the cognitive, social, and emotional development of prekindergarten children. Download all the components from CLI Engage at no cost or purchase printed versions of these same files.

Choose a checklist—Infant and Todder, Preschool, or School-Age—to determine whether the purchased or program-created curriculum being used is developmentally appropriate for the children served. For a curriculum to be considered “approved” for Texas Rising Star scoring, the curriculum must meet all criteria on the checklist.

This course by Texas A&M AgriLife explores how curriculum and assessment are implemented through a model of planning, assessment, and modification. This course is $12 to access.

The Early Learning Matters (ELM) Curriculum is an extensive, research-informed program created to support the optimal learning and development of children from birth to five years of age. ELM offers a comprehensive, developmentally appropriate approach to meaningful learning for all children.

This weekly lesson plan template is for infant/toddler practitioners to document structured learning activities and additional instruction notes. Using a template similar to this shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning guidelines, and there is evidence teaching staff receive feedback on lesson planning as a type of curriculum support on a regular basis.

Here is an instructional plan template for practitioners to document the learning goals and instruction details for a structured classroom activity. Using a template like the one provided shows the planned activity has a learning objective aligned with the early learning standards or guidelines that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes Framework serves as a guide to what children should know and be able to do in five developmental domains. Practitioners can use this framework to see the relevant subdomains, goals, progressions, and indicators, as well as a type of curriculum planning support for weekly planning and delivery of classroom instruction.

This weekly lesson plan template is for preschool practitioners to document structured learning activities and additional instruction notes. Using a template similar to this shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning guidelines, and there is evidence teaching staff receive feedback on lesson planning as a type of curriculum support on a regular basis. (Document will automatically download.)

This sample lesson plan shows how “focus skills,” or the skills children are developing, are targeted in the classroom activity selections for the week. It also includes planning for different instructional formats (e.g., circle time, centers) and connects to home-based activities. Programs can work up to this level of detail by first being more intentional about selecting activities that cover multiple learning areas.

Here is a weekly lesson plan template for practitioners to document their structured learning activities, as well as additional instruction notes, for the school-age specified age group. Using a template similar to the one provided shows there are planned activities with learning objectives aligned with early learning standards that help children meet specific developmental benchmarks.

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are the state standards for what students should know and be able to do. A high-quality curriculum ensures full coverage of TEKS, is aligned with research-based instructional strategies in each subject area, and supports all learners.

The Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines (ITELG) describe expectations about what children should know and be able to do across domains of learning during specific age ranges, as well as what steps caregivers should take to support healthy development. ELPs should consider these guidelines when choosing a curriculum. Visit CLI Engage for free ITELG training.

The Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (TPG) have been developed to provide guidance for planning quality learning experiences for all children three to five years of age. Aligning intentional instructional practices and opportunities for play, exploration, discovery, and problem-solving with the learning outcomes will promote successful learning for all children. Visit CLI Engage for free TPG training.

This guide is discusses the features of a quality curriculum and provides recommendations for implementing and evaluating a curriculum. Programs and mentors can refer to different sections of this guide as a professional learning resource when making decisions about a curriculum and/or improving curriculum implementation.