What’s Evidence-Based Curriculum and Why Does It Matter?
If you’ve been searching for preschools or early childhood education programs for your child, you might have come across a term called “evidence-based curriculum” or “research-based curriculum.”
The term refers to educational practices in the field of early childhood education that pull together the best available research, professional opinions, and relevant data to provide a positive educational experience—and lead to the best long-term outcomes for children.
What is an Evidence-Based Curriculum?
Research- or evidence-based curricula in early childhood education is founded on the most recent research on early child development and learning—particularly around the first 2,000 days of a child’s life.
Evidence-based childhood curriculum delivers helpful content and teaching practices that support a child’s long-term growth and development.
Common Evidence-Based Practices
The most common evidence-based curriculum in early childhood education is Creative Curriculum. This program relies on a strong foundation of research to foster positive early childhood experiences. Onslow County Preschool Programs and our Early Head Start program use both Creative Curriculum and its accompanying assessment program, TS Gold, to provide the best learning experience for enrolled children.
Creative Curriculum
Creative Curriculum is based on 38 unique objectives for early learning and development—including predictors of school success and school readiness standards. Creative Curriculum aligns with the Common Core State Standards, the state’s early learning guidelines, and the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework.
The core objectives at the heart of Creative Curriculum help teachers guide a pathway for positive behaviors in early learning and development, including:
Social-Emotional
Physical
Language
Cognitive
Literacy
Mathematics
Science and Technology
Social Studies
The Arts
English Language Acquisition
The underlying philosophy of Creative Curriculum is that young children learn best by doing. Creative Curriculum includes developmentally appropriate goals and objectives for children under four core categories:
Teaching Strategies GOLD
Teaching Strategies GOLD is the formative assessment system for Creative Curriculum. It is an authentic, ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten.
TS Gold helps teachers to observe children in the context of everyday experiences. It includes four key components: Objectives for Development and Learning, Child Assessment Portfolio, Assessment Opportunity Cards, and On-the-Spot Observation Recording Tool.
When using TS Gold in the classroom, the assessment helps teachers understand what behaviors each child presents are most important—and how to gather information in order to plan meaningful learning experiences. By observing a child’s behavior in the classroom over time, teachers are better equipped to support each child’s growth and development.
Enroll Your Child in Preschool
If your child turns 3 or 4 years old by August 31st, it’s time to apply for preschool! One Place’s preschool programs serve more than 700 children annually and help provide a solid foundation for a lifetime of success.