Analysis of the Exceed Preschool Curriculum

Research conducted by Elisabeth Russell-McKenzie, PhD, MEd, BS

Child, Adolescent & Educational Psychology; Program Evaluation & Applied Research:

Eastern University, PA

Email:emckenzi@eastern.edu

“When I observed enthusiastic preschool teachers everywhere struggling to provide a quality program using the ‘We write our own curriculum’ philosophy, my mission became crystal clear. I knew I needed to fill the obvious void with a comprehensive preschool curriculum for teachers and the children entrusted to them.”

Jean P. Copeland (Co-author, Exceed Preschool Curriculum)

Summary

• Exceed Preschool Curriculum® is in keeping with NAEYC guidelines, and is built on evidence-based practice and current thinking about developmentally appropriate practices for preschoolers.


• Exceed Preschool Curriculum is easy to implement, utilizing everyday easily accessible materials and is appropriate for use by all teachers regardless of qualification and previous preschool experience.


• The lessons include a balance of child-guided and teacher-guided experiences, as well as individual, small-group and large-group experiences. Suggested activities incorporate play through which the students learn cognitive skills and develop socially and emotionally.


• Exceed Preschool Curriculum is an excellent curriculum for preschool programs fulfilling standards and guidelines as set out by early childhood advocates.

Background and Purpose

The quote above from one of the authors of this curriculum provides a clear indication of why the Exceed Preschool Curriculum® was developed. From Freidrich Froebel’s (1782-1852) initial contributions in the development of a curriculum which emphasized the role of structured play in the education of young children and the training of teachers to work with children in a communal setting[1] to the more recent recognition of the high long-term return on investment for students who attend high-quality preschools,[2] leaders in education, science, medicine, government, and business have acknowledged the value in adopting and implementing high quality early childhood education and development initiatives for all preschool aged children, especially three- and four-year-olds. To quote the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER), “Research demonstrates that high-quality preschool education can substantially increase children's chances of succeeding in school and in life. Children who attend high quality pre-kindergarten programs are less likely to be held back a grade, less likely to need special education and more likely to graduate high school.”[3] Other studies have shown that “a high-quality preschool program has also been effective in reducing at-risk children’s later violent crime rates, in addition to increasing their education level and economic self-sufficiency.[4] [5]”

However the question has been “what does high-quality, developmentally (and more recently culturally) appropriate early childhood education look like?” given the variety of contexts within which these services are offered. NIEER’s Preschool Policy Matters 2002 issue states that the “two generally accepted approaches to measuring the quality of early childhood programs focus on process and structure.” Process quality emphasizes the actual experiences that occur in educational settings:-

• Positive relationships between teachers and children.


• The room is well-equipped, with sufficient materials and toys.


• Communication occurs throughout the day, with mutual listening, talking/responding, and encouragement to use reasoning and problem-solving.


• Opportunities for art, music/movement, science, math, block play, sand, water, and dramatic play are provided daily.


• There are materials and activities to promote understanding and acceptance of diversity.


• Parents are encouraged to be involved in all aspects of the program.

Structural quality examines indicators such as teacher-child ratios, class size, qualifications and compensation of teachers and staff, supervision and evaluation of, and opportunities for professional growth.[6]  While structural quality is usually regulated by state and national standards, process quality is more variable. However the curriculum adopted by the preschool program can greatly contribute to the process quality of the program.

Additionally, “Because children learn more in programs where there is a well planned and implemented curriculum, it is important for every school and early childhood program to have its curriculum in written form.[7]” So given the increasing demand for quality early childhood programs for this age group, the developers of the Exceed Preschool Curriculum pulling on their almost 70 years of combined experience in the field of early childhood education, have created a program based on the latest research on early childhood education, designed to encourage both process and more indirectly, structural quality.

The Exceed Preschool Curriculum is a year-round theme-based preschool program, designed for 3-year-olds in half day and 4-year-olds in full day programs. Developmentally and culturally appropriate practices are the basis for all programming decisions with both programs providing detailed, pre-written lesson plans with defined skills in scope and sequence. The Exceed Preschool Curriculum provides a rich array of experiences for the preschool child through the development of Language/Literacy, and Math skills, the inclusion of art, music, science and cultural activities, motor skill development and the daily classroom explorations of individual or small groups of children in a variety of learning centers. It also provides opportunities for children to learn self-regulation and socialization skills by following directions, sharing, taking turns, and experiencing other socialization skills in a group setting.

Additionally, some of the themes enhance multicultural learning by introducing other cultures and customs, e.g. in November near Thanksgiving, 4-year-olds investigate Native American Indians, and in February, they learn about famous African-Americans. During the summer, they also embark on an imaginary worldwide trip. Each week they visit a different country as they travel around the globe. They also review skills including letters and beginning sounds, colors, shapes, matching sets, completing puzzles, counting 1-20, copying letters and simple shapes, learned during the fall and spring. An addition to the Language Focus is a writing program designed to giving youngsters an extra boost in expanding their readiness skills for entry into kindergarten. Meanwhile, the 3-year- olds take imaginary vacations to the beach and the mountains. They also review skills including the letters, colors, and shapes that were introduced from September through May. Some of the theme-related topics include "Sun," "Sand," "Shells," "Fish," "Forest Animals,” and "Hiking."

Another component of this curriculum is the pre-written weekly Parent Letter through which parent's get a first look at the skills and activities for the coming week. It can be read in less than five minutes and provides parents with ways they can participate in their children's preschool experience without actually being in the classroom. These include suggested questions to ask children about their daily activities and parent observations. Suggested parent observations are included since certain skills may also be observed during daily home routines.

The Exceed Preschool Curriculum meets all the standards for effective early childhood education curricula as outlined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s “Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs”[8] and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education’s “Guidelines for Appropriate Curriculum Content and Assessment in Programs Serving Children Ages 3 through 8”[9]. This theme-based curriculum is based on a philosophy of education which views children as active learners participating and helping to direct their own learning and developmental experiences under the guidance of, and when necessary with the assistance of a teacher [10]. The curriculum also incorporates the findings of recent research on the brain that illustrate the importance of positive age-appropriate stimulation from birth in children’s cognitive, personal, emotional, social and physical development.

The Exceed Preschool Curriculum is a semi-scripted model especially useful in smaller preschool settings where teachers do not have much previous training. The curriculum provides staff opportunities for on-the-job training through detailed, pre-written lesson plans which include morning and afternoon supply lists, activities for each of the focal areas including circle time, language/literacy, math, center time, science, music, and art. It also includes monthly observation checklists for quickly assessing and recording each child’s progress from the developmental areas of language/literacy, cognition, fine motor, gross motor, self-help, and socialization. Skills introduced are age-appropriate and presented in sequence, if needed, for clarity. Transition suggestions presented between activities provide classroom management techniques that allow children the opportunity to feel in control of their environment. They are able to move smoothly between activities with very little guidance.

So the goals of the Exceed Preschool Curriculum are:-

• To be based on a judicious combination of the relevant, available research, and practical classroom experiences


• To create a stimulating learning environment by providing varied learning experiences which enhance development physically, cognitively, socially, emotionally


• To be suitable for teachers with all levels of experience, education and training


• To be highly intuitive for the teacher and quickly integrated into the flow of daily activities in the classroom


• To provide a clear and consistent format that ensures appropriate transitions from one activity to the next


• To conduct ongoing assessments of children that guide instruction


• To effectively communicate with parents


• To prepare young children to enter the next phase in their learning, whether in a  public or private setting, with a smooth transition and all the necessary knowledge to exceed.