What Are The Best
Preschool Curriculum Programs?

As a preschool teacher, or parent of a preschooler, you may be looking for the best preschool curriculum, but you're not sure where to start. There have been several research studies conducted on the topic of early childhood curriculum models and which ones have the most positive impact on student achievement. Here at the Preschool Professor, I have pored over the research to bring you the most up-to-date reviews of what is available.

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Definition of Preschool Curriculum

Before we begin our discussion on the options that preschool teachers have for curriculum programs, we first have to start by defining what curriculum is. Preprimary curriculum can be defined as: The content and organization of the preschool program, including all daily activities, transitions, and routines which have an impact on the child's physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.

Early education curriculum models abound on the internet. A quick search on the topic results in millions of websites. But what should an excellent program include?

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What to Look for in a Preschool Curriculum Program

There are certain criteria that should be met when looking for the best program. The models that you are evaluating should be:

**Based on current child development research. It is not acceptable to just throw out a program that is purely "fun." The creators must actually know how children learn best and incorporate that into their model.

**Practical to implement. It should have guidelines for not only how to structure the learning activities themselves, but also on how to set up the learning environment, how to interact with parents (if you are a classroom teacher), and how to adapt lessons to meet individuals' needs.

**Provide support and training. This is especially important in the beginning, when teachers and support staff are learning the materials themselves.

**Appealing to children. Of course, the activities that the children participate in should be engaging, as well as be instructional.

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Classroom Curriculum Programs

There are several preschool curriculum models that stand out to me as being the best. They each meet the above criteria. See each program's page for additional information.

HighScope Curriculum 

Creative Curriculum

Montessori Preschool

The Project Approach

Theme-Based Model

Reggio Emilia Approach

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You may also be interested in:

Christian Preschool Curriculum Reviews

Preschool Homeschool Curriculum Reviews

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