Curriculum & Instructional Strategies
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Description: When children can fully access their learning environment, they participate and learn. Discover how disability services coordinators can help program staff think about ways to give children with disabilities or suspected delays access to a full range of learning experiences and activities. Explore how to support educators to recognize each child's level of participation. Learn how to set up the learning environment for full participation and when to modify activities and materials, including...
Description: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for increasing access to education environments and opportunities, including in infant and toddler settings. Learning environments, materials, and activities are planned ahead of time, with the aim of welcoming all learners. UDL supports all children, including infants and toddlers with disabilities, to help them engage more fully in learning. It doesn't take the place of individualized curriculum modifications necessary for particular...
Description: Early Literacy - IES Practice Guide: Preparing Young Children for School (Literacy Sections 5-7) (2022), Elementary - IES Practice Guide Foundational Skills to Support Reading for Understanding in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2016), IES Practice Guide: Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade (2010), IES Practice Guide: Teaching Elementary School Students to Be Effective Writers (2012), IES Practice Guide: Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective...
Description: The Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP) aims to build a more comprehensive understanding of school readiness. As an assessment system, VKRP adds measures of mathematics, self-regulation, and social skills in Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten to complement Virginia’s statewide assessment of literacy skills (Pre-K Language and Literacy Screener and PALS K-3). VKRP uses the Early Mathematics Assessment System (EMAS) to measure children’s mathematical thinking. The EMAS is a...
Description: In this Teacher Time episode, explore the math component of STEAM.(STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art, and math.) Learn how preschoolers explore everyday math concepts through daily routines and interactions. Preschool teachers and family child care providers will learn strategies and teaching practices that help all children explore math. Discover ways to use art to encourage math concepts and skills. Additional resource includes a document with Books That Support Math...
Description: Before they start school, most children develop an understanding of addition and subtraction through everyday interactions. Learn what informal activities give children a head start on early math skills when they start school.
Description: The 2022 VATTS: Resource Guide provides instructional strategies, AT solutions, modifications, accommodations, and examples used to address areas of need identified through the AT consideration process to support student success. There are two Resource Guide PDFs: an ADA Compliant version and a printable table version.
Description: This practice guide, developed in conjunction with an expert panel, distills contemporary early childhood and preschool education research into seven easily comprehensible and practical recommendations. The guidance will help to prepare young children to benefit from the learning opportunities they will encounter in school.
Description: Arts integration can inspire children with a lifelong love of learning and of the performing arts. When you bring the arts into the classroom, you create joyful, active learning experiences that engage children in ways that can increase academic and social-emotional development for all kinds of learners. Wolf Trap Institute’s professional development empowers infant, toddler, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to integrate the performing arts into their classrooms. For more than 35...
Description: A Guide to Adaptations - Adaptations, such as those shared in this guide, can ensure that each and every child, including young children with disabilities, can fully participate and engage in STEM [and other] learning opportunities and experiences at home, in early childhood programs, and in the community.
Description: This guide highlights evidence-based practices to be used by adults or, in some instances by other children, to facilitate children’s participation in everyday routines, learning experiences, and activities. Each section (e.g., prompting, scaffolding, modeling, descriptive talking, wait time, and reinforcement) includes a description of the practice, examples of how it might be implemented, and links to additional information.
Description: In this TedX Talk, Grace Lin, award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, shows how the books that are not on a child’s bookshelf are just as important as those that are. Lin shares how books provide children with a window into the larger world, as well as a mirror for self-reflection, both of which foster our ability to build bridges of tolerance. Use the guiding questions provided to connect the message from this webinar to your classroom.
Description: Presentation Recordings from VDOE Family Literacy Night Family Literacy Night included presentations on the following topics: Early Childhood: Early Literacy Starts at Home Assessment Supports: An Explanation of Your Student's SOL Reports Family Field Trips: Connecting Literacy to the Commonwealth Family Engagement: Supports for the Home Virginia State Literacy Association: Choosing Books for the Children in your Lives Virginia Association for Teachers of English Equity & Community...
Description: Ensuring that all children are supported to reach their full potential and have access to learning opportunities that are equitable and strengths-based is central to high quality teaching and professional development. This documents includes some resources that may help you to create spaces and opportunities that value the identities and experiences of all children and families.
Description: This website is designed as a home base for attendees of CTERM, AMSET, the Content Teaching Academies, Creating Connections to Shining Stars, and the Journey Into Teaching Academy to find resources, demonstrations, and trial information related to UDL (Universal Design for Learning) and assistive technology (AT) tools described in our sessions. Use the category tabs (UDL, Reading AT, Writing AT, Math AT, Science AT and Early Childhood) at the top of the screen to begin your playtime!
Description: This webpage includes the recorded webinars that are posted within 24 to 48 hours after the session concludes. Presenters ofth provide additional resources that may include handouts, and links. The resources are listed in reverse order, with the most recent session listed first. (Please note: You must register to view the recording.)
Description: Young Athletes is a unique sport and play program for children ages two to seven with and without intellectual disabilities. Our focus is on fun activities that are important to mental and physical growth. Children enjoy activities that develop motor skills like balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination. In fact, in a recent study, children with developmental delays who participated in a structured eight-week Young Athletes program showed...
Description: Featuring: Erin Saxon, Education Specialist, TTAC ODU—Narrator, Jessica Braun, CCC-SLP, Alicia McCarthy and Anna Ashleson, Co-Teachers As many educators expand their knowledge and skills in providing virtual instruction, this webinar highlights some high-tech options for those looking to level up their implementation of instruction that engages younger students. Three educators from Norfolk Public Schools have worked to expand not just their skills, but creativity in providing virtual...
Description: State and district personnel, faculty, and school personnel often find it difficult to locate reliable, effective resources that translate the latest research on evidence-based practices into practical information that educators can use to improve learning and behavior outcomes for all children. The IRIS alignment tools are a user-friendly way to learn more about which of the IRIS resources align with high-leverage practices (HLPs), state-identified measurable results (SiMRs) topics, and the...
Description: A core component of a high-quality early education experience is that children are provided opportunities, experiences and materials that allow them to engage deeply within developmental/early learning domains to build their school readiness skills. Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning articulates the skills and knowledge young children need to demonstrate by the end of preschool in order to be successful in kindergarten. Using effective curricula helps ensure that children are...
Description: In every classroom, every home with every kid, helping to manage hard-to-have feelings and challenging behaviors; resulting in happier, better-adjusted people everywhere.
Description: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. Developmentally Appropriate Approaches to Literacy: Books Articles Blog Classrooom Favorites: Articles To Share with Families Articles Most Recent Articles
Description: It’s fascinating to watch young children learn about their world and develop new skills. And, it’s natural to find variation in the pace of development of different skills. The information and resources in this section will help parents and educators understand and support preschool-aged children's development. Early Literacy Early Math Early Childhood Resource Locator
Description: Research shows that engaging families in education is critical not only to a child’s success, but to the entire family’s economic and social well-being. The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) promotes family education solutions across three approaches by engaging families, educators, administrators, and advocates to drive results and ultimately reduce education inequities. Our work supports multigenerational learning for families from early childhood through adult...
Description: The National Early Literacy Panel looked at studies of early literacy and found that there are many things that parents and preschools can do to improve the literacy development of their young children and that different approaches influence the development of a different pattern of essential skills. Identification of the domain of early literacy skills Six early skills predictive of later literacy achievement Five early skills moderately predictive of later literacy achievement Instructional...
Description: VCU-ACE has developed a series of resources over the summer that are designed to support early childhood professionals as they plan remote learning opportunities for young learners. While we know that in-person instruction is optimal for young children, communities face a variety of COVID-19 related challenges in the coming year that may require the use of remote education. The following webcast resources may help early childhood professionals as they design and implement remote learning...
Description: "Helping Your Kid With..." Videos - The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk (MCPER) is dedicated to generating, disseminating, and supporting the implementation of empirically validated, evidence-based practices to significantly affect student outcomes and support educators, researchers, policymakers, families, and other stakeholders who strive to improve academic, behavioral, and social outcomes for all learners. Educational experts at MCPER have created videos to help...
Description: Social Emotional Wellness Considerations for Teachers and School Staff Quick Guide, Social Emotional Wellness Considerations for Early Learners Quick Guide, Social Emotional Wellness Considerations for English Learners Quick Guide, Social Emotional Wellness Considerations for Military-Connected Learners Quick Guide, Social Emotional Wellness Considerations for Parents and Caregivers Quick Guide, Social Emotional Wellness Considerations Students with Disabilities Quick Guide,...
Description: The Social Emotional Preschool Curriculum Consumer Report provides information and guidance for Head Start programs as they select curricula based on the strengths and needs of their participating children and teachers. The curricula reviewed in this report were rated for their implementation in center-based programs, and each includes elements designed to strengthen the teaching and learning of children’s social emotional and approaches to learning skills. This report is intended to...
Description: In response to the 2018 General Assembly, the VDOE created this plan to help ensure that the VPI, which serves nearly 18,000 at-risk children across 1,300 classrooms, provides a high-quality preschool experience that helps prepare each 4-year-old served for kindergarten. The plan aggregates lessons learned from the JLARC study, Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus implementation, and University of Virginia – Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). As requested by the...
Description: The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) is focused on promoting the social emotional development and school readiness of young children birth to age 5. The Promoting Social and Emotional Competence training modules available on this site provide evidence-based practices for promoting children's social and emotional development and preventing challenging behaviors.
Description: The resources are organized by the following topics: Early Childhood Education Resources Counseling Resources Online Learning Resources Math Education Resources Culturally and Diverse Learner Resources Health and Physical Education Resources
Description: This brief provides guidance to parents, family members, and caregivers about using the power of play to build resilience and support healing. Some of the ideas outlined in the brief include: Create opportunities for young children to communicate their fears and express their big feelings in constructive ways. Support children in releasing the extra energy charge that accumulates in their bodies after a stressful or traumatic experience. Teach infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children...
Description: Bring the World to Your Classroom (English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, Science and more) WETA and PBS have curate FREE, standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for teachers. You can browse by Subject or by Grade. Featured lesson plans in this collection contain full contextualization for the media they include. Plan and adapt our lessons in creative ways, using the Lesson Builder tool, Google Classroom, Remind, and more. For early educators, we’ve...
Description: Sarika S. Gupta, Hunter College CUNY Julie Glen, The National Child Research Center Storytelling—the act of communicating ideas to others through action or words—is an effective vehicle for engaging diverse young learners. Storytelling also can be used to engage and encourage children’s participation in emergent learning. The rock study described here emerged from children’s interests in our inclusive preschool classroom. We used storytelling in this study to promote...
Description: This manual was developed by the Virginia Department of Education and the state system of Training and Technical Assistance Centers to help local school divisions meet federal and state mandates that children with disabilities be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE). The manual contains 8 modules and extensive resources which provide critical information for understanding, building, supporting, and sustaining inclusive placement opportunities for young children with...
Description: Ready to learn the ins and outs of Listening and Spoken Language (LSL) early intervention? Hearing First just launched the Fundamentals of LSL Learning Series, a new 12-course learning program that will give professionals and parents a solid foundation of knowledge to help children with hearing loss learn to listen and talk. If you're new to LSL or just seeking to up level your learning, this program is for you! The first learning experience of the series starts in July, but you can learn...
Description: Educators, policymakers, researchers and families agree: a high-quality preschool program can build early literacy and math skills, as well as develop the social and emotional foundation that children need to persist in school. But young children—whether in Head Start, public pre-kindergarten or in a private program—only receive the full effect of these benefits if they show up for class regularly. How do you go about improving attendance in the preschool years? It starts with...
Description: Khan Academy offers practice exercises, instructional videos, and a personalized learning dashboard that empower learners to study at their own pace in and outside of the classroom. We tackle math, science, computer programming, history, art history, economics, and more. Our math missions guide learners from kindergarten to calculus using state-of-the-art, adaptive technology that identifies strengths and learning gaps. We've also partnered with institutions like NASA, The Museum of Modern Art,...
Description: The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to...
Description: As part of its barrier-busting mission, CAST offers a number of robust (and free) learning tools. These tools—many designed and tested as part of CAST’s research projects—help educators, developers, families, and other individuals experience the power of flexible learning environments. Clusive®?: An Accessible, Digital Reading Platfort Corgi: Co-organize Your Learning Biofab Explorer TIES Lessons for All: The 5-15-45 Tool CAST Figuration®? Learning Designed™ UDL...
Description: Families are the enduring presence in the lives of young children with disabilities. This volume contains activities to support early care and education staff and families in developing positive relationships that support collaboration and family leadership. Session 1: Creating Bright Futures (Building Relationships with Families) Session 2: Listening to Families Session 3: When Concerns Arise: Learning from Families' Experiences Session 4: Getting...
Description: Early intervention is full of terms that people constantly use in writing and in conversation, and it’s important to know what those terms mean. We are pleased to provide this handy reference to early intervention terminology, and hopes it helps our readers quickly connect with the meaning of pivotal words and phrases in the field.
Description: Promoting Self-Regulation in the First Five Years: A Practice Brief provides guidelines to promote self-regulation development in children from birth through five years old. By proactively teaching and supporting self-regulation skills across settings, we can help children from all backgrounds enter kindergarten ready to learn. This brief is one of several from a series on self-regulation from the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S....
Description: Virginia Family Special Education Connection provides a one-stop-shop for parents, families and caregivers of children with special needs to: Access local school system contacts and disability services in your community Explore an abundance of resources, including assistive technology and behavioral supports to help your child succeed. Learn about and plan your child's educational program Understand your legal rights and responsibilities POWER (Parent Organizer with Educational...
Description: Read to Them programs show schools and families the wide array of benefits that come from reading aloud together. A child’s positive relationship with literacy provides the basis for a lifetime of learning. Our school-wide reading programs support reading together at home and learning together at school by providing schools with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to create a culture of literacy in their community.
Description: This book has an emphasis on assessment in mathematics and encouraging children to construct knowledge. Developmentally appropriate activities, suggestions to teach mathematics, and ways to encourage children to explore and play with numbers, measurements, and operations are included.
Description: The Virginia Department of Education is the administrative agency for the commonwealth’s public schools. VDOE works in partnership with Virginia’s 132 school divisions to support and improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health.
Description: It is important that children have high-quality, developmentally appropriate math experiences from an early age. In this learning deck, we will discuss how engaging learning activities can be developed and implemented in preschool classrooms to help children learn a variety of math skills, from counting to patterning and beyond! We also will discuss how intentional, systematic instruction can be used in the context of engaging activities to ensure student learning. Facilitators: Jessica Hardy,...
Description: Included in this video clip directory are a series of video clips that have been carefully vetted and selected by staff from the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL). Video clips on specific topics can be narrowed down using the categories on the left. Please note: The links below direct you to a website not associated with the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The VDOE does not necessarily endorse the views expressed or the data and facts presented...