The curriculum for early childhood education is foundational in shaping young minds, laying the groundwork for lifelong learning and development.

Curriculum for Early Childhood Education

At Sunset Academy, we have carefully chosen The Creative Curriculum® by Teaching Strategies as the core of our early childhood education program. This comprehensive, research-backed curriculum supports children from birth to six years, providing teachers with tools to understand each child’s unique strengths and developmental needs. Through The Creative Curriculum®, our educators can observe, assess, plan, and implement a developmentally appropriate program, fostering children’s social-emotional skills and growth in core areas like literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies.

Assessment Tool

Throughout the year, we assess children’s progress using Teaching Strategies GOLD, an assessment tool that monitors development in multiple areas, including social-emotional, physical, language, literacy, cognitive, math, science & technology, social studies, and the arts. Through ongoing observations and GOLD benchmarks, classroom teams set individualized goals and tailor instruction for both groups and individuals. Progress is reviewed three times annually, with updates shared at parent-teacher conferences. GOLD is also a part of the Colorado Department of Education’s Results Matters initiative, ensuring that our assessment aligns with state standards.

How They Connect to Key Development Areas

The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines provide valuable reference points for fostering children’s growth across a variety of developmental areas. Here’s how the guidelines, curriculum, and assessment tool work together:

  1. Curriculum (The Creative Curriculum®): This curriculum offers structured, research-based activities that support the key developmental areas outlined in the guidelines, including social-emotional, cognitive, and physical domains. By aligning directly with the guidelines, the curriculum enables children to grow holistically, using age-appropriate strategies and experiences.
  2. Assessment Tool (Teaching Strategies GOLD): The GOLD assessment tool tracks progress in the same key developmental domains that the curriculum focuses on, such as physical, language, cognitive, and social-emotional skills. By providing data-driven insights, GOLD helps teachers personalize learning experiences to each child’s needs and developmental milestones.
  3. Development Areas: The Colorado Early Learning and Development Guidelines define core growth areas, or developmental goals, for different ages. They serve as a benchmark for both the curriculum’s content (what children are learning) and the assessment process (how children’s progress is monitored), ensuring alignment with recognized age-appropriate milestones.

Together, these elements create a cohesive framework for early childhood education that is both inclusive and developmentally sound. At Sunset Academy, our commitment to a well-structured curriculum of early childhood education, paired with careful assessment and alignment to state guidelines, ensures every child builds a strong foundation for academic and personal success.