The Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines are a user-friendly resource that can help administrators, teachers, and policy makers identify elements necessary for providing quality programming for children prior to their entry into kindergarten. The Guidelines are an essential part of the California Department of Education's overall plan to expand and increase access to quality preschool programs for young children.
The Guidelines bring together information that program administrators and teaching staff can use to prepare appropriate learning environments for children. The foundational skills children should acquire in prekindergarten programs are identified in the guidelines and carefully linked with the California State Board of Education adopted standards for both language arts and mathematics. The Guidelines address current issues in early childhood education, such as language acquisition, the role of the teacher, and the learning environment. There is also a useful resource section. The Guidelines complement the CDE publication First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education (CDE Press, 1999). First Class provides educators of children from four to seven with practical, relevant information and materials for use in the classroom. Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines table of contents are available for review.
In addition, a parent-focused video entitled "Parents and Teachers" has been developed as a resource to facilitate parent involvement with early learning in prekindergarten settings. A second video entitled "Teachers on Teaching" is available for use as a staff training resource to reinforce the essential elements of quality prekindergarten programs as identified and described in the Guidelines. To order the Guidelines, the companion videos, or a copy of First Class , visit the CDE Press Web Site or call 1-800-995-4099 to order by phone.
For more information about the Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines, please contact Gail Brodie, Consultant with the California Department of Education, Child Development Division, at gbrodie@cde.ca.gov or 916-322-4861.
Related Resource
California Preschool Learning Foundations
The California Preschool Learning Foundations provide the child development field with research-based competencies—knowledge and skills—that we can expect most children to exhibit in a quality program as they complete their first or second year of preschool.
