CORE KNOWLEDGE FEATURES

-- classroom experiences and activities are based on explicit guidelines that specify essential knowledge and skills for all preschool age children
-- Sequence goals build sequentially, step by step: current knowledge and skills become the starting point for subsequent experience and instruction
-- explicit, sequential goals allow teachers to make knowledge and skills accessible to preschoolers in small manageable steps: children are always ready to learn if teachers know where to start
-- balance of experiences and activities within all developmental areas: Physical Well-Being and Coordination, Social and Emotional Development, Approaches to Learning, Language Development, Knowledge Acquisition and Cognitive Development
-- high expectations for all children, recognizing that rates and methods of learning may vary among individuals
-- consistency in content and experiences presented to preschoolers; children entering kindergarten have a common base of knowledge and skills
-- Sequence facilitates effective planning and monitoring to identify learning gaps and insure that important knowledge and skills are not omitted
-- teacher assumes an interactive role in guiding and presenting experiences and instruction
-- approaches the development of each child's autonomy within the context of the class group; encourages socially responsible behavior and respect for the group
-- focuses on the "language of instruction," recognizing the importance of adult language models for developing a solid foundation in receptive and expressive language
-- emphasizes linking concrete, manipulative experiences with beginning level abstract, representational learning
-- based on cognitive psychology research and empirically validated practice with millions of preschool children internationally
-- correlated to the highly respected Core Knowledge Sequence for grades K-8 to provide a smooth transition and insure ongoing learning from preschool to kindergarten

-- classroom experiences and activities are often spontaneous, based on child and/or teacher interest, with random coverage of essential knowledge and skills
-- no goals or, at best, very global goals concerning curriculum and content
-- lack of goals and sequential specificity means that learning is done in "all or nothing" terms; the acquisition of knowledge and skills is out of the immediate reach of many preschoolers: teachers must defer instruction until children are ready to learn
-- experiences and activities are not necessarily representative of all developmental areas; extremes particularly in regards to academically oriented experiences: either total exclusion or excessive focus on one or more narrowly defined academic skills, such as letter names and numbers
-- different expectations for children, given background and aptitude; special, compensatory programs with less challenging content frequently offered to children from low socioeconomic backgrounds
-- no consistency in content and experiences presented to preschoolers; wide disparities in the knowledge and skills that preschoolers bring to kindergarten classes
-- since experiences and activities occur spontaneously, planning and assessment of children's performance and accomplishments are often seen as unnecessary at this level
-- teacher assumes the role of facilitator, providing materials and setting up the environment, but then standing back to let children lead the way
-- the development of each child's individual (solitary) autonomy is of utmost importance; minimal or no whole group interaction and instruction
-- emphasizes only concrete, manipulative experiences; abstract, representational learning is deemed beyond the grasp of preschoolers
-- no planned correlation with kindergarten programs; expectations in kindergarten classes often differ dramatically from those of the preschool setting