It’s time to rethink kindergarten.
Today’s kindergarten classrooms look more like first grade than ever before.
Take a peek inside a kindergarten classroom and you’re likely to see desks, worksheets, and a strong focus on core academic skills. But great teachers have always known that nonacademic skills are essential for academic success. Before children can learn to read, they must first develop self-control and perseverance. Before they can add and subtract, they must learn to problem-solve and self-regulate.
That’s why it’s important to go beyond math and literacy to educate the whole child.
Whole-child development “empowers children as creative and engaged citizens who can strengthen the wellbeing of a whole society.”
What is the whole-child approach?
The whole-child approach to teaching supports and nurtures all areas of children’s development and learning–from social–emotional and cognitive development to literacy, math, and science skills—and is a powerful strategy for supporting preschool children transition to kindergarten. It encourages children’s learning and thinking by being responsive to their understandings, interests, and abilities, allowing children to deepen their natural curiosity and their eagerness to want to discover and learn more.
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“A whole-child approach transitions away from a focus on narrowly-defined academic achievement to one that incorporates a broader view of the skills and knowledge that all children must develop for long-term success. There’s a perception that whole-child practices and academic outcomes are mutually exclusive, but that’s not the case.”
Kai-leé Berke
Vice Chair of the Board, and former CEO - Teaching Strategies -
“Addressing the whole child is precisely the method to tether early learning to the rest of the educational system. Because educators require an approach that allows them to integrate the multitude of critical learning outcomes that serve as the foundation for success, a focus on the whole child is needed now more than ever.”
Vincent Costanza
Chief Academic Officer - Teaching Strategies -
“When a teacher is committed to focusing on the whole child, what you’ll see is a classroom where children are deeply engaged in meaningful activities and hands-on opportunities for learning. You’ll see documentation of children’s work and ideas displayed throughout every area of the room, you’ll see works in progress, and most importantly you’ll see children getting to make choices about their learning.”
Breeyn Mack
VP, Educational Content - Teaching Strategies
Why do social–emotional skills matter?
Critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, persistence, and self-control are
vitally important to children’s full development.
Successful development of social–emotional skills has been associated with
- reduced years of special education,
- fewer repeated grades,
- higher rates of on-time high school graduation,
- college completion,
- stable employment, and
- more likelihood of full-time employment.
Weak social–emotional skills have been associated with
- reliance on public assistance,
- criminal activity,
- substance abuse, and
- poor mental health.
Why do social–emotional skills matter?
Children who show increased social–emotional competence in kindergarten are:
Children who show decreased social–emotional competence in kindergarten are:
Why now?
A complete picture of development and learning not only includes children's language and literacy competence and math and science understanding, but also includes their physical well-being and social–emotional development. Kindergarten provides a unique opportunity to develop and shape children’s social–emotional skills. In fact, research shows that children’s social skills in kindergarten are early indicators of their success in adulthood.
As children enter kindergarten we want to nurture their critical-thinking skills so they can become—and know themselves as—creative, confident learners in kindergarten, throughout elementary school, and beyond.
In a kindergarten classroom, it's highly beneficial to focus on academic expectations and to emphasize learning standards and literacy and math skills, but as educators of future citizens of the world, we also want to make sure that children's social–emotional development coexists and flourishes along with this academic rigor.
What does the whole-child approach look like in an early childhood classroom?
Whole-child learning in an early-childhood classroom is the merger of academic and social development through play- and inquiry-based learning. Our new video series provides ideas and strategies for implementing a whole-child approach in your own classroom.
Classroom Video 1
Classroom Video 2
Classroom Video 3
Watch free webinars about the whole-child approach.
Want to learn more? Join us for an upcoming webinar or watch an on-demand archived webinar whenever you want.
On-demand
The Whole Child Bridge: Linking Tenets to Developmental Domains
During this session, we will unpack each tenant of the whole-child approach and connect these tenets to the five developmental areas (physical, social–emotional, approaches toward learning, cognitive development, and language & literacy) that serve as the foundation for whole-child development in an early childhood context. Participants will have an opportunity to consider how they can bridge the tenets and domains in their schools to realize an approach that truly pays attention to the whole child.
View Webinar
On-demand
The Whole-Child Approach and Why It Matters
This webinar explores the whole-child philosophy, why this approach is so important to ensuring that children are excited and engaged lifelong learners, and the positive effect the approach has on children’s academic and social–emotional gains. We discuss what it looks like in action and share best practices, focusing in particular on the transition into kindergarten.
View Webinar
On-demand
The Warmest Voice in the Room: Modeling Empathy to Create an Inclusive, Collaborative Classroom
Positive guidance in the classroom is essential to creating an inclusive, caring community of learning that benefits all children. In this webinar, we will explore the crucial role teachers and educators play in supporting children to become empathetic and resourceful learners and highlight best practices for modeling an empathetic and positive approach to learning.
View Webinar
Create a positive, collaborative classroom with our Classroom Community Bundle!
We have solutions that address the whole child in kindergarten.
The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten was specifically designed with the whole-child approach in mind. It’s designed to support the way that preschool and kindergarten-aged children learn best—through meaningful and purposeful hands-on investigations and play across all areas of learning.
A Step Toward Change
The First Six Weeks: Building Your Kindergarten Classroom Community
The first six weeks of school lay the foundation for the rest of the year. Our newest curriculum offering gives you everything you need to create a positive classroom community during the first six weeks of school.
An Opportunity to Explore
The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten Seeds Mini-Kit
Experience The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten with the students in your program and see how the study approach encourages them to think critically, solve problems, and connect ideas. It’s an opportunity to try out some of the Daily Resources and see what a typical study from The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten is all about.
A Commitment to Quality
The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten Complete Set
The Creative Curriculum® is a research-based, developmentally appropriate approach to project-based learning that builds upon the natural curiosity of young children. The curriculum provides a unique opportunity to incorporate hands-on, project-based learning centered around science and social studies learning at the core of each day while providing meaningful and engaged experiences that allow children to apply skills in mathematics, language and literacy, technology, and the arts.
The Creative Curriculum® for Kindergarten
A path to fidelity – Professional Development to Support Your Purchase.
Did you know that programs who provide more than 30 hours of professional development see the highest impact on child outcomes?
Professional development is an essential component to your program’s success. Our new in-person sessions and online courses provide educators with the support they need to build a strong foundation at the beginning of the school year.
New! Getting Ready for Kindergarten
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New! Beginning the Year
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New! Fidelity for Teachers
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New! Getting Started with Studies
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26 Social-Emotional
Intentional Teaching Cards™
These teaching cards from The Creative Curriculum for Preschool® offer playful and engaging activities with directions to help teachers individualize each activity to meet the unique needs of all learners.
A CEU-bearing, self-paced online Professional Development Course
This course is designed to guide educators in individualizing social-emotional support for children, responding to challenging behaviors and creating a classroom environment that fosters positive behavior.
Contact us today!