Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines
(California Department of Education, 2000)
The Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines provides guidance for preschool directors and teachers to build high–quality programs that prepare children to arrive in kindergarten well–prepared for the new learning and curriculum content they will encounte". Characteristics of high–quality preschool programs are described, including the role of the teacher, the learning environment, and the curriculum. The guidelines also offer a developmental perspective on children’s growth and learning within the context of the prekindergarten classroom setting. The skills children should acquire in prekindergarten programs are linked with the California State Board of Education adopted kindergarten standards for both language arts and mathematics. The Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines remain relevant and will be revised to incorporate the preschool learning foundations once all three volumes of the preschool learning foundations and preschool curriculum frameworks have been published.
As directed by Education Code 8203.3, the California Department of Education will periodically update the guidelines with relevant research and align them with the K-12 Academic Standards.
Additional companion resources available to support the implementation of the Guidelines, include:
- First Class: A Guide for Early Primary Education (CDE, 1999), which offers practical, relevant information and materials for use in the classroom.
- Parents and Teachers: Working Together to Support Young Children’s Learning (CDE, 2001), a video developed for use with parents.
- Teachers on Teaching (CDE, 2001), an instructional video for staff and students which reinforces the essential elements of quality prekindergarten programs as identified and described in the Guidelines.
For additional information, including ordering information, see CDE's Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines web page.