Exemplary Practices in Pre-kindergarten Programs
By design, exemplary pre-kindergarten programs provide a literacy rich environment. Pre-kindergarten teachers foster children’s interest in and enjoyment for literature, as well as supplying explicit instruction in phonemic awareness. According to the International Reading Association and National Association for the Education of Young Children joint position statement (1998), a literacy-rich environment includes numerous types of print materials, storybooks and literacy props (paper, markers, signs, menus, etc.), daily reading aloud, engaging children in extended conversations, singing songs, and reciting rhymes and alliteration, and instruction in the alphabetic principle.
Exemplary pre-kindergarten programs intentionally organize opportunities for mathematic experiences that include number and operation, algebra, geometry, measurement, and collection of data and data analysis. Children are provided with hands-on practice using concrete materials to expand their understanding of math concepts.
Best practices are incorporated in exemplary pre-kindergarten programs by accommodating diverse learners through teachers developing skills in instructional techniques for children with special needs. Exemplary programs integrate children’s home language and culture into the curriculum and classroom.
Program Evaluation and Child Assessment
Exemplary pre-kindergarten programs use systematic program evaluations with the purpose to improve instructional practices and to make other continuous improvements that will help the program better meet the children’s needs. Exemplary programs include multiple sources of data over time such as program data, child demographic data, information about staff qualifications, classroom quality assessments, and implementation data to evaluate the effectiveness of the program (National Association for the Education of Young Children & National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education, 2003).