California Preschool Learning Foundations

California

Preschool Learning Foundations

Volume 2

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ? SACRAMENTO, 2010

California

Preschool Learning Foundations

Volume 2

Visual and Performing Arts Physical Development Health

Publishing Information

The California Preschool Learning Foundations (Volume 2) was developed by the Child Development Division, California Department of Education. This publication was edited by Faye Ong, working in cooperation with Laura Bridges and Desiree Soto, Consultants, Child Development Division. It was designed and prepared for printing by the staff of CDE Press, with the cover and interior design created by Cheryl McDonald. It was published by the Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901. It was distributed under the provisions of the Library Distribution Act and Government Code Section 11096.

?2010 by the California Department of Education All rights reserved

ISBN 978-8011-1708-4

Ordering Information

Copies of this publication are available for sale from the California Department of Education. For prices and ordering information, please visit the Department Web site at re/pn or call the CDE Press Sales Office at 1-800-995-4099. An illustrated Educational Resource Catalog describing publications, videos, and other instructional media available from the Department can be obtained without charge by writing to the CDE Press Sales Office, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 3207, Sacramento, CA 95814-5901; faxing to 916-323-0823; or calling the CDE Press Sales Office at the telephone number shown above.

Notice

The guidance in the California Preschool Learning Foundations (Volume 2) is not binding on local educational agencies or other entities. Except for the statutes, regulations, and court decisions that are referenced herein, the documents is exemplary, and compliance with it is not mandatory. (See Education Code Section 33308.5.)

Contents

A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction v Acknowledgments vii Introduction xi

Foundations in the Visual and Performing Arts

1

Foundations in Physical Development

Foundations in Health

Appendix: The Foundations

iii

A Message from the State Superintendent of Public

Instruction

Iam delighted to present the Cali fornia Preschool Learning Founda tions (Volume 2). This publication is the second of a three-volume series designed to improve early learning and development for California's preschool children.

Young children are naturally eager to learn. However, not all of them enter kindergarten ready for school. All too often, children are already lagging behind their classmates, and this circumstance can impede their continued learning and development long past kindergarten. High-quality preschool teaching contributes to children's longrange social and academic success, as well as their ability to express themselves creatively through the arts, their capacity to engage in physically challenging activities, and their development of lifelong health habits.

Children who attend high-quality preschools benefit from rich opportunities to learn through play. They also benefit from curriculum that integrates all the developmental domains in a way that is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically appropriate.

Intentionally engaging children in play supports the learning and development that is described in the preschool learning foundations. In a recent report, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) calls for early educators to

make play a regular part of the daily curriculum and be responsive to the needs of each student.

In addition, a recent report from the American Academy of Pediatrics concludes that play is vitally important for healthy brain development. These reports, as well as many others, make clear that preschool children's play and integrated learning are vital components of high-quality preschool programs.

With the goal of ensuring that all preschools in California offer highquality programs, the California Department of Education collaborated with leading early childhood educators, researchers, advocates, and parents to develop Volume 2 of the preschool learning foundations.

The foundations outline key knowl edge and skills that most children can achieve when provided with the kinds of interactions, instruction, and environments shown by research to promote early learning and develop ment. Volume 2 focuses on three domains: visual and performing arts, physical development, and health. These domains often receive less attention than some of the other domains, but they are equally important for preschool children's overall learning and development.

As research that is summarized in this volume indicates, physical

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