CSCC Curriculum and Collaborative Classroom Environment

Curriculum

A Model of Excellence

CSCC Preschool Curriculum

Ready To Advance Early Learning (RTA)

Listos Y Adelante PreK Programa de aprendizaje emergente

The preschool curriculum implemented at CSCC is named Ready to Advance (RTA). RTA is a comprehensive early learning program that includes instructional support and teacher resources that blend social-emotional and play-based experiences with academic learning in a collaborative classroom. The research-based curriculum integrates developmental and educational best practices that establish strong foundational skills for early learning and school readiness.

Authored by Vicki Gibson, Ph.D. 

Ready to Advance and Listos Y Adelante were authored by Vicki Gibson, Ph.D. and reviewed by national experts Dr. Karin Hess and Dr. Elsa Cardenas-Hagan. Dr. Gibson taught in public school for 10 years, was an Adjunct Professor at Texas A&M University, and owned and directed three preschools from 1984-2009. She began designing effective preschool curriculum while teaching kindergarten and serving as a learning disability specialist in Bryan Independent School District. More information about Dr. Gibson can be found here.

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Ready to Advance and Listos Y Adelante
Meet State and National Requirements

  • 50 state preschool standards and guidelines for PreK
  • Texas Infant and Toddler Guidelines for 3 year old children (revised, 2014)
  • Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (revised, 2015) and Proclamation 2021 Breakouts to Texas PreK Guidelines
  • Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Kindergarten (TEKS, revised 2017)
  • Head Start Outcomes Framework (revised 2015)
  • Texas Health and Human Services Child Care Regulation (Oct. 2021)
  • Position Statements by National Education for Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  • Evidence from neuroscience and educational research that identifies best practices for developmentally appropriate social-emotional and educational learning experiences
  • RTA was approved by a state review committee and added to the Texas Education Agency’s List of Approved PreK Curricula for use with young children.

Ready To Advance Early Learning Components

Daily schedules that include Interactive and interesting whole- and small-group activities with a rest period after lunch
Instructional support for explicit instruction and feedback to enhance children’s understandings and develop emergent social, emotional and academic skills
Play-based activities in learning centers where children direct their own discoveries and participate with peers with less direct supervision by adults
Mathematics and science exploration to develop skills for analyzing, comparing, and problem solving
Active participation in class and outdoors to promote physical development and health

Ready To Advance Components
Click on each box to learn more about the preschool curriculum materials in RTA

Big Books

Big Books

RTA’s big books include literature and informational text for learning about themes that include social studies and unique similarities and differences in people, cultures, habits and habitats. Children engage in shared read alouds and collaborative conversations to develop language and literacy skills, concepts of print, oral grammar and expression.

Technology

Technology

RTA includes digital components for enhancing understandings and using resources to expand knowledge about concepts. Technology is also used to demonstrate unique characteristics in cultures and celebrations, and fine arts and music appreciation. Use of digital devices will be carefully monitored and limited as recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics’ Position Statement. More information about the AAP’s position statement regarding use of technology may be accessed here.

Teacher Support

Teacher Support

RTA includes teacher guides that provide lesson plans that guide instruction and practice, and offer suggestions for learning centers.

Social-Emotional Lap Books

Social-Emotional Lap Books

Lap books are used to reinforce concepts and vocabulary words during small group activities where children engage in discussions about empathy, emotions and feelings, and age-appropriate behaviors, expectations, and manners.

Monthly Home-School Communications

Monthly Home-School Communications

RTA includes monthly activity calendars, newsletters, and unit skill checklists to communicate frequently with caregivers to keep them informed about children’s learning and classroom activities. Announcements, notifications and updates on current events at CSCC are available on the CSCC website, www.csccprek.com.

Fine Arts and Creative Dramatics Manipulatives

Fine Arts and Creative Dramatics Manipulatives

RTA includes materials for active participation in story retell, music, arts, dance and creative movement, healthy hygiene habits and nutrition, and cooperative games.

Emergent Language and Literacy Materials

Emergent Language and Literacy Materials

RTA includes materials for activities that develop foundational skills for listening, speaking, reading and spelling to write by developing alphabetic knowledge and phonological and phonemic awareness, helping children understand the relationships of sounds and alphabet letters and how they are manipulated in language and for reading and spelling to write.

Assessment

Assessment

RTA includes multiple options for closely monitoring and reporting children’s progress using observational data from whole- and small group activities. Teachers use curriculum-based measurements in the form of monthly unit checklists to inform parents and caregivers about children’s learning and progress on concepts and skills introduced in classrooms. The checklists are not assessments for mastery, since children are developing skills required in Texas prekindergarten guidelines.

Learning Centers

Learning Centers

Children choose learning centers to participate in interactive activities with their peers and apply what they are learning in preschool during productive play.

Mathematics and Science Lap Books

Mathematics and Science Lap Books

Mathematic lap books are used to teach emergent skills for numeracy by developing number sense, concepts for counting and comparing quantities, and measurement.

Multilingual Instructional Components

Multilingual Instructional Components

RTA includes materials to support activities that develop conceptual understandings and word knowledge in three languages: English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL) that includes gesturing (children’s first form of communication).

Mathematics and Science

Mathematics and Science

Guided learning activities that develop numeracy and measurement concepts and teach counting and basic operations. Scientific discovery experiences that invite inquiry-based learning, creative experimenting and problem solving.

Mathematics and Science Lap Books

Mathematic lap books are used to teach emergent skills for numeracy by developing number sense, concepts for counting and comparing quantities, and measurement.

Social-Emotional Lap Books

Lap books are used to reinforce concepts and vocabulary words during small group activities where children engage in discussions about empathy, emotions and feelings, and age-appropriate behaviors, expectations, and manners.

Emergent Language and Literacy Materials

RTA includes materials for activities that develop foundational skills for listening, speaking, reading and spelling to write by developing alphabetic knowledge and phonological and phonemic awareness, helping children understand the relationships of sounds and alphabet letters and how they are manipulated in language and for reading and spelling to write.

Big Books

RTA’s big books include literature and informational text for learning about themes that include social studies and unique similarities and differences in people, cultures, habits and habitats. Children engage in shared read alouds and collaborative conversations to develop language and literacy skills, concepts of print, oral grammar and expression.

Technology

RTA includes digital components for enhancing understandings and using resources to expand knowledge about concepts. Technology is also used to demonstrate unique characteristics in cultures and celebrations, and fine arts and music appreciation. Use of digital devices will be carefully monitored and limited as recommended by the American Association of Pediatrics’ Position Statement. More information about the AAP’s position statement regarding use of technology may be accessed here.

Monthly Home-School Communications

Curriculum includes monthly activity calendars, newsletters, and unit skill checklists to communicate frequently with caregivers to keep them informed about children’s learning and classroom activities. Announcements, notifications and updates on current events at CLC are available on the TAMU CLC website, www.csccprek.com.

Assessment

RTA includes multiple options for closely monitoring and reporting children’s progress using observational data from whole- and small group activities. Teachers use curriculum-based measurements in the form of monthly unit checklists to inform parents and caregivers about children’s learning and progress on concepts and skills introduced in classrooms. The checklists are not assessments for mastery, since children are developing skills required in Texas prekindergarten guidelines.

Multilingual Instructional Components

RTA includes materials to support activities that develop conceptual understandings and word knowledge in three languages: English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL) that includes gesturing (children’s first form of communication).

Fine Arts and Creative Dramatics Manipulatives

RTA includes materials for active participation in story retell, music, arts, dance and creative movement, healthy hygiene habits and nutrition, and cooperative games.

Mathematics and Science

Guided learning activities that develop numeracy and measurement concepts and teach counting and basic operations. Scientific discovery experiences that invite inquiry-based learning, creative experimenting and problem solving.
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