Connect4Learning: The Pre-K Curriculum

Connect4Learning (C4L) is an interdisciplinary early childhood curriculum, the development of which was funded by the National Science Foundation. C4L aims to synthesize research-based approaches in four domains of learning: mathematics, science, literacy, and social-emotional development. The curriculum uses an interdisciplinary approach to address growing concerns that the majority of preschool instructional time is devoted to literacy at the expense of other content areas, particularly mathematics and science. The C4L research team is composed of nationally recognized experts in early childhood education: Julie Sarama, Kimberly Brenneman, Douglas H. Clements, Nell K. Duke, and Mary Louise Hemmeter. This team followed an intensive research and development framework to guide the curriculum’s development, which resulted in six instructional units for pre-kindergarten children and their teachers. This paper identifies the developmental and educational needs addressed by C4L, outlines the program’s three phases of development, highlights the curriculum’s structure, and proposes future avenues of exploration.