The preschool learning foundations are a critical step in the California Department of Education’s efforts to strengthen preschool education and school readiness and to close the achievement gap in California. They describe competencies—knowledge and skills—that most children can be expected to exhibit in a high-quality program as they complete their first or second year of preschool. In other words, the foundations describe what all young children typically learn with appropriate support. The support young children need to attain the competencies varies from child to child. Many children learn simply by participating in high-quality preschool programs. Such programs offer children environments and experiences that encourage active, playful exploration and experimentation. With play as an integral part of the curriculum, high-quality programs include purposeful teaching to help children gain knowledge and skills. In addition, many children in California’s preschools benefit from specific support in learning English. Other children may have a special need that requires particular accommodations and adaptations. To serve all children, preschool programs must work to provide appropriate conditions for learning and individually assist each child to move along a pathway of healthy learning and development. 

Young children enter preschool with a sense of wonder and a love of learning. They have an insatiable appetite for knowledge when they have learning experiences that are engaging and enjoyable. Positive experiences in which children can make choices and explore help them feel competent and confident. How can we offer them engaging and enjoyable learning experiences that fuel their intellectual engines and build their confidence? How can we connect children’s fascination with learning in every domain and make the most of their time in preschool? With these questions in mind, the California Department of Education (CDE) developed this curriculum framework for preschool programs, which include any early childhood setting where three- to five-year-old children receive education and care. 

Young children enter preschool with a sense of wonder and a love of learning. They have an insatiable appetite for knowledge when they have learning experiences that are engaging and enjoyable. Positive experiences in which children can make choices and explore help them feel competent and confident. How can we offer them engaging and enjoyable learning experiences that fuel their intellectual engines and build their confidence? How can we connect children’s fascination with learning in every domain and make the most of their time in preschool? With these questions in mind, the California Department of Education (CDE) developed this curriculum framework for preschool programs, which include any early childhood setting where three- to five-year-old children receive education and care.