Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning

1 Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning : Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds Prepared by Office of Humanities and Early Childhood Virginia Department of Education 2013. Notice to the Reader The Virginia Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation, veteran status, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning : Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds can be found in PDF.

2 File format on the Virginia Department of Education's Web site Supporting Documents Virginia's Quality Indicators for Responsive Teaching: Creating a High Quality Preschool Learning Environment can be found in PDF format on the Virginia Department of Education's Web site Virginia's Preschool Curriculum Review Rubric and Planning Tool can be found in PDF format on the Virginia Department of Education's Web site Copyright 2013. by the Virginia Department of Education Box 2120. Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120. All rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials for instructional purposes in public classrooms in Virginia is permitted.

3 VDOE :: Early Childhood Instruction Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia I. Wright Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Linda M. Wallinger Office of Humanities and Early Childhood Christine Harris, Director Cheryl Strobel, Associate Director for Early Childhood Education Download the Kaywa QR Code Reader (App Store &Android Market) and scan your code! Early childhood education fosters cognitive skills along with attentiveness, motivation, self-control, and the character skills that turn knowledge into know-how and people into productive citizens. Dr. James Heckman Nobel Laureate in Economics iii Acknowledgements The Virginia Department of Education wishes to express sincere thanks to the following individuals who assisted in the development and review of Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning : Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds for their time and expertise in Early childhood education.

4 Carolyn Baker, Charlotte County Public Schools Zelda Boyd, Virginia Department of Social Services Toni Cacace-Beshears, Children's Harbor Vonnie Colvin, Longwood University Jennifer Cooper, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts Mark Ginsburg, George Mason University Kathy Glazer, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation Kate Graham, Arlington County Public Schools Teresa Harris, James Madison University Anita James, Chesapeake City Public Schools Gail Jones, Henrico County Public Schools Sheila Jones, Loudoun County Public Schools Jaye Harvey, Roanoke City Public Schools Brenda Hess, Russell County Public Schools Jo Hodgin, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts Akua Femi Kouyate, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts Nancy Lantz, Rockingham County Public Schools Clair Mowling, Longwood University J.

5 Lee LaPradd, II, Richmond City Public Schools Marie Masterson, Old Dominion University and Dominican University Tonjia McCullom, Child, Youth, and School Services, Fort Lee John Morgan, Voices for Virginia's Children Boyoung Park, Radford University Bob Pianta, University of Virginia Lori Phillips, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts Katie Squibb, Virginia Early Childhood Foundation Sharon R. Veatch, Child Care Aware of Virginia DOE Staff Members Betsy Barton, History and Social Science Specialist Stacy Freeman, English as a Second Language Specialist Cherry Gardner, Principal Specialist for Fine Arts Phyllis Mondak, Early Childhood Special Education Specialist Donna Poland, Governor's Schools & Gifted Education Thomas Santangelo, English and Reading Specialist Lynn Sodat, School Improvement Specialist Deborah Wickham, Mathematics Specialist Vanessa Wigand, Principal Specialist for Health, Physical, and Driver Education Barbara Young.

6 Science Specialist iv Table of Contents Overview of Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early 1. Virginia Standards for Literacy Virginia Literacy Foundation 1 Oral 2 3 Phonological 4 Letter Knowledge and Early Word 5 Print and Book 6 Virginia Standards for Mathematics Virginia Mathematics Foundation 10. 1 Number and Number 2 3 4 5 Data Collection and 6 Patterns and 16. Virginia Standards for Science Virginia Science Foundation 1 Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and 18. 2 Force, Motion, and 19. 3 Matter/Physical 4 Matter/Simple Physical and Chemical 5 Life 6 Interrelationships in Earth/Space 23.

7 7 Earth Patterns, Cycles and 24. 8 25. v Table of Contents continued Virginia Standards for History and Social Science Virginia History and Social Science Foundation 1 History/Similarities and 2 History/Change Over 3 4 Geography/Descriptive 5 Economics/World of 6 Economics/Making Choices and Earning 32. 7 Virginia Standards for Health and Physical Development Virginia Health and Physical Development Foundation 1 Skilled Movement/Locomotor 1 Skilled Movement/Non-locomotor 1 Skilled Movement/Manipulative 2 Movement Principles and 3 Personal 4 Responsible 5 Physically Active 42. 6 Health Knowledge and 7 Information Access and 8 Community Health and Virginia Standards for Personal and Social Development Virginia Personal and Social Development Foundation 1 2 3 Approaches to 4 Interaction with 5 Social Problem 52.

8 Vi Table of Contents continued Virginia Standards for Music Virginia Music Foundation 1 Music 2 3 Music History and Cultural 4 Analysis, Evaluation, and 5 Virginia Standards for the Visual Arts Virginia Visual Arts Foundation 1 Visual Communication and 2 Art History and Cultural 61. 3 Analysis, Evaluation, and 4 Terms and 64. 66. vii Overview of Virginia's Foundation Blocks for Early Learning The value of Early education is imperative to the Each Foundation Block is in box format and is future academic success and the growth of children's organized to build towards the Virginia Kindergarten intellectual development.

9 Virginia's Foundation Blocks Standards of Learning . Following the boxes are for Early Learning : Comprehensive Standards for expectation indicators for the Foundation Blocks . Four-Year-Olds provides a measurable range of skills Sample teaching activities are included to assist and knowledge essential for four-year-olds to be teachers in the planning of meaningful classroom successful in kindergarten. activities. Helpful definitions and references to national consensus documents and resources are The purpose of this document is to provide Early listed in the back of this document. childhood educators a set of minimum standards in literacy, mathematics, science, history and social Although subject area Blocks are presented science, health and physical development, personal separately, teachers should emphasize integration and social development, music, and the visual arts, of Learning across subjects.

10 Many of the sample with indicators of success for entering kindergarten activities show how teachers can integrate that are derived from scientifically-based research. experiences for young children across subject The standards reflect a consensus of children's areas effectively. For example, supporting enriched conceptual Learning , acquisition of basic knowledge, language experiences within science and social and participation in meaningful and relevant Learning studies can provide children with the opportunity to experiences. The standards are aligned with Virginia's increase vocabulary development through meaningful Kindergarten Standards of Learning (SOL) and conversation.