Curriculum

Choosing a curriculum is one of the most significant decisions an early childhood program can make. A high-quality curriculum serves as the bridge between the developmental expectations children are working toward—as outlined in the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)—and how they experience that learning in the classroom.

It is important to note that while the WMELS provides a framework, they are not a curriculum or an assessment tool. A curriculum ensures that instruction is intentional, evidence-based, and developmentally appropriate, providing the specific roadmap and materials to support every child’s unique growth. When a strong curriculum is aligned with these state standards, it creates a powerful foundation for equity, ensuring all learners have the support they need to thrive.

The resources on this page are designed to help you navigate this process. You will find guidance tools to help you evaluate and align your programs with state and federal requirements, alongside practical resources and case studies that demonstrate high-quality instruction in action.

WISCONSIN GUIDANCE

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) – This unified, inter-agency framework provides a common language for performance standards and developmental expectations across five domains. It is the essential foundation that informs the selection of a high-quality curriculum by defining the outcomes children should achieve from birth to first grade. The WMELS are intended to guide program design and curriculum selection, rather than serving as a standalone curriculum or assessment checklist.

WECCP Curriculum Selection and Evaluation Tools – Produced by Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP), these two companion documents work together to help programs identify and vet research-based curricula:

YoungStar Curriculum and WMELS Alignment Review Tool – Developed by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, this tool helps programs evaluate how well their curriculum framework—the “how”—aligns with the performance standards of the WMELS. It guides providers through a five-step process to analyze coverage, balance, depth, and difficulty, ensuring that daily teaching materials are robust and comprehensive.

Making Connections: Using WMELS and WIDA Early Years to Plan Instruction – Developed by WIDA in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, this resource helps educators align their instructional planning for multilingual learners with both the language-focused WIDA framework and the inter-agency developmental expectations of the WMELS.

Wisconsin Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Curriculum and Alignment – The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction provides this directory of evidence-based programs and alignment tools to ensure that social-emotional instruction meets state competencies and federal funding requirements.

NATIONAL GUIDANCE

A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum – This report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine offers specific recommendations for curriculum developers, policymakers, funders, and early childhood educators to improve preschool curricula and ensure equitable access to high-quality early learning experiences.

HeadStart.gov Curriculum Resources – The Office of Head Start provides this suite of resources (formerly known as ECLKC) to help early learning programs select, evaluate, and implement high-quality curricula that align with federal Head Start Program Performance Standards.

Preschool Curriculum Decision-Making: Dimensions to Consider – Published by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) and CEELO, this report provides a “Checklist for Decision-Makers.” It is designed specifically to help administrators distinguish between curriculum and assessment and to evaluate if a framework is truly research-based.

RESOURCES

Child Care Information Center (CCIC) – Operated by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, this mail-order lending library and information clearinghouse serves anyone in Wisconsin working in the field of childcare and early childhood education. 1-800-362-7353

Virtual Lab School (VLS): The Role of Curriculum in Program Management – Funded by the U.S. Department of Defense and developed by The Ohio State University, this self-paced learning module explores how curriculum serves as the foundation for classroom quality. It guides program managers through the process of bringing a written curriculum to life and includes interactive tools to evaluate the effectiveness of both curriculum and assessment practices.

Content-Rich Instruction in Preschool – Published by ASCD, this resource outlines five research-based principles to build knowledge networks in young children. It describes how to support content-rich preschool learning environments to close the knowledge gap before children enter kindergarten effectively.

REC and the Project Approach to Learning – Produced by the Ohio Resource Center (ORC), this YouTube video demonstrates how Reggio Emilia Center (REC) principles integrate with the Project Approach. It highlights how educators use “provocations” and the “hundred languages” of expression to facilitate deep, child-led inquiry and visible documentation of learning.

The Lunch Project – Published in Early Childhood Research & Practice (ECRP), this case study documents a three-phase investigation where preschoolers explore the origins of their school meals. The project illustrates the transition from initial inquiry to fieldwork and interviews, culminating in a student-led restaurant that demonstrates their mastery of the topic

 

Updated 4/23/2026