Frog Street Pre-K - Criterion 2.1
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Criterion 2.1: Curriculum Approach and Design
Curriculum materials have a coherent and strategic design and approach.
Indicator 2.1a
Social and Emotional Development: Curriculum materials support social-emotional learning through a comprehensive approach that includes clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured developmental sequence, and research-supported instructional practices.
Frog Street Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting social-emotional learning. (2.1a)
Learning progressions are included in the Welcome Guide (p. 112) and are aligned with the identified standards. The “Conscious Discipline” book is also provided as a resource alongside the Frog Street materials.
The curriculum addresses the following Social and Emotional Development standards throughout daily instruction: A. Self-Concept B. Emotional Functioning C. Relationships with Adults D. Relationships with Other Children
Examples of evidence aligned to these standards include:
Self-Concept: Learning goals that emphasize belonging and identity are explicitly stated in weekly lesson plans. For example, in Theme 2 (p. 38), the learning goals include developing a sense of belonging and positive self-awareness.
Emotional Functioning: Daily Calm routines within the Greeting Circle support emotional regulation through strategies such as Scissor Breathing and other “Conscious Discipline” calming techniques.
Relationships with Adults: Teacher modeling, co-regulation, and guided reflection are embedded throughout Greeting and Closing Circles, supporting secure relationships between children and adults.
Relationships with Other Children: Structured peer interactions during the Connect portion of the Greeting Circle encourage cooperation, turn-taking, and shared engagement.
Learning goals related to these standards are clear, developmentally appropriate, and explicitly identified in the weekly lesson plans and within the Teacher Guide. These goals are consistently reinforced through structured routines in the greeting circle (Unite, Calm, Connect, Commit) and closing circle. Research-supported instructional practices are embedded throughout the materials, including modeling, emotional co-regulation, structured peer interactions, and teacher-guided reflection.
Materials connect social and emotional learning with other areas of learning through weekly themes, songs, interactions, and discussions embedded in the greeting and closing circles. For example, in Theme 5 (pp. 38–39), the Week 2 focus on tools is integrated into the greeting circle:
During Unite, children sing “Johnny Works with Hammers” to connect with the week’s theme.
During Calm, children practice Scissor Breathing to support self-regulation.
During Connect, children sit face-to-face with a partner, hold hands, and move their arms like oars (tools) while singing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” reinforcing cooperation and peer connection.
While the Greeting and Closing Circle routines are repetitive, the activities intentionally expand over time and are designed to help children understand their own emotions, demonstrate empathy for others, and develop a strong sense of classroom belonging. “Conscious Discipline’s Brain Smart Start” is embedded within the Greeting Circle and is grounded in the research-based framework. In addition, under the Implementation Supports tab, the 7 Essential Skills for School Readiness resource explicitly identifies social-emotional skills necessary for school success, including self-regulation, cooperation, problem-solving, and relationship-building.
Overall, Frog Street Pre-K materials align with documented social and emotional developmental milestones for Pre-K children through consistent use of Greeting and Closing Circle routines and the embedded “Conscious Discipline” framework. The materials include consistent structures, explicit learning goals, and research-based practices to support social and emotional development.
Indicator 2.1b
Language and Literacy: Curriculum materials support language and literacy instruction through a comprehensive approach that includes clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured scope and sequence, and research-supported instructional practices.
Frog Street Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting language and literacy instruction (2.1b)
The materials are intentionally designed to support children’s development across the following language and literacy domains. The Welcome Guide (pp. 113-114) outlines the major standards addressed within the curriculum, including Language and Communication, Emergent Literacy: Reading, and Emergent Literacy: Writing. The scope and sequence outline the following domains that are embedded throughout daily instruction:
Phonological Awareness
Concepts of Print
Shared Writing
Guided Writing
Alphabet Knowledge
The materials demonstrate alignment with key literacy domains through clearly articulated learning goals, documented literacy milestones, and research-based references. For example, the scope and sequence and research-based references in the Welcome Guide reflect important Pre-K literacy milestones, and learning goals are explicitly listed at the beginning of each part of the daily lesson. In Theme 9 (p. 86), for instance, objectives include naming letters, producing letter sounds, contributing to class writing projects, and writing words or parts of words.
The materials also support phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge through a defined progression of early literacy skills. The Welcome Guide outlines a phonological awareness hierarchy as well as a continuum of letter learning that moves from sound awareness to letter-sound correspondence and early writing.
Support for shared and guided writing is embedded throughout instruction. Teachers are guided in implementing these practices through daily Morning Message routines, literacy small groups, and opportunities for children to contribute to class writing projects.
The instructional organization of the materials also supports access to literacy instruction. Teachers can access lesson plans along with a week-at-a-glance schedule at the beginning of each unit (through the Lilypad platform). In addition, the lesson plans, weekly overview, and day-by-day details in the Teacher Guide clearly identify the literacy content to be taught and practiced.
Literacy instruction is also intentionally integrated across other areas of learning throughout the day, including math, STEAM, whole-group and small-group instruction, and Practice Centers. For example, in Theme 8 (p. 34), children create a book of animals and label their illustrations, integrating writing and alphabet knowledge into science learning.
Overall, Frog Street Pre-K materials provide intentional progression and repeated opportunities for practice across phonological awareness, print concepts, writing, and alphabet knowledge, while connecting literacy learning with other areas of learning. The materials demonstrate a coherent, strategic curriculum design that supports language and literacy development through clearly defined learning goals, a well-structured scope and sequence, and consistent use of research-supported instructional practices.
Indicator 2.1c
Mathematics: Curriculum materials use a comprehensive approach that include clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals, a well-structured scope and sequence, research-supported instructional practices and mathematical process standards to ensure effective and meaningful mathematical learning experiences.
Frog Street Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting mathematics instruction (2.1 c)
The materials demonstrate alignment with key mathematics domains through clearly articulated learning goals, documented mathematical milestones, and a structured scope and sequence. For example, the math scope and sequence in the Welcome Guide (pp. 122-123) outlines weekly focus areas, while guidance on mathematical behaviors and skills expected by the end of the year is provided (pp. 69–70), along with additional support for understanding mathematical development (pp. 70–73). Learning goals are also identified within daily instruction, particularly in Math Small Groups, where weekly focus areas are described and supported with detailed teacher guidance. For instance, lessons include objectives related to counting, comparing quantities, recognizing numbers, and solving simple problems using manipulatives.
The materials include the Frog Street PreK standards for mathematics, organized into 6 domains (Welcome Guide, p. 114).
Counting Skills/Number Sense
Add To/Taking Away
Geometry and Spatial Sense
Measurement
Classification and Pattern
Mathematical Practices
The materials include a sequencing of mathematical content that follows a clear, thoughtful, and research-aligned progression. This progression is supported through Math Small Groups and Math Practice Centers that connect directly to weekly focus areas. For example, in Theme 3 (pp. 48–49), the focus is on using symbols to build upon what they know about numbers and quantities. The Math Center provides practice with numeral and counting cards, while Math Small Groups offer practice in recording collections using tallies and numerals and sharing mathematical thinking.
Foundational skills such as number recognition and counting are introduced early and then build toward more complex concepts over time. For example, number recognition and counting appear in Theme 3 (pp. 48–49), while later lessons address more advanced concepts such as comparing quantities in Theme 7 (pp. 98–99). The Welcome Guide (p. 70) further reinforces this progression through a section on intentional and meaningful math instruction that builds on prior knowledge and provides repeated opportunities for practice and deeper understanding.
The activities also incorporate research-based strategies such as the use of manipulatives, some real-world connections, and connections to other areas of learning. The instructional organization of the materials also supports access to mathematics instruction. Teachers can access lesson plans along with a week-at-a-glance schedule at the beginning of each unit (through the Lilypad platform). In addition, the lesson plans, weekly overview, and day-by-day details in the Teacher Guide clearly identify the mathematics content to be taught and practiced.
Overall, Frog Street Pre-K materials support mathematics instruction using a comprehensive approach. The materials demonstrate alignment with key mathematics domains through clearly articulated learning goals, documented mathematical milestones, and a structured scope and sequence. The materials provide some opportunities to support key mathematical processes and skills. Children are encouraged to explain their thinking, use strategies, and engage with mathematical ideas through a variety of activities across themes. The materials also incorporate research-based strategies, including manipulatives, some real-world connections, and links to other areas of learning.
Indicator 2.1d
Science and Engineering: Curriculum materials support science and engineering learning experiences by offering clear, developmentally-appropriate learning goals that encompass core knowledge concepts, as well as research-supported instructional practices.
Frog Street Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting science and engineering learning experiences (2.1d).
The Welcome Guide (pg. 115) outlines the science and engineering standards addressed throughout the year, in the following 4 domains:
Physical Science Skills
Life Science Skills
Earth and Space Science Skills
Scientific Inquiry, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Skills
The materials provide thematic investigations in practice centers and weekly STEAM experiences. The Welcome Guide (pg. 74-80) provides teacher guidance on integrating Science across the curriculum, conducting hands-on Science experiences, and implementing STEAM lessons. Half of the weekly themes (17 out of 36) are science-driven. The materials integrate STEAM activities that are structured to support problem-solving and early coding skills. The lesson plans for STEAM activities are directly tied to learning goals. Progression is represented through repeated engagement with core practices such as observing, questioning, investigating, communicating findings, and using the engineering design cycle across different themes and contexts. Materials clearly connect Science & Engineering with other areas of learning (e.g., literature library, sensory center, science center, outdoor activities).
Lesson examples from each domain:
Physical Science
Theme 2, Teacher Guide (p. 76): Children investigate properties of materials and design a shelter for a pet model, applying engineering and problem-solving skills.
Theme 6, Teacher Guide (pp. 18–19): The read-aloud, Samantha on a Roll, leads to an exploration of movement and slopes.
Life Science
Themes such as Amazing Critters and Animals emphasize classification, growth, and characteristics of living things.
Theme 7, Teacher Guide (p. 9): Children follow a Scented Trail Card pathway using their sense of smell, mirroring how ants use antennae, supporting observation and biological understanding.
Earth and Space Science
The theme Changes incorporates environmental concepts and integrates science concepts throughout the week.
Theme 9, Teacher Guide (p. 42-43) Read Aloud-What is Weather?-addresses weather and the water cycle
Scientific Inquiry, Reasoning, and Problem Solving
STEAM lessons include open-ended questions to guide exploration, encouraging prediction, experimentation, and communication of findings.
Theme 4, Teacher Guide (pp. 24–25): Children design and build a robot to solve a problem, supporting engineering thinking and reasoning skills.
Overall, Frog Street PreK science and engineering learning is embedded across multiple components of the day, including read-alouds, practice centers, morning message, music and movement, and small groups. The materials identify relevant standards and include learning goals aligned to physical science, life science, earth and space science, and scientific inquiry. Science and engineering content is embedded across themes and daily components, and some research-based practices, such as open-ended questioning and an engineering design cycle, support children’s exploration and problem-solving.
Indicator 2.1e
Social Studies: Curriculum materials support social studies learning experiences by offering developmentally-appropriate learning goals that encompass core knowledge concepts, as well as research-supported instructional practices.
Frog Street Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting social studies learning experiences (2.1e).
The Welcome Guide outlines Social Studies Standards across four strands (Welcome Guide, p. 115):
People/Past and Present
Economic Skills
Geography Skills
Citizenship Skills
Lesson examples from each strand:
People/Past and Present: Themes address families, classroom community, sequencing daily events, and awareness of change over time (e.g., Theme 1: My School and Me; Theme 2: My Friends and Family; Theme 5, Week 1 sequencing events in a day).
Geography Skills: Standards such as Identifies features in natural environments (VIII.C.1) and Understand maps represent a place (VIII.C.3) appear in Theme 6, Week 2, and Theme 1, Week 3; Map skills are introduced in Theme 1, Week 3, and reappear in Theme 6, Week 2
Economic Skills: Community helpers and roles are referenced across themes.
Citizenship Skills: Routines of saying the pledge of allegiance, identifying flags
Some research-based teaching practices for social studies learning are included, such as whole-group read-alouds and discussions, as well as cooperative activities. There are some connections between social studies and other areas of learning (e.g., literature selections in Themes 2 and 9). Across several themes and weeks, social studies goals and objectives are not clearly articulated. Social studies content is present but tends to be limited in scope, often appearing in a single read-aloud without further development.
Overall, Frog Street Pre-K demonstrates moderate alignment with Pre-K social studies milestones by including developmentally appropriate topics and some research-based instructional practices across themes. Social studies content is present throughout the materials; however, the learning goals are often broad and lack clear definitions of specific knowledge or skills. While standards are sometimes identified, they are not clearly developed or reinforced, and activities are not clearly sustained or extended. The materials have some evidence that Social Studies content follows a progression across Teaching Guides. For example, in the Teaching Guide for Theme 1, lessons evolve from focusing on self to family, then the classroom. The progression of these topics is not clearly documented for teachers. Social Studies is not clearly referenced in the Welcome Guide beyond p. 115, where the standards are listed. As a result, social studies learning is evident but varies in consistency, with room to enhance clarity, coherence, and the intentional progression of skills across the materials.
Indicator 2.1f
Fine Arts: Curriculum materials support fine arts experiences by offering developmentally-appropriate learning targets that encompass core knowledge concepts, as well as research-supported instructional practices.
Frog Street Pre-K materials partially meet expectations for supporting fine arts experiences (2.1 f).
The Welcome Guide (pg. 115) outlines seven Fine Arts Pre-K Standards under three domains:
Art Skills
Music Skills
Dramatic Expression Skills
In the Welcome Guide (p. 82), the Creativity Station is one of the practice centers listed, where children utilize materials such as easels, paints, crayons, markers, stencils, scissors, glue, paste, and collage materials to explore their creativity based on the theme and lesson. Fine arts skills are also integrated with other areas of learning, as each daily lesson includes a music-and-movement section, and additional opportunities for fine arts development are embedded in fine motor activities, STEAM lessons, and dramatic play.
Teaching Guide examples:
In Theme 1 (pp. 51, 63, 77, 87), there are activities related to drawing, painting, and collage during STEAM lessons and the Creativity station
In Theme 2 (pp. 36-37), children engage in dramatic play during pretend-and-learn and construction practice centers.
In Theme 7 (p. 67), students participate in music and movement
In Theme 2 (p.41), a connection between counting and singing during music and movement (TG p.62-63), and a connection between dramatic play and community roles (e.g., a pet groomer)
An entire week in Theme 5 (week 4), “My Art is Me”, centers on art experiences, including Morning Message sentences, read-alouds such as The Dot and What Will You Create, and related creative activities in language and literacy practice center
Overall, Frog Street Pre-K provides meaningful opportunities for children to engage in fine arts experiences through music, movement, visual arts, and dramatic play across daily lessons and centers. The materials include connections to other content areas and offer a range of activities that support children’s expression and exploration, with dedicated experiences, such as the “My Art is Me” week, that highlight the program’s emphasis on creativity. Materials demonstrate moderate alignment to key Pre-K fine arts milestones and include identified standards; however, fine arts content is not always clearly defined or consistently integrated across themes. As a result, while fine arts learning is present and engaging, opportunities remain to strengthen coherence and consistency across the materials.