1. California Preschool Learning Foundations
California Department of Education
Child Development Division

2. Welcome!
Make an opening statement - CDD is rolling out the first set of foundations. This year is the year to learn about the foundations…what they are for, what they say and mean. We want to take this year to focus on understanding them before we focus on how to implement them.
Folder Contents:
Foundations in order SE/LL/ELD/Math
FAQs
Navigation maps in folder - one for each domain different colors (SE pink/ELD blue/LL yellow/Math green)
Ordering information
Preschool Learning Foundation Process Timeline
PPT notes
Know/Learn/Teach, Train, Tell handout

3. It’s Here!

4. This slide shows the way the Web page is designed
This slide shows the way the Web page is designed. The entire document is online at the California Department of Education Web site. You can look at a specific section or download the entire document.

5. Let’s Take a Book Walk
A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
The Acknowledgements
The Introduction
The Four Domains: Social-Emotional Development, Language and Literacy, English-Language Development, and Mathematics
The Appendix
A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction provides an over-arching vision for the purpose and importance of the Preschool Learning Foundations.
The Acknowledgements lists the researchers and early childhood stakeholders who contributed to the development of the foundations over the past three years.
The six-page Introduction provides an overview of the foundations.
The four domains are social-emotional development, language and literacy, English-language development, and mathematics. We will look at this section in more detail in a few minutes. Direct the participants to the icons and color coding on the page edges. Demonstrate how the color coding can be used as a quick tab feature to go to any of the four foundations.
The Appendix on page 173 provides a summary list of only the foundations, excluding the examples and other reference material.

6. What Do We Want for Children?
Using the form at the table, try to come up with one word or phrase for each letter in the word F-O-U-N-D-A-T-I-O-N-S that describes what the participants at your table want for children.
Ready, Set, Go!
Objective: This activator helps to set a unified and positive tone for the upcoming session.
ICEBREAKER:
Give participants 5 minutes to do this.

7. Outcomes
Increase your understanding of the California Preschool Learning Foundations, including:
why they are important
how they fit in California’s Preschool Learning System
what they are, what they say, what they mean and how they are organized
next steps
These are the outcomes for today…

8. Agenda Welcome Why foundations? What are they? Structure A Closer Look
What’s next?
Why foundations - We will be discussing the school readiness gap.
What are the foundations - This will cover some important points common to all the domains.
Structure section- you will go on a guided tour of the foundations.
A Closer Look - You will have chance to explore individual domains in depth.
And finally, in What’s Next, you will learn more about CDD’s timeline for foundation development over the next several years.

9. Let’s get started…

10. “Research shows that all children can benefit from participating in high-quality preschool programs.” Jack O’Connell A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
This comes from Jack O’Connell’s A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (pg. v)

11. Children who attend high-quality preschool programs:
are more comfortable in their surroundings
have been exposed to books
have learned to play cooperatively
are accustomed to learning with others
This comes from Jack O’Connell’s A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

12. Readiness Gap
The RAND Corporation conducted a study for Preschool California. The results of the research show us that we have a serious school readiness gap in California, and that the achievement gap is apparent in the early elementary grades.
Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California’s Children by Jill S. Cannon and Lynn A. Karoly, TR-537-PF/WKKF/PEW/NIEER/WCJVSF/LAUP, 2007, 132 pp.

13. Key Findings of the Rand Study
Children who attend pre-k score higher on school readiness measures at kindergarten entry.
Effective pre-k improves children’s K-12 academic performance.
Effective pre-k has long-term benefits.
Rigorous studies of programs in other states show that effective preschool helps narrow the achievement gap in the later elementary grades by addressing that gap before children start kindergarten.
Who Is Ahead and Who Is Behind? Gaps in School Readiness and Student Achievement in the Early Grades for California’s Children by Jill S. Cannon and Lynn A. Karoly, TR-537-PF/WKKF/PEW/NIEER/WCJVSF/LAUP, 2007, 132 pp.

14. With a goal of ensuring that all preschools offer high-quality programs, the California Department of Education developed these preschool learning foundations. On January 22, 2008, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell formally released the foundations during the California State of Education address.
The Preschool Learning Foundations were developed through a three-year collaborative effort with leading early childhood educators, researchers, advocates and parents - A Message from the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, page v. On January 22, 2008, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O’Connell formally released the foundations during the California State of Education address.

15. The Foundations…
Describe the knowledge and skills that all young children typically exhibit:
at around 48 and 60 months of age;
as they complete their first or second year of preschool;
with appropriate support; and
when attending a high-quality preschool program.
Read Slide

16. High-Quality Programs Include
environments and experiences that encourage active, playful exploration and experimentation
purposeful teaching to help children gain knowledge and skills
specific support for children learning English
specific accommodations and adaptations for children with special needs
For children to attain the knowledge and skills in the foundations, programs must work to provide appropriate conditions for learning and individually assist each child in their learning and development.

17. What do I already know about the preschool
A Personal Reflection
Take a moment to respond to this question:
What do I already know about the preschool
learning foundations?
Objective: This activity is intended to acknowledge the people in the room who know something about foundations. Maybe they have been to an input session, gone online to provide feedback, attended a Getting Ready for Foundations session or have just talked with other people.
Direct participants to record their responses on the handout Know Learn Teach/Train/Tell Worksheet in their folder.
Many people have heard many different things.
Remember the development of the foundations was a very inclusive process. The foundations have gone through many revisions and many suggestions from the field have been incorporated. As we go through the day you may notice some of your ideas have been included.
We want you to leave here today with the latest information and to know where you can go with your questions.
Transition to next slide: We will refer back to this worksheet later in the day to see if what we know is true and to record some of what we learned.

18. Element One: The Preschool Learning Foundations are at the center of the Preschool Learning System. The focus is on the child and his/her development. Foundations describe what children learn. Statewide preschool foundations provide all teachers and programs with a common knowledge of the expectations and goals for children. The foundations will be useful as teachers plan activities, the environment, and interactions.
Element Two--The Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines were developed to guide programs in providing an appropriate preschool experiences. The PreK Guidelines will be updated to reflect the foundations.
Element Three: California Department of Education is currently developing a preschool curriculum framework. The framework will provide guidance for using the foundations for program planning, development, and instruction. CDE does not develop a curriculum for preschools. In California, curriculum is a local decision.
Element Four: The fourth component of the preschool system is the Desired Results Developmental Profile-Revised (DRDP-R). The DRDP-R is a reliable child observation tool. Teachers use this developmental continuum to measure children’s progress. The foundations describe what children learn, the DRDP-R is used to assess and document what children have learned, and is being updated to align with the foundations.
Element Five: The final component of the Preschool Learning System, professional development, provides teachers with opportunities to acquire skills and competencies to provide a high-quality program. Professional development is available through many sources including, but not limited to, the following: CPIN, Mentor Teacher program, Child Development Training Consortium, pre-service, and the Faculty Initiative Project.

19. Introduction to Foundations
Read the Preschool Learning Foundations Introduction on pages xi-xvi.

20. Introduction to Foundations
Talk at your table and create a bumper sticker or license plate that will convey to the rest of the group the important points in your assigned section.
Use no more than ten words.
Objective: This is a processing activity to encourage participants to verbalize what they have read, to analyze the content with others, and to synthesize the information into a succinct sound bite in ten words or less.
Set up: You can have the information they are going to read in an envelope on the table or, while they are reading, pass out one section of the Introduction and one bumper sticker for the group to read and process. This information in the handout for this activity is taken from the Introduction and organized into these smaller chunks.
Give them 5-7 minutes to read their assigned section, talk about it, and make a bumper sticker or license plate. When they are done they will go to break.

21. Introduction Highlights
The following slides are a summary of the bumper sticker activity.
As you begin each slide, ask the group who worked on that section to read their license plate or bumper sticker and to tape it to the wall in the designated area.
Go through these pretty quickly.

22. Introduction Highlights
Foundations describe knowledge and skills that most children can be expected to exhibit in a high-quality program at the end of their first or second year of preschool.
They focus on behaviors reflecting age-appropriate competencies for children at around 48 months and at around 60 months.
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
Read the slide.
The focus is on behaviors reflecting age-appropriate competency for children at around 48 months and at around 60 months.

23. Introduction Highlights
Children are different and may not demonstrate the behaviors in the examples exactly as they are stated.
When taking an in-depth look at a domain, one needs to keep in mind that, for young children, learning is a very integrated experience.
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
The examples listed under each foundation give a range of possible ways in which children can demonstrate a foundation. The examples suggest different kinds of contexts in which children may show the competencies reflected in the foundations (page xiv-Organization right column).
Read bullet 2 Introduction page xii.

24. Introduction Highlights
The purpose of the foundations is to promote understanding of preschool children’s learning and to guide instructional practice.
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.

25. …and enhanced with expert practitioners’ suggestions and examples.
Foundations are based on…
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
The foundations written for each of these domains are based on research and evidence and are enhanced with expert practitioners’ suggestions and examples.
Relevant studies from the literature. For example, Becker’s 1989 study. “Preschoolers’ Use of Number Words to Denote One-to-One Correspondence,” in Child Development, Vol. 60 (Mathematics, References page 168).
Early childhood education standards from other states such as Hawaii and Texas (Social-Emotional, Introduction page 5 footnote).
Well-validated assessment tools such as the Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ): A Parent-Completed, Child-Monitoring System (Social-Emotional, References and Source Materials, page 36).
Documents from the California Department of Education such as the English-Language Arts Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Language and Literacy, Introduction page 48 left column).
General sources such as the Report of the National Reading Panel (Language and Literacy, Introduction page 73 left column).
A reference list of these source materials is included in this document, along with detailed Bibliographic Notes for each of the developmental domains.
…and enhanced with expert practitioners’ suggestions and examples.

26. Preschool Learning Foundations ~Domains~
English- Language Development
Social-Emotional Development
Language and Literacy
Currently, California has developed preschool learning foundations for four domains: Social-Emotional Development, Language and Literacy, English-Language Development, and Mathematics.
We’ll examine each of these domains in more detail later on.
Mathematics

27. Children with Disabilities
Children with disabilities develop in ways that are similar to, but different from typically developing children.
Teachers provide the insight needed to understand how these foundations can be applied.
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
Children who have special physical or mental challenges, neurodevelopmental disorders, or other special needs proceed developmentally in ways that are similar to, but also different from, more typically developing children.
Teachers should read each foundation and the accompanying examples, then consider the means by which a child with a disability might best acquire information and demonstrate competence in these areas.

28. Universal Design for Learning
supports preschool programs in their efforts to foster learning and development for all children
provides opportunities for children to follow different pathways to learning
provides for the use of multiple approaches to learning
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
Pages xiv-xv Universal Design for Learning section
The California Preschool Learning Foundations are guides to support preschool programs in their efforts to foster learning and development in all of California’s young children, including children who have disabilities.
It is important to provide opportunities for children to follow different pathways to learning in the preschool foundations in order to make them helpful for all of California’s children.
A universal design for learning is not one approach that will accommodate everyone, but rather refers to providing multiple approaches to learning in order to meet the needs of diverse learners.

29. Universal Design for Learning cont.
provides information in a variety of ways so that the learning needs of all of the children are met
allows for use of alternative methods to demonstrate what they know or feel
provides choices for activities that facilitate learning by building on children’s interests
Page xv - Universal Design for Learning section
providing information in a variety of ways so that the learning needs of all of the children are met;
allowing children to use alternative methods to demonstrate what they know or what they are feeling;
providing choices for activities within the classroom that facilitate learning by building on children’s interests.
Additional information you can share if you want: The examples given have been worded to reflect multiples ways that children can respond. One example of this is on page 148 Mathematics Number Sense at around 60 months 1.2 Examples:
“Names some numerals found in books or during a game.”
“Points to numerals in a number puzzle as the teacher names them.”

30. “How To’s” of Teaching Young Children
Effective teaching includes:
setting up environments;
supporting children’s play;
selecting appropriate materials; and
planning and implementing teacher-guided learning activities.
Ask which group worked on this piece and have them read their sticker.
Read slide.

31. Two Major Considerations Underlie the “How To’s” of Teaching
Teachers can foster early learning by thoughtfully considering the foundations as they plan.
Teachers can tap into the prominent role of play by encouraging the learning in child’s self- initiated play and introducing purposeful instructional activities that playfully engage preschoolers in learning.
Play is a central context for social and emotional development in early childhood.
Play is an essential cornerstone of healthy social and emotional development in early childhood, and contributes to the skills necessary for school adjustment and success.

32. Structure of the Foundations

33. A Walk Through the Domain Organization
Introduction
Foundations
Bibliographic Notes
Glossary
References
Introduction: It is important to realize that the introduction contains valuable information about the domain. For example, the “Stages of Sequential Bilingual Language Development” is found in the introduction to the English-language development foundations.
Foundations: The foundations describe what children learn. We will look at the structure of the foundations next.
Bibliographic Notes: These contain the research that is related to each domain’s strands. In the English-language development domain, the Bibliographic Notes are included in the domain Introduction instead of following the foundations as in the other domains.
Glossary of terms: These are terms that are defined in each domain to support the understanding of the content.
References are related to the development of the foundations and the content in the Introduction and Bibliographic Notes.

34. Map of the Foundations Social-Emotional Development
Domain
Strand
Self
Substrand
Age
Foundation
Foundation Description
The name of the domain (Social-Emotional Development)
The name of the strand at the top of the table (in this case, Self)
The name of the substrand (Self-Awareness). Note that substrands always end in “.0”
The two levels (at around 48 months and at around 60 months). Remind participants that the foundation describes typical behaviors at around 48 months and at around 60 months.
The foundation is highlighted in the domain color.
The foundation description (this is unique to the social-emotional domain)
The examples (these are only a few of the ways that children may demonstrate the foundation)
Examples

35. How is the structure the same or different?
Objective: This goal of this activity is to have participants closely compare and contrast the structure of each of the four domains. This is their first experience in this session to spend time examining the foundations sections of each of the domains. Doing this activity as a group provides a self-correcting mechanism.
Distribute one copy of the Venn diagram handout to each table.
Direct participants to the directions on the handout and read aloud:
“Write terms that are unique to each domain in the outer squares. Write terms that the domains have in common in the inner circle. This is a list of some of the terms you need to use.”
Domain Strand Substrand Focus Description of substrand
Description of foundation Foundation Example
Age or Level (write Age in domains that use Age and Level in the domain that uses Level)
This could be done on chart paper or as a handout.
We will ask one table to volunteer to share their results and see if anyone else has something to add.

36. All domains have in common
Is this what you found?
Social-Emotional Development
Language and Literacy
Mathematics
English-Language Development
All domains have in common
Age
Descriptions for foundations
Age
Descriptions of substrand
Domain
Strand
Substrand
Foundation
Examples
Answer Key
Did you record other similarities or differences?
Level
Focus
Age

37. Foundations Organization
English-language development foundations have Levels not Ages
Domain
Age
Language and literacy includes descriptions of Substrands
Strand
Substrand
Social-emotional development foundations include descriptions for Foundations
English-language development has a Focus level below Substrands
Foundation
This is a summary slide. You might ask those who attended an input session if any of these terms are familiar to them.
There is a call out that appears when you double click AGE that says ELD foundations have LEVELS not ages.
There is a call out that appears when you double click Foundations that says SE has a Description below each foundation.
Examples

38. Preschool English-Language Development Foundations
English-language development is not linked to age.
English-learners’ language develops at different rates.
Children may be at the beginning, middle or later levels for different foundations at the same point in time.
Bullet 1: Unlike the three other sets of foundations, in which the foundations are organized by age, the English-language development foundations are organized by three levels of development-beginning, middle, later.
Bullet 2: Children will go through these stages at different paces.
Bullet 3: Read slide.
The English-language development (ELD) foundations describe what children typically demonstrate at three different levels of successive English-language development.
Note: The Preschool English Learners Resource Guide reinforces the information in the introduction to the ELD foundations. It includes additional material about family and community language practices, simultaneous second language acquisition, and supporting the English-language learner with special needs.

39. A Closer Look…

40. Treasure Hunt

41. Treasure Hunt: Part 1
As a table, create 5 questions that can be answered from the pages of your assigned domain. Write them neatly on the Question Sheet.
Write answers to those questions on the Answer Key and seal it. Include page numbers where the answer can be found.
You have 20 minutes to complete this part of the activity.
Objective: To analyze and dialogue with others about the contents of one domain, noting items of interest. The task to create questions requires synthesizing information into specific questions. The requirement to document page references promotes attention to detail and increases accuracy.
Look on your table for the domain you have been assigned. Hold it up so I can see that you have got it.
Give them both the blank Treasure Hunt Question Sheet and Answer Key.
Provide a sticker or tape to seal the Answer Key.
Explain that each table will be creating a Treasure Hunt for another table. Give them an example such as “In the language and literacy domain, there is a foundation “at or around 60 months”, but no corresponding foundation “at or around 48 months”. How is this indicated in the document? Tell them that on page 64, they can see an example of what your question is about.
Tell them Question One is already completed on their Question Sheet. Remind them to put the answer to that question on the Answer Key page.

42. Treasure Hunt: Part 2
Pass your Question Sheet and sealed Answer Key clockwise to the next table.
You will now have a Question Sheet from another table. Check the top to see what domain you will be working in.
Find and record the answers directly below each question.
Open the Answer Key and check your answers.
You have 15 minutes for this work.
Objective: To give participants the opportunity to look in depth at a second domain. During this examination, participants will become familiar with the pattern of how the domains are similarly organized, and will also begin to note that some characteristics of each domain are unique as well.
Tell participants that they can write their answers in the space provided directly below each question
Remind them that the questions they are now working on will be from a different domain than the one they made questions for. They will need to look at the top of the Question Sheet to identify which domain they will now be looking at.

43. Strand - Substrand Order
There is a developmental progression from three- to four-years-old within a substrand.
The order in which the strands and substrands are presented is not meant to indicate a developmental progression.
Now that you have looked more closely at the domains you may have questions about the significance of the order of the strands and substrands.
Bullet 1: Read slide and then say, for example, in the Writing substrand on page 70, “Children demonstrate emergent writing skills” at around 48 months, and “Children demonstrate increasing emergent writing skills” at around 60 months.
Bullet 2: Read slide and then say, for example, there is no developmental progression from the Number Sense strand to the Algebra and Functions strand. ( Mathematics) In the strand Number Sense, there is no developmental progression between substrand 1.0 at around 48 months “Children begin to understand numbers and quantities in their everyday environment”, and substrand 2.0 “Children begin to understand number relationships and operations in their everyday environment.”

44. Frequently Asked Questions
For Example:
What is the relationship between the English-language development and the language and literacy foundations?
Title: Many questions were asked during the extensive public review process. CDE has developed a set of Frequently Asked Questions to provide the answers to those questions.
The FAQ document is a living document. Over time, new questions will be added and existing responses may be clarified as needed.
Read the rest of the slide.

45. Frequently Asked Questions Activity
Read the FAQ handout with an elbow partner and discuss two or three questions and answers that provided new information.
Further questions about the foundations may be sent by to
Objective: To become familiar with the scope of information to be found in this document. Doing this activity with a partner encourages dialogue about the document, increasing understanding and retention of the contents.
Give about 10 minutes for this activity. The intent is to make sure that participants see that there invaluable information in the FAQs. They may not have time to read and discuss all the Frequently Asked Questions.
Tell participants that the address can also be found on the CDE Web site.

46. CDE Web site
The foundations are posted on the CDE Web site at
At the Web address, the underlined Preschool Learning Foundations link takes you to the publication. There you will have easy access to the chapters and sections within the 192 page publication.
The Appendix, on pages , provides a summary list of the foundations. \
On page in the Appendix you will find a summary list of the foundations, excluding the examples and other material. Hold one up to show how small it is.
Remind them that the preschool foundations address on the previous page is also on the CDE Web site.

47. To Purchase
The Preschool Learning Foundations publication will be available for purchase from the CDE Press after February 28, 2008 for $19.95.
Ordering information can be found at the CDE Web site or by calling

48. A Personal Reflection What have I learned about the Preschool
Learning Foundations today?
Objective: A synthesis and recall activity to increase content retention.

49. What’s next?

50. What is next? Curriculum framework DRDP-R Other foundation domains
Professional development opportunities

51. Curriculum Framework
The framework will be developed to provide guidance on the implementation of the foundations.
There will be opportunities for input from the field.
Bullet 1: Read.
Bullet 2: Stakeholder organizations will be invited, and focus groups will be formed, to provide input on the development of the curriculum framework.

52. The DRDP-R is the Assessment Tool
Fall 2009 – The aligned DRDP-R introduced.
Fall 2010 – The aligned DRDP-R will be implemented by state-funded preschool programs before monitoring visits will require its use.
Fall 2011 – The aligned DRDP-R will be required.
Reminder: The foundations are used to guide and plan instruction.
Title: The DRDP-R is the child assessment tool.
Reminder: The DRDP-R is a developmental continuum and the foundations are age-specific.
The DRDP-R is being aligned with the Preschool Learning Foundations.
1st bullet: This will happen through information sessions for state-funded preschool programs.
2nd bullet: Training for using the aligned DRDP-R will be provided to all state-funded preschool programs.
3rd bullet: This is for state-funded preschool programs.

53. Preschool Foundations
Future Domains
Visual and Performing Arts
Physical Development
Health
History/ Social Sciences
These are the future domains to be developed. CPIN will provide updates on the development process as information becomes available.
Science

54. Timeline for Next Set of Preschool Learning Foundations
2009 Foundations Released
Work Begins
2008 Input Sessions
TIMELINE

55. Professional Development Opportunities
The California Preschool Instructional Network will provide training opportunities. Check the CPIN Web site at for upcoming training dates.
The Faculty Initiative will hold seminars for college faculty. Visit for more information.

56. Teach, Tell or Train? What will you …
Objective: To encourage participants to communicate what they have learned to colleagues. Writing a plan increases the likelihood of implementation.
Using the KLT handout, complete the bottom portion of the page.
Given what you have learned please take a moment to write a few things down that you will take back and “Teach, Train or Tell.”
If time, share with an elbow partner.

57. Thank you for coming!