The Creative Curriculum® for Pre-K - Criterion 2.9

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting cognitive processes (2.9a). 

The Teaching Guides for each study emphasize activities and experiences that invite children to ask questions, make connections, analyze information, make decisions, and think logically as they explore and learn about the world. For example:

In the Camera Study, in the Exploring the Topic Large Group Focused Project Learning:  Discussion and Shared Writing, it shows:

• Display the What We Know About Cameras chart near the large-group area.

• Say, “Look at our chart! We already know a lot of things about cameras. Let’s think about some things we would like to learn about cameras!

• Encourage the children to share their questions about cameras. Record their responses on a new chart titled What We Want to Find Out About Cameras.

• As the children respond, expand on their language and help them form questions. For example, a child might say, “My papa has a camera in the kitchen. We use it to call my grandma.” You could respond by saying, “You want to find out more about how we use cameras to talk to other people. I will write, ‘How do we use cameras to communicate with other people?’ on the chart.” (p. 26)

Problem-solving and logical reasoning are further supported through project-based activities. In the Light Teacher Guide (Exploring the Topic, Day 2, p. 21), children navigate a path of stepping stones while using positional words and inventing new ways to move between them, requiring them to analyze spatial relationships and adapt their strategies. In the Grocery Store Teacher Guide (Exploring the Topic, Day 3, p. 22), children are challenged to sequence photo cards showing a shopping experience, prompting them to reason about order and cause-and-effect relationships. Similarly, children identify a problem, consider solutions, and take action when creating grocery lists based on a recipe (Grocery Store, Exploring the Topic, Day 2, p. 19), first with teacher support and then independently.

The materials also provide strong opportunities for children to engage in critical thinking by observing, analyzing, and making decisions about their environment. In the Architecture Teacher Guide (Exploring the Topic, Day 3, p. 22), children observe building facades during a walk and respond to questions about size, distance, and spatial relationships, encouraging them to analyze real-world structures and articulate their observations. Activities such as “Missing Shapes” (Architecture, Exploring the Topic, Day 4, p. 29) further support analytical thinking as children identify patterns and determine what is missing.

Cycles of planning, doing, and reflecting are embedded across investigations. In the Architecture Teacher Guide (Investigation 1, Day 1, p. 34), children plan by sorting and categorizing building photos, do by counting and comparing quantities, and reflect during Large Group Round-Up as they recall and discuss which building types appeared most and least frequently. Opportunities for independent exploration and reflection also appear in activities such as creating and sharing original stories during independent discovery (Light, Exploring the Topic, Day 2, p. 20) and in reinforcing decision-making and reflection with peers.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K provides frequent and varied opportunities for children to develop reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills through play-based and structured experiences. Children regularly ask questions and reflect on their learning across contexts.

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting executive functioning (2.9b). 

Working memory is consistently supported through the use of 3-Step Instruction Cards, which require children to remember and carry out multi-step directions using both visual and verbal cues. For example, in the Cameras Teacher Guide (Exploring the Topic, Day 3, p. 25), children follow the “Count and Build” card by choosing a numeral, counting out blocks, and constructing a tower. Similarly, in the Seeds Teacher Guide (Explore the Topic, Day 1, p. 17), children use the “Line Up Smallest to Biggest” instruction card to select items, compare sizes, and sequence them, reinforcing the steps in memory while engaging in hands-on problem-solving.

Inhibitory control is supported through activities that require children to pause, follow rules, and regulate their actions. The Mighty Minutes activity “Freeze” prompts children to stop their movement when the music ends and hold a pose, encouraging self-control while remaining engaged. In The First Six Weeks Teacher Guide (Focus Question 4, Day 1, p. 69), children discuss and generate rules for exploring natural materials and are expected to follow these shared expectations during independent discovery. Physical activities such as “Punting” (Seeds, Exploring the Topic, Day 2, p. 21) further reinforce inhibitory control by requiring children to attend to demonstrations, follow a specific sequence of actions, and adjust their movements in response to feedback.

The materials include robust and varied opportunities to support attention regulation by engaging children in sustained, meaningful exploration. Daily Choice-Time experiences allow children to remain focused while exploring interest areas, as seen in the Light Teacher Guide (Exploring the Topic, Day 3, p. 23), where children investigate light levels across the classroom and categorize spaces as bright or dim using sticky notes. Similarly, in the Seeds Teacher Guide (Investigation 1, Day 2), children engage in an extended exploration by planting seeds, comparing materials, and reflecting on differences across activities, which supports sustained engagement and focus.

Cognitive flexibility is developed through activities that encourage children to adapt strategies, shift attention, and respond to changing conditions. In the Grocery Store Teacher Guide (Investigation 1, Day 2, p. 41), the “Obstacle Course” requires children to follow a predetermined sequence using directional arrows, while teachers observe whether children adjust their actions to stay on track. Activities such as “Silly Willy Walking” and guided discovery experiences across investigations further encourage children to try new approaches, compare outcomes, and modify their actions in response to prompts and materials.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K consistently and intentionally embeds executive functioning supports across daily routines, guided instruction, and play-based experiences, providing children with frequent and meaningful opportunities to practice working memory, inhibitory control, attention regulation, and cognitive flexibility. The wide range of activities combines visual cues, multi-step tasks, physical movement, rule-following, and sustained exploration to support children in applying these skills across contexts. 

The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K materials meet expectations for supporting dispositions that foster learning (2.9c).

The project-based studies are designed to offer children play-based, developmentally appropriate opportunities to explore, investigate, question, discover, and socialize, as they build content knowledge and develop the foundational skills essential to long-term success at school. The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K identifies two criteria that are needed for a study: (1) they address children’s interests, and (2) teachers will be able to gather related materials so that children can explore the topic firsthand. These two defining features of studies motivate children to explore, investigate, and learn.

Across daily routines and investigations, children are regularly invited to choose materials, direct their own exploration, and sustain engagement without interruption. For example, during Independent Discovery in The First Six Weeks: Building Your Classroom Community (Focus Question 4, Day 1, p. 69), children freely explore natural materials such as pine cones, leaves, rocks, and magnifying glasses, allowing them to investigate textures, shapes, and properties based on their own interests.

Curiosity and exploration are further encouraged through hands-on experiences that prompt children to observe, question, and reflect. In the Cameras Teacher Guide (Investigation 1, Day 4, p. 47), children independently take photographs of classroom objects and discuss strategies for capturing images, supporting inquiry and reflection. Similarly, children observe and discuss how videos are made after watching playground footage (Cameras, Exploring the Topic, Day 2, p. 18), and they document observations during walks around the school building in the Architecture Teacher Guide (Investigation 4, Day 2, p. 90), reinforcing exploration of the world around them.

The materials also provide robust support for working through challenges and obstacles as children build proficiency. In guided discovery and Choice-Time activities, teachers are encouraged to observe how children approach problems, attempt solutions independently, seek help, and persist. For example, during the balance-scale activity in Grocery Store (Investigation 2, Day 3, p. 75), children predict outcomes, test their ideas, and revise their thinking while teachers prompt problem-solving through open-ended questions. Social problem-solving is also supported in activities like “I Spy the Letter” (Cameras, Investigation 2, Day 2, p. 60), where children take turns leading the game and negotiate conflicts with teacher support.

Opportunities for imagination and inventiveness are embedded. In the Architecture Teacher Guide (Investigation 3, p. 71), children engage in dramatic play with dollhouses and accessories while teachers use reflective statements and open-ended questions to extend thinking and creativity. Children also design and build collaboratively, such as creating a city on a large cardboard base (Architecture, Investigation 4, Day 3, p. 94), where they refer to plans as they invent structures. Artistic expression is further encouraged when children select classroom items to recreate through art in Getting Ready for Kindergarten (Focus Question 3, Day 1, p. 63).

All of the classroom interest areas (blocks, dramatic play, toys and games, art, library, discovery, sand and water, music and movement, cooking, technology) also promote children’s initiative, curiosity, perseverance, and creativity. Daily choice time offers children opportunities to pursue their interests independently and with small groups of peers.

Overall, The Creative Curriculum for Pre-K consistently offers robust and varied opportunities for children to follow their interests, explore independently and with peers, and engage deeply with their curiosity through both play-based and guided experiences. Children are supported in working through challenges, collaborating with others, and expressing imagination and inventiveness across learning contexts. The combination of intentional teacher guidance and child-directed exploration demonstrates that the curriculum meets expectations for fostering independence, curiosity, perseverance, and creative thinking.