Maryland Names The Creative Curriculum^® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos a State-Recommended Curriculum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bethesda, January 31, 2008--Teaching Strategies, Inc. announced today that the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has named The Creative Curriculum^® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos a state-recommended curriculum for children birth to age 3. The recommendation applies to Teaching Strategies assessment and curriculum materials designed for very young children, including The Creative Curriculum^® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos Developmental Continuum Assessment Toolkit and The Creative Curriculum^® LearningGames^®. This is the second set of Teaching Strategies curriculum materials placed on the list. Last summer, The Creative Curriculum^® for Preschool and related materials were recommended by the MSDE.

"We are pleased that Maryland has recommended both our infant and toddler and our preschool curriculum materials," said Diane Trister Dodge, President of Teaching Strategies. "We are excited to be the only curriculum provider that will give Maryland programs serving children birth to age 5 the ability to use one coordinated set of materials for all of their teachers. It is a great honor to contribute to the Maryland educational community, and we welcome the opportunity to support early childhood teachers in meeting the needs of children and families."

The MSDE evaluation committee thoroughly reviewed The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos and presented findings to justify the state recommendation. The MSDE press release explained, "Teaching Strategies' curriculum is a comprehensive curriculum with a clear organizational structure and a particular focus on routines and experiences. It translates research and theory from the field of early childhood education into a practical, easy-to-understand approach to working with children and their families."   

The Maryland curriculum project was initiated to provide resources and guidance to early childhood programs to help them find curricula that align with the Voluntary State Curriculum. "We have a responsibility to ensure that all children are ready for school," Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, said in a press release. "This state-recommended list of curriculum will provide the resources and guidance to Maryland's early learning educators to better prepare our youngest children so that when they enter prekindergarten they are ready to learn."

The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos is part of an early childhood education system that includes curriculum, assessment, implementation and evaluation, and professional development. Across the United States, elements of The Creative Curriculum System are used in whole or in part to prepare more than a million young children for success in kindergarten and beyond. Teaching Strategies materials are used in every state, by all branches of the military, and in thousands of school-based and faith-based early childhood programs nationwide. Teaching Strategies' preschool curriculum, The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, is also used by more than half of the Head Start teachers across the country.

"Maryland has a rigorous review process to determine the quality and effectiveness of early childhood curricula," said Grant Davies, CEO of Teaching Strategies. "We applaud the Maryland State Department of Education for providing this valuable guidance to early childhood programs and are very proud to be a recommended curriculum in the state."  

Teaching Strategies, Inc. is a woman-owned company committed to making a difference in the lives of young children by providing scientifically based educational materials to infant-toddler and preschool programs worldwide. Believing that our country's future depends on our ability to nurture the optimal growth of every child, the company's mission is to enhance the quality of early childhood programs by offering practical, innovative, and developmentally appropriate curriculum materials, training services and materials, and parenting resources.  Teaching Strategies materials are used in thousands of Head Start, child care, public school, and other preschool programs throughout the country, including programs run by all branches of the military and Department of Defense schools worldwide.