Reggio-Inspired Standards-Based Preschool Curriculum

I have always been inspired by the Reggio Emilia Philosophy (here are some of my Reggio posts), it has transformed the way I teach, and shown me that I can learn as much from my students as they can from me.  The one issue that I’ve always had with the Reggio Philosophy is that there is not a written curriculum, which in our state is needed for our Quality Improvement Rating program.  

So, I did what I always do, I made on myself.  This is one of the biggest projects that I have ever taken on, and let me tell you, this thing is comprehensive! I call it Inspire, because it has done just that – inspired me to really pay attention to the way I teach, and the values I have regarding early childhood education, first and foremost that children learn best when they are exploring a topic that truly interests them.  

This Preschool Curriculum is designed for teachers who are familiar with Emergent Curriculum, Reggio Emilia Philosophy, and The Project Approach. It blends these philosophies with early learning standards to help teachers meet all of their students academic and developmental needs. 


The Inspire Curriculum covers;
– The educational philosophy behind Inspire, and the basics of Reggio Emilia
– Approaches to Learning
– Observing children, and why this is important in the classroom
– Creating lesson plans
– Aligning emergent lesson plans with early learning standards
– The teaching methods recommended for Inspire
– Creating documentation, and why it is valuable
– Standards-Based assessment

The curriculum also includes;
– Workbook pages to lead teachers in observing children.
– Sample questions to use during observation.
– Workbook pages that will assist in selecting project topics.
– Web templates and samples
– Explanation of how to use the classroom as a teaching element.
– Lesson plan templates and samples.
– Sample activities for for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
– A checklist to help teachers reflect on learning experiences.
– Infant Toddler Standards-Based Portfolio.
– Infant Toddler Standards-Based Assessment Checklist.
– Preschool Standards-Based Portfolio.
– Preschool Standards-Based Assessment Checklist. 
– Documentation panel layouts.

This curriculum is ideal for teachers who are accustomed to creating their own lesson plans based on the interests and needs of the children.  I hope that you’ll explore Inspire, you can get more details and download a free preview here.  

If you are still exploring preschool curriculum, please check out these posts;

Preschool Curriculum Part 1: Reggio, Montessori, and Waldorf

Preschool Curriculum Part 2: Creative Curriculum, High Scope, and Innovations