CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum

Frequently Asked Questions

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[fruitful_tab title=”Is the curriculum free?”] Yes! The CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum is available at no cost on the CLI Engage platform. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Who can use the curriculum?”] Anyone with a CLI Engage account can freely access the digital pre-K curriculum. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”How can I access the digital curriculum?”] The CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum is available online on the CLI Engage platform. If you already have an account on CLI Engage, login and look for the “CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum” button on the dashboard (See additional instructions above). [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”How can I get an account on CLI Engage?”] If you don’t have an account on CLI Engage yet, please sign up to create your free account to access the curriculum and many other tools. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Is the curriculum available in Spanish?”] Yes. The curriculum is available in both English and Spanish versions. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”What are the differences between the English and Spanish curricula?”] Research drove the development of all aspects of the curriculum. Although the Spanish and English curricula are very similar and mirror one another in many ways, they diverge as needed when addressing particular skills and concepts. This is sometimes a result of differences in the English and Spanish guidelines. For example, Texas Prekindergarten Guideline II.E.2 includes irregular plurals in the English guideline, but not in the Spanish guideline. For this reason, the Spanish curriculum addresses plurals, but does not include lessons on irregular plurals that are included in the English curriculum. Another difference can be found in the phonological awareness domain. As onset-rime skills are not considered essential for developing Spanish literacy, some differences in the curriculum can be found related to these skills. In the Spanish curriculum, lessons addressing onset rime are included in Spanish when the concept is first introduced. Subsequent onset rime lessons are included in English to support the development of literacy skills in English. You can read more information about the research used for each of the domains in the Teacher’s Manual. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Can I get a printed copy of the curriculum?”] Yes. Print versions of the English and Spanish curricula are available for purchase. You can find ordering information for the print edition on the CLI Solutions Group’s website: CIRCLE Pre-K Curricula Print Editions.[/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”How can I buy the curriculum? “] You can find ordering information for the print edition on the CLI Solutions Group’s website: CIRCLE Pre-K Curricula Print Editions. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Can I get a quote to purchase the print version?”] For a written quote, please contact us at circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Is it necessary to buy the print version? “] No. Everything you need to use the curriculum is available in the free, online version. Just login to CLI Engage to access! The print version offers conveniently bound editions and it is a great complement to the online version. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Can I get samples of the print version? “] You can preview print samples of numerous curriculum components online, or contact us for additional information: circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”What domains are covered in the curriculum?”] The CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum addresses all ten domains of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines with comprehensive support of cognitive and social and emotional development. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Is there a lesson plan that can be print out each week?”] A lesson plan template is available for download that teachers can use for weekly lesson planning. As well, a sample lesson is provided online to help teachers see how a Scope and Sequence and Theme Guide are used together to plan a week of instruction that supports all parts of the prekindergarten schedule. Visit the Professional Development section of the curriculum website to view and download these lesson planning resources. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”What books are used with the curriculum?”] Great attention was given to the quality of books suggested for lessons and themes. Recognizing that teachers will have different titles available to them in their personal and school libraries, we created an expanded list of books referred to as our Book Club/Club de lectura. When teachers do not have one of the suggested titles in a theme topic, they can refer to the Club de lectura pdf for additional options. We welcome you to review the Book Club/Club de lectura lists.

The Theme Library that can be purchased was given equal attention. A book title corresponds to each theme topic to ensure that all titles effectively support thematic content. Upon request, we are happy to provide a list of titles we expect to provide in the English and Spanish Theme Libraries. It is important, however, to note that some publishers are experiencing low inventory due to printing slowdowns resulting from Covid-19. For this reason, we are still finalizing the exact titles, but will share additional information soon. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Does the English curriculum support English learners?”] Specific English Learner supports are featured in the curriculum, including: creating a safe environment for language learning, providing academic supports, and building vocabulary and early literacy skills. English Learner guidelines are comprehensively addressed across the curriculum―embedded in both the Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides. There is an intentional focus on children’s active engagement through playful and purposeful learning activities. Theme Guides are filled with opportunities for children to explore high-interest topics through language-rich experiences throughout the prekindergarten day. This design fosters meaningful, lasting connections as children hear and practice new vocabulary across settings and contexts. Lessons and activities include Scaffolding and Teacher Tips that can be helpful as teachers support English learners. Recommended language scaffolds are often included at different levels (e.g., less support, more support, or most support) to offer the “just right” support needed for success. Teacher Tips suggest ways of adapting or modifying activities to achieve particular goals. The English Learner Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines are addressed frequently across a day and week. These guidelines are indicated on the Scope & Sequences and Theme Guides, and are included with the full lessons. Please see the English Learner section of the Teacher’s Manual to learn more. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Is there a component to address differentiation for children that need more support? “] The CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum was designed with flexible features to allow teachers greater ease as they plan and provide instruction best suited to the individual learner.

The flexible design of the weekly Scope and Sequence allows teachers to easily make choices for supporting children’s individual needs to meet learning goals. This includes:

• Teaching any of the week’s Target Lessons more than once for reteaching or additional practice.
• Selecting from the Additional Lessons to reteach, revisit, or reinforce skills from a previous week of instruction.
• Selecting from Step It Up! lessons to offer more advanced or challenging instruction than those indicated in Target Lessons while addressing the same focus skill.
• Adapting lessons to tailor them to an individual child’s needs:
  • Upward and Downward Scaffolds within individual lessons provide ideas such as prompts, visual cues, or extensions to adjust the level of challenge depending on the child’s needs.
  • Teacher Tips within individual lessons provide ideas for extensions and changes, which suggest ways to adjust lessons based on children’s individual needs.

These ideas for how to differentiate instruction help teachers deliver lessons that are appropriate and targeted for the children in their group or class, whether children are three- or four-years-old, or need more foundational or more advanced support. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Is there testing that goes with the curriculum?”] The CIRCLE Progress Monitoring System (CPM), also available on CLI Engage, is a technology-driven tool that enables teachers to quickly assess a child’s progress in a particular skill area. This online tool allows teachers to assess children’s progress in all areas addressed in the curriculum. CPM uses both direct, teacher-administered assessments, and observation-based assessments to identify areas where children need extra supports or where they may benefit from more challenging instruction. CPM automatically groups children and links directly to lessons in the CIRCLE Activity Collection that match the instructional needs of the different groups. No matter where a child falls on the spectrum of growth, the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum provides teachers with resources for adjusting instruction, including Scaffolding, Step It Up!, and Additional Lessons. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”How was the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum designed?”] Read the article published in the Learning Leader to learn about how the curriculum was developed, and to find a list of some of the research referenced and included during the design process.  [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Has the State of Texas adopted the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum?”] Yes! The State Board of Education (SBOE) issued Proclamation 2021 in June 2019 to call for English and Spanish prekindergarten systems. In November 2020, the SBOE voted to adopt the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum. Implementation officially began during the 2021-2022 school year. [/fruitful_tab]
[fruitful_tab title=”Whom can I contact for more information? “] Please contact circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu to reach our team. [/fruitful_tab]
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