CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum

Incorporating time-tested lessons from the CIRCLE Activity Collection, the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum provides all the resources needed to support weekly planning and delivery of preschool instruction.

State Adoption

The State Board of Education voted to approve adoption of the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum in November 2020. Evaluation by the Texas Resource Review (TRR) found the curriculum fully addresses all Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines. High scores were awarded for each criteria of quality included in the prekindergarten systems rubric used during TRR’s quality review.

Curriculum Components

Available in English and Spanish, the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum includes Scope and Sequences for 35 weeks of instruction and 10 Theme Guides for use throughout the school year. Each of these components is supported by direct links to high-quality lessons housed in the CIRCLE Activity Collection. You can use the Scope and Sequences and Theme Guides together to provide weekly instruction that comprehensively supports the cognitive, social, and emotional development of prekindergarten children. Additionally, the Start-Up Guide breaks down how each component is organized and what you need to know to start your implementation.

Download all the components from CLI Engage at no cost, or contact us to purchase printed versions of these same files.

Notable Features

100% alignment to Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines across all domains
Comprehensive coverage of skill domains supporting cognitive and social and emotional development
Balanced collection of teacher-directed lessons and child-initiated activities
Daily playful and purposeful experiences across whole group, small group, and center time
Scripted lessons that follow the teaching and learning cycle
Flexible Theme Guides for building language and background knowledge through meaningful and relevant experiences
Useful scaffolds and teacher tips for modifying lessons
Authentic videos of lessons in action
English and Spanish versions
Print editions of components and supplemental materials available for purchase

TO ACCESS THIS RESOURCE:

CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum is available for all users! All you need to do is create a free account, then login to CLI Engage.

Access on CLI Engage

If you aren’t already logged in, this link will take you to the CLI Engage login screen then direct you straight to the CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum.

BEST FIT FOR:

Pre-K

ELIGIBILITY

Public Access

CONTACT US

circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu

RELATED RESOURCES

Learn more

Previewing the Curriculum

Welcome! We are thrilled to introduce you to the new CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum in this fast-paced preview video.

Introducing the Curriculum

Enjoy watching this video that highlights the key features of the curricula developed by researchers and early childhood experts at CLI.

Navigating the Curriculum

Learn how to access the curriculum on CLI Engage and navigate to resources for teachers in both English and Spanish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the curriculum free?

Yes! The CIRCLE Pre-K Curriculum is available at no cost on the CLI Engage platform.

Who can use the curriculum?

Anyone with a CLI Engage account can freely access the digital pre-K curriculum.

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). 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.

Is the curriculum available in Spanish?

Yes. The curriculum is available in both English and Spanish versions.

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.

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.

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.

Can I get a quote to purchase the print version?

For a written quote, please contact us at circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Whom can I contact for more information?

Please contact circleprekcurriculum@uth.tmc.edu to reach our team.