Why Standards Alignment Matters
Standards are the common language that ensures continuity of learning, coherent assessment, and accountability across classrooms and campuses. When preschool content is demonstrably aligned, leaders gain:
- Confidence that scope and sequence cover foundational domains thoroughly.
- Continuity for students transitioning into IB PYP, Cambridge Primary, or US state standards.
- Consistency in formative assessment, portfolios, and parent reporting.
How Liberty Aligns—at a Glance
Liberty Education’s preschool curriculum is grounded in the California Frameworks I & II (developmental progression and holistic growth). It explicitly addresses early literacy (phonics, oral language, comprehension), early numeracy (number sense, patterns, spatial reasoning), science and inquiry, creativity, motor development, and social-emotional learning. The same domains map directly to UK EYFS and Singapore NEL, while our inquiry-rich, integrated projects and learner dispositions align to IB PYP Early Years and Cambridge Early Years.
Standards Crosswalk: Liberty ↔ EYFS ↔ NEL
| Learning Domain | Liberty Education Curriculum | UK EYFS | Singapore NEL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication & Language | Systematic phonics; storytelling; vocabulary; sentence building; listening & speaking routines. | Listening, understanding, speaking; language-rich interactions; oracy across play. | Language & Literacy: speaking, listening, reading, early writing. |
| Physical Development | Gross/fine motor tasks embedded in literacy/math (e.g., tracing, manipulatives, movement games). | Moving & handling; health & self-care. | Motor skills; health awareness; active play. |
| Personal, Social & Emotional | Routines for help-seeking, gratitude, collaboration, and emotional regulation via stories & role-play. | Self-confidence; relationships; behavior and self-regulation. | Social-emotional skills; responsibility; self-management. |
| Literacy | Phonics progression; letter-sound recognition; decodable reading; emergent writing. | Reading and writing. | Reading, writing, appreciation for literature. |
| Mathematics | Number recognition, counting, subitizing, patterns, comparison, early problem-solving. | Numbers; shape, space & measures. | Numeracy: counting, patterns, spatial relationships. |
| Understanding/Discovery of the World | Nature exploration; sensory science; cause-and-effect; simple investigations. | People, communities, world, technology. | Discovery of the world: observation, inquiry, explanation. |
| Expressive Arts & Design / Aesthetics | Music, movement, crafts, drama; process-over-product creativity. | Exploring & using media and materials; being imaginative. | Art, music, movement, drama. |
| STEAM / Integrated Learning | Integrated STEAM projects across literacy, math, and science with maker-style tasks. | Not a distinct strand; realized through play and continuous provision. | Central emphasis on integrated, inquiry-based learning. |
| Learning Dispositions & Values | Curiosity, persistence, cooperation, reflection; adaptive learning paths. | Characteristics of Effective Learning. | Dispositions: perseverance, reflection, appreciation. |
| Assessment & Flexibility | Clear objectives; embedded formative checks; adaptable for school or home. | Observation, play-based formative assessment. | Holistic observation-based assessment. |
Compatibility Snapshot: IB, Cambridge, and US
| Framework | What It Emphasizes | How Liberty Fits |
|---|---|---|
| IB PYP Early Years | Inquiry; transdisciplinary themes; Approaches to Learning (ATL); learner profile. | Inquiry prompts and cross-curricular projects map to transdisciplinary themes; routines for social-emotional competencies align with ATL; reflection and learner voice embedded. |
| Cambridge Early Years | Play-based foundations in communication, maths, physical, personal-social-emotional, and understanding the world. | Liberty’s domain coverage and progression mirror these areas; structured phonics and number sense support readiness for Cambridge Primary. |
| US (California Frameworks I & II) | Developmental benchmarks; holistic domains; language-rich instruction. | Liberty is built on these frameworks, ensuring developmental progressions and teacher-friendly lesson architecture. |
Methodology & Teaching Approach
- Balanced pedagogy: Teacher-guided mini-lessons plus child-initiated exploration.
- Constructivist foundations: Practices informed by Piaget (hands-on, stage-appropriate tasks) and Vygotsky (scaffolding, language-mediated learning, peer collaboration).
- Inclusion & differentiation: Activities include adaptations for diverse needs; the AI assistant suggests scaffolds, language supports, and enrichment.
Assessment, Evidence, and Reporting
- Embedded objectives and success criteria per unit for simple, actionable formative checks.
- LMS portfolio tools capture observations, photos, and student work; quick tags align evidence to domains/standards.
- Progress views by domain and by child to support parent conferences and transitions into IB/Cambridge/US primary programs.
Education 4.0 Delivery: LMS + AI Support
Liberty’s Teacher Guides are distributed on our LMS with an integrated AI assistant. Teachers can generate lesson variations, adjust language levels, and produce observation prompts aligned to targeted standards. Leaders gain program-level visibility while preserving classroom flexibility. This is a modern, iterative model—not a static print series—so alignment and support improve continuously.
How to Validate Alignment at Your School
- Map objectives to standards: Select a sample of Liberty units and map learning goals to EYFS/NEL or to IB PYP Early Years/Cambridge Early Years strands.
- Compare domains and themes: Check coverage of language, numeracy, creativity/arts, science/inquiry, motor development, and SEL against your framework.
- Review pedagogy: Confirm child-centered, play-based, inquiry-driven strategies are evident in plans and materials.
- Confirm progression & inclusion: Verify developmental sequencing and accommodations for diverse learners.
- Pilot & collect evidence: Run a short, multi-class pilot; use the LMS to tag observations to your chosen standards; review student growth and teacher workload impact.
Conclusion
Liberty Education’s preschool curriculum delivers the rigor and coherence decision-makers expect from a “real” preschool program while remaining flexible for local contexts. Built on California Frameworks I & II and clearly mapped to EYFS and NEL—with straightforward compatibility to IB PYP Early Years and Cambridge Early Years—it ensures that foundational literacy, numeracy, STEAM, and social-emotional competencies are taught in developmentally appropriate ways. Because our Teacher Guides run on an LMS with AI support, Liberty reflects Education 4.0: adaptive, data-informed, and constantly improving. For schools seeking a modern, standards-aligned solution that eases implementation, strengthens teaching, and smooths transition into IB, Cambridge, or US primary programs, Liberty is a strong and future-ready choice.