ABSTRACT
Early childhood is replete with debates that pit one approach to education against another. We believe that, as a community, we need to minimize the confusion that stems from false dichotomies in early education. The Pyramid Model provides guidance to early childhood teachers on using instructional and behavior support practices that are based on research on effective instruction for young children, strategies to promote child engagement and appropriate behavior, the promotion of children's social skills, and the implementation of individualized assessment-based behavior support plans. Teachers implemented significantly more Pyramid Model practices with fidelity when compared to teachers in the wait-list control condition and these practices were associated with promising outcomes for children. Our interdisciplinary curriculum for math-science-literacy-social emotional learning, 'Connect4Learning' (C4L), builds upon and integrates empirically tested practices in each of these four domains. At the same time, C4L does not neglect phonological awareness skill or development of letter-sound knowledge.
