Early education is an essential and important part of a child's life and it helps to provide them with a strong foundation in areas such as language, math, science and literacy while also promoting development on a personal and social level. In addition to learning at home, many children also attend schools at an early age, including preschool, daycare and other educational environments. Early childhood education involves five areas of development that are often referred to as the SPICE of life. This includes the social, physical, intellectual, creative and emotional development of the child.  There are many things to consider when choosing an appropriate school for a child, but early childhood curriculum should play a large factor in making a decision.  There are a number of items that can be used to decide whether or not the school will meet and exceed the needs of the child and parents.

An appropriate early childhood curriculum should include a variety of items. First, it should promote learning through interactive methods and help develop a child's knowledge. The school program should help children to reach goals in the areas of social, emotional, linguistic, physical and cognitive development. Each child should also be encouraged to look at learning in a positive light. The curriculum should educate the child using concept learning and skills development in a natural way and allow them to make meaningful choices.

Next, an early childhood curriculum should have realistic expectations that are attainable to each individual in the program. The curriculum should work with and build upon the child's current knowledge and abilities. The education program should allow the child to feel that they belong to the group and that they are safe and secure at the school. Children with disabilities should also be encouraged to achieve goals beyond what is specified in the IEP, or Individual Education Plan, and the IFSP, or Individual Family Service Plan.

The early childhood curriculum should be flexible for both the children and the teachers and it should acknowledge and ask for feedback from parents. It should also encourage children to explore and ask questions rather than focusing on a right or wrong way to answer a question or complete a task. It should promote abilities such as thinking, problem solving, reasoning and decision making. The curriculum should encourage social interaction through learning and also acknowledge a child's need for activity, stimulation, fresh air, rest and nourishment through meals and snacks. It should also encourage activities and experiences that give the child feelings of success and enjoyment while learning.

In addition to considering these items, there are other things that parents should look for in perspective school regarding their early childhood curriculum.  Parents should make sure that the education will be meaningful and relevant to their child's life. Also, it is important to find out if the program encourages and supports cultural and linguistic differences among the children, and whether or not the school allows and appreciates the individual differences.