FAQs
A list of our most frequently asked questions and answers
OVERVIEW
Q: What is the STREAMin3 Curriculum Model?
STREAMin3 is an engaging, interactions-based curriculum for children ages birth through five. It was developed by a team at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) in collaboration with, and with funding from, E3:Elevate Early Education at The New E3 School. STREAMin3 is grounded in developmental and early education research. It focuses on 6 STREAM and 5 Core Skills to promote children’s development and early learning.
OVERVIEW
Q: Where can I view samples of the curriculum?
A curriculum overview and samples are available on our website for your review. These include downloadable guides, games, and resources to get a feel for STREAMin3. Contact us if you would like to explore additional samples or have any questions about the samples.
OVERVIEW
Q: Is STREAMin3 aligned to Virginia’s quality & improvement ECE initiatives?
- Aligns with Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards.
- Supports skills and interactions that align to the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) and the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP).
- Aligns with VDOE’s other key Early Childhood Education (ECE) initiatives (VQB5, AEII).
OVERVIEW
Q: Why increase access to high-quality early childhood curricula in Virginia?
Early childhood educators can use a high-quality curriculum to help young children learn and grow. Yet many programs across Virginia do not have access to a quality curriculum. And, educators say they need more training and resources to use curriculum well. In response, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and the University of Virginia’s Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) will now offer a low-to-no-cost curriculum option, STREAMin3, for all publicly funded birth-to-five classrooms.*
The curriculum provides a high-quality option for infant, toddler, preschool, and mixed-age classrooms. Through the statewide roll-out of the STREAMin3 curriculum model, UVA and VDOE are partnering to ensure all publicly-funded birth-to-five educators in Virginia can access high-quality curriculum. The partnership aims to:
- Provide access to a low-to-no cost comprehensive, birth-through-preschool, curriculum.
- Deliver free professional development (PD) to help programs adopt and use the curriculum.
- Develop sustainable resources so programs can use the curriculum and professional development resources beyond the initial rollout years at low-to-no cost.
OVERVIEW
Q: When will STREAMin3 be available?
Access to STREAMin3 will be available beginning in March of 2022 for two initial groups of up to 2,000 classrooms in priority programs.
Priority for the initial groups will be given to classrooms:
- Currently participating in VQB5 and not using a VDOE approved curriculum option.
- In childcare centers or family day homes.
OVERVIEW
Q: What if we don’t meet the “priority” criteria?
We anticipate that all interested programs in VA will have access to this curriculum package as part of these groups (see “When will STREAMin3 be available?”). If these initial groups are full, interested programs will still receive virtual access to the curriculum, a list of books that the curriculum uses, a library of professional development resources, and large training events (e.g., webinars). This virtual, open-access option will be available to any interested program by April 15, 2022.
OVERVIEW
Q: What’s included in STREAMin3?
OVERVIEW
Q: What will it cost to use STREAMin3?
Programs that get into the initial groups will receive printed curriculum guides, children’s books, and personalized, responsive professional development for free. For other programs, the cost of the curriculum guides, books, and any additional materials will be affected by what’s being ordered, the fluctuating costs of items, the potential for sharing across classrooms, and the resources currently available in a program. We will give all participating programs a purchasing guide to aid in decision-making related to the cost of additional materials that may be referenced or recommended to complete curriculum activities.
Enrollment and Onboarding
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: Who can enroll to use STREAMin3?
Publicly-funded birth-five programs in Virginia can enroll to use STREAMin3. All educators in enrolled classrooms will get access to the curriculum materials and professional development resources.
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: How can my program request enrollment?
Programs can complete our enrollment request form, available on our website. Only one representative per program should complete this request. All programs, even those that do not meet the priority criteria, are encouraged to complete a request for enrollment.
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: What will my program receive if we request enrollment?
Based on availability and need, some classrooms in priority programs will receive:
- Printed curriculum guides.
- A set of children’s books to use with the curriculum.
- Direct professional development support.
All programs who request enrollment will receive access to:
- A web portal with a printable version of the complete curriculum (available in PDF format). This includes overview guides, activities, and other materials.
- An ongoing series of professional development webinars focused on getting to know STREAMin3 and getting started in your program.
- A professional development library of resources, available on the ECE Resource Hub. This, and other resources, are being expanded and will grow over time.
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: Will we receive training to support curriculum implementation?
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: Can my private preschool program use STREAMin3?
The STREAMin3 curriculum is currently only available to early childhood programs who receive public funding in Virginia. More information on program eligibility for the STREAMin3 curriculum can be found in this FAQ section.
If your program does not currently qualify, please feel free to check out our ECE Resource Hub to access publicly available resources for early childhood educators and leaders.
ENROLLMENT AND ONBOARDING
Q: My program is based outside of Virginia. Can I request enrollment?
The STREAMin3 curriculum is currently only available to programs located within the state of Virginia. If you’d like, please feel free to check out our ECE Resource Hub to access publicly available resources for early childhood educators and leaders.
STREAMin3 Research
RESEARCH
Q: Is this curriculum research-based?
Yes, this curriculum is based on research-based developmental standards. Central to STREAMin3 is a focus on what children are learning and how they are learning it. To address the “what,” STREAMin3 identifies and focuses on promoting children’s development of 5 Core Skills that form the building blocks for later learning and 6 STREAM skills that prepare children for academic success in kindergarten and beyond. Core and STREAM skills map directly onto the theory and research related to what we know about the developmental sequences and expectations that support early learning for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
These developmental standards serve as the underlying framework of STREAMin3 to ensure that activities and materials are developmentally appropriate and relevant for children while also serving explicitly as a resource for teachers in supporting their own understanding of children’s early learning.
Learn more about the Research Behind STREAMin3.
RESEARCH
Q: Has STREAMin3 been studied to show its effectiveness?
Implementation
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: What age groups does the curriculum cover?
The STREAMin3 curriculum is vertically aligned and can be used with children from birth to age five. It is provided in 2 options- an Infant/toddler version and a preschool version (3-5). A quick snapshot of STREAMin3 provides additional information.
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: Can this curriculum be used in a multi-age group setting or other types of program settings?
The curriculum has been piloted in multi-age groups and different program types including private, faith- based, Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) and Head Start classrooms. A STREAMin3 guide was created to support mixed aged classrooms, which we are happy to share if you contact us. You can read more about our implementation pilot, including use in mixed-age classrooms, in the STREAMin3 evaluation report.
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: Is STREAMin3 aligned to the Virginia Early Learning Foundations?
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: Can this curriculum be used in a multi-age group setting or other types of program settings?
The curriculum has been piloted in multi-age groups and different program types including private, faith- based, Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), and Head Start classrooms. A STREAMin3 guide was created to support mixed aged classrooms, which we are happy to share if you contact us. You can read more about our implementation pilot, including use in mixed-age classrooms, in the STREAMin3 evaluation report.
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: How is STREAMin3 connected to classroom assessments? (e.g., VKRP, CLASS)
STREAMin3 uses formative assessments, implementation checklists and progress monitoring assessments. STREAMin3 currently recommends the use of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS®) and the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Project (VKRP’s) child assessments as progress monitoring tools. The curriculum model, including coaching support and training, are aligned to these measures. Review our assessment crosswalk to learn more.
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: Is STREAMin3 inclusive of different cultures, religions, family models, and lifestyles?
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: Does STREAMin3 work in an ECSE classroom?
IMPLEMENTATION
Q: How does STREAMin3 support literacy?
STREAMin3 prioritizes supporting literacy and language development. Our “Communicate” core skill focuses on supporting the foundational language and literacy skills we know children need to thrive. Each week includes four dedicated “Communicate” activities centered around a high-quality children’s book. In addition, the curriculum provides ideas for supporting language and literacy throughout the day using short activity cards and games. We are happy to share a guide that outlines all the curriculum resources embedded to support literacy. Our team worked closely with the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program and the Phonological Awareness Literacy Screener (PALS) to ensure our model supports the key readiness skills children need.
