Standard 2: NAEYC Accreditation Criteria for Curriculum

The following chart presents the accreditation criteria for this topic area. Each criterion provides specific details to guide program plans, policies and practices. The criteria are numbered (01, 02, 03, etc.) within their topic area. Each criterion within each program standard is identified by its relevant age group (or groups). Many criteria are identified as "universal" (U), meaning that all classrooms and programs pursuing NAEYC Accreditation must address these criteria. These aspects of quality should be seen in any programs or classrooms serving birth through kindergarten, though they may look somewhat different in practice depending on the children's age.

Age Groups:
U = universal
I = infant
T = toddlers/twos
P = preschool
K = kindergarten

2.G.
Curriculum Content Area for Cognitive Development: Science

2.G.01
I   T
Infants and toddlers/twos are provided varied opportunities and materials to use their senses to learn about objects in the environment, discover that they can make things happen, and solve simple problems.

2.G.02
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials to learn key content and principles of science such as

• the difference between living and nonliving things (e.g., plants versus rocks) and life cycles of various organisms (e.g., plants, butterflies, humans).
• earth and sky (e.g., seasons; weather; geologic features; light and shadow; sun, moon, and stars).
• structure and property of matter (e.g., characteristics that include concepts such as hard and soft, floating and sinking) and behavior of materials (e.g., transformation of liquids and solids by dissolving or melting).

2.G.03
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials that encourage them to use the five senses to observe, explore, and experiment with scientific phenomena.

2.G.04
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities to use simple tools to observe objects and scientific phenomena.

2.G.05
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials to collect data and to represent and document their findings (e.g., through drawing or graphing).

2.G.06
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials that encourage them to think, question, and reason about observed and inferred phenomena.

2.G.07
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials that encourage them to discuss scientific concepts in everyday conversation.

2.G.08
P   K
Children are provided varied opportunities and materials that help them learn and use scientific terminology and vocabulary associated with the content areas.