The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Early Childhood Curriculum Project provides guidance to child care and other non-public early childhood programs on curricular resources. 

The State-recommended resources for four- and five-year old children are aligned with Maryland’s pre-kindergarten and kindergarten College and Career Ready Standards. For birth through three-year-old children, the recommended resources align with Healthy Beginnings: Supporting Development and Learning from Birth Through Three Years of Age (PDF). 

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), responsible for early care and education programs throughout the state, has updated its recommended list of early childhood curricula for 3 and 4 year olds for child care, Head Start programs, and nursery schools.

While The Division of Early Childhood revises its future list of Recommended Curricula, programs may continue to use curricula on the current list including those with expired or about to expire dates for the coming year. 

Maryland State Department of Education is in the process of developing a comprehensive curriculum for programs for 3 and 4 year olds. The curriculum will be accessed on line at no cost. A list of supplementary materials and resources that programs may purchase will be provided.

Programs implementing MSDE recommended curricula with an expiration date of December 2017 can continue to use this curriculum until the time that the new MSDE developed curriculum is available for public use.  

Once the MSDE developed curriculum is available programs currently implementing MSDE recommended curricula with an expiration date of December 2017 will have the choice of:

• Implementing the MSDE developed curriculum or;
• Purchase and implement a curriculum on the MSDE State Recommended Curriculum list that has not expired.  

Specifically for children birth to age 3, the State recommends:

Individually Developed Curriculum Review

Programs/providers who are seeking to have individually developed curricula for infants and toddlers, and three, four, and five (kindergarten) year-old children reviewed and accepted by the Maryland State Department of Education in order to meet MSDE Accreditation and Maryland EXCELS standards may submit curricula and required documentation on or before May 8, 2017.  Only curricula that has been developed by the program/provider and is for the sole use of the program/provider may be submitted. There is no funding associated with this curriculum review.  If you have questions regarding this process you may email early.learningbranchesmsde@maryland.gov. 

Individually Developed Curriculum Submission Requirement and Documentation

Appendix A (Infants & Toddlers)

Appendix A (3-5 year olds)

Appendices B, C, D (3-5 year olds)

Appendix E (3-5 year olds)