--- title: "Preschool Curriculum for 3 to 5 Year Olds in South Dakota" id: "23685" type: "page" slug: "preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota" published_at: "2026-06-01T03:36:36+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-01T03:36:36+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota.md" excerpt: "SD ELG-alignedKindergarten-readiness focusedBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in South Dakota Experience BabyBirth to 18 monthsExperience Toddler18 to 36 monthsExperience Preschool3 to 5 years About the curriculum What is Experience Preschool? Experience Preschool is a research-based curriculum..." taxonomy_language: - "English" --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [Experience Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) › [Preschool Curriculum](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/) › [Preschool Curriculum In South Dakota](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota/) › Preschool Curriculum for 3 to 5 Year Olds in South Dakota # Preschool Curriculum for 3 to 5 Year Olds in South Dakota ## A complete, research-based preschool curriculum for South Dakota childcare programs — SD ELG-aligned, kindergarten-readiness focused, delivered monthly, and integrated with brightwheel. SD ELG-alignedKindergarten-readiness focusedBrightwheel integratedNAEYC approved Explore other Experience Curriculum age bands in South Dakota [Experience BabyBirth to 18 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/infant-curriculum/infant-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Experience Toddler18 to 36 months](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Experience Preschool3 to 5 years](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota) About the curriculum ## What is Experience Preschool? Experience Preschool is a research-based curriculum designed for children 3 through 5 years. Each month, a complete curriculum kit arrives at your program — including lesson plans, hands-on materials, teacher guides, and family engagement tools — everything you need to build kindergarten-ready learners. Experience Preschool’s monthly kits are organized around developmentally rich themes that build language, literacy, mathematics, science, and social-emotional skills in an integrated, play-based framework. Each theme connects to all eight developmental domains, supporting whole-child development without fragmented subject-area instruction. Designed for preschool learning realities Experience Preschool balances structured learning with play-based exploration. Lesson plans are designed for 15–30 minute whole-group and small-group experiences, with clear teacher language, differentiation tips, and embedded assessment opportunities. #### What’s in each kit - 4 weeks of daily lesson plans - Hands-on learning materials - Teacher’s guide with differentiation tips - Family engagement take-home materials - Assessment and observation prompts - Literacy-rich read-aloud connections - Brightwheel digital activity companion #### Kindergarten-readiness focus - Phonological awareness and early literacy - Number sense, counting, and early math - Scientific inquiry and observation skills - Social-emotional skills and self-regulation - Oral language development and vocabulary - Fine motor: writing readiness, cutting, drawing - Approaches to learning: persistence, curiosity South Dakota-specific context ## Why Experience Preschool is a strong fit for South Dakota programs ### South Dakota preschool & Pre-K Key regulatory and market context for South Dakota programs 1:5South Dakota’s preschool-to-caregiver ratio for licensed preschool programs SD ELGSouth Dakota Early Learning Guidelines Shining StarsSouth Dakota Shining Stars — the state’s quality rating system South Dakota’s state-funded preschool and Head Start programs require curriculum aligned to SD ELG. Experience Preschool’s domain structure maps directly to South Dakota’s preschool standards. South Dakota Shining Stars is the state’s voluntary QRIS (1–5 stars). Higher-rated programs receive enhanced Child Care Assistance reimbursement rates. ### South Dakota preschool licensing context South Dakota’s 1:10 preschool ratio supports small-group instruction and individualized learning. Experience Preschool’s lesson plans include both whole-group and small-group activity formats, with clear teacher guidance for differentiation across developmental levels — making it practical for mixed-ability preschool classrooms. Skills & developmental domains ## Developmental domains covered in Experience Preschool Experience Preschool integrates all eight developmental domains from Experience Curriculum’s 35-skill framework, with activities calibrated specifically for the 3–5 year age range. Every monthly kit builds skills across domains simultaneously — supporting kindergarten readiness in a coherent, integrated way. Social-Emotional Attachment, trust, emotional attunement, early social responsiveness Physical Gross motor milestones, fine motor exploration, sensory-motor development Language & Literacy Pre-verbal communication, early vocabulary, caregiver narration and reading Math & Reasoning Cause-and-effect, object permanence, early spatial and number reasoning Science Sensory exploration, observation, natural curiosity about the world Creative Arts Sensory art experiences, music, movement, early aesthetic awareness Social Studies Family and community identity, cultural connections, sense of belonging Approaches to Learning Curiosity, persistence, initiative, attention — foundational learning behaviors SD ELG alignment Experience Preschool activities map to specific SD ELG preschool standards across all domains. An alignment document maps every activity-to-standard match, supporting documentation requirements for South Dakota’s Shining Stars system and Pre-K programs. Sample monthly themes ## What arrives each month Each Experience Preschool kit is organized around a developmentally rich monthly theme. Here’s a sample of what a program year looks like. SeptPre-K #### Community Helpers Social studies theme exploring community roles, helpers, and civic responsibility. Builds vocabulary, early writing, and social awareness skills. Social StudiesLanguageWriting NovPre-K #### Exploring Nature Science-focused theme with hands-on nature exploration, observation journals, and early data collection. Builds scientific inquiry, math, and literacy skills. ScienceMathInquiry FebPre-K #### Friends and Feelings Social-emotional theme building empathy, conflict resolution, and friendship skills. Supports self-regulation and the social skills needed for kindergarten success. Social-EmotionalSelf-regulationCommunication AprPre-K #### Growing and Changing Life science theme with planting, observation, and life cycle exploration. Builds early literacy (informational text), math (measurement, data), and scientific thinking. ScienceLiteracyMath Digital integration ## Experience Preschool and brightwheel: a complete solution Experience Curriculum is now fully integrated with brightwheel, the #1 childcare management platform. For South Dakota programs already using brightwheel for billing, attendance, and family communication, adding Experience Preschool creates a seamless curriculum-to-portfolio workflow. ### Document as you teach Educators can log observations directly in brightwheel during or immediately after activities. Notes link to developmental milestones and build each child’s portfolio automatically. ### Keep families connected Parents receive real-time photos, videos, and activity updates through brightwheel. Experience Preschool family take-home content can be shared digitally, keeping caregivers at home aligned with the classroom. For programs documenting South Dakota SD ELG preschool observations, brightwheel’s milestone tagging and portfolio features significantly reduce paperwork. Documentation can be exported for Shining Stars reporting or family conferences. Frequently asked questions ## Questions about Experience Preschool in South Dakota #### Is Experience Preschool aligned to South Dakota’s SD ELG preschool standards? Yes. Experience Preschool is formally aligned to South Dakota’s South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines (ages 3–5). An alignment document maps each Experience Preschool activity and skill to specific SD ELG preschool domains and standards. #### Can Experience Preschool help my South Dakota program achieve a higher Shining Stars rating? Many South Dakota programs find that using a structured, research-based, SD ELG-aligned curriculum supports their Shining Stars rating. Experience Preschool’s built-in observation tools and kindergarten-readiness focus also support rating requirements. We recommend confirming specific requirements with your local childcare resource agency. #### Is Experience Preschool appropriate for South Dakota Pre-K programs? Yes. Experience Preschool is designed for 3–5 year olds and aligns to South Dakota’s South Dakota Early Learning Guidelines (ages 3–5). Programs participating in South Dakota’s Pre-K initiatives will find that Experience Preschool’s structured, standards-aligned approach meets curriculum requirements. #### What is the cost of Experience Preschool for South Dakota childcare programs? Experience Preschool pricing is based on program size and the number of children served. South Dakota programs may also qualify for subsidized pricing if serving children through state-funded Pre-K programs. Pricing details and a free tour are available through the [brightwheel website](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/) . #### How does Experience Preschool support kindergarten readiness for South Dakota children? Experience Preschool is designed with kindergarten readiness as a core outcome. Activities build skills across all eight developmental domains, with particular emphasis on language and literacy, mathematics, and social-emotional skills that South Dakota kindergarten teachers identify as most important for school success. Keep exploring ## Related pages [Same stateExperience Toddler in South DakotaFor programs serving children 18–36 months in South Dakota](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/toddler-curriculum/toddler-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Same stateExperience Preschool in South DakotaPre-K curriculum for South Dakota programs serving 3–5 year olds](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/preschool-curriculum-in-south-dakota) [Standards alignmentSouth Dakota Early Learning StandardsHow Experience Curriculum maps to South Dakota’s SD ELG standards](https://mybrightwheel.com/early-learning-standards/south-dakota/) [Same age bandPreschool Curriculum HubPreschool curriculum resources and state-specific links for all 50 states](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/preschool-curriculum/) ## Ready to bring Experience Preschool to your South Dakota program? Research-based preschool curriculum for South Dakota programs — delivered to your door every month. [Get a free tour](https://mybrightwheel.com/experience-curriculum/)