Abstract
The current adopted curriculum in public schools across California narrowly focuses on the core curriculum of language arts and math, excluding the visual and performing arts. A curriculum with out the arts fails to address the common sense of childhood development and the diversity of learning needs that a one-size fits all system ignores. Sources of Data The curriculum development involved research of the Kindergarten California content standards for the core curriculum and the visual and performing arts. The thematic units with in the curriculum were developed intentionally to align with the California content standards for the core curriculum and to be developmentally appropriate. The project included research of early childhood brain and mind development and Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences to further validate the necessity of teaching the visual and performing arts. Conclusions Reached The visual and performing arts can be successfully integrated into the core curriculum and aligned with the California content standards meeting the diverse learning needs of early childhood development. Early childhood curriculum needs to address child development as a whole; the arts in education engage and enrich learning like no other discipline.