Calmer classrooms. Confident teachers. Children who can't wait to explore.
Rooted Curriculum brings a great book and the natural world outside your door to life inside your classroom. Children build social-emotional skills through hands-on play, and teachers learn the "why" behind every experience. Less planning. Fewer meltdowns. Teachers who grow every week.
Developed and refined in New England classrooms over 40 years
From managing behavior to building skills
Rooted helps teachers look behind the behavior to the skill a child is still building, and gives them the experiences to build it.
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Each month shows teachers the skills children are working on and how to build them.
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Every experience is matched to development, with ways to simplify for younger children and stretch for older ones. When activities fit, children aren't bored or frustrated, and fewer moments turn into meltdowns.
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Teachers follow children's lead and extend the play they already care about. Engaged children are busy learning, not testing limits.
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The Teacher Framework starts with Connect: being physically and emotionally available. Children who feel safe and known are better able to regulate, listen and try again.
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Waiting, turn-taking and calming down are practiced every day through stories, songs, movement and games, so children have the tools when the hard moment comes.
Directors see the difference in their classrooms
“Rooted has helped me do less of the problem solving myself, while empowering my teachers and building their own their capabilities.”
- Katie Roy, Owner & Director, Wonderful World of Children
Built on 40 years of experience
Rooted was created by Robin Shapiro, MA, who spent 40 years as a teacher, executive director, and founder of the LEAP Schools in Massachusetts.
Robin and her team developed and refined this approach within their multi-site programs, testing and refining what works with real children, real teachers and real families.
Robin holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Vermont and as Masters in Expressive Art Therapy from Lesley University.
Learning children can touch, feel and fall in love with.
DEVELOPMENTALLY BASED
Every experience builds the skills children are ready for
Rooted is grounded in developmentally appropriate practice and a deep understanding of the skills children are building at each point in the year. Each month centers on one developmental focus. Children keep practicing those skills all year, not just for a month, so learning builds on itself.
Example: By October, children feel safer in their classroom, so they start showing more of themselves: bigger feelings, more limit-testing and more conflict with friends. October's focus is navigating conflict. Their mantra for the month is "Coach, don't referee," backed by six simple steps that help children name feelings, find words and solve problems themselves.
LITERATURE-BASED
Help children fall in love with books
Every month centers on an anchor book that comes alive through the classroom, the activities and the month's developmental focus. Books are a natural way for children to explore new skills like perspective-taking, cooperation and navigating change.
Example: In October's Pumpkin Soup, Duck storms off when he can't stir. Children pause at the squabble and help the friends work it out, then use those same ideas when two of them want the same spoon.
NATURE-BASED
Let nature do the teaching
Every Rooted module follows the New England seasons outside your door. But nature-based learning is more than doing activities outside. Rooted brings the wonder of the natural world into the classroom and uses it as a powerful lens for teaching children about themselves and the world around them.
Example: Children explore falling leaves, the first frost and harvest time with real apples, squash, and pumpkins, just like the ones in Cat's garden, count its seeds and save them to plant in spring.
EMERGENT
Children provide the direction. Teachers scaffold.
Our five-step teaching framework (Connect, Observe, Respond, Extend, Step Back) helps teachers follow children's interests and extend them. When children are given ownership over their learning, they stay with ideas longer, think more deeply and build skills faster, with fewer challenging behaviors along the way. Activities are often framed as invitations, so children are drawn into learning rather than told what to do.
See a month in action
A curriculum that empowers teachers.
BUILDS TEACHERS' SKILLS
Teachers who understand the "why"
Every Rooted invitation, activity and classroom setup is written to build teachers' knowledge as they use it. Along the way, teachers learn what's typical at each age, what to say in the moment, and how to scaffold the skills children are building.
A FLEXIBLE FRAMEWORK
Room to be creative
Planning curriculum is one of the great joys of teaching, yet most curriculum products take it away with cookie-cutter activities. Rooted gives teachers a flexible framework with plenty of room to make it their own, so they bring their creativity, autonomy and joy to the classroom every day.
THE ENVIRONMENT AS THE THIRD TEACHER
A classroom that teaches, not just the teacher
Rooted helps teachers thoughtfully plan the materials, tools and setup of every area of the classroom. Each month's book, nature theme and big ideas come to life in the block area, the art table, the sensory bin and beyond, so the environment does some of the teaching.
Example: In October, the dramatic play area becomes a farm stand, then grows into a bustling market where children act out Cat slicing, Squirrel stirring and Duck adding the salt.
INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT
See the skills behind behavior
Rooted Curriculum is built on the same skills as the Rooted Observational Assessment Tool. When a teacher sees that a child is still learning to wait or handle a change, the curriculum already has experiences that build that skill. Teachers observe, plan and check progress in one shared language, with no translating between systems.
Parents who feel effective at home
PARENT EDUCATION
Family resources are an essential part of every month. They help families understand what is happening in the classroom, the skills their children are building, and how to support those same skills at home. When home and school are aligned, children build new skills more quickly.
Example: In October, families learn the same conflict-coaching steps teachers use in class, and pickup prompts like "Ask me what I found inside a pumpkin" turn the ride home into a conversation.
Our Philosophy
When children, families and teachers grow together, everyone thrives.
Children learn through relationships. Rooted supports all three pillars: children who know and believe in themselves, families who feel informed and included, and teachers who grow in skill and confidence.
Together, we're laying the foundation for thoughtful, compassionate, respectful, responsible and creative lifelong learners.
Questions directors ask us
Will Rooted work with our educational philosophy?
Yes. Rooted draws on the best of many approaches, including Reggio Emilia, Montessori and play-based, emergent learning: the environment as a teacher, real materials and meaningful work, and following the child's lead. Whether your program is play-based, Reggio-inspired, Montessori-influenced or somewhere in between, Rooted fits alongside what you already do.
What if we don't have much outdoor space?
You don't need a big yard to use Rooted. Nature-based learning is much more than doing activities outside. It comes alive inside your classroom every day. Outdoor time adds to the experience, but even a small playground, a single tree or a window box is plenty.
What materials do we need to buy?
Very little. We designed Rooted around the materials most classrooms already have: blocks, art supplies, dramatic play props, sensory bins and books. Seasonal items like leaves, seeds or a few pumpkins round it out. That saves you time and money, so you can start right away instead of waiting on a big supply order.
What ages is it for?
Preschool, roughly ages 3 to 6. Every experience includes ways to simplify for younger children and stretch for older ones.
How long does it take teachers to get started?
Each module is ready to use, and the "why" is explained as teachers go, so they build skills through everyday use rather than a long training up front.
What does it cost?
Plans start at $40 per month per classroom. Book a demo and we'll walk you through the options for your program.
Do I need Rooted Assessment too?
No. The curriculum stands on its own. Programs that use both get one shared skills language from observation to planning.
Give your teachers a curriculum that makes them better teachers.
We're opening Rooted Curriculum to a limited number of programs. Join the waitlist and we'll reach out as spots open, or book a demo to walk through a month with our team.