If there is one underlying lesson our ultra-personalized world drives home, it is that one size does not fit all. The products we use, the clothes we wear, the media we consume—it is all increasingly tailored to specific wants and needs. While out-of-the-box solutions no longer suffice for some of the more frivolous things in life, we—as teachers and advocates for young children—must also continue to push for the individualization of something as critical and foundational as early childhood education.

An individualized approach to early childhood curriculum, whereby teachers design curriculum plans explicitly around the developmental skills and focus areas of the specific children in their classes, is rooted in research and can make a significant impact on children’s development.