Best Social Studies Options for Early Intervention
Compare the best Social Studies options for Early Intervention. Side-by-side features, ratings, and verdict.
Early Intervention educators need social studies options that are developmentally appropriate, visually accessible, and flexible enough for play-based, routine-based instruction. The best choices support early concepts like family, community helpers, maps, belonging, and daily routines while making it easier to embed IEP goals, parent coaching, and natural environment teaching.
| Feature | PBS KIDS | Sesame Street in Communities | Boardmaker | Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum | Scholastic Learn at Home and PreK Resources | Teachers Pay Teachers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 0-5 Fit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Varies by seller |
| Visual Supports | Yes | Yes | Yes | With teacher-created supports | Limited built-in supports | Varies |
| Printables and Hands-On Materials | Some | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Family Engagement | Yes | Yes | With provider-created materials | Yes | Some | Limited |
| Adaptability for IEP Goals | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Varies |
PBS KIDS
Top PickPBS KIDS offers free videos, games, and themed resources that can introduce early social studies concepts such as neighborhoods, helpers, routines, and citizenship through familiar characters. It works especially well for embedding social language, turn-taking, and comprehension goals into motivating activities.
Pros
- +Free, trusted content with many preschool-friendly topics tied to community and daily life
- +Highly engaging visuals and short video segments support attention and language modeling
- +Easy to use in classrooms, therapy rooms, and home coaching sessions
Cons
- -Not organized as a formal early childhood social studies curriculum
- -Some digital activities require careful adult mediation for children with sensory or attention needs
Sesame Street in Communities
Sesame Street in Communities provides videos, storybooks, printable activities, and caregiver supports that connect well to early civics, belonging, identity, emotions, and community participation. Its materials are especially helpful for family-centered early intervention and social-emotional instruction.
Pros
- +Strong family-facing materials support parent coaching and carryover in natural environments
- +Excellent for teaching belonging, rules, feelings, and community roles in developmentally appropriate ways
- +Multimedia and printable resources make it easier to adapt for different communication levels
Cons
- -Covers broader developmental themes, so direct history and geography content is limited
- -Providers may need to curate materials to align with specific IEP goals
Boardmaker
Boardmaker is not a curriculum, but it is one of the strongest tools for adapting social studies content for children with developmental delays, autism, intellectual disability, or complex communication needs. It helps providers create visual supports, adapted books, communication boards, and routine-based materials around community and civic themes.
Pros
- +Excellent for creating individualized visual supports, first-then boards, social narratives, and symbol-based materials
- +Supports access for children who need AAC, simplified language, or explicit visual structure
- +Can turn almost any social studies topic into a hands-on, accessible activity
Cons
- -It is an adaptation tool, not a complete source of social studies content
- -Subscription cost may be difficult for solo practitioners or small programs
Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum
Creative Curriculum is widely used in early childhood settings and includes studies on families, community, transportation, and buildings that naturally support early social studies learning. Its structure fits embedded intervention, observation-based assessment, and routine-based instruction.
Pros
- +Built for preschool development, with hands-on investigations that align well with play-based learning
- +Strong guidance for integrating objectives across communication, cognition, motor, and social development
- +Useful for documenting participation and progress within everyday classroom routines
Cons
- -Can be expensive for smaller programs or independent providers
- -Requires planning time to individualize materials for children with significant support needs
Scholastic Learn at Home and PreK Resources
Scholastic offers early learning books, printable activities, and thematic resources that can support preschool social studies topics like families, neighborhoods, holidays, and community roles. The strong literacy connection makes it useful for targeting receptive language and vocabulary goals within social studies content.
Pros
- +Large library of books and print resources supports thematic units and shared reading
- +Easy to pair with visual schedules, picture supports, and adapted book activities
- +Helpful for reinforcing vocabulary and comprehension in small-group or individual instruction
Cons
- -Not all content is specifically designed for Early Intervention or children with disabilities
- -Hands-on and sensory-based adaptation often needs to be added by the teacher or therapist
Teachers Pay Teachers
Teachers Pay Teachers includes a wide range of preschool social studies resources on families, community helpers, maps, rules, and holidays. Quality varies, but it can be a practical source for quick printable activities, adapted books, and thematic centers for Early Intervention settings.
Pros
- +Huge selection of preschool and special education materials for community-based themes
- +Many low-cost options for adapted books, visuals, file folder games, and circle time supports
- +Useful when teachers need fast supplemental materials for specific IEP targets
Cons
- -Quality, developmental appropriateness, and accessibility vary widely across sellers
- -Materials are not always evidence-based or aligned with inclusive early childhood best practice
The Verdict
For free, flexible social studies support in Early Intervention, PBS KIDS and Sesame Street in Communities are the strongest starting points, especially for family coaching and embedded instruction. If you need a fuller classroom framework, Creative Curriculum is the best fit for inclusive preschool programs, while Boardmaker is the top choice for adapting content to AAC, visual, and individualized IEP access needs. Scholastic and Teachers Pay Teachers work best as supplemental sources when you want literacy-linked themes or quick printable activities.
Pro Tips
- *Choose options that teach early social studies through play, routines, and real-life experiences like family roles, neighborhood walks, snack jobs, and community helper pretend play.
- *Prioritize materials that can be adapted with visuals, symbols, simplified language, and hands-on supports for children with autism, intellectual disability, speech-language delays, or multiple disabilities.
- *Look for resources that support parent coaching so families can practice concepts like helping, waiting, following rules, and recognizing community places during everyday routines.
- *Use social studies activities to target functional IEP goals, such as requesting, joint attention, turn-taking, answering wh- questions, and following one-step directions.
- *Before purchasing, review whether the resource is developmentally appropriate for ages 0-5 and whether it supports natural environment teaching rather than worksheet-heavy instruction.