Liberty Education • Early Childhood Curriculum
The Mastery Series Early Childhood Curriculum
A developmental Mathematics and Phonics curriculum for Nursery, Preschool and Kindergarten.
The Mastery Series is a developmental early childhood curriculum from Liberty Education for Nursery, Preschool and Kindergarten. The series consists of six Mathematics and Phonics programs, each supported by a Teacher Guide and accompanying Student Book.
Across the three levels, children move from foundational exploration and recognition toward increasingly connected application, mathematical reasoning, sound analysis, early reading and writing.
What Is the Mastery Series?
The Mastery Series provides a connected learning pathway across the early childhood years, with separate Mathematics and Phonics programs for each developmental level.
Rather than treating Nursery, Preschool and Kindergarten as isolated programs, the curriculum builds knowledge progressively. Concepts introduced through concrete, language-rich and multisensory experiences are revisited and extended as children move through the series.
The result is a curriculum pathway in which earlier experiences provide foundations for increasingly complex learning.
Who Is the Mastery Series Designed For?
The Mastery Series is organized into three early childhood curriculum levels:
- Nursery — Foundation
- Preschool — Development & Application
- Kindergarten — Integration & Mastery
Each level includes both a Mathematics program and a Phonics program, allowing schools and educators to follow a connected progression within each subject.
Mastery Series Curriculum at a Glance
| Level | Developmental Stage | Mathematics | Phonics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Foundation | Numbers 1–10, counting, quantities, number words, colors, shapes, matching, classification and sequencing. | Alphabet awareness, uppercase and lowercase letters, letter names, target sounds, beginning-sound vocabulary, oral language and emerging letter formation. |
| Preschool | Development & Application | Numbers 0–10, quantities, number words, numeral representation, sequencing, geometry, colors, sorting, classification and spatial concepts. | Pre-writing, alphabet knowledge, letter-sound relationships, beginning-sound discrimination, vocabulary, letter formation, alphabet sequence and cumulative review. |
| Kindergarten | Integration & Mastery | Numbers 0–20, number order, comparison, patterns, geometry, measurement, ordinal numbers, time, money, early addition and mathematical reasoning, with extended counting practice to 100. | Beginning consonants, short vowels, middle and ending sounds, blending, familiar simple word reading, rhyming, sound patterns, word families, writing, sequencing and early comprehension. |
A Developmental Learning Progression
The Mastery Series is structured around increasing levels of independence, connection and application.
Nursery — Foundation
Nursery learning emphasizes direct experience and recognition. Children explore concepts through teacher modeling, language, movement, pictures, manipulatives and guided activities.
Experience → Explore → Recognize → Name → Match → Respond
Preschool — Development & Application
Preschool strengthens foundational knowledge and asks children to discriminate, classify, sequence, represent and apply what they have learned.
Recognize → Identify → Discriminate → Match → Classify → Sequence → Represent → Apply
Kindergarten — Integration & Mastery
Kindergarten extends earlier learning through increasingly connected tasks requiring children to analyze, compare, read, write, reason and apply their knowledge.
Analyze → Compare → Connect → Read → Write → Reason → Apply
FOUNDATION → DEVELOPMENT & APPLICATION → INTEGRATION & MASTERY
Mastery Series Mathematics
Mathematics develops from concrete early number experiences toward increasingly connected mathematical thinking.
Children begin by recognizing numbers, counting quantities, learning number words, identifying colors and shapes, matching, classifying and sequencing. Preschool strengthens number representation and relationships, while Kindergarten extends learning into comparison, patterns, measurement, ordinal numbers, time, money, early addition and mathematical reasoning.
Experience → Recognize → Count → Match → Represent → Sequence → Compare → Measure → Add → Apply → Reason
Mastery Series Phonics
Phonics develops from alphabet and sound awareness toward increasingly detailed analysis and application of sounds within words.
Nursery establishes letter recognition, letter names, sounds, vocabulary and emerging letter formation. Preschool strengthens letter-sound relationships, beginning-sound discrimination, pre-writing and letter formation. Kindergarten extends this foundation through short vowels, beginning, middle and ending sounds, blending, rhyming, sound patterns, word families and familiar simple word reading and writing.
Hear → Recognize → Name → Connect → Discriminate → Analyze → Blend → Read → Write → Understand
Explore the Six Mastery Series Programs
Each program has its own curriculum page with an overview of the learning focus, content and progression for that level.
Nursery • Mathematics
Nursery Mathematics
Building Early Mathematical Foundations
Children develop early number sense through numbers 1–10, counting, quantities, number words, colors, shapes, matching, classification and sequencing.
Nursery • Phonics
Nursery Phonics
Building Letter & Sound Foundations
Children develop alphabet awareness, recognize uppercase and lowercase letters, connect letters with target sounds, build beginning-sound vocabulary and begin letter formation.
Preschool • Mathematics
Preschool Mathematics
Developing Mathematical Understanding & Application
Children strengthen number and quantity understanding through 0–10 while connecting numerals, number words and quantities with sequencing, colors, geometry, sorting, classification and spatial concepts.
Preschool • Phonics
Preschool Phonics
Strengthening Sound Discrimination & Letter Application
Children develop pre-writing control and strengthen alphabet knowledge, letter-sound relationships, beginning-sound discrimination, vocabulary, letter formation, alphabet sequence and cumulative review.
Kindergarten • Mathematics
Kindergarten Mathematics
Extending Mathematical Thinking & Reasoning
Children develop number knowledge through 0–20 and extend their mathematical thinking through number order, comparison, patterns, geometry, measurement, ordinal numbers, time, money, early addition and reasoning.
Kindergarten • Phonics
Kindergarten Phonics
Advancing Toward Early Reading & Writing
Children extend letter-sound knowledge through beginning consonants, short vowels, middle and ending sounds, blending, rhyming, sound patterns, word families, familiar simple word reading, writing, sequencing and early comprehension.
Teacher Guides & Student Books
The Mastery Series combines structured Student Book practice with the broader instructional support of Teacher Guides.
Teacher Guides
Teacher Guide lessons provide instructional support around the concepts children encounter in their Student Books. Depending on the lesson and level, this may include objectives, teacher introductions and modeling, stories or rhymes, songs and movement, discussion, activity choices, Student Book application and suggested learning-center experiences.
Student Books
Student Books provide structured opportunities for children to practice and apply learning through activities such as recognizing, matching, counting, identifying, tracing, sequencing, completing and writing.
The Teacher Guide and Student Book are therefore designed to work together: instruction and active exploration support children's understanding, while Student Book activities provide focused opportunities to practice and apply that learning.
How Children Learn
Across the Mastery Series, children encounter Mathematics and Phonics through varied classroom experiences rather than through workbook practice alone.
Depending on the lesson and developmental level, learning may include:
- teacher modeling and guided discussion;
- stories and rhymes;
- songs and action activities;
- movement and gross-motor experiences;
- fine-motor activities;
- manipulatives and counters;
- matching, sorting and classification;
- games and puzzles;
- art and craft experiences;
- sensory exploration;
- STEAM-related activities;
- learning centers;
- guided practice; and
- Student Book application.
Learning Beyond Mathematics & Phonics
Although Mathematics and Phonics provide the academic structure of the series, many Teacher Guide activities also engage broader areas of early childhood development.
Across the curriculum, classroom experiences may support cognitive development, language development, fine-motor development, gross-motor development, social-emotional participation and STEAM-related exploration.
These experiences are integrated with the Mathematics and Phonics learning goals, helping children encounter concepts through language, movement, interaction and hands-on activity.
Explore the Mastery Series Curriculum
Liberty Education provides additional curriculum pages to help educators examine what is taught and how learning develops across the complete series.
Mastery Series Scope & Sequence
Compare major Mathematics and Phonics learning strands across Nursery, Preschool and Kindergarten.
View the Mastery Series Scope & Sequence →
Mathematics Curriculum Progression
Follow mathematical development from early number, counting, quantities, colors and shapes through comparison, patterns, measurement, early addition and mathematical reasoning.
Explore Mathematics Curriculum Progression →
Phonics Curriculum Progression
Follow literacy development from alphabet and sound foundations through sound discrimination, short vowels, blending, rhyming, word families and early word reading.
Explore Phonics Curriculum Progression →
Mastery Series Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers about the curriculum levels, Mathematics and Phonics content, Teacher Guides, Student Books, developmental progression and classroom learning.
Mastery Series Quick Links
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