EDU 259 Spring 2014 What is Curriculum? Slide 2 Curriculum for
Young Children Teaching is fun, exciting, and rewarding, especially
observing enthusiastic and happy children. Copyright 2013 Wadsworth
Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Slide 3 What Is Curriculum?
Copyright 2013 Wadsworth Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. 1.
Collection of ideas including learning, program, plans, school
subjects, materials, topics of study. 2. Both planned and unplanned
experiences to develop skills and knowledge. Looking at Terminology
Particular words, or terms, have meaning and significance. Early
childhood programs do not have fixed rules with fixed terminology.
Slide 4 Curriculum Defined curriculum a noun A course of study; a
program of studies (Barnhart and Barnhart, 1990) Curriculum for
young children is the topic of this textbook. curriculums or
curricula plural More than one course of study or program The
teacher tried many different types of curriculums. The teacher
tried many different types of curricula. curricular adjective Of,
having to do with, or describing curriculum Early childhood
educators continued to develop their curricular practices.
Copyright 2013 Wadsworth Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.
Slide 5 Curriculum is an organized framework that delineates: The
content that children are to learn The process through which
children are to learn The process through which children achieve
the identified curricular goals What teachers do to help children
achieve these goals The context in which teaching and learning
occur What Is Curriculum? Slide 6 Activities: The Core of the
Curriculum Copyright 2013 Wadsworth Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved. 1. Hands-on - children use their hands, arms, legs, feet,
and bodies rather than just listening and observing teachers. 2.
Concrete - allow children to use real materials as active
participants. Slide 7 Benefits of Planning and Managing Your
Curriculum Copyright 2013 Wadsworth Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved. Ensures best opportunities to develop in secure, stable,
interesting environments. Allows teachers to predict and prepare
for events. Gives sense of predictability, confidence, and control.
Maximizes use of time, increases opportunities for quality
interaction. Slide 8 Multilevel Process 2012 Cengage Learning. All
Rights Reserved. Philosophy - Expresses basic principles, attitudes
and beliefs of program Goals - General overviews of what children
are expected to gain Objectives - Specific teaching techniques or
interpretations of the goals - Meaningful descriptions of what is
expected to be learned - Designed to meet the physical,
intellectual, cultural, social, emotional, and creative development
of each child Slide 9 DAP Curriculum 2012 Cengage Learning. All
Rights Reserved. Goals are developmentally and educationally
significant Learning experiences reflect what is known - about
young children in general - about young children in particular -
about the sequences in which children acquire specific concepts,
skills and abilities Builds on prior experience Slide 10
Developmentally Appropriate PracticeWhat Is It? 2007 Thomson Delmar
Learning. All Rights Reserved. Programs are based on the
accumulation of data and facts about what children are like
Programs designed for young children must be based on what is known
about young children Early childhood educators must be steeped in
child development knowledge Children must be considered in the
context of their family, culture, community, past history, and
present circumstances Slide 11 Basic Principles of Development 2007
Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Domains of childrens
developmentphysical, social, emotional, and cognitiveare closely
related. Development in one domain influences and is influenced by
development in other domains Development occurs in a relatively
orderly sequence, with later abilities, skills, and knowledge
building on those already acquired Development proceeds at varying
rates from child to child as well as unevenly within different
areas of a childs functioning Slide 12 Basic Principles of
Development Early experiences have both cumulative and delayed
effects on individual childrens development; Optimal periods exist
for certain types of development and learning Development proceeds
in predictable directions toward greater complexity, organization,
and internalization Development and learning occur in and are
influenced by multiple social and cultural contexts Slide 13 Basic
Principles of Development 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights
Reserved. Children are active learners, drawing on direct physical
and social experience as well as culturally transmitted knowledge
to construct their own under-standing of the world around them
Development and learning result from interaction of biological
maturation and the environment, which includes both the physical
and social worlds that children live in Play is an important
vehicle for childrens social, emotional, and cognitive development,
as well as a reflection of their development Slide 14 Basic
Principles of Development Development advances when children have
opportunities to practice newly acquired skills as well as when
they experience a challenge just beyond the level of their present
mastery Children demonstrate different modes of knowing and
learning and different ways of representing what they know Children
develop and learn best in the context of a community where they are
safe and valued, their physical needs are met, and they feel
psychologically secure Slide 15 Common Misunderstandings about
Developmentally Appropriate Practice There is only one right way to
carry out developmentally appropriate practice Developmentally
appropriate classrooms are unstructured Teachers teach minimally or
not at all in developmentally appropriate classrooms 2007 Thomson
Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved. Slide 16 Common
Misunderstandings about Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Developmentally appropriate programs do not include academics,
generally interpreted to be the formal skills of learning reading,
writing, and arithmetic Developmentally appropriate programs are
only effective for particular populations, usually assumed to be
typically developing, white, middle-class children In
developmentally appropriate classrooms, there is no way to tell
whether children are learning 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All
Rights Reserved. Slide 17 Common Misunderstandings about
Developmentally Appropriate Practice Developmentally appropriate
practice can be achieved simply by acquiring certain kinds of toys
and materials Developmentally appropriate practice uses no goals or
objectives In developmentally appropriate practice, the curriculum
is child development Developmental appropriateness is just one in a
sequence of changing trends in education 2007 Thomson Delmar
Learning. All Rights Reserved. Slide 18 Inclusive Curriculum 2011
Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Reflects awareness of and
sensitivity to diversity of all areas of a childs life: cultural,
social, language, religion, gender, and capabilities Authentic
inclusion: an approach that builds on and integrates multicultural
and anti-bias strategies for a sensitive and culturally affirming
program that includes all children Children with disabilities, from
immigrant families, from families whose first language is not
English, from all cultures, and girls and boys need the same things
in a learning environment Adaptations are made to fit the
capacities of individual children as needed Slide 19 Effective
Curriculum: Integrated Curriculum 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved. Coordinates many subject areas and utilizes a holistic
approach to learning Makes it possible for teachers to include
skill development activities in context, not isolation Subject
areas cut across learning activities and reinforce concepts in
meaningful ways as children engage in their work and play Slide 20
Effective Curriculum: Advantages of an Integrated Curriculum 2011
Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Reflects the natural way
children develop at their own rate and not in all areas of growth
at the same time Allows for a wide range of abilities within a
classroom age range of one year, as well as within a mixed-age
group Accommodates individualization as children meet a variety of
materials and experiences at their own unique developmental levels
Maximizes the effect of rates of learning, different styles of
learning, and multiple intelligences Slide 21 Provides for learning
to take place within the context of meaningful activities Requires
large blocks of time so learning can be more in-depth Promotes
self-motivation and extension of learning Blends hands-on learning
with skill acquisition Lends itself to both a theme and project
approach to curriculum planning Effective Curriculum: Advantages of
an Integrated Curriculum Slide 22 Effective Curriculum: Emergent
Curriculum 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Curriculum
that emerges out of the childrens experiences and interests
Emphasis is on childrens interests, their involvement in their
learning, and their ability to make constructive choices Teachers
set up materials and equipment for a few activities each day that
will capture childrens interest, watch and evaluate what the
children do, and support and extend what the children make of their
experiences Slide 23 Effective Curriculum: Emergent Curriculum
(cont.) 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. Taking cues
from children Noting what they play with, what they avoid, and what
they change In order to be a meaningful learning experience, the
curriculum should come out of the daily life in the classroom
Children are encouraged to use whatever style of learning is most
natural to them A materials-rich environment where play is valued
forms the foundation for the curriculum Slide 24 Effective
Curriculum: Emergent Curriculum (cont.) 2011 Cengage Learning. All
Rights Reserved. Collaboration and mutual learning Interaction
between teachers and children, who both offer suggestions and ideas
Accent is on mutual learning for both children and adults To be
successful, teachers must listen and observe carefully as children
play and generate new ideas, and then respond to what they hear and
see that the children have learned Slide 25 Effective Curriculum:
Emergent Curriculum (cont.) 2011 Cengage Learning. All Rights
Reserved. Sources for Curriculum Ideas Children Teachers and
parents interests and skills Developmental tasks of the age group
The physical and natural environment, as well as people and things
Curriculum resource books Family and cultural influences
Serendipity, or the unexpected Daily issues of living together,
problem solving, conflict resolution, routines Values expressed by
the school philosophy, the families, and the community
