The Creative Curriculum Model (Diane Trister Dodge, 1988)

THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM

GROUP MEMBERS

Safeeya HoseinChristina SookdeoDesiree Toussaint

Rosemarie Wilson-Mansingh

BACKGROUND OF THE MODEL

BACKGROUND OF THE MODEL

Model Name: The Creative Curriculum MAIN FOUNDER: Diane Trister Dodge

(1988)

OTHER CONTRIBUTERS TO THE CREATIVE

CURRICULUMThe Creative Curriculum’s foundation is based off the

findings of six main theorists.

T. Berry Brazelton and Abraham Maslow believed that children need their basic needs met, which include safety, belonging and esteem.

Erik Erikson and Stanley Greenspan focused on the necessity of having supporting, trusting relationships with adults, which increases social, emotional development.

Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky discussed how interactions with others are crucial in cognitive development.

HISTORICAL FACTORS THAT INFLUENCED THE

FOUNDER Focus on the importance of discipline being replaced, in the 1970’s and 80’s.

It came about as a result of research, in the beginning of the 21st century.

This approach is supported by most leading teaching organizations.

SPREAD OF THE MODEL

The Creative Curriculum continues to be studied by other nationally recognized researchers.

Dr. Richard Lambert and Dr. Martha Abbott-Shim are conducting a random-assignment study of Head Start programs in Georgia and North Carolina.

SPREAD OF MODEL

David Connell is using a random-assignment design in the state of Oklahoma in preschool, infant-toddler, and family child care programs.

Dr. Dale Farran is conducting a random-assignment study of Tennessee programs as part of the Department of Education sponsored Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research study.

DESCRIPTION OF SUCCESSES FACES 2000 is a national longitudinal

study of Head Start that examines children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development; family characteristics, well-being, and accomplishments; classroom quality; and teacher and staff characteristics, needs, and opinions.

FACES 2000 found that children in Creative Curriculum classrooms had greater improvements across a number of measures than children in classrooms that did not use an integrated approach.

DESCRIPTION OF SUCCESSES

FACES 2000 researchers found that Creative Curriculum classrooms had higher scores on general classroom quality as measured through the ECERS-R than other non-integrated models.

The most notable gains were in children's language scores.

About the model

PHILOSOPHICAL PERSEPECTIVES

(BELIEFTS)The Creative Curriculum philosophy is based on five fundamental beliefs that are strongly supported by theoretical and empirical research:

Constructive, purposeful play is the best vehicle for

meaningful learning

The development of social competence is a key focus of the

preschool years

Relationships are the foundation for learning

Curriculum and assessment must be linked

Families are essential partners in children’s learning

THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS

Maslow’s Theory of Basic Needs & Learning & T. Berry Brazelton

A child’s basic needs must be met before they are able to learn.

Erickson’s Theory of Emotion & Learning

Children develop through stages involving issues that must be resolved for healthy development.

Brain research has found physical evidence to support Maslow and Ericson’s theories of learning.

THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONSo Piaget’s Theory of Logical Thinking &

Reasoning

Logical thinking develops in stages and children develop reasoning by manipulating materials; engaging actively in their environment, making new discoveries and modifying their earlier way of thinking.

o Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Interaction & Learning

Children grow cognitively by interacting with adults and peers.

o Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Children are intelligent in many different ways and have the capacity to develop all the intelligences if given encouragement, enrichment and suppor


Smilansky’s Theory of Children Play & Learning

The focus is on playing for fun, not competition.

Learning and Resiliency-

Children who develop well despite the burden of hardships.

Urie Bronfenbrenner theory of bioecological systems

These systems are dynamic and interactive, and each system has a powerful impact on a child’s development.


Erik Erikson and Stanley Greenspan focused on the necessity of having supporting, trusting relationships with adults, which increases social, emotional development.

John Dewey proposed that children learn best in a stimulating environment that is designed according to the interests and experiences of the children in the classroom.

DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT

Four main categories of interest:

Social/emotional

Physical

Cognitive

Language


The social/emotional stage helps promote independence, self-confidence and self-control. Within this stage, children learn how to make friends, how to have group interactions and how to follow rules.

The physical stage is intended to

increase children’s large and small motor skills.


The cognitive stage is associated with thinking skills. Children learn how to solve problems, ask questions and think critically.

The language stage deals with communication. Children learn how to communicate with others, listen and participate in conversations, and recognize various forms of print. In this stage, children begin to recognize letters and words and begin writing for a purpose.

DOES THE MODEL PROMOTE

INTEGRATION OR SEPERATION OF

SKILLS?

IS THERE AN EMPHASIS ON

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

?

TO WHAT EXTENT DOES THE MODEL

FACILITATE THE ACHIEVEMENT OF

NATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND

GOALS?

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

resources that help programs achieve the positive teacher–child interactions.

38 objectives for development and learning that are fully aligned with the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Framework as well as the early learning standards of every state;

guidance for individualizing instruction to meet the strengths and needs of every learner;

content that addresses ten critical areas of development and learning and detailed plans for helping children integrate learning across the areas;

DIFFERENTIATION OF INSTRUCTION

daily opportunities for observation and clear explanation of the strong link between curriculum and assessment;

detailed guidance about best practices for working with English- and dual-language learners;

Strategies for working with all learners, including children who are advanced learners and children with disabilities.

ASSESSMENT

ASSESSMENT In early childhood education,

assessment is the process of gathering information about children in order to make decisions.

In the creative curriculum, two assessment systems were used before.

1) The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages 3–5,

2) The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos

ASSESSMENT In response to this growing evidence of

the importance of early development and learning, as well as the changing needs of the diverse early childhood programs across the country, Teaching Strategies decided to develop an entirely new assessment system.

This new system is called Teaching Strategies GOLD Assessment System; a seamless, observation-based assessment system for children from birth through kindergarten.

TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD ASSESSMENT

SYSTEM The new system will:

serve children from birth through kindergarten

focus on the key elements that research indicates are most predictive of school success

align with the expected outcomes identified in state early learning standards

serve the needs of English-language learners

Teaching Strategies GOLD is inclusive of children with developmental delays and disabilities, children who are English-language or dual-language learners, and also children who are advanced learners.

TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD ASSESSMENT SYSTEM

Teaching Strategies GOLD has a total of 38 objectives, including 2 objectives related specifically to English language acquisition.

Thirty-six objectives are organized into nine areas of development and content-area learning:

Social–Emotional

Physical

Language

Cognitive

Literacy

Mathematics

Science and Technology

The Arts

TEACHING STRATEGIES GOLD ASSESSMENT

SYSTEM The Teaching Strategies GOLD

assessment system has four components:

Objectives for Development & Learning: Birth Through Kindergarten

Child Assessment Portfolio

Assessment Opportunity Cards

On‐the‐Spot Observation Recording Tool

RESEARCH

RESEARCHWhat Is the Research Behind The Creative Curriculum?

The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is based on the past 75 years of research. Many of the important works of theorists (Piaget, Erikson, Maslow, Vygotsky, Gardner, Smilansky) and more recent research on learning and the brain and learning and resiliency were used in developing The Creative Curriculum.

IS THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM A VALID MODEL?

Validity in this case refers to the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum in promoting children's learning in the classrooms.

This curriculum has been proven to be a valid model through effectiveness research.

Studies revealed what many teachers who use this curriculum have known intuitively, that children who learn in classrooms implementing this curriculum fare better than children who are exposed to different curriculum models that don't use an integrated approach.

RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM The first study- an evaluation of the Department of

Defense Sure Start program (Abbott-Shim, 2000), involved nearly 100 children in 10 randomly selected classrooms using The Creative Curriculum.

Trained data collectors administered classroom observations, child assessments, and parent questionnaires to determine the quality of classroom teaching practices and to assess children's developmental gains.

The Sure Start Effectiveness Study provides significant evidence that The Creative Curriculum for Early Childhood, ensures positive child outcomes, effective teaching practices, and high parent satisfaction.

RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM

The second study, conducted by the Louisiana Department of Education (LDE, 2001), also examined developmental gains for children in classrooms using The Creative Curriculum.

Again, although a comparison group was not used, the results indicated positive average gains in three developmental areas: social/emotional development, cognitive development, and physical development.

RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM The third study, sponsored by the US

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is an ongoing effort to evaluate child outcomes and program quality in Head Start.

The Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) conducted in 2000 used a random sample design. FACES researchers found that The Creative Curriculum was the most widely used curriculum and that programs that used an integrated curriculum showed greater gains in several cognitive and social/emotional areas.

RESEARCH STUDIES ON THE CREATIVE CURRICULUM

A fourth study has recently been conducted by Philliber Research Associates for The Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

This evaluation of children enrolled in 14 childcare centers found significant gains for children who were in classrooms receiving The Creative Curriculum intervention.

PLANS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH

Teaching Strategies is committed to supporting researchers in examining the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum.

Currently underway are six studies of The Creative Curriculum.


1) US Department of Education-Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER)

Two randomized experimental studies of The Creative Curriculum are being conducted as part of this national examination of early childhood curriculum effectiveness.

2) State of Oklahoma

The State of Oklahoma Department of Education has sponsored a two part study. The first is an implementation study including pre-and post-test scores on classroom quality and implementation and focus groups of participants. The second part is a randomized experimental study of preschool programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

3) University of Missouri-Kansas City

The University of Missouri-Kansas City has been contracted with the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) covering Kansas City (Missouri and Kansas) to conduct an evaluation of a new Creative Curriculum-based teacher training model on child and family outcomes.

4) University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Currently underway is a randomized experimental study of The Creative Curriculum in North Carolina and Georgia, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) as part of its Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER).


5) Vanderbilt University Dale Farran at Vanderbilt University is

conducting a study of the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum and Bright Beginnings as part of their PCER research funded through the US Department of Education, IES.

6)Finally, Teaching Strategies Inc. has initiated its own effort to expand the research available on the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum.


PROFESSIONAL

DEVELOPMENT

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Professional development is ongoing and available for others to upgrade themselves and continue learning more about the creative curriculum.

In-Person Professional Development Sessions: The Creative Curriculum

It offers a wide range of in-person sessions from introductory to advanced, designed to support effective curriculum implementation.

In-person sessions are available on-site and at Teaching Strategies' Professional Development Center (PDC).

LIST OF EVENTS FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference November 20-23, 2013Washington, DC Walter E. Washington Convention Center; Renaissance Washington Booth 1906

Teaching Strategies GOLD Training for Pennsylvania PACCA and Head Start Members November 22, 2013Brookville, PA

GOLD Introductory Lab Session: Focus on Reporting (for Administrators)December 5-6, 2013Bethesda, MDRegister through December 4, 2013.


Implementing The Creative Curriculum System for Preschool (for Teachers)December 12-13, 2013Bethesda, MDRegister through December 11, 2013.

GOLD Introductory Lab Session: Focus on Reporting (for Administrators)January 9-10, 2014Bethesda, MDRegister through January 6, 2014.


GOLD Introductory Lab Session: Teaching Strategies GOLD Online (for Teachers)January 23-24, 2014Bethesda, MDRegister through January 16, 2014.

Establishing a Creative Curriculum Program: Infants, Toddlers, and Twos (for Teachers)January 30-31, 2014Bethesda, MDRegister through January 23, 2014.

MATERIAL AND SPACE

THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

The learning environment are examined

in three perspectives

Setting up and maintaining the

classroom

Establishing the structure for each day

Creating the classroom community

SETTING UP AND MAINTAINING THE

CLASSROOMThe physical environment:

Size of the room

Colour of the walls

Type of floor

The amount of light

The number of windows

SPACE

Attractive

Comfortable

Organized

Safe

Physical space are divided into

interesting areas

THE PHYSICAL SPACE ARE DIVIDED INTO INTERESTING

AREAS1. Blocks

2. Dramatic play

3. Toys and games

4. Art

5. The library area

6. The discovery area

7. Sand and water play

8. Music and movement

9. Cooking experience

10. Computer and outdoor play

MATERIALS IN THE BLOCK AREA

Hardwood unit blocks

MATERIALS IN THE DRAMATIC AREA

A variety of clothing example: doctor

Costumes – a butterfly, chicken

MATERIALS IN THE TOYS AND GAMES

AREA Manipulatives such as logos

Puzzles

Matching games

Games with rules that children can play on the

floor, or top or a top a divider shelf.

MATERIALS IN THE ART AREA Child size scissors( child safety)

A table on the floor

An easel

Workbench

Drawing paper

Water paint

Glue

Forms

Colour pencils

Crayons

MATERIALS IN THE LIBRARY AREA

An attractive space with soft furniture

Beautiful picture books- big books

Story book for different culture

Writing materials such as paper crayons, colour

pencils or pencils

MATERIALS IN THE DISCOVERY AREA

Child size magnetic

Real life resources such as plants and animals

Magnifying glass

MATERIAL IN THE SAND AND WATER AREA

Sand table

Water table

MATERIALS IN THE MUSIC AND MOVEMENT AREA Shack-shack

Steelpan

Guitar

Drum

Toy microphone

MATERIALS IN THE COOKING AREA

Plastic utensils such as bowls, plates, knives, forks ,

chopping board etc.

Real fruits and vegetables in preparing food.

Non-real food, fruits and vegetables through pretend

play

MATERIALS IN COMPUTER PLAY

Computer

Educational electronic games

Online educational games (age

appropriate)

Television

DVD player

MATERIALS IN OUTDOOR GAMES

Slides

Swings

Balls

Hula hoops

Water and sand table

GUIDELINES FOR SPACE Establish traffic patterns

Clearly defined areas that needs protection

Locate interest areas that are relatively quiet

Decide which areas need tables

Think about the activity that are affected by the floor

Place interest areas near needed resources

Reserved areas with lots of light

Organize the classroom so you can see as much as possible

THE CLASSROOM LAYOUT

Each classroom is set up for

exploration and learning.

Children have many opportunities to make choices, experiment, and interact with others.

THE CLASSROOM LAYOUT

Materials are on low shelves, in containers and on hooks so children can get them independently and put them away.

Shelves are neat and uncluttered so materials are easy to see, remove and replace.

Picture and word labels are on containers and shelves so children know where materials belong and learn to use print.

THE CLASSROOM LAYOUT PICTURE

ESTABLISHING A STRUCTURE FOR EACH DAY

(SCHEDULES AND ROUTINES)

PARENT/FAMILY/COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPS

CREATING A CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

Children from different ethnics.

PARENT/FAMILY/COMMUNITY

PARTNERSHIPSParents and Family:

Classroom volunteers

School project , celebrations,

Parent information area

Parents having daily communications

with teachers

Scheduled conferences (workshop, PTA

meeting)

PARENT/FAMILY/COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

Community Partnership:

Head start programs: Home based program Home visit

Have community services visits such as fire fighter, police officers etc.

Visit to a farm. Include different religious leaders visit

the school for celebration