CHAPTER OBJECTIVES
1. Define and explain the term developmentally appropriate curriculum.
2. Define and explain the term thematic curriculum.
3. Define and construct a leaming plan.
4. Plan a schedule for activities.
5. Assess the quality of a program.
6. Celebrate diversity in your planning.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
1. Curriculum is a written plan for learning experiences for the children in your classroom.
A)Curricular choices should be based on program goals, and each activity may advance multiple goals
B) Different curricular approaches exist for early childhood and elementary education
i. In early childhood
a) A facts approach emphasizes the acquisition of specific information.
b) A skills approach emphasizes the acquisition of specific skills or abilities
ii. In elementary school a) A subject-matter approach teaches different skills in discrete units. b) A thematic organization teaches different skills in integrated units based on a specific topic or theme.
2. Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) is a term developed by NAEYC for curricula that respect and integrate children's past experiences, cultural background, emotions and interests while engaging them in activities that enhance their skills by maintaining the zone of proximal development
A) DAP curriculum must match the learning goals of the program, and tends to emphasize a skills-approach or thematic organization
B) Assessment should be conducted for the purpose of adapting future teaching, not evaluating the child against a static standard.
3. An integrated curriculum is more similar to "real-world" learning than traditional subject-matter approaches, increasing depth and motivation for learning
A) In selecting a theme, a teacher should assure that the topic
i. is important beyond the instructional theme
ii. meets learning standards and curriculum goals
iii. provides opportunities for application of children's skills
iv. uses available resources
B) Teachers should begin with familiar themes that already have high child interest, and expand on those themes
throughout the year
C) A web of ideas can serve to inspire child interest and suggest ideas, as well as organize and link specific activities and assess child knowledge
D) A web is a tentative plan, but the "with-it" teacher will allow children's interests and ideas to shape activities
This approach is called an emerging curriculum
E) A record sheet listing child skills that correspond to each objective, with a separate column for each theme, can
serve as a useful basis for evaluation
F) Thematic instruction must be evaluated
i. Children's interest and involvement should be monitored and recorded
ii. Themes may be repeated but specific activities must be based on children's intelligence
G) A learning plan transcends specific lessons or days, and should emphasize how children are to achieve
hierarchical goals
i. Daily learning plans should be flexible enough to incorporate incidental learning
ii. Lesson plans may be useful in emphasizing specific aspects of a broader learning plan
iii. Different modes of learning and groupings of children should be included
H) Some schools have mandated goals or materials. It is important to incorporate those goals into the curriculum in a meaningful way.
4. Scheduling must allow children adequate time to select and complete activities
A) Begin by noting fixed times, such as meals and specialists
B) Younger children's schedules should be divided into smaller blocks of time
C) Passive and active activities should alternate throughout the day.
i. Activity times, in which children actively engage in experiences related to the theme or basic learning.
ii. Group time is not necessary for children under 5, and should be brief for children 5 and 6 years old. Primary age children can benefit from limited group instruction.
a) This can be an effective time for planning and evaluating learning.
b) Show-and-tell is usually a group activity, but should be focused on class themes and meaningful learning.
iii. Snack time is necessary for young children and can be time consuming.
iv. Transitions present challenges to children's self-control. Groupings (e.g. identifying all children wearing yellow) and games can improve transitions.
v. Simplifying routines can speed them up and improve children's learning.
5. There is great debate and no conclusive research about kindergarten schedules.
A) Schedules include half-day, full-day or alternate-day programs.
B) Pull-out programs complicate scheduling, and can be improved if special teachers come to the classroom.
6. Assessment should focus on whether the classroom is pleasant place to be, containing
interesting activities that balance different needs and skills and encourage the development of the programs' learning goals.
7. Diversity can be a classroom theme, or diverse cultural activities, foods, clothes, etc. can be incorporated into other themes.