Introduction to Planning for Other Ages

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this introduction, you should be able to:

Predict differences between planning for infants and toddlers and planning for preschoolers
Predict differences between planning for school-age children and planning from preschoolers

Brief Introduction to Planning for Infant and Toddlers

The basis for curriculum for infants and toddler is caregiving routines. Therefore, curriculum for infants and toddlers is individualized. Chapter 15 goes into great detail on what the cycle of curriculum planning looks like during the early years, including:

Overarching principles for curriculum planning
Program features that support effective curriculum
The learning process during infancy and toddlerhood
Facilitating infant and toddler development
The cycle of curriculum planning
Infant and toddler foundations
- Social/emotional development
- Language development
- Cognitive development
- Perceptual and motor development

An instructor talking to a toddler — Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): One-on-one interactions are the foundation of infant/toddler curriculum. Image used with permission (California Department of Education)

Brief Introduction to Planning for School-Age Children

Children in kindergarten through grade 8, may be cared for in out-of-school programs that have a variety of philosophies and approaches. School-age care may provide academic support (or even focus) and should include recreation (after the school day). Chapter 16 discusses a general framework of creating high-quality curriculum for school-age care programs based on a model from Australia. The chapter addresses:

Introducing the framework
Pedagogy (the professional practice of educators)
Principles of children’s play and learning
Putting the framework into practice
- Holistic approaches
- Collaboration with children
- Learning through play
- Intentionality
- Environments
- Cultural competence
- Continuity and Transitions
- Evaluation
Five outcomes for children’s well-being, development, and learning
The curriculum planning cycle

Image result for care "school age" — Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): These children pose with a banner they made at their school-age care program. (Public Domain; Staff Sgt. Vesta Anderson via (U.S. Air Force)