6: Curriculum Basics
- Examine curriculum concepts related to planning, implementing, and evaluating interactions and experiences in early childhood settings.
- Identify major components to early childhood curriculum including play based learning, behavioral considerations, and various types of curriculum models.
When you hear the word “curriculum” what comes to mind?
As we have learned in previous chapters, developing relationships, as well as understanding the developmental stages and individual interests and skills of children is crucial to effective teaching. This is accomplished through interactions and both informal and formal observations with the children in our care. This information will form the cornerstone of what is called “curriculum”, which includes both the planned and unplanned experiences that occur throughout the day. While you will devote an entire course to understanding curriculum in ECE 104 (Introduction to Curriculum in Early Childhood), we will visit some of the basic concepts below.
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- 6.1: Standards and Competencies
- This chapter addresses key standards for early childhood professional preparation, focusing on promoting child development, building family relationships, assessment, effective approaches to connect with children, curriculum development, and professionalism. It aligns with both California Early Childhood Educator Competencies and the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct, covering responsibilities to children, families, colleagues, and society, with specific ideals outlined for ethical practice.
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- 6.2: Development and Learning
- The page discusses the interconnected concepts of "development" and "learning" in teaching, emphasizing the idea of nurturing the "whole child" across various domains???physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and spiritual???through intentional teaching. It highlights how development and learning are often integrated but may be broken down for planning purposes.
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- 6.3: Review/Evaluation
- Reflection is a crucial part of the Plan-Do-Review cycle in early childhood education, essential for enhancing curriculum planning and implementation. Teachers must engage in both informal and formal reflections to assess strengths and identify areas for growth in themselves, the children, and the curriculum. This feedback aids in refining teaching practices and programs.
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- 6.4: Integrated Curriculum / Themes
- The integration of learning using themes helps deepen children's understanding by connecting experiences around a common concept, often emerging from their interests. Common themes include family, friendship, community helpers, animals, and more. Teachers utilize curriculum webs for planning, which facilitate brainstorming and organization of ideas using both divergent and convergent thinking. It???s important to engage children in this process to enrich their learning experience.
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- 6.5: The Behavioral Side of Curriculum
- The text emphasizes understanding children's behavior as a part of the broader classroom experience. It highlights the importance of recognizing factors affecting behavior, such as development, environment, family, temperament, and motivation, and considering these factors when planning interactions. Strategies for positive behavior management include consistency, clarity, focusing on behavior rather than the child.
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- 6.6: Types of Programs
- Developmentally Appropriate Practices are widely used in various educational programs that focus on active learning, quality interactions, and culturally sensitive environments. These programs often include family involvement and adapt to the communities they serve. Examples include Culturally Appropriate Curriculum, Emergent Curriculum, Head Start, Montessori, Reggio-Emilia, and Play-based approaches.
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- 6.8: What Children Learn Through Play
- The page discusses the integration of various learning domains, similar to how the "whole child" approach is segmented into developmental areas. Learning through play is emphasized, and different categories such as physical, cognitive, language, social, emotional, and creative are mentioned. Each domain includes specific skills, underscoring the importance of play in child development.
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- 6.9: Interactions
- Human beings thrive on relationships, and establishing trusting, autonomous, and initiative-encouraging relationships is crucial for children's development. Teachers must plan interactions focusing on safety, trust, autonomy, and a growth mindset. Quality interactions include valuing each child, maintaining positivity, and respecting opinions. Effective communication involves positive verbal and nonverbal cues like smiling and listening actively.
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- 6.10: Planning
- The document emphasizes the importance of planning in early childhood education, outlining reasons such as addressing children's needs, ensuring necessary materials, and planning interactions. It highlights the Plan-Do-Review cycle for effective curriculum implementation and suggests written plans to maintain organization and adaptability. The document also provides planning forms and guidance for a balanced approach that considers individual children's interests and diverse teaching strategies.
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- 6.11: In Closing
- This page emphasizes the importance of planning, implementing, and evaluating early childhood curriculum through Developmentally Appropriate Practices. Key elements include understanding individual children, fostering positive relationships and communication, valuing play in learning, and recognizing behavior as part of the learning process. The upcoming chapter will delve into the role of learning environments in engaging and supporting children and families.