6.2: Benefits of Implementing a Meaningful Curriculum

From the moment a child is born, each interaction and experience affects their brain development and lays the foundation for future success. Research on brain development shows that early experiences are essential. It is suggested that if children are not interested in what they are learning, and if it is not meaningful or connected to their cultural practices, they will not create new neural pathways in which to store new knowledge. Subsequently, children will not retain information or learn as intended. As suggested in the California Early Learning Foundations, well well-planned curriculum provides opportunities for children to use, build, and master skills. With every engaging activity, children are encouraged to investigate key concepts in mathematics, science, and literacy, explore their creativity, establish relationships with peers, and develop self-efficacy skills.

Figure 2. Robust Curriculum

It is important to note that thoughtful curriculum planning does not impact children for that present moment alone. A high-quality program that incorporates meaningful curriculum can provide long-lasting benefits. As demonstrated with the Abecedarian Project, a vastly recognized longitudinal research study that followed a group of 111 children into adulthood (Campbell et al. 2012). The results of the study showed that not only did the children who received high-quality childcare outperform their peers in math and reading, but 30 years later the project participants continued to exhibit significant merits as compared to their counterparts in the control group. More specifically, children who participated in the Abecedarian Project were 4 times more likely to earn a college degree. Other significant benefits were realized; participants were more likely to have been consistently employed (75 percent had worked full time for at least 16 of the previous 24 months, compared to 53 percent of the control group), and they were less likely to have used public assistance. Project participants also appeared to have done better in relation to several other social and economic measures (including higher incomes), but those results were not statistically significant.

With curriculum being the cornerstone for children’s learning, how can we be certain that children are receiving reputable curriculum that reflects their varying academic abilities, learning styles, personalities, interests, background knowledge, cultural experiences, and levels of motivation for learning? Teachers are the linchpin. As stated in the article “Observing, Planning, Guiding: How an Intentional Teacher Meets Standards through Play” by Patricia McDonald, “teachers are researchers, observing children to decide how to extend their learning both in the moment and by planning new play environments” (2018 p. 3). Teachers play a pivotal role in setting up the environment, providing the learning experiences, and guiding children so they can construct concepts, develop new skill sets, and discover who they are. Additionally, teachers are active participants in a child’s development as they watch, listen, and think about what each child needs to thrive. As teachers monitor numerous situations throughout the day, they must consider when to step in and engage the children and when to step aside and allow students to scaffold one another. At the center of it all, teachers who really know their children are better equipped to find the right balance of how to engage, motivate, and challenge learners. By observing and collecting information, teachers are engaging in the process of assessment, and these actions contribute to teachers’ learning about the intricate details of what each child needs.

Let’s take a closer look at how observation, documentation, interpretation, and reflection are used to support children’s learning, growth, and development.

Contributions from

Michelle Sands, Northern Illinois University