Chapter 3 Planning for Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum 2007

Chapter 3 Planning for Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

What Is Curriculum? Child Development • physical • aesthetic • linguistic • cognitive • emotional © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Developmentally Appropriate Curricula, as Defined by Professional Standards • Children are active and engaged, cognitively, physically, socially, and artistically • Curriculum goals are clearly defined and shared by all stakeholders • Curriculum is organized around known child development and learning principles • Content is learned through investigation, play, and focused, intentional teaching • Curriculum builds on prior learning and experiences © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Developmentally Appropriate Curricula, as Defined by Professional Standards • Curriculum is supportive of background knowledge learned at home and in the community • The curriculum is comprehensive, including all areas of development and subject areas such as science, mathematics, language, literacy, social studies, and the arts • Subject matter is validated by professional standards • The curriculum benefits children in a wide range of outcomes © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Integrated Curriculum and the Standards Movement • Children learn skills and knowledge through meaningful content • Integrated curriculum allows children to apply knowledge in relevant ways • Children can learn through activities in large time blocks • Integrated curriculum leads to deepening interest and exploration of related ideas • Involvement in projects results in internal motivation to learn © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Cycle of Planning • Systematic observation and note-taking • Assessing each child in relation to predetermined goals • Learning about children’s interest, experiences, and questions • Selecting strategies, materials, and experiences to move children toward goals • Observing to evaluate effective-ness of plans and making new goals © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Traditional Planning Theme planning has both advantages and disadvantages © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Emergent Curriculum • is based on what has happened to children • arises naturally from interaction between teacher and child • connects learning with experience • includes all interests • uses naturally arising occasions • considers what occurs after experiences • has a time frame that responds to interests • uses resources after the initial interest has been found © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Observation • is based on records of descriptive data • is ongoing • results in individualized instructional plans © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Webbing Provide the environment Sustain the play theme Activity & Concept Enrich the play Represent the learning experience © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Planning Forms • allow for open-ended exploration • allow for evolving ideas and interests • document emerging interests • allow teachers to demonstrate accountability Flexibility is the key! © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.