Planning for Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum

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

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

3. 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 Developmentally Appropriate Curricula, as Defined by Professional Standards © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

4. 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 Developmentally Appropriate Curricula, as Defined by Professional Standards © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

5. 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 Integrated Curriculum and the Standards Movement © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

6. 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 The Cycle of Planning © 2007 Thomson Delmar Learning. All Rights Reserved.

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

8. 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.

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

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

11. 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.