20 2.1 Curriculum Models

Curriculum Models provide a framework to organize planning experiences for children. In previous chapters, the planning cycle has been introduced and in accordance with best practices, the models identified in this chapter represent a variety of ways to use the planning cycle within these models.

Bank Street Model

Lucy Sprague Mitchell founded Bank Street, an Integrated Approach also referred to as the Developmental-Interactionist Approach.

In this model, the environment is arranged into learning centers and planning is organized by the use of materials within the learning areas (centers).

Art Science

Sensory/Cooking Dramatic Play Language/Literacy Math/Manipulative/Blocks Technology

Outdoors: Water and Sand Play

The Bank Street Model of curriculum represents the ideology of Freud, Erikson, Dewey, Vygotsky, and Piaget. This model draws upon the relationship between psychology and education. By understanding developmental domains and creating interest centers with materials that promote specific areas of development, children’s individual preferences and paces of learning are the focus.

“A teacher’s knowledge and understanding of child development is crucial to this approach. Educational goals are set in terms of developmental processes and include the development of competence, a sense of autonomy and individuality, social relatedness and connectedness, creativity and integration of different ways of experiencing the world” (Gordon).[1]

Creative Curriculum Model (Diane Trister Dodge)

In the Creative Curriculum model, the focus is primarily on children’s play and self-selected activities. The Environment is arranged into learning areas and large blocks of time are given for self-selected play. This model focuses on project-based investigations as a means for children to apply skills and addresses four areas of development: social/emotional, physical, cognitive, and language.

The curriculum is designed to foster development of the whole child through teacher-led, small and large group activities centered around 11 interest areas:

blocks dramatic play toys and games art

library discovery

sand and water music and movement cooking

computers outdoors.

The commercial curriculum provides teachers with details on child development, classroom organization, teaching strategies, and engaging families in the learning process. Child assessments are an important part of the curriculum, but must be purchased separately. Online record-keeping tools assist teachers with the maintenance and organization of child portfolios, individualized planning, and report production.[2]

High Scope Model (David Weikert)

The High Scope Model focuses on developing learning centers similar to the Bank Street Model and emphasizes key experiences for tracking development. The key experiences are assessed using a Child Observation Record for tracking development and include areas of:

Creative Representation Initiative

Social Relations Language and Literacy

Math (Classification, Seriation, Number, Space, Time) Music and Movement

The High Scope Model also includes a “Plan-Do-Review” Sequence in which children begin their day planning for activities they will participate in, followed by participation in the activities and engaging in a review session at the end of the day. Teachers can use this sequence format to help children learn how to organize choices of activities and to reflect upon what they liked or would do different at the end of the day. The High Scope Model reflects the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky and Reggio Emilia by way of emphasis on construction of knowledge through hands-on experiences with reflection techniques.

Montessori Approach (Dr. Maria Montessori)

The Montessori Approach refers to children’s activity as work (not play); children are given long periods of time to work and a strong emphasis on individual learning and individual pace is valued. Central to Montessori’s method of education is the dynamic triad of child, teacher and environment. One of the teacher’s roles is to guide the child through what Montessori termed the ‘prepared environment, i.e., a classroom and a way of learning that are designed to support the child’s intellectual, physical, emotional and social development through active exploration, choice and independent learning.

The educational materials have a self-correcting focus and areas of the curriculum consist of art, music, movement, practical life (example; pouring, dressing, cleaning). In the Montessori method, the goal of education is to allow the child’s optimal development (intellectual, physical, emotional and social) to unfold.

A typical Montessori program will have mixed-age grouping. Children are given the freedom to choose what they work on, where they work, with whom they work, and for how long they work on any particular activity, all within the limits of the class rules. No competition is set up between children, and there is no system of extrinsic rewards or punishments.[3]

Waldorf Approach (Rudolf Steiner)

The Waldorf Approach, founded by Rudolf Steiner, features connections to nature, sensory learning, and imagination. The understanding of the child’s soul, of his or her development and individual needs, stands at the center of Steiner’s educational world view.

The Waldorf approach is child centered.[4] It emerges from a deep understanding of child development and seeks to support the particular developmental tasks (physical, emotional and intellectual) children face at any given stage. Children aged 3–5, for example, are developing a keen interest in the world, supported to a large extent by freedom of movement and must be supported to follow and deepen their curiosity through the encouragement of their sometimes endless asking of questions (Van Alphen & Van Alphen 1997). This approach to supporting children’s naturally blossoming curiosity, rather than answering the teachers’ questions. At this stage, children’s play becomes increasingly complex, with children spontaneously engaging in role plays, as they construct and act upon imaginative situations based on their own experiences and stories they have heard. Thus, in Waldorf schools, ample time is given for free imaginative play as a cornerstone of children’s early learning.[5]

The environment should protect children from negative influences and curriculum should include exploring nature through gardening, but also developing in practical skills, such as cooking, sewing, cleaning, etc. Relationships are important so groupings last for several years, by way of looping.

Reggio Emilia Approach (Loris Malaguzzi)

The Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education is based on over forty years of experience in the Reggio Emilia Municipal Infant/toddler and Preschool Centers in Italy. Central to this approach is the view that children are competent and capable.

It places emphasis on children’s symbolic languages in the context of a project-oriented curriculum. Learning is viewed as a journey and education as building relationships with people (both children and adults) and creating connections between ideas and the environment. Through this approach, adults help children understand the meaning of their experience more completely through documentation of children’s work, observations, and continuous teacher-child dialogue. The Reggio approach guides children’s ideas with provocations—not predetermined curricula. There is collaboration on many levels: parent participation, teacher discussions, and community.

Within the Reggio Emilia schools, great attention is given to the look and feel of the classroom. Environment is considered the “third teacher.” Teachers carefully organize space for small and large group projects and small intimate spaces for one, two, or three children. Documentation of children’s work, plants, and collections that children have made from former outings are displayed both at the children’s and adult’s eye level. Common space available to all children in the school includes dramatic play areas and worktables.

There is a center for gathering called the atelier (art studio) where children and children from different classrooms can come together. The intent of the atelier in these schools is to provide children with the opportunity to explore and connect with a variety of media and materials. The studios are designed to give children time, information, inspiration, and materials so that they can effectively express their understanding through the “inborn inheritance of our universal language, the language that speaks with the sounds of the lips and of the heart, the children’s learning with their actions, their signs, and their eyes: those “hundred languages” that we know to be universal. There is an atelierista (artist) to support this process and instruct children in arts.[6]

Figure 2.1: Curriculum models.[7]

Webbing

Figure 2.2: Curriculum models.[8]

The Reggio Emilia Approach is an emergent curriculum. One method that many Early Childhood Educators use when planning emergent curriculum is curriculum webbing based on observed skills or interests. This method uses brainstorming to create ideas and connections from children’s interests to enhance developmental skills. Webbing can look like a “Spider’s Web” or it can be organized in list format.

Example:

Figure 2.3: An example of webbings.[9]

Webbing can be completed by:

An individual teacher A team of teachers Teachers and Children

Teachers, Children and Families

Webbing provides endless planning opportunities as extensions continue from observing the activities and following the skills and interests exhibited. As example demonstrates a web can begin from a skill to develop, but it can also be used in a Theme/Unit Approach such as transportation; friendships; animals, nature, etc…

Project Approach

The project approach is an in-depth exploration of a topic that may be child-or teacher-initiated and involve an individual, a group of children, or the whole class. A project may be short-term or long-term depending on the level of children’s interests. What differentiates the project approach from an inquiry one is that within the project approach there is an emphasis on the creation of a specific outcome that might take the form of a spoken report, a multimedia presentation, a poster, a demonstration or a display. The project approach provides opportunities for children to take agency of their own learning and represent this learning through the construction of personally meaningful artefacts. If utilized effectively, possible characteristics may include: active, agentic, collaborative, explicit, learner-focused, responsive, scaffolded, playful, language-rich and dialogic.[10]

In the project approach, adults and children investigate topics of discovery using six steps: Observation, Planning, Research, Exploration, Documentation, Evaluation.

• Observation: A teacher observes children engaging with each other or with materials and highlights ideas from the observations to further explore.
• Planning: Teachers talk with children about the observation and brainstorm ideas about the topic and what to explore
• Research: Teachers find resources related to the topic
• Explore: Children engage with experiences set around the topic to create hypotheses and make predictions and formulate questions
• Documentation: Teachers write notes, create charts and children draw observations and fill in charts as they explore topics/questions
• Evaluate: Teachers and children can reflect on the hypotheses originally developed and compare their experiences to predictions. Evaluation is key in determining skills enhanced and what worked or what didn’t work and why.

The benefits of a project approach are that young learners are directly involved in making decisions about the topic focus and research questions, the processes of investigation and in the selection of the culminating activities. When young learners take an active role in decision making, agency and engagement is promoted.

As young learners take ownership of their learning they, ‘feel increasingly competent and sense their own potential for learning so they develop feelings of confidence and self-esteem’ (Chard, 2001).[11]

Culturally Appropriate Approach

The Cultural Appropriate Approach has evolved over the years and the practice of valuing children’s culture is imperative for children to feel a sense of belonging in ECE programs. Sensitivity to the variety of cultures within a community can create a welcoming atmosphere and teach children about differences and similarities among their peers. Consider meeting with families prior to starting the program to share about cultural beliefs, languages and or traditions. Classroom areas can reflect the cultures in many ways:

Library Area: Select books that represent cultures in the classroom

Dramatic Area: Ask families to donate empty boxes of foods they commonly use, bring costumes or clothes representative of culture

Language: In writing center include a variety of language dictionaries; Science: Encourage families to come and share a traditional meal[12]

References

• Gordon, A. M. & Browne, K. W. (2001) Beginnings and Beyond, 8th edition. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. (pg. 364)
• The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, Fourth Edition by the U.S. Department of Education is in the public domain
• Montessori education: a review of the evidence base by Chloë Marshall is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• On the Unique Place of Art in Waldorf Education by Gilad Goldshmidt is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• Imagination, Waldorf, and critical literacies: Possibilities for transformative education in mainstream schools by Monica Shank is licensed under CC BY 2.0
• Reggio Emilia Theory and Application by One Community is licensed under CC BY 3.0
• Image by Ian Joslin is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• Image by Ian Joslin is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• Image by Ian Joslin is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• Age Appropriate Pedagogies Project by Hanstweb is licensed under CC BY
• Age Appropriate Pedagogies Project by Hanstweb is licensed under CC BY
• Child Growth and Development by Jennifer Paris, Antoinette Ricardo, and Dawn Rymond is licensed under CC BY 4.0

This page titled 2.1: Curriculum Models is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer.

• 
  : Curriculum Models by Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer is licensed CC BY 4.0.

2.2: The Dynamic Process

Curriculum planning for young children is a dynamic process that takes into account children’s ideas and interests. As stated earlier, infant/toddler and preschool curriculum should reflect the unique context of each group of children, families, and teachers. The curriculum plan that works well for one group of children may generate little interest in another group of children.[1]

For Example:

A group of children living near a large urban park may have the opportunity to experience several trips to check on a nest with eggs laid by one of the ducks living at the pond nearby. The ducks, their habitat, and the eggs become the object of study for several weeks, as the children discuss, tell stories, plan ways to protect the eggs from danger, and count the days of waiting. The teachers did not anticipate this curriculum prior to the discovery of the duck nest, yet the duck nest became part of their curriculum plans. Another group of three- and four-year-olds in a different program in the same city might be developing the same emerging skills and learning the same concepts yet be focused on their classroom pet—a tree frog—exploring his food likes and discovering how to maintain his habitat in a way that keeps him healthy and thriving. Like most journeys, early childhood curriculum follows a course that is unique for each group of children, with unpredictable content from group to group and from setting to setting.[2]

What is constant and predictable in a dynamically generated curriculum is the foundation of concepts and skills that teachers support as children pursue ideas and topics of interest. Through professional preparation, teachers who work with young children understand how to recognize the concepts and skills described in California’s early learning foundations. Teachers look for opportunities to engage the minds of young children in meaningful play, interaction, conversation, and investigation—creating curriculum that nurtures the inquisitive minds of the children and connects with their experiences and developing knowledge and skills. Dynamic curriculum emerges throughout the year and changes each year as teachers respond to the unique teaching opportunities that present themselves.[3]

Co-Constructed Curriculum

Early childhood curriculum is co-constructed with input from family members, teachers, and the children themselves. Teachers and families observe and reflect together on children’s experiences and generate many possible ideas for what new experiences or materials might extend and render more complex and coherent children’s thoughts, feelings, and ideas. In volume 2 of the California Preschool Curriculum Framework (CDE 2011b), the story of children’s investigation of fresh food from the garden illustrates the dynamic and co-constructed nature of early childhood curriculum. In this excerpt from a vignette in volume 2 (CDE 2011b, 17), the teachers describe how they generate possibilities for exploring this topic with a group of three- and four-year-olds: [4]

 VignettesIn this project, both parents and teachers wanted to find ways to support children’s health and nutrition, a desire that emerged during a presentation at a parent meeting on nutrition and obesity prevention in young children. Many of the parents were surprised to learn that “picky eating” is a stage that can evolve into long-term resistance to eating fruits and vegetables and that one way to prevent children from becoming resistant is to encourage them to try a variety of fresh produce.An idea that emerged from the discussion was to give children a series of opportunities to explore and taste fresh fruits, vegetables, and other edible plants in their natural, preprocessed state. Parents and teachers together began to think about the varied smells, textures, colors, and tastes of locally grown fruits, vegetables, and edible plants that young children could explore.In this particular vignette, the teachers and families co-construct an idea for a curriculum project. In other situations, an idea that becomes the topic for an ongoing investigation might come from a child. When an idea for a curriculum project is proposed, teachers generate possibilities for how that idea might be explored, being mindful of how, within the investigation or project, children might have an opportunity to use emerging foundational skills and concepts. The teachers invite families to join them in coming up with ideas for the investigation. In the investigation of fresh foods from the garden, the following planning question guided discussions among teachers and families: How might we give children an opportunity to explore and learn about fresh fruits and vegetables grown in the garden?Reflecting on different possibilities, the teachers became curious to see what children would do if given the chance to explore root crops such as carrots, beets, or onions that still had stems and leaves attached. Teachers shared this idea with children’s

families through a note near the sign-in sheet. Soon after the note was posted, one of the parents brought in big bunches of fresh mint that she was ready to remove from an overgrown section of her yard. Other families responded to the note by offering to bring in cucumbers, apples, and lemons from local gardens or farmers markets. Teachers began to anticipate the ways in which children might build emerging skills, concepts, and ideas in exploring these plants.In the preceding example, teachers are aware of how this topic holds possibilities for children’s learning to extend to multiple domains of study. Children will have opportunity to use foundational concepts in mathematics and science, story comprehension and language, as well as skills in drawing and painting, among others. Teachers will also look forward to sharing and naming for families their children’s learning, as the investigation directly connects with key concepts and skills children are acquiring in each of the domains of learning.[5]

Responsive Approach

Early childhood curriculum planning is responsive to the interests and opportunities that exist in a group of children, families, and community. This means that as they plan, teachers observe and listen to children’s ideas. Curriculum plans that are dynamic, collaboratively constructed with children, and responsive put children’s thinking at the center of the curriculum planning process. Teachers should be reflecting on what is meaningful to the children within their community. Rinaldi (2006a) offers this advice on how to approach curriculum planning that is responsive to children’s thinking: “What kind of context, what kind of possibility can you offer to the children for the next step and the next step, not because you know the next step, but because you want to offer [them] a possibility for going deeper and deeper in their research?”

A written plan that is responsive is seen as holding “possibilities” for children’s inquiry, rather than delivered as an activity focused solely on a particular skill. A responsive plan may be proposed as a question—“What might happen if we . . .?” or, “In what ways will the children explore . . .?” When posed as a question, the plan prompts teachers to observe what ensues and to record what delights, surprises, amazes, or puzzles the children. Mindfully noting children’s responses adds to teachers’ understanding of how children are thinking and making sense of the experience. A responsive plan is more than simply the proposed activity written on a planning form. It includes observations of what occurs and teachers’ interpretations of what children appear to be thinking and feeling during the experience. The following table illustrates how teachers might create a plan that offers possibilities for children to explore, along with examples of observations and interpretations of how children engage with the materials. The interpretations will inform what might come next in the curriculum as well as inform the ongoing assessment of children’s learning.[6]

Table 2.1: Plan of Possibilities

DRDP refers to the Desired Results Developmental Profile (CDE 2015), a periodic assessment of an infant’s learning. The Plan of Possibilities was adapted and used with permission (Maguire-Fong 2015).

It is the careful observation and documentation of what children do and say as they play that generates ideas for the next steps in the investigation. The next step might simply be to change or add materials, as a way of extending or adding complexity to the play and to offer children opportunities to build and to use emerging concepts and skills. Teachers look for moments in which the children are amazed or surprised. Documentation of what children found unexpected not only provides evidence of their sense of wonder about what people and things are like and the way things work, but it also guides what to plan next in the curriculum.[8]

References

• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission; Content by Clint Springer is licensed under CC BY 4.0
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission
• The Integrated Nature of Learning by the California Department of Education is used with permission

This page titled 2.2: The Dynamic Process is shared under a CC BY license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer.

• 
  : The Dynamic Process by Jennifer Paris, Kristin Beeve, & Clint Springer is licensed CC BY 4.0.