Learning Objectives:

 Familiarize with teachers’ role in curriculum planning.

 Familiarize with the developmental areas of preschoolers.
 Understand thematic and integrated curriculum.

Topic Outline:
A. Considerations for Curriculum Planning
1. Aquiring Skills
2. Developmental Areas
B. Planning the Curriculum
C. Themes and Projects
D.
Lecture/Discussion

CONSIDERATIONS FOR CURRICULUM PLANNING

Acquiring Skills

The aim of the curriculum is to help children acquire the skills and behaviors that will promote
their optimal growth physically, socially, emotionally, and intellectually. Chapter 11 provides a more in-
depth identification of the skills that children learn in all developmental areas. Here the focus is on
creating a curriculum to enhance each of the developmental areas.

Planning for a broad range of developmental skills and interests is a key factor in creating a
classroom curriculum. Because the abilities of children even of the same age vary, activities must be
openended and flexible enough to be used by a number of children with varieties of skills. Remember,
too, that some children may not be interested in formal or organized art projects or science experiences,
These children may learn more easily through self-selected play: by wearing a space helmet and
fantasizing a trip to the moon, by building with blocks for long periods, or by running and climbing
outdoors.

Focus on Developmental Areas

Physical Motor

Children learning physical motor skills need experience; they must learn simple skills before
combining them into complex activities and have time to try, refine, and try again. Rehearsal is as
important to the young child as it is to the actors in a play. Through play, the child can practice:

Fine motor skills such as:

 holding a paintbrush, scissors, or rattle

 tiptoeing to music
 grasping a bottle, a hand, a toy
 threading a bead or a wide needle
 buttoning a coat
 eating, brushing hair
Gross motor skills such as:
 pumping on a swing
 climbing a tree
 digging a garden
 balancing on a board on one foot

Any group of young children will have a variety of levels of motor growth and physical development.
An individual child may have different abilities and skills, in gross, fine, and perceptual motor areas;
activities should, therefore, be of- / fered on several developmental levels. Play materials and
equipment, such as balls, climbers, and ladders, should accommodate a variety of skill levels, particularly
if children with physical disabilities are in the class. Climbing boards put on several levels and puzzles
ranging from six to 60 pieces are two examples of how teachers can meet the need for success and
challenge.
Physical/motor development should play a central roe in planning the curriculum. It should be
both planned and spontaneous. The greatest portion of the young child’s day should be spent in physical
[Link] early childhood education programs recognize this, providing for a full range of physical
and motor expriences. Indoors, children use puzzles, scissors, and sewing frames as they practice fine
motor skills. They dance with scarves and streamers to muisc. Perceptual motor development, as with
body awareness, occurs when children learn songs and games or while finger-painting. Outdoors, gross
motor skills are refined by the use of climbers, swings, hopscotch, and ring-toss.

Cognitive Development

The teacher plans activities for all cognitive skills to ensure challenging children’s thinking.

Cognitive Considerations
When considering children’s intellectual development, teachers should keep the following in mind:

1. Education is exploration. By allowing children to interact with the environment, the teacher is a
source of information and support rather than one who gives answers or commnads. With the
project approach, children explore a theme o topic (such as shadows, houses or building a table)
over a period of weeks.
2. Children do not think like adults. Children think and perceive in their own ways. They think in
sensory and concrete terms and come to conclusions based on what they see and touch.
3. Children's thinking is legitimate and should be valued. Teachers support those processes by
asking questions to stimulate further thought and by providing materials for exploration.
4. The language of the teacher should support cognitive development. Throughout their
interactions with children, teachers help children use words, terms, and concepts correctly (see
the following section on Language Development).

The teacher must consider, include, and plan for children with learning disabilities and other
varied learning styles. Each type of learning disability (see Chapter 3) has its own description and
treatment. Teachers must develop a wide range of techniques to address such disabilities. After the
identification and assessment phases, teachers and families need to work with specialists and devise
options (an individualized education plan, or IEP) that include the child and establish reasonable
learning goals.
Language Development

To promote language development teachers should consider the following:

1. Children need an "envelope of language." Before we talk about a "print-rich" program, we must
provide a language-rich environment.

2. Children must use language in order to learn it. Adults often spend much of their time with children
talking to, at, for, or about them. Yet, to learn language, children must be doing the talking.

3. The most verbal children tend to monopolize language interactions. Seek out and support language
development in those with fewer skills, generally by drawing them out individually through (1) reading
the unspoken (body) language that communicates their ideas, needs, and feelings and (2) helping them
express verbally those ideas, needs, and feelings.

4. Adults should know the individual child. Teachers must have a meaningful relationship with each
child. This includes knowing their parents and how they communicate with their child.

5. Home languages are to be invited into the classroom. "The explanations for home language are
several fold," writes Chang (1993). "Language and culture are closely related since the language of an
ethnic group is usually the vehicle through which the community transmits to its young its customs and
beliefs. . . . The development of a child's primary language skills is integral to helping a child succeed
academically and to eventually develop skills in English."

6. Dialect differences expand your speech community. Dialects are as much a part of children's culture
and identity as is their home language.

7. Some children may have speech and language disorders. Early detection of and intervention for
speech and language disorders is possible without the teacher being a speech therapist.

8. The language of the teacher influences the classroom. What teachers say—and how they say it—is
important. To make sure that all children experience the art of conversation, be sure to provide plenty
of opportunities for them to converse with adults as well as peers to help them learn the reciprocal
nature of communication. Ask them to say what they are doing. Make a statement describing the child's
behavior or actions.

Emotional Development

In early childhood, children learn to respond to new situations and to connect with a teacher, both very
emotional experiences. Good teachers stimulate a positive emotional response. Creating the right
emotional conditions accesses a child's capacity for learning. Young children are not yet limited by social
standards of conduct, so they are usually sincere and truthful m their self-expression. The major skills
learned in early childhood are the ability to deal with feelings, to handle change, to exercise judgment,
and to enjoy oneself and one's power. An effective teacher can plan curriculum that helps children
develop emotional skills.

Social Development
A major role for the early childhood teacher is to see that children have enjoyable social contacts and to
help motivate children toward a desire to be with others. There are a number of strategies that are
useful for developing social skills:

 Plan and arrange a social environment. A coacting environment (Bos, 1978) offers "a way of
interacting with others, more often one-on-one than in larger groups, with an emphasis on
process rather than product. The placement of two telephones, three wagons, and eight
firefighter hats fosters child-child interactions."

 Help children develop trust. Building trust helps build relationships.

 Facilitate children's interactions and interpret their behavior. To help young children understand
each other and to pave the way for continued cooperation, the teacher reports and reflects on
what is happening. In the classroom setting, during an active, free-play period, the teacher
might:

Reflect the Action: Say:

Call attention to the effect one child's “Randy when you scream, other children
behavior is having on another. become frightened and are afraid to play
with you.”

Show approval to reinforce positive social behavior. “I like the way you carefully stepped over
their block building, Dan!”

Support a child in asserting her rights. “Crystal is hanging on the doll because she is
not finished playing yet. “

Support a child's desire to be independent. “I know you want to help, Kaye, but Sam is
trying to put his coat on by himself.”

The teacher's role in creating curriculum that fosters social interactions and growth is to provide the
arena and then observe the children's responses. Cooperation is high on the list of social skills children
need to learn in the early years.

Creativity

Here are some ways to encourage creativity in the curriculum:

1. Provide continuous availability, abundance, and variety of materials. An art center

(Schirrmacher, 2002) is an artist's studio. It is conveniently located, easily accessible, and well-
stocked with developmentally appropriate materials that are orderly and organized. There are
at least sk basic categories of art materials, including tools for mark making; papers in a variety
of shapes/sizes/textures; modeling and molding materials such as play dough/clay; items for
cutting, fastening, and attaching such as scissors and string; items for painting; and collage
items.
2. Give children regular creative opportunities to experience and the skill necessary to be creative.
Creativity does not respend well to the clock. Routines, transitions, and groups must be handled
so as not to interrupt children too often. Children's own sense of time and their personal
rhythms should be considered. Teach the necessary skills, such as tracing and cutting, when
children exhibit the need to learn them.

3. Encourage divergent thinking. "Children need to please only themselves. . . . Once you've
presented the materials, forget how you intended them to be used" (Bos, 1978). Where there
are no right'or wrong answers, children are free to create.

4. Avoid models, making things for children to copy. It insults children. and can make them feel
inadequate in the face of something you can do so much better.

5. Help foster conversation:

Teacher: How do you think we could share the swings?

David: The kids who give me a turn can come to my birthday party.

Sabrina: No. We will have to make a waiting list.

Xenia: Only girls can use the swings. The boys can have all the cars.

Frederico: Buy a new swing set.

6. Talk with young children about what they create. Schirrmacher (2002) tells us that rather than
approach children's work with compliments, judgments, or even questions:

Allow children to go about their artistic discoveries without your comparing, correcting or
projecting yourself into their art.

(You do not need to ask, "What is it?" or say, "I like it.")

Shift from searching for representation in children's art to a focus on the abstract, design
qualities. ("I see wiggly lines all down one side.")

Use reflective dialogue. (Yes, there IS a lot of blue there!")

Smile, pause, and say nothing at first.

7. Allow children to take the lead from start to finish. Notice how correcting the child's intense
language does not sidetrack the teacher:

Child: The monster's gonna get you and eat you up!

Teacher: You made a monster with the wood scraps.

Child: Yes, and it's for my daddy.

 Teacher: Let's put it on the counter so it will be dry when he picks you up.

8. Integrate creativity and learning in the classroom. Early childhood education theorists such as
Dewey, Piaget, and Montessori have advocated multisensory learning through experimentation
and discovery.

9. Teacher timing and attitudes stimulate creativity. Don't delay; children want to see immediate
results and act on their ideas now. "Listen carefully to each child, and try to provide what the
child asks for. I try never to say, 'We're not doing that today' (Bos, 1978). Give plenty of time for
a dramatic theme to develop, to pursue the props needed, or to find the players and audience.
The early childhood years are "[w] here the initial attitudes are established . . . and school can be
a fun place where the individual's contribution is welcome and where changes can be sought
and made" (Lowenfeld & Brittain, 1975).

Planning the Curriculum

Planning the curriculum is the process of translating theories of education into practice, based on the
children's interests, and tempered by adult awareness of children's needs. The process of developing
curriculum begins with setting goals for learning. Teachers base these goals on their knowledge of child
development, their knowledge of the individual children in their classrooms, and the educational
philosophy of the program. The goals of the program must be reflected in the educational philosophy of
the school. Curriculum, materials, and activities should support the goals of the program and result in
those goals being accomplished.

Guidelines

The process of developing curriculum begins with" understanding what goals are set for learning and
then choosing the most pressing ones for attention. Using available resources, teachers plan effective
curricula for young children. The following five steps are guidelines to sound curriculum planning.

1. Set goals. Decide what it is you want children to leam. What do you want them to know about
themselves? about others? about the world? State goals clearly, preferably in behavioral terms so
results can be measured.

2. Establish priorities. Make a list of three to five goals or objectives you consider most important. State
the reasons for your choices; your own values and educational priorities will emerge more clearly.

3. Know the resources. A rich, successful, and creative curriculum relies on a vast number of resources.
To create a health clinic in the dramatic-play area, for instance, you might need the following resources:

Materials: props, such as stethoscopes, x-ray machines, tongue depressors, adhesive strips, medical
gowns, and masks.

People: parents and/or community people in the health care" professions visit the class.

Community: Field trips to a nearby clinic, hospital, or dentist’s office.

4. Plan ahead. Set aside a regular time to meet for curriculum planning. This may be on a weekly,
monthly, or seasonal basis. Discuss the curriculum activities s well as the daily routines in order to
integrate the two.

5. Evaluate. ReHert on the outcome of your planning. Consider what worked and why it was successful
or not. Look at the part of the experience thaFdid not work as well as you would have liked. How can it
be improved? What can you change about it? An evaluation should be immediate, precise, and
supportive. Teachers need feedback about their planning and implementing skills.

The needs of children are best served when the curriculum is refined and improved.

Written Plans

In the development of curriculum, written plans are helpful, especially for the beginning teacher. A
written plan is an organized agenda, an outline to follow, a framework for the curriculum. It may include
a list of activities, goals for children's learning experiences, the process or method of instruction, the
teacher's responsibilities, the time of day, and other special notations A curriculum may be developed
for a day, a week, a month, or a specific unit or theme. Written plans may or may not include all of the
other activities normally available in the interest centers. Blocks, manipulatives, and dramatic play, as
well as science, math and language materials remain available to children, but some teachers include
only planned learning experiences and teacher-directed activities in their written plans.

Two important factors in developing curriculum plans are: (1) how much knowledge and
understanding children have and (2) what children are interested in. The most effective curriculum
grows out of the children's interests and experiences. As they play, children reveal their levels of
expenence and information as well as their misconceptions and confusions. These provide the clues
from which teachers can develop curriculum that is meaningful.

Teacher-Directed Learning

"The visible acts of teaching according to Schickedanz et al. (1997), "are preceded by thinking about the
aims of education and about how children learn." Teacher-directed activities need to be included in the
curriculum planning process.

This text promotes teaching through active learning by children who have an active part in
creating the curriculum. That does not exclude, however, the need for teacher-planned experiences in
order to further the educational goals of the program. When is it appropriate for teacher-directed
learning? Arce (2000) notes that it is a good teaching strategy when materials are complex or the
concept is unknown to the children. Teaching certain skills, such as cleaning off the paintbrush before
dipping into another color, requires teacher guidance.

Culturally Responsive Teaching

Positive attitudes toward self and others emerge when children know they are valued for their
individuality and appreciated as members of a family and a culture. The curriculum process can reflect
this in a number of ways. Children with special needs are often able to use most of the curriculum
materials typically found in early childhood classrooms. They too need their life mirrored in the school
setting with dolls, books, and play accessories that signify acceptance and belonging. Throughout this
text, especially in Chapters 2 and 5, cultural sensitivity on the part of teachers is emphasized. Banks
(2001) identifies five important characteristics of effective teachers in a multicultural society, which have
implications for creating curriculum:

1. They will seek pedagogical knowledge of the characteristics of students from diverse ethnic, racial,
cultural, and social-class groups; of prejudice and prejudice reduction theory and research; and of
teaching strategies and techniques.

2. They have reflected upon and clari&ed an understanding of their own cultural heritage, and
experience and knowledge of how it relates to and interacts with the experiences of other ethnic and
cultural groups.

3. They have reflected on their own attitude toward different racial, ethnic, cultural, and social-class
groups.

4. They have the skills to make effective instructional decisions and reduce prejudice and intergroup
conflict.

5. They will devise a range of teaching strategies and activities that will facilitate the achievement of
students from diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, and social-class groups.

Themes and Projects

Themes. A traditional method of developing curriculum is to focus on a broad, general topic or theme.
Although used interchangeably with units, themes are a Smaller part of a unit, allowing for a more
specific focus. For example, a unit on the body may have "What can I do with my hands?" as one theme.
Life-oriented themes are of great interest to young children: home and family, pets and animals, and so
on.

Classroom themes should reflect the children's interests and abilities. An urban child will relate
to themes about subways, taxis, and tall buildings. A child living in Houston or central Florida may have
more of an interest in space exploration. By choosing themes that coincide with children’s daily lives,
teachers promote connected and relevant learning.

Some themes address children's own issues. All young children share similar fears and curiosity
about the world they do not yet know.

Before Halloween, for example, a theme about masks can be helpful and reassuring. Select
headgear that has a function, such as hospital masks, ski masks, clear safety glasses, snorkel masks, and
helmets for bicycling, wrestling, or football. Children can try them on and become comfortable with the
way their appearance changes. They can laugh with their friends about the way they look and how the
mask may change their appearance, but does not change the person.

A thematic approach can utilize many of the attributes of an inclusive, integrated and
developmentally appropriate curriculum:

1. Children can help choose and plan themes, thereby constructing their own learning.
 2. Activities can be chosen to reflect the curriculum goals—the needs of the students and the
teachers.

3. The emphasis is on active learning, and the most appropriate themes are those that have a
meaningful connection to children's lives.

4. A thematic approach provides for an in-depth study of a topic, and many subject areas can be
integrated into the various activities.

5. A variety oflearning styles can be accommodated through different media and teaching
techniques.
6. Teacher permitting, a thematic approach can be quite flexible to allow for student response
and need.

Holidays could offer an opportunity to use a thematic approach to creating curriculum. Too often,
however, these themes are narrowly defined and isolate the topic. Many holiday themes may not be
appropriate to the families represented by the group of students. Some programs choose not to
celebrate holidays at all, questioning whether it is a developmentally appropriate practice and how to
adequately understand and explain the many holidays observed in the United States. Other programs
invite members of the community to iucate them about their particular observances. What is critical is
to remember that holidays are celebrated, celebrations beyond the dominant culture should be
included.

The Project Approach

Projects are probably the epitome of an integrated, thematic curriculum, embracing all the key
characteristics of integrated learning, and they allow for the incorporation of a wide range of subject
areas. Katz (1994) defines the "project approach" as an in-depth investigation of a topic worth learning
more about. . . usually undertaken by a small group of children within a class . . . the whole class . . . or
even an individual child. The key feature . . . is that it is a research effort deliberately focused on finding
answers to questions about the topic posed by the children . . . or the teacher.

The project approach consists of exploring a theme or topic (such as dinosaurs, shadows, babies,
building a table) over a period of days or weeks. Investigation of the theme and preplanning by the
children and the teachers is the first step; they observe, question, estimate, experiment, and research
items and events related to the topics. Together they make dramatic play and display materials that
they need. Children work in small groups throughout the process and have the opportunity to make
numerous choices about their level of participation. The teacher often records the activities with
photographs. Project work has different levels of complexity so that it meets the needs of children of
different ages and abilities. In the Reggio Emilia schools, the project approach is used as the primary
vehicle for learning.

Projects emerge from children's own interests, teacher obsei'vations of children's needs, and
parents' suggestions. The topics reflect the local [Link] approach to teaching and learning easily
lends itself to an inclusive classroom and curricullum, responding to diverse points of view as children
discuss and agree on their plans.
 The planning process is crucial to the success of the project approach, as is the underlying
philosophy that children can be co-constructors of their own learning. This approach has much in
common with the ideas of Dewey and the Summerhill School. The teacher helps the children explore
what they already know about the topic, what they might need to know, and how they can represent
that knowledge through various media (dramatic play, art, niusic) Teachers pose questions for children
(What jnight happen if you do that? How do you think you could you make that work?) that lead them
to suggest a hypothesis. This reinforces Vygotsky's theory that I interaction and direct teaching are
important aspects of intellectual development.

Worksheet 3.1
1. Developmental Areas Table
For every area of development, list down 5-7 developmental characteristic or milestone for a five-year
old. Place your answers on a table.
Physical Cognitive Language Socio-Emotional

Worksheet 3.2
1. Activity Web. Pick a theme for preschool class. Out of this theme, think of an activity for
different subject areas (Language, Math, Science, Social Studies, Movement and Arts.).