Curriculum in Early

Childhood Education
(MAERCE 103)

Preschool Curriculum
 Types of Preschool Curriculum

The child initiated curriculum

Teacher-Directed Curriculum

Developmentally-Appropriate
Curriculum
 The Child-Initiated Curriculum

based on the cognitive theory of child

development that children learn by doing.
Playing and experimenting with objects rather
than by being taught about them.

most of the activities are initiated by the

children, who are free to move from one place
to another as they feel motivated. They are
encouraged to make their own activity choices,
take out the appropriate materials and put
away when they are done.
 The Child-Initiated Curriculum

It is driven by the idea that young

children learn through play

It is being sensitive to and

supportive to the development age,
and experience of young children
individually and in the classroom
community.
 The Child-Initiated Curriculum

This type of program has an unstructured

feel which experts believe is fitting because
for every young child most of the time at
school is devoted to free play.

In summary, the school curriculum is said

to be child-initiated if child-centered learning
activities are done at each child’s pace and the
teacher’s role is to arrange the environment
and provide ideas and materials for children to
choose their own activities.
 The Child-Initiated Curriculum:
Roles of Teachers
Sets up the classroom and the daily routine so
children could plan, do, and review their own
activities and engage in key learning experiences.

Makes available to a children variety of materials

and activities.

Prepare materials for all areas of the classroom

Acts as resources and facilitator of learning
Asks questions to encourage children to discuss,
reflect and examine.
 The Typical Elements of a child-
or Play-Centered School
-There are variety of stations like art, music, books
and blocks where children will be able to move
easily from one activity to the next.

-Children will usually be playing alone or in small

groups.

-Plenty of chattering and discussion between the

teacher and the students.

-Teacher imparting concepts are through songs and

games.
 The Teacher-Directed
Curriculum
This is more structured philosophy,
in which the teachers generally plan the
daily activities, and then guide the
children in carrying them out.

It typically incorporates the

behaviorists’ theory of child
development.
 The Teacher-Directed
Curriculum
It is a direct contrast to child-
initiated approach

Its general ideas is to help

children adopt to the classroom
setting and to prepare them for
later, more formal setting.
The Teacher-Directed Curriculum:
Roles of Teachers
Describes what activities the children will
do, when they will do the activities, for
how long and how the materials will be
used.

Prepares children for later grades

carefully

Teacher teaches/presents subjects as a

series of skills, each more complex than
the one before it.
The Teacher-Directed Curriculum:
Roles of Teachers
Reinforces or rewards children who
perform the desired behaviors or tasks
with verbal approval, an extra privilege,
or a symbolic reward such as star.

Asks questions like “What letter is this?”

or “Who knows what color is this?” these
questions may be presented in a playful
manner such as guessing game or sing
along.
The Typical Elements of Teacher-
Directed Curriculum
The emphasis is on simple academic
skills like pencil and paper activities.

More quite and organized environment

than in a play-centered classroom.

Teachers are guiding through low-key

activities, like games and art project.
Teacher-Directed Instructions:

Conversation:
Do not talk unless you have been
recognized
Do not blurt out questions, answers
or comments
Do not have personal conversations
Teacher-Directed Instructions:

Help

Raise your hand if you have

comments or a questions
Teacher-Directed Instructions:

Activity
Take your notebook/ paper and writing
instrument
Take notes from overhead
Listen carefully to the lecture
Actively participate in the discussion
Make sure your notes are in proper orders in
your notebook
Do not work on any other assignments for this
class or any other class during note taking
Teacher-Directed Instructions:

Movement

-Sit in your assigned seat

-Do not ask to leave your seat or the

classroom during teacher-directed
instruction
Teacher-Directed Instructions:

Participation
On-task: sit up straight, lean forward,
active listening: Note important
information, track the speaker

Off-task: slouching, daydreaming,

eyes not on the speaker, not taking
notes, not participating in discussion
 The Development-Appropriate
Curriculum
Goals of DAP Curriculum
Foster positive self-identity and
sense of emotional well-being
Develop social skills and knowledge
Encourage children to think, reason,
question and experiment (as used in
Math, Science and Social Studies)
 The Development-Appropriate
Curriculum
Encourage language (speaking, listening)
and literacy development (emerging,
reading, writing awareness and skills.)
Enhance physical development and skills
Encourage creative expression,
representation, and appreciation for the
arts
Respect cultural diversity
 The Development-Appropriate
Curriculum
Emphasis of Developmentally Appropriate ECE
Curriculum
Active hand on learning
conceptual learning that leads to
understanding along with acquisition of basic
skills
meaningful, relevant learning experiences
a broad range of relevant content integrated
across traditional subject mater division
 The Development-Appropriate
Curriculum
Factors to be considered in Developing DAP
Curriculum

Child development in knowledge

Individual characteristics children
Knowledge based on various disciplines
Values of our culture
Parent’s desires
Knowledge children need to function completely
in our society
The Typical Elements of Developmentally
Appropriate Curriculum

This practice in early childhood program

serving children from birth to age 8

It provides for all areas of child

development; physical, emotional,
social, linguistic, aesthetic, and cognitive
The Typical Elements of Developmentally
Appropriate Curriculum

Curriculum includes broad range of

content across disciplines that is socially
relevant, intellectually engaging and
personally meaningful to children

Curriculum builds upon what children

already know and able to do (activating
prior knowledge) to consolate their
learning and to foster their acquisition of
new concepts and skills.
The Typical Elements of Developmentally
Appropriate Curriculum

Curriculum promotes the development of

knowledge and understanding, process and skills,
as well as the dispositions to use and apply skills
and to go learning.
Children directly participate in study of the
discipline
Curriculum provides opportunities to support
children’s abilities to participate in the shared
culture of the program and the community.
Curriculum goals are realistic and attainable for
most children in the designated age range for
which they are designed.
The Three Dimensions of DAP

Age Appropriateness
Based on the knowledge in typical
development of children

Children grow physically, emotionally,

socially and cognitively in a sequence that
follows a predictable pattern by
understanding the changes that children
experience of each age, teachers are better
be able to provide activities that are
appropriate challenging.
The Three Dimensions of DAP

Individual Appropriateness
Based on learning experiences which are
meaningful, relevant, and respectful

Addresses the unique differences among

children including individual pattern and
timing of growth as well as individual
personality, learning style and family
background.
The Three Dimensions of DAP
Social and Cultural Appropriateness

Based on an understanding of individuals children’s growth,

patterns, strengths, interest, and experiences.

A child’s unique personality is developed as a result of their

own personal history and the experiences they have within
the cultural group they belong to. Among the rules they
learn are how to organize time and personal space, and how
to interact with people they know well vs.those they have
just met. Therefore, decisions about how to care for and
educate young children cannot be made without knowledge
of the child’s cultural social context.
Indicators of Effectiveness that
Entwine Curriculum
Children are active and engaged. Children learn
best by exploring and thinking about all sorts of
phenomena. Effective curriculum ensures that
important concepts are taught through projects,
everyday experiences, collaborative activities and
an active curriculum.

Goals are clear and shared by all. Curriculum

goals should be clearly defined, shared, and
understood by all adults who have a stake in
children’s learning. The curriculum and relate
teaching strategies should be designed to help
achieve goals in a unified, coherent way.
Indicators of Effectiveness that
Entwine Curriculum
Teachers have frequent, meaningful interactions
with children. As already noted curriculum and the
content of what young children need to learn, know,
and be able to do is children linked with pedagogy
and how such content is delivered. Teacher’s
engagement with children also allows them to
regularly assess each child’s progress and make
adjustments in the classroom as necessary.

Curriculum is evidence-based. The curriculum

should be based on evidence that is developmentally,
culturally, and linguistically relevant for the children
who will experience the curriculum.
Indicators of Effectiveness that
Entwine Curriculum
Curriculum builds on children’s prior learning and
experiences. The content and implementation of the
curriculum should build on children’s prior individual, age-
related, and cultural learning and be inclusive of children
with disabilities. Curriculum should support the knowledge
that children gain from their families and communities and
support children whose home language is not English in
building a solid base for later learning.

Curriculum is comprehensive. Curriculum should

encompass all areas of development including children’s
physical health; well being and motor development social
and emotional development; approaches to learning;
language development, and cognition and general
knowledge.
Indicators of Effectiveness that
Entwine Curriculum
 Curriculum is aligned with
learning standards and appropriate
assessments. Increasingly, policy-
makers and practitioners alike are
concerned with improving children’s
learning experiences.
 Guiding Principles of Early
Childhood Programs
Developmentally Appropriate Programs.
-Age appropriateness- it is important that teachers be
aware of children’s predictable stages of growth in all
areas-physical, emotional, social and cognitive.

-Individual appropriateness-teachers need to know and

appreciate each child’s uniqueness and individuality and
to provide activities and materials that are personally
interesting and challenging. A major mode for doing this is
to play. According to NAEYC, child-initiated, child
directed, teacher supported play is an essential
component of developmentally appropriate practice.
 Guiding Principles of Early
Childhood Programs
Curriculum that integrates all areas of child
Development
Experiences that are concrete and relevant to
real life
Multicultural and non-sexist curricula
A balance between rest and activity (indoor &
outdoor)
Opportunity to communicate
Providing the respect, acceptances, comfort
and encouragement children deserve
Good parent-teacher communication
 Guidelines in determining
Appropriate Curricula
A developmentally appropriate
curriculum should provide for all area of
child’s development physical, emotional,
linguistic, aesthetic and cognitive.
The curriculum should include a broad
range of context across disciplines that
are socially relevant, intellectually
engaging and personally meaningful to
children.
 Guidelines in determining
Appropriate Curricula
 The curriculum should be built on what
children already know and are able to do
(activating prior knowledge) to consolidate
their learning and to foster their
acquisition of new concepts and skills.
Effective curriculum should plan
frequently integrating across traditional
subject matter divisions to help children
make meaningful connections and provide
opportunities for rich conceptual
development; focusing on one subject is also
a valid strategy at times.
 Guidelines in determining
Appropriate Curricula
 Curriculum should promote the development of
knowledge and understanding, processes and
skills, as well as the dispositions to use and
apply skills to go on learning.

 Curriculum content should have

intellectually integrity, reflecting the key
concepts and tools of inquiry of recognized
disciplines in ways that are accessible and
achievable for young children, ages three
through eight.
 Guidelines in determining
Appropriate Curricula
 Curriculum should provide
opportunities to support children’s home
culture and language with also developing
their abilities to participate for most
children in the designated age range for
which they are designed.

 In using technology, it should be

physically and philosophically integrated in
the classroom curriculum and teaching.
 Guidelines for Curriculum
Design
 The following guiding statements will help
you clarify some of the steps involved in
curriculum design. These statements,
according to the authors, are based on
school practice and apply to all curriculum
models.

 There should be a curriculum design

committee which includes teachers,
parents and administrators; some schools
might include students, too.
 Guidelines for Curriculum
Design
 The committee should establish a sense of
mission or purpose in the early stages or
meetings.

 Needs and priorities should be addresses in

relations to students and society

 School goals and objectives should be

viewed, but they should not serve as the
guiding criteria upon which to design the
curriculum development.
 Guidelines for Curriculum
Design
 Alternative curriculum designs should be
contrasted in terms of advantages and
disadvantages such as cost, scheduling class
size, facilities and personnel required, and
existing relationship to present programs.

 To help teachers gain insight into the new

modified design, the design should reveal
expected cognitive and affective skills,
concepts, and outcomes.
 Sources of Curriculum

 Children as the Focus of Curriculum

 -A preschool curriculum which focused on the learner is
one that organizes its learning experiences and content
around normal child activities.
 -Children develop concepts about themselves, others and
the world around them by observing, interacting with
others, and looking for ways to solve a problem.

 To help teachers gain insight into the new modified

design, the design should reveal expected cognitive and
affective skills, concepts, and outcomes.
 Sources of Curriculum

 The family as the Focus of the Curriculum

 The family is another rich basis for the
curriculum which the child can easily
relate to and with.
 The curriculum may help children build an
understanding and appreciation of their
own families, the similarities among
families, the uniqueness of each family, the
different family forms, the tasks of
families, and the relationships between
family members.
 Sources of Curriculum

An examination of the children’s

family homes, means of
transportation, food references,
celebrations, family members’
occupation and patterns of
communication are also good topics
that could enable each child to
participate actively in class.
 Sources of Curriculum

The school as the focus of the

Curriculum
An understanding of the values of the
school is important and adherence to
school’s philosophy gives stability and
continuity to the school program.
The content of the curriculum may also
be structured on what the school
espouses as ideal.
 Sources of Curriculum

The community/Country/Word as the Focus of

the Curriculum
-The community can be rich source of material
and offers a wealth of learning opportunities and
curriculum material
-From the community, children may learn about
people in the community, their roles in the
community, recreational facilities such as the
park, the zoos, and the museums, forms of
transportation, health services, telephone
services and other places in the community
which children may even visit during their final
trip.