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Reinventing the Wheel You will work with many people and resources to shape the early childhood curriculum of the future. Intergenerational professional relationships can be very important and helpful, as this is one of the ways in which we pass along practical curriculum wisdom (Henderson & Kesson, 2004) acquired over many years of teaching. As […]

A Case Study: Mary and Jane Let’s look at how this process works. In this scenario Mary and Jane are reflective co-teachers for a multiage class of 4-year olds and kindergarteners. They observe that six of the boys in the class are entirely focused on “superheroes.” This is evident in many aspects of the curriculumlanguage,

The Reflective Teacher Your early childhood education studies will provide you a knowledge base and professional dispositions that will continue to be informed by your experiences as a teacher and curriculum developer. Excellent teachers are also reflective, purposefully thinking about the curriculum decisions they make and their teaching in three principal ways (Schon, 1983, 1987;

The Concept of Theory to Practice In simple terms, “theory to practice” describes the translation of ideas about how children grow and learn into the decisions we make and actions we take as teachers (Dewey, 1904; Mezirow, 1997). As you have learned in this chapter, our thinking today about early education and curriculum is derived

Why Is It Important for You to Think about Curriculum? Think of the maxim “Practice what you preach.” It will be relevant every day of your teaching career, as your actions represent what you believe about teaching and learning. Consciously and unconsciously, whether adhering to a curriculum approach or using specific materials from a curriculum

No Child Left Behind More From the Field This clip provides information about some of the curriculum requirements for Head Start programs. Critical Thinking Question Why do you think having a research based curriculum is considered so important? In 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act included a mandate to develop early learning standards

No Child Left Behind More From the Field This clip provides information about some of the curriculum requirements for Head Start programs. Critical Thinking Question Why do you think having a research based curriculum is considered so important? In 2001, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act included a mandate to develop early learning standards

Politics, Government, and Early Childhood Curriculum Getty Images President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the War on Poverty legislative initiative in August 1964. This program included authorization for the Head Start Programs, which continue today. Trends in early childhood curriculum can be significantly affected by public policy and government intervention, innovations in technology and media, and

A Century of Advocacy Over the past century, early childhood advocates have addressed poverty, child labor, access to high-quality affordable day care, health, and nutritionall issues that affect children. Currently early childhood professionals and organizations are working to promote many issues that directly relate to or impact early childhood curriculum, including Federal, state, and local

NAEYC and the DAP Position Statement Many professional organizations advocate for the rights and welfare of young children and their families (see Feature Box 1.2). Among these groups, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which originally organized in 1926, is the largest, with approximately 60,000 members and 50 affiliate chapters (NAEYC,