Degree of Teacher Control A teacher’s effectiveness in implementing any curriculum will be greatly influenced by her knowledge about child development, the skills and experience he brings to the classroom, and her personal belief system (Hill, Stremmel, & Fu, 2005). As a new teacher, you might appreciate a curriculum that provides lots of direction, support, […]
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Comprehensive and Limited-Scope Curriculum A curriculum can also be comprehensive or limited in scope. A comprehensive curriculum addresses all areas of learning, while a limited-scope curriculum focuses on a single area, such as literacy, math, or the arts (National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center [NCCIC], 2011). The Creative Curriculum for Preschool (Heroman et
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Curriculum Model A curriculum model, on the other hand, is more prescriptive. Formally, it’s defined as “an ideal representation of the theoretical premises, administrative policies, and pedagogical components of a program aimed at obtaining a particular educational outcome” (Spodek & Brown, 1993, p. 91). It describes everything about what and how the teacher will teach,
Curriculum Approach A curriculum approach is a broad framework designed from a specific perspective or orientation about how children learn (Ornstein & Hunkins, 2008). An approach includes key ideas and principles but allows or encourages “reflection, practice, and further careful reflection in a program that is continuously renewed and readjusted” (Gandini, 1993, p. 4). Thus,
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What Is the Difference between a Curriculum Approach and a Curriculum Model? In the curriculum literature, the terms approach and model are sometimes used interchangeably (Frede & Ackerman, 2007), but they can also be interpreted differently. For purposes of clarity in this book, these two terms will differentiate the level of detail and specificity within
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The Hidden Curriculum The hidden curriculum refers to things children and teachers learn or are expected to know in school that are not directly taughtoften related to social rules, interactions, and behaviors that represent the “culture” of a school, classroom, or home care setting (Giroux & Purpel, 1983; Jackson, 1968; Myles, Trautman, & Schelvan, 2004).
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The Role of the Teacher As the “coordinator in chief,” the early childhood educator has substantial responsibilities, including setting up and maintaining the environment, arranging equipment and materials, planning, implementing, and managing activities, and then assessing, communicating, and documenting how learning takes place. The degree of flexibility that the teacher has in terms of how
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Components of Curriculum The concept of curriculum includes much more than just the materials used in the classroom. This Venn diagram illustrates the interrelated nature of curriculum elements. Early childhood curriculum can be as open ended as a set of general guidelines, in which case the teacher will make many of the decisions about what
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What Does Curriculum Include? In practice, curriculum is much more than a structured framework (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], 2003). Especially in early childhood education, curriculum is understood to include (Figure 1.1): The physical classroom space, or environment All the materials the teachers use to instruct students All the materials that
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What Is Curriculum? In the broadest sense, curriculum is a structured framework for teaching. As a student, you already have personal experience with curriculum, and you probably know that as an early childhood teacher, you will have to work within a curriculum as you teach your students. But, what does a curriculum include? What kinds
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