Holistic Early Childhood Program Goals and Planning Process

1. Chapter 18 The Curriculum

2. A good early childhood curriculum is based on how children develop and learn. It consists of a wide range of • concepts • experiences • materials • designed to meet the developmental needs of a group of children.

3. In an early childhood program, the program goals outline the philosophy of the center. Program goals are broad statements of purpose that state the desired end results – what is to be achieved. Program goals based on child development focus on the “whole child.” Sometimes they are also called developmental goals.

4. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence Program Goals

5. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals

6. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To respect and understand cultural diversity

7. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking

8. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop fine motor skills

9. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills To respect and understand cultural diversity Program Goals To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

10. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop personal initiative To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

11. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop curiosity about the world To develop personal initiative To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

12. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To develop positive social skills, including cooperation and interdependence To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop curiosity about the world To develop personal initiative To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

13. To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To develop respect for one’s own rights as well as the rights of others To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To develop positive social skills, including cooperation and interdependence To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop curiosity about the world To develop personal initiative To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

14. To develop an understanding of the relationship between people, events, and objects To develop a positive self-concept and attitude toward learning To develop independence To develop respect for one’s own rights as well as the rights of others To think critically and develop problem-solving skills Program Goals To develop positive social skills, including cooperation and interdependence To respect and understand cultural diversity To develop effective language skills, both listening and speaking To develop curiosity about the world To develop personal initiative To develop fine motor skills To develop large motor coordination

15. Who plans the curriculum? • Curriculum development can involve one person or several staff members • Directors, teachers, aides, parents, and in some cases even the center cook may all be included at some time. Pre-planned Curriculum Advantages • For a staff with little training or experience • Activities, procedures, and suggestions are outlined in detail • Saves teachers time and energy Disadvantages • Does not factor for individual differences and learning styles of children • Experienced teachers may feel stifled or limited • If the preplanned curriculum does not match the need of the children, both children and teachers may feel frustrated

16. Assessment • Provides information about what the children already know and what skills they have already achieved • Helps to fit the curriculum activities with the needs of the children

17. Types of Curriculum Content and process-centered • Learning is seen as a constant process of exploring and questioning of the environment • “Hands-on” activities are stressed • “Developmentally appropriate” or age appropriate materials are chosen and structured by the teacher

18. Types of Curriculum Spiral Curriculum • As children grow, their circle of interests becomes larger, like a spiral • Two and three -year-olds are interested in their families, shapes and concepts they are learning • As three–year-olds are introduced to the world outside their home, they are more aware and interested in the people in their world and their community • Four and five-year-olds children enjoy themes related to a wider range of topics such as puppets, tools and transportation Content and Process-Centered • Learning is seen as a constant process of exploring and questioning of the environment • “Hands-on” activities are stressed • “Developmentally appropriate” or age appropriate materials are chosen and structured by the teacher

19. Is it “developmentally appropriate” to give magic markers to an unsupervised toddler?

20. NO!

21. A good curriculum includes direct and indirect learning experiences Direct learning experiences • Are planned with a specific goal in mind • Example: a carpentry activity may be planned to develop fine motor skills and to teach the use of safety goggles Indirect learning experiences • Occur on the spur of the moment • Example: a child may learn to mix paints by watching another child mix paints or by experimenting on her own

22. Factors to Consider in Curriculum Planning Information to cover • Is the information worth knowing? • Is the information testable? • Is the information developmentally appropriate? Learning Styles Learning Characteristics

23. Factors to Consider in Curriculum Planning Information to cover • Is the information worth knowing? • Is the information testable? • Is the information developmentally appropriate? Learning Styles • Field-sensitive children like to work with others • Field-independent children prefer to work alone • Visual learnersdepend a great deal on the sense of sight • Auditory learnersare those who learn best through hearing Learning Characteristics

24. Factors to Consider in Curriculum Planning Information to cover • Is the information worth knowing? • Is the information testable? • Is the information developmentally appropriate? Learning Styles • Field-sensitive children like to work with others • Field-independent children prefer to work alone • Visual learnersdepend a great deal on the sense of sight • Auditory learnersare those who learn best through hearing Learning Characteristics • Some children work slowly • Others work quickly • Some children are attentive • Others are easily bored • Some children are decision makers • Others are cautious

25. Factors to Consider in Curriculum Planning Information to cover • Is the information worth knowing? • Is the information testable? • Is the information developmentally appropriate? Learning Styles • Field-sensitive children like to work with others • Field-independent children prefer to work alone • Visual learnersdepend a great deal on the sense of sight • Auditory learnersare those who learn best through hearing • Learning Characteristics • Some children work slowly • Others work quickly • Some children are attentive • Others are easily bored • Some children are decision makers • Others are cautious Theme Length • The length of attention spans within the group of children • The interest level of the children • Available resources

26. Always remember that children move and learn at different rates.

27. A theme is one main topic or concept around which the classroom activities are planned Examples of themes: The Five Senses Zoo Animals Colors Seasons Flowers Holidays Community Helpers Transportation Circus Plants Bugs

28. Where do I begin? Step # 1 Choose a theme.

29. Step #2 Draw a flow chart • A flowchart outlines major concepts related to a theme. • A concept is a generalized idea or notion. • Drawing a flow chart is a simple method for listing concepts related to a theme.

30. Both concepts and skills may be listed on a flow chart

31. Written Plans Block Plan Lesson Plan A block plan is an overall view of the curriculum. Lesson Plans are more detailed that block plans. They outline specific actions and activities that will be used to meet goals and objectives.

32. Writing the Lesson Plan Lesson plans contain the following: • Developmental goals • Learning objectives • Concepts • Materials needed • Motivation • Procedures • Closure/transition • Evaluation Lesson plans are more detailed than block plans. While a block plan gives just the title of a book to be read, a lesson plan provides step-by-step directions for sharing the book with the children.

33. (examples are shown on p. 269) Developmental goals are statements that tell the “why” of the activity. They are more specific that program goals. They explain what the children will be learning from this activity.

34. Learning Objectives describe the expected outcomes of an activity. There are three parts to learning objectives. • The conditions of performance list what materials, equipment, or tools the child will use or may not use. • Behaviors refer to any visible activities done by the child. • The level of performance states the minimum standard of achievement. It should note how well the child should do.

36. Remember to use only measurable behaviors in learning objectives.

37. List everything that is needed for the activity.

38. Motivation describes how you will gain the children’s attention.

39. The procedures section resembles a cook book. Simple, step-by-step directions should be provided. Each of the developmental goals should be covered in the procedures.

40. Closure refers to how an activity will end. It might include clean-up tasks or sampling of food items at snack time. Transition refers to the movement from one activity to another. In some cases, closure and transition are the same task.

41. Evaluation This process involves three steps: • Evaluating the learning experience • Evaluating the children and their responses • Evaluating your own teaching strategies

42. Remember, successful learning activities give children the chance to test their knowledge.For example, children will learn more about making applesauce by taking part in the activity than if they only watch an adult make it.