This document summarizes the key components of two early childhood curricula - the Montessori method and The Creative Curriculum. The Montessori method focuses on practical life skills, sensorial activities, language, mathematics, science, geography, music and art. The Creative Curriculum is a comprehensive system that includes curriculum, assessment, implementation and professional development to support child development and learning. It is based on scientific research in child development and learning theories.

1. Course Description: Students in this course examine basic child development theories in relation to design and implementation of a curriculum for young children. Topics include the design of developmentally appropriate lesson plans and learning centers to fit the needs of specific age groups; the steps involved in curriculum development; material and equipment selection; planning group experiences; and basic guidance techniques for young children. Emphasis is also placed on the value of play and learning environments and developmentally appropriate materials and activities. (applied in the Montessori tradition)

3. http://concordmontessorischool.org/curriculum.html Curriculum At Concord Montessori School, our philosophy is to foster independence, love of learning, and a positive sense of self in a prepared environment. Through activities in daily living, children’s fine motor skills, care of the environment, care of themselves, as well as grace and courtesy are developed. Montessori developed all of her materials to initially isolate a concept before unifying ideas. The multi-faceted materials are organized in the following areas: practical life , sensorial , language , mathematics , science , geography , music , and art .

5. Practical life The Practical Life area concentrates on developing a foundation for learning in all of the other areas in the classroom. The four basic skills that are focused on are: order, coordination, concentration, and independence. A child's development comes through the carefully designed hand to brain learning activities. The exacting movements and sequential work patterns encourage the development of order within the child. The exercises of Practical Life are designed to encourage the child to develop independence, sense of responsibility, and enthusiasm for learning.

7. Sensorial The sensorial area is the focal point for the development of the whole child. All of the equipment is carefully and scientifically designed to help a child to develop his intelligence. A child's senses are more acute between the ages of two and five. This is the time when working with sensorial materials can help a child grow and develop to his highest potential. The sensory areas, which are trained and refined, are the sense of dimension, tactile sense, chromatic sense, auditory sense, thermic sense, gustatory sense, olfactory sense, stereognostic sense (combines tactile, baric, thermic), and visual and tactile senses combined. The sensorial materials are designed to give children a system by which they can discover similarities and differences.

9. Language The Montessori environment is constantly interwoven with language and communication. Language is an integral part of each area the children study. Language is not solely designed to teach a child to read, but it is also to help him to develop skills of communication and verbal expression. The development of a child's imagination, independent thought, interaction with others, and verbal problem solving are all integral parts of the language area. The language materials begin with simple exposure to vocabulary and progress to exploration of grammar and to total reading experiences.

11. Mathematics The math materials have been developed scientifically which much precision to make the learning process as effective as possible. The child learns easily using concrete materials. As in the other areas, repetition and manipulation are the keys to learning. The physical order of the materials is developed to follow the pattern of the mental order. These materials hold a fascination for the child, usually beginning at age four.

12. The more concrete materials the child works with during the years 2.5 and 6, the better grasp the child will have of the abstract at a later age. The materials are designed to go from zero to nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine. The order of the materials moves through quantities from one through ten, recognition of numerals, the concept of zero, the decimal system, and into the abstract. The materials allow for discovery by the child through repetition and reason. Teachers begin with the exploration of number and quantity, building on the knowledge the children acquired using the sensorial materials until they progress to fuller understanding of more complex ideas.

15. Geography Children become familiar with the world by exploring globes and maps. As each area of the world is studied, the culture, resources, and treasures of that area will also be explored.

16. Music Appreciation Along with songs, rhymes and finger plays, the children listen to and read biographies of classical musicians.

20. The Creative Curriculum ® System The Creative Curriculum ® is a comprehensive system that includes curriculum, assessment, implementation and evaluation, and professional development. We help programs put the pieces of the system together to motivate teachers, create high-quality learning environments, and promote successful curriculum implementation that supports positive outcomes for children. Our products and services meet the needs of programs serving infants, toddlers, and twos and preschoolers (ages 3-5). http://www.teachingstrategies.com/page/CCS_Overview.cfm

22. Curriculum The Creative Curriculum is the country's leading scientifically based, research-validated, comprehensive curriculum with guidance on teaching literacy, mathematics, science, and social studies. Our materials show teachers not only what to teach, but how and why. This inclusive, strengths-based approach is appropriate for all children, including dual-language learners and children with disabilities. The Creative Curriculum ® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos translates research and theory from the field of early childhood education into a practical, easy-to-understand approach to working with children and their families. It is a comprehensive curriculum with a clear organizational structure and a particular focus on routines and experiences.

24. The Creative Curriculum ® for Preschool balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning with an emphasis on responding to children's learning styles and building on their strengths and interests. Resting on a firm foundation of research, it has an environmentally-based approach that defines the vital role of the teacher in connecting content, teaching, and learning for preschool children and offers a practical, easy-to-understand approach to working with children and their families. It is a comprehensive curriculum with a clear organizational structure and a particular focus on interest areas. The Creative Curriculum ® for Family Child Care shows how to organize the home environment for child care and how to plan appropriate activities with mixed-age groups in a variety of interest areas ranging from cooking to outdoor play.

26. Assessment The Creative Curriculum ® Developmental Continuum is a valid and reliable tool that uses the goals and objectives of The Creative Curriculum . By linking curriculum and assessment, teachers can use the information from ongoing strengths-based assessment to inform their teaching. Children benefit because teachers use what they learn from assessment to plan instructions. We provide both Web-based and paper materials as well as tools to support access to the general curriculum for children with disabilities.

28. Professional Development Teachers make a difference in the lives of children. Our approach helps teachers increase their knowledge of child development and learn new teaching strategies. We customize professional development services to meet the specific needs of teachers and administrators through on-site training, national conferences , sessions at our professional development center , and technical assistance. Our professional development services are provided by our Staff Development Network

30. Implementation and Evaluation High-quality curriculum implementation supports positive child outcomes. We provide the tools and technical assistance for successful curriculum implementation and program evaluation. Our extensive outcomes-reporting tools help programs meet Head Start, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), and state mandates. These tools also assist internal program-improvement efforts.

32. Scientifically Based Research on Which The Creative Curriculum ® Is Based Through well implemented experimental and quasi-experimental research, early childhood researchers have made great strides in identifying the building blocks of later school success. These findings were used to develop our curriculum and assessment materials, as well as our training services. Theory and Research During the past 75 years, research has generated new information about childhood as a separate and distinct stage of life. Understanding early childhood theory and research is essential to knowing what children think and feel and how you can help them become caring people and joyful learners. The theory and research chapter of The Creative Curriculum ® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos summarizes some of the major theories about children's development and learning and explains how The Creative Curriculum ® helps you put theory and research into practice in your program.

34. Child development theory and scientific research are the foundation of The Creative Curriculum ® for Preschool . They inform decision making, influence our view of children, and are the basis for all the recommendations we've included. Abraham Maslow--Basic needs and learning Erik Erikson--The emotions and learning Jean Piaget--Logical thinking and reasoning Lev Vygotsky--Social interaction and learning Howard Gardner--Multiple intelligences Sara Smilansky--Play and learning Research on learning and resiliency Research on learning and the brain Not only is every aspect of The Creative Curriculum ® based on sound developmental theory and evidence-based research, but numerous research studies have been conducted to validate its effectiveness.

36. Scientifically Based Research on The Creative Curriculum and the Developmental Continuum The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is a comprehensive, scientifically based early childhood curriculum that has been shown to improve cognitive and social/emotional outcomes in young children. It is linked with a valid and reliable assessment instrument, The Creative Curriculum ® Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5 , designed so teachers can assess child progress and guide program planning. The Creative Curriculum is based on the latest research on how children learn best and has been shown through experimental and quasi-experimental studies to improve classroom quality and promote the school readiness of preschool children. The Creative Curriculum meets all of the standards put forth for effective early childhood curricula by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education (NAECS/SDE).

38. Scientifically Based Research Charting the Positive Effects of The Creative Curriculum on Classroom Quality and Children While it is important that curriculum and assessment materials be based on the latest scientific research, it is equally important that these materials have a positive impact on child outcomes. Four rigorous independent studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of The Creative Curriculum for Preschool , each finding positive impacts ranging from improved classroom quality to stronger academic and social skills. Two of the studies finding positive impacts were part of the Preschool Curriculum Evaluation Research (PCER) grants sponsored by the Department of Education.

40. Assessment In addition to studies measuring the impact of The Creative Curriculum on child outcomes, we have evaluated the reliability and validity of our assessment tool, The Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5 and are in the process of doing the same with The Developmental Continuum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos . These assessment tools are used by teachers to assess child progress and guide them in their program planning.

45. Why The Creative Curriculum for Preschool is Different From Other Curricula The Creative Curriculum for Preschool provides teachers with a clear and concrete way to apply child development and learning theories to their everyday work with preschool children. Its underlying philosophy draws from widely accepted research and theories of child development and learning. While other developmentally appropriate curriculum models rest on these same theories, The Creative Curriculum for Preschool applies them to an environmental framework that focuses planning around indoor and outdoor interest areas, and clearly defined logical goals and objectives. Because of its practical approach, teachers find it easy to understand and to implement.

47. Teachers using The Creative Curriculum for Preschool are able to meet the needs of children with a broad range of abilities--a strong selling point with special educators. Children with different learning styles and needs are able to function together in a well-organized environment. The Creative Curriculum ® Developmental Continuum helps teachers focus on the sequence of the development of skills and learning to help all children grow and develop. With an understanding of content and how children learn it, teachers can expand the opportunities they offer children to acquire knowledge and understand concepts. They can make a direct link between the preschool curriculum and what children will learn in elementary school. When the content of the curriculum is taught with children's development in mind, children are more likely to be successful learners who feel excited about and challenged by what they are learning.

49. Partnering With Families Home and school are a young child's two most important worlds. Children must bridge these two worlds every day. If home and school are connected in positive and respectful ways, children feel secure. However, children suffer when the two worlds are at odds because of apathy, lack of understanding, or an inability to work together. Teachers can build a true partnership when they truly value the family's role in a child's education and recognize how much they can accomplish by working with families. The Creative Curriculum ® for Preschool and The Creative Curriculum ® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos provide you with guidance on getting to know families, welcoming and communicating with them regularly, partnering for children's learning, and responding to challenging situations.

51. The Creative Curriculum ® LearningGames ® The Creative Curriculum LearningGames provides parents with proven, fun games to play with their young children from birth through 60 months of age. This five-book series transforms the fundamentals of early childhood development into easy-to-use, flexible activities. The Creative Curriculum LearningGames is an integral part of the partnering with families component of The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos , fostering children's learning and development at home, and reinforcing classroom experiences. These materials are perfect for use in home visiting programs, in family child care homes, as send-home materials for families, and in parent education classes

53. LearningGames is validated by over 30 years of rigorous, independent scientific research as the educational component of the Abecedarian research project that show positive gains that last through school age and into early adulthood. Every game is presented on a full page, front and back, and is illustrated with engaging color photos. Within each game you will find details on how to interact with the baby or child, materials needed for the activity, and an extension activity or related idea. Each game sheet also includes an explanation of why the activity is important for the child's development and a book related to the activity that the adult might read to the child. Each book is targeted to a specific age range, and is available individually or in sets; the full series of 5 books is also available as a set. Each paperback book is perforated so you can select and send home individual games.

55. Teaching Strategies' Resources for Primary Schools The early years of school--when children make great leaps in their ability to reason and problem-solve--present teachers with an important window for helping children become better communicators. As children begin to develop more abstract thinking and cognitive skills, experiences to help them develop socially, emotionally, and physically are more important than ever. Through real classroom scenarios, Teaching Strategies offers teachers a great resource for making teaching exciting and learning meaningful for children ages 6-8.

61. Curriculum Disputes in Early Childhood Education. ERIC Digest. Author: Katz, Lilian G. Disputes concerning curriculum and teaching methods go back a long way in the field of early childhood education. Over the years, many different terms have been used to capture the opposing positions. In recent years, the term academic has come to describe those parts of the early childhood curriculum intended to help children master the basic skills involved in literacy and numeracy (Jacobson, 1996). From the academic--or instructivist--perspective, the young child is seen as dependent on adults' instruction in the academic knowledge and skills necessary for a good start for later academic achievement (see Katz, 1996). http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/disputes.htm

63. This perspective is in direct contrast to the active and interactive curriculum assumed by proponents of the constructivist approach, who see young children as active constructors of knowledge; a major goal of a constructivist curriculum, then, is to provide ample opportunity for active construction of knowledge. This Digest considers instructivist and constructivist approaches to early childhood education and suggests that attention to children's intellectual development may inadvertently be overlooked by both sides. The main thesis here is that just because children are not engaged in formal academic instruction does not mean that what they are doing is sufficient to support their intellectual development.

65. WHY HAS THE ACADEMIC APPROACH GROWN IN POPULARITY? Several factors may account for increasing pressure to introduce children to academics (e.g., in literacy and numeracy skills) as early as the preschool and kindergarten years. One factor is the increasing demand and widening expectation that preschool and kindergarten programs ensure children's readiness for the next grade or class level. This phenomenon is part of a traditional tendency at every level of education to push down curriculum expectations from older to younger children.

67. Another factor may be that the traditional importance given to spontaneous play as young children's natural way to learn may seem less urgent today than a half a century ago when, for most children, opportunities and artifacts for play were less plentiful than today, especially in the home. Much of the current contentiousness between the "instructivists" and "constructivists" revolves around the extent to which formal academic instruction may be appropriate or even essential for those young children whose early environments may not provide sufficient experiences for spontaneous informal learning of basics such as the alphabet and the names of colors and shapes.

69. On the constructivist side, it is assumed that child- initiated exploration, well "scaffolded" by adults, is the developmentally appropriate way to support children's learning. By contrast, those favoring a large component of formal instruction in basic academic skills put children in a passive-receptive role of internalizing the transmitted knowledge and systematically practicing the literacy and numeracy skills to be learned.

71. DOES RESEARCH FAVOR CONSTRUCTIVISM OR INSTRUCTIVISM? More than half a century ago, Dorothy Gardner (1942) attempted to put to rest once and for all a similar controversy raging at that time about curriculum and teaching methods by conducting a comparative study of two nursery schools. School A was characterized by what would be called today "developmentally appropriate practice," emphasizing creativity and spontaneous play. School B was characterized by formal teacher-directed activities, now commonly referred to as "academic" in focus. Despite Gardner's findings in favor of School A, the debate over curriculum and methods resumed barely a generation later.

73. WHAT ABOUT CHILDREN'S INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT? One of the major concerns about this historical squabbling over goals and methods is that both sides in the struggle may overlook curriculum and teaching methods beyond the traditional dichotomy. Years of experience of observing early childhood classrooms suggest that both sides under- emphasize and undervalue a third option--namely, curriculum and teaching methods that address children's intellectual development as distinct from the instructivist emphasis on academic learning and the constructivist emphasis on children's play and self-initiated learning.

75. Constructivist theory does not neglect children's intellectual development; however, constructivist theory is sometimes misinterpreted. Believing that children "construct their own knowledge," some adults do little more than set out a variety of activities that children enjoy, while studiously avoiding formal instruction in basic academic skills. Indeed, it is not surprising that observers of nonacademic preschool and kindergarten classes who have little knowledge of young children (e.g., E. D. Hirsch, Jr.) criticize "progressive" and "constructivist" classes as banal, vacuous, overemphasizing play and fun, and wasteful of children's capacities.

77. At the same time, a strong academic approach may undermine the disposition to use the knowledge and skills so intensely instructed. The disposition to be readers or, similarly, to be ready users of mathematical concepts and skills often painfully acquired may be damaged by premature instruction, given the amount of drill and practice usually required for success in mastering these skills at an early age.

79. WHAT TEACHING METHODS SUPPORT CHILDREN'S INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT? An appropriate curriculum addresses strengthening and using the intellectual dispositions, offers good processes about rich content, and results in high-quality products. For these reasons, many teachers have been incorporating project work into the curriculum (Katz & Chard, 1989; Beneke, 1998). Project work not only provides contexts for the intellectual dispositions involved in the investigations that children undertake, but it also provides texts and pretexts for children to make meaningful and functional use of the academic skills they are taught during the "instructive" part of the curriculum. Thus, we might "trichotomize" the early childhood curriculum so that it is focused on at least a trio of goals: (1) social/emotional development and (2) intellectual development and (3) the acquisition of meaningful and useful academic skill

81. Excellent examples of meaningful long-term projects in which children's intellects as well as growing academic skills flourish can be seen in the work of the children in the preprimary schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy (Reggio Children, 1997), as well as in reports of projects by Beneke (1998) and Helm (1998). These works demonstrate that young children can express their intellectual dispositions in the pursuit of serious topics and apply their emerging and academic skills and generate high-quality products simultaneously.

83. The early childhood education (ECE) program is designed to prepare students for work with children in nursery schools, daycare centers, preschool programs, and primary grades (grades PreK-3). TTU’s associate of science degree in Early Childhood Education will help students develop a substantive knowledge base in all areas of children's development. Students will learn general and advanced principles of cognitive, physical, and affective development, as well as practical insights for incorporating developmentally appropriate spiritual training into everyday classroom experiences. TTU offers a unique balance between theory and practice by encouraging active application of classroom principles. In summary, students capabilities as an educator will be enhanced by the development of knowledge about how and what children learn, practical preparation in instructional strategies, and immediate opportunities for practice.

85. Program Objectives Upon completion of this program, students will be able to: Work effectively with diverse populations of children in a variety of settings. Teach young children, drawing from a deep conceptual understanding of how they learn different through domains of knowledge. Create developmentally appropriate experiences for young children that are engaging in the present as well as preparatory for later learning requirements. Work cooperatively with parents, using an understanding of the family as a context for young children's development. Act as a leader in educational settings.

86. Early Childhood Curriculum Early Childhood Concentration (PreK-3) The early childhood education program is a 60 hour degree program designed to prepare students for work with children in nursery schools, daycare centers, preschool programs, and primary grades (PreK-3). All early childhood education majors must complete General Education Core Requirements, General Electives, and the Early Childhood Education requirements (methods courses and field experiences).