Curriculum Planning

Identify a preschool setting that provides educational programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. Arrange to visit and interview a teacher and to observe in his or her classroom for at least two hours. Use the "Interview Guide" document to inform your questions during your scheduled interview.

Keeping in mind all you have learned about the context of the preschool program and the standards that inform its curriculum, plan three learning experiences around a central theme chosen in collaboration with the teacher you interview. Use the template provided in the "Learning Experience Plan Template" document to create the three learning experiences.

Taken together, the three learning experiences must include all content areas addressed in the Rubric (literacy; math, science, and technology; health; play; and the arts) and must address all domains of development (cognitive, social, emotional, and physical). Remember that, because your three learning experiences are designed around an integrated theme, multiple content areas and domains of development will be represented within each learning experience.

Write a 7- to 10-page narrative summary of your three Learning Experiences that includes a brief description of the central theme and explanations of the following:

1. How the learning experiences, taken as a whole, reflect at least three indicators of effective curriculum
2. How the learning experiences reflect appropriate learning standards and the goals identified by the early childhood teacher you interviewed
3. How knowledge of the children and families informed the learning experiences
4. How the learning experiences promote language and literacy
5. How the learning experiences promote math, science, and technology learning
6. How the learning experiences promote learning in the arts
7. How the learning experiences promote social, emotional, and physical development
8. How the assessment strategies used in the learning experiences informed your understanding of children's learning and development
9. How play is incorporated into your learning experiences and why this is a vital component of the early childhood curriculum
10. How the learning experiences you planned can be differentiated to meet the needs of individual children, including those with exceptionalities (Note: Include a description of at least two strategies.)
11. How you collaborated to develop the learning experiences, including:
    • An explanation of the value of collaborating in the curriculum planning process
    • A description of any challenges you experienced
    • An example of ways you compromised, demonstrated respect, and/or shared responsibility to develop the learning experiences

Note: Submit as one document the 7 – 10 page narrative and the three learning experience templates.