Whose Curriculum is it Anyway?

Curricula decisions in pre-k affect everything from what students learn to how they learn it.  While many early childhood curricula promote developmentally appropriate practices, I believe some, particularly the scripted programs, fail to capitalize on the “teachable moments” that occur every day in the classroom.  As one blog reader recently commented, a scripted program "doesn't really get to high level thinking questions, doesn't address the needs of kids in individual classrooms.".

To be sure, a highly passionate and organized teacher can make the most of any curriculum.  But the ability of teachers to adjust specific curricula often depends on a school’s or center’s relationships with the district, company, or other organization it reports to and teachers’ relationships with their direct supervisors.

I recognized the strengths and limitations of the previous curriculum my district used, Curiosity Corner, and engaged my students in meaningful dialogue that came out of our own discussions, regardless of the exact questions the curriculum manual prescribed.  This worked largely because my supervisors did not micromanage my classroom, not a benefit every teacher has.

When it came to handling a curriculum switch, my district notified the pre-k teachers of the new curriculum during a summer workshop about a month and a half before school started.  Prior to the announcement, we knew only that district officials in the Office of Early Childhood had been vacillating between a few curricula.  We were never informed of possible opportunities to voice our opinions based on classroom experiences.  Clearly, teacher input and evaluation time were not top priorities.

I think my experience with curriculum decisions is hardly unique and begs important questions, like “What role, if any, should teachers play in choosing a curriculum?”

Any teachers, administrators, or curricula authors who want to take a crack at answering that one?  I’m sure we can improve matters if we put our heads together.

Curriculum Connections

Noticeable growth in pre-k is all about making meaningful connections. The connections happen when a child links decisions about sharing to consequences, a letter she sees on a label to a friend’s name, or a discussion about hibernation to the cave she built with blocks. Children’s ability to link pieces of information reveals their progress in a wide range of social and academic skills.

The approach and underlying principles of a pre-k curriculum can significantly influence a child’s ability to form such connections and, in turn, the quality of pre-k programs.  While many pre-k curricula seem similar because of a common emphasis on “learning through play,” the structure and focus of those activities can dramatically differ. 

During my first year teaching pre-k, my school used Curiosity Corner, a highly scripted program with weekly themes and daily activities laid out in extensive detail. Everything from theme-related art activities to the specific questions to ask children during story time was handed to me on Day One.

How closely was I supposed to follow the script?  I distinctly remember an instance when my resource teacher from the Office of Early Childhood first applauded my open-ended and higher-level thinking questions used in a whole group discussion and then instructed me to keep the manual in front of me to make sure I was following along.  Well, I wasn’t following along, but that’s because the direction of my students’ comments diverged from the script, which was written without a true understanding of their interests and backgrounds.  Imagine that!

It turns out my resource teacher was often just as torn as I was about “following suit” and meeting the needs of actual children.  She would say when that door closes, its your classroom, but at the same time ensure I fulfilled all of the curricula’s criteria when supervisors from Curiosity Corner came in. 

We now use Creative Curriculum, an unscripted program focusing on building meaningful relationships between students, teachers, teaching assistants, and family members.  We focus on developing student interest driven activities and a structured but flexible classroom environment responsive to the diverse needs of children.  I, of course, have to plan more, but my ideas come from observations and reflections of my students’ skill deficits, strengths, learning styles, and interests.  Their connections to the material and teaching strategies produce that noticeable growth I mentioned.

For example, this week Kevin and I were in the Dramatic Play area when I showed him an airplane ticket he could use during our topic study on transportation:

Kevin: Wait a second, Ms. Pappas…the airplane can’t go straight up.  It first needs to roll on the ground really fast and then fly up, like the geese in the book.  He had to run real fast and then fly up too! 

Ms. Pappas: Great connection to the book about birds.  We read that book a long time ago.  Give yourself a connection kiss.

The movements we first used to compliment our initial discussions about geese and airplanes were clearly evident in the hand gestures Kevin used as he made his point.  And his interest in both areas helped invest him in the thought process needed to build on prior knowledge to generate new ideas. 

I am curious to hear from other teachers, administrators, and parents about the successes and challenges of various curricula.