Total Learning Developmental Curriculum for the Young Child

Part I - Building a Secure Foundation for Learning

Chapter 1

The Purpose of Curriculum

What Is the Purpose of Early Education?

What Should Curriculum for Young Children Include?

What Is Competence?

How Is Competence Acquired?

What Does Research on the Brain Reveal About the Value of Early Education?

Educational Philosophies

Philosophy of This Book

Putting It Into Practice

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: A Summary of Findings and Educational Implications Related to Recent Brain Research

Emergent Curriculum in Action: Toddlers’ Investigation of Light and Shadow

Chapter 2

Including Families in the Life of the School

Letting Families Know We Care About Them and Their Children

Accepting Help from Families to Enrich the Lives of Children at the Center

Offering Help to Families to Strengthen Family Life

Weaving All Three Strands Together

Helping Families in Nontraditional Settings

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: The Parent-Resource Strand in the Preprimary Schools of Reggio Emilia

Chapter Spotlight: The Parent-Resource Strand in the Parent—Child Workshops of Santa Barbara, California

Chapter 3

Play: The Integrative Force in Learning

But What Is Play?

Practical Ways to Encourage Freely Chosen Pretend Play

Additional Benefits of Play

Helping Children with Disabilities Join in the Play

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Surefire Pretend Play Activities

Part II  - Planning for Total Learning

Chapter 4

Designing the Supportive Environment

Some Yardstick Questions to Ask

Planning the Indoor Environment

Planning the Outdoor Environment

Maintaining the Total Environment in Good Order

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Providing Comfortable Environments for the Emotional Self

Chapter 5

Creating Supportive Curriculum Plans and Schedules

The Basic Ingredients: What Should Be Included in the Curriculum?

Planning What Will Happen: Devising the Curriculum Plan

Planning When It Will Happen: Devising the Daily Schedule

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: How a Potential Pathway Might Develop with 4-Year-Olds: Planning a Larger Pen for Funny Bunny

Chapter 6

Getting to Know the Children by Keeping Track of What They’re Learning

Is Keeping Systematic Track of the Children’s Development Really Worth the Time and Effort It Requires?

Important Principles to Remember

Some Informal Ways to Keep Track of the Children’s Development

Using More Formal Methods to Keep Track of the Children’s Development

Putting the Collected Information to Good Use

Summary

Chapter 7

Planning with Individual Children in Mind: Using Behavioral Objectives in the School

Pros and Cons of Using Behavioral Objectives

Definition of Formal Behavioral Objectives

Steps in Writing Behavioral Objectives

Creating Informal Objectives

Carrying the Objectives Through: Final Comments

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Just What Is an IEP and Why Do Teachers Have to Care About It?

Part III - Helping Young Children Relish Life and Develop Healthy Bodies

Chapter 8

Keeping Children Safe and Well Fed

Keeping Children Safe

Keeping Children Healthy

Feeding Children Well

Including Cooking in the Curriculum

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children

Chapter Spotlight: MyPyramid for Kids

C hapter 9

Developing Physical Competence

The Great Outdoors

Physical Activity Benefits All the Selves

Identifying Levels of Development

Equipment for Physical Development

Make a Plan for Comprehensive Physical Development

Recommendations for Presenting the Activities

Summary

Chapter 10

Helping Children Understand and Value Life

Teaching Reverence for Life

Helping Children Learn to Cherish Their Bodies

Answering Questions About Reproduction

Answering Questions About Death

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Helping Children Understand and Appreciate the Wonder of Animals

Emergent Curriculum in Action: How Does the Gosling Get in the Egg?

Chapter Spotlight: The Death of the Chief

Part IV - Fostering Emotional Health in Young Children

Chapter 11

Achieving Emotional Competence

Competence One: Foster Basic Attitudes of Trust, Autonomy, Initiative, and Industry

Competence Two: Help the Child Learn to Separate from the Family

Competence Three: Help Children Learn to Control What They Do About Their Feelings

Competence Four: Help Children Use Play and Creative Materials to Resolve Emotional Problems

Competence Five: Help Children Learn to Face Reality

Competence Six: Help Children Cope with Crisis Situations

Competence Seven: Help Children Build Empathy for Other People

Summary

Emergent Curriculum in Action: The World Trade Center Memorial Park for Children

Part V - Developing Social Competence and Healthy Self-Identities

Chapter 12

Getting Along Together: Achieving Competence in Interpersonal Relations

Help Children Learn Impulse Control

Short-Term Methods for Controlling Undesirable Behaviors and Building Inner Controls in Children

Longer-Term Methods of Building Inner Controls: Using Prevention Rather than Cure

Teach Children Socially Acceptable Ways of Getting What They Want

Help Children Make Friends

Increase the Child’s Ability to Function Successfully as Part of a Group

Encourage Children to Be Kind to Each Other, Help Each Other, and Help the Group

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: What’s Wrong with Time Out?

Chapter 13

Who Am I? Who Are You?: Coming to Terms with Multicultural, Gender, and Disability Issues

How Do Young Children See Themselves?

How Do Children Develop a Sense of Self?

Practical Ways to Enhance Children’s Feelings of Self-Esteem

Strengthen Children’s Positive Body Images

Cultivate Positive Feelings About Sexual Identities, Ethnic and Racial Heritages, and Children with Disabilities

Foster Positive Attitudes Toward Racial and Cultural Backgrounds

Foster Positive Attitudes Toward Gender Roles

Foster Acceptance and Understanding of Children Who Have Disabilities

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: You Mean You’re Black All Over? A Student Teacher’s Lab Experiences with “Isabella”

Part VI - Encouraging Children to Be Creative

Chapter 14

Freeing Children to Be Creative

What Is Creativity?

Some General Principles for Fostering Creativity

Some New Ideas About Creativity from Reggio Emilia

Using Pretend Play to Foster Creativity

Using Blocks to Express Creative Ideas

Using Self-Expressive Materials to Foster Creativity

Summary

Part VII - Fostering the Use of Language

Chapter 15

Developing Verbal Competence

How Do Children Learn to Talk?

Practical Ways to Encourage Children to Use Their Expressive Language Skills

Practical Ways to Encourage Children to Use Their Receptive Listening Skills

Black English and Bilingualism

The Child Who Is Not Fluent in Any Language

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Language and the Brain

Chapter 16

Taking the First Steps on the Road to Literacy

Three Important Principles About Literacy

What Kinds of Literacy-Related Behaviors Can Reasonably Be Expected from Young Children?

Practical Ways to Enhance Emergent Literacy Skills

Using Group Time to Develop Literacy Skills

Some Additional Suggestions for Enhancing Literacy with Primary School Children

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: Why Do Some Children Dislike Group Time So Much?

Emergent Curriculum in Action: Our Birds

Part VIII - Supporting Children’s Cognitive Development

Chapter 17

Helping Children Learn to Think for Themselves: Using the Emergent Approach

Three Approaches to Fostering Mental Abilities

Contributions of Lev Vygotsky

Using the Emergent Approach: An Example from Reggio Emilia

Using the Emergent Approach in U.S. Schools: Some Recommendations

Summary

Chapter 18

Helping Children Develop Mental Abilities and Academic Competence: Using the Conventional Approach

Contributions of Jean Piaget

A Brief Comparison of Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s Points of View

Which Mental Abilities Are Particularly Important?

Fostering Mental Abilities to Develop Children’s Literacy, Mathematical Understanding, and Scientific Inquiry Skills

Activities That Provide Practice for General Mental Abilities

Opportunities to Learn Mathematical Skills

Practical Ways to Include Mental Abilities in the Everyday Curriculum

Summary

Chapter Spotlight: An Example of How Mid-Level Mental Abilities Could Be Included in the Topic of Gardening for a Group of 4-Year-Olds

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