introduction to planning activities...introduction to planning activities curriculum the curriculum...

IntroductiontoPlanningActivitiesCurriculum

Thecurriculuminaqualitychildcareprogramincludesmanydifferentmaterials,equipment,andactivities.Roomarrangementandorganizationisalsopartofthecurriculum.Studentsshouldhaveamixtureofstructuredandunstructuredplay,aswellasindoorandoutdooractivitiesandspace.Mostimportantly,thecurriculumshouldbedesignedbaseduponhowchildrenlearnanddevelopindividually,andasagroup.

1The Importance of EnvironmentThe Importance of EnvironmentCurriculum and Learning Environments

Curriculum

Feedingtheclasspet,paintingapicture,buildingablocktower,orclimbingtheplaystructureontheplaygroundareallpartsofcurriculum.Thecurriculumconsistsofawiderangeofconcepts,experiences,andmaterialsdesignedtomeetthedevelopmentalneedsofthegroupofchildren.Theseneedsincludetheirsocial,emotional,physical,andcognitiveneeds.

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IntroductiontoPlanningActivities

Curriculum and Learning Environments

Curriculum

Agoodcurriculumalsofocusesonchildren’slearningstylesandcharacteristics.Itoftenorganizesimportantconceptsintothemes.

Italsotailorslearningexperiencestochildren’sagesandstagesofdevelopment.Italsorequiresdetailedplanningandflexibility.

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Meeting Goals

Severalfactorsinfluencewhetherornotgoalsaremetwithinachildcareprogram.Someofthesemightincludeteachers,availableresources,activities,andtheenvironmentitself.

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Meeting Goals

Ifoneoftheoverallgoalsforthechildrenistohelpcreateandsupporttheirindependence,itiscriticalfortheteachertoprovideaminimumamountofhelp.Thisgiveschildrenopportunitiestogrowinindependenceandself-confidence.Likewise,classroomactivitiesshouldrequirelittleinvolvementonthepartoftheteacher.Childrenshouldbeabletoparticipateinmostactivitieswithadultsupervisionbutneedinglittletonohelp.Thiswillallowchildren’sskilllevelstoincreasewithpracticeandtime.

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Meeting Goals

Theenvironmentofachildcareprogramshouldalsosupportthegoalofindependencebyprovidingequipmenttoaidthechildrenintheirindependence.Forexample,child-accessibleshelveswithplaymaterials,child-heightsinksandcountertops,aswellasshortenedcubbiesorcoathooks,givechildrenaccessibilityandtheabilitytobemoreindependent.Childrenarethenabletoactontheirownandhavetheoptiontoproblemsolvewithouttheteacher’shelpatalltimes.

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Planning the Curriculum

Childcareprogramsarenotallcreatedequally.Somecentersarelarge,somearesmall,buttheycanallcreatedynamicandqualitycurriculum.Thiscurriculumcanbedevelopedbyone,orseveralstaffmembers.

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Smallercentersmayhaveclassroomsthatconsistofoneleadteacherperclassroom,whilelargeronesmayhaveseveralteachers.Teachershavefirsthandknowledgeoftheirchildren’sinterests,needs,learningstylesandpriorexperiencesandthereforearewell-qualifiedtodevelopcurriculum.

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Directors,teachers,aides,parents,andevenvolunteersmaybeincludedindevelopingcurriculumatsomepointintime.Eachofthesepeoplecanprovidehelpfulinformationinplanningthecurriculumandhowtheprogramunfolds.Inlargercenters,acurriculumspecialistmaybehiredtohelpplanthecurriculum.Thechildcaredirectorusuallyplaysakeyroleincurriculumdevelopmentaswell.Inmostcenters,thedirectorisinchargeofsupervisingallcenteractivities.Thereforethedirector’spositionusuallyincludescurriculumsupervision.

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Learning Activities

Anappropriatecurriculumcontainsabalanceoflearningactivitiessupportingalldevelopmentaldomains.Theseactivitiesmustbecarefullychosenandconsideredforallofthechildreninyourcare.Activitiesthatkeepchildrenbusyarenotalwaysthebestactivities.Likewise,justbecausechildrenpreferacertainactivitydoesnotmeanitmustbekeptincludedinthecurriculum.Youmustevaluateeachactivitytobesureitisrightforthechildren.

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Learning Activities

Agoodcurriculumincludesabalanceofstructuredaswellasunstructuredlearningactivities.Examplesofunstructured,oropen-endedactivitiesincludeblockbuilding,collages,waterplay,andsandplay.Thesetypesofactivitieslendthemselvesnicelytoself-initiatedplayandgiveschildrenopportunitiestopracticenewlydevelopedskills.

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Learning Activities

Structured,orclose-ended,learningactivitiesalsoneedtobeincluded.Theseactivitiesdirectlyandindirectlyprescribechildren’saction.Stringingbeads,workingpuzzles,andcookingareallexamples.Thesetypesofactivitiesgivechildrentheopportunitiestopracticenewlydevelopedskillsaswell,onlyinamorestructuredactivitywithrulesandboundaries.

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Learning Activities

Nomatterwhichactivityyourprogramincludesmoreoften,besuretoincludeabalanceofindoorandoutdoorlearningactivities.Manyindoorlearningactivitiescanbemovedoutdoors.Painting,waterplay,andstoryandmusictimecanallbedoneoutdoors.Itisalsopossibletomovebuildingblocks,open-endedartsuppliesandmoreoutdoors.

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Balancing Activities

Whenitcomestoplanningactivitiesinyourprogram,itisimportanttobalancequietandactivelearningactivities.Eachtypeofactivityhasitsrightfulplaceinachildcareprogram,butthebalanceiskey.

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Anexampleofanactiveactivityisagameoffreezetagontheplaygroundorinthegym.Oneactiveactivityafteranothermaybetoochaoticforthegroup.Activeactivitiesmaystimulatesomechildrenmorethanothers.Toomanyquietactivitiesinarowmayalsomakechildrenrestlessorbored.

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Somechildrenmaybewoundupandunabletofocusaftertoomanyquietactivities.Topreventthesepossibledrawbacks,followactivelearningactivitieswithquietones.Forexample,outdooractivityfollowedbystorytimewithasmallgroupwouldbeagoodbalance.

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Foryoungerchildren,mostactivitiesshouldbechildinitiatedandoccurinindividualorsmallgroups.Childrenyoungerthan6yearsoldshouldnotspendlargeamountsoftimeinstaff-initiated,largegroupactivities.

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18Curriculum and Learning Environments

introduction to planning activities...introduction to planning activities curriculum the curriculum...

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