The Creative Curriculum
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world". Nelson Mandela
Theory
The Creative Curriculum’s foundation is based off the findings of six main theorists. Through their views on children, the curriculum is constructed as a guideline for how we as a center can be united to provide the best possible care.
T. Berry Brazelton and Abraham Maslow believed that children need their basic needs met, which include safety, belonging and esteem. Erik Erikson and Stanley Greenspan focused on the necessity of having supporting, trusting relationships with adults, which increases social, emotional development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky discussed how interactions with others are crucial in cognitive development.
As a center, we use these principles to help make decisions about the care and education of the children. The teachers use their knowledge of child development, the knowledge of children’s individual needs, strengths and interests, and the knowledge of the social and cultural context within each child. By using these theorists’ beliefs, we have a solid base to begin when planning for your child.
The Four Stages
The Creative Curriculum includes developmentally appropriate goals and objectives for children within four main categories of interest: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language.
The social/emotional stage helps promote independence, self-confidence and self-control. Within this stage, children learn how to make friends, how to have group interactions and how to follow rules.
The physical stage is intended to increase children’s large and small motor skills.
The cognitive stage is associated with thinking skills. Children learn how to solve problems, ask questions and think critically.
The language stage deals with communication. Children learn how to communicate with others, listen and participate in conversations, and recognize various forms of print. In this stage, children begin to recognize letters and words and begin writing for a purpose.
The Organization of the Curriculum
There are five basic components that comprise the curriculum. From these five categories, focus and planning can be aimed so that learning is best achieved.
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Knowing children — describes the social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language development of children
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Creating a responsive environment — offers a model for setting up the physical environment for routines and experiences in ways that address the developing abilities and interests of children
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What children are learning — shows how the responsive relationship you form with each child, the interactions you have every day, and the materials and experiences you offer become the building blocks for successful learning
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Caring and teaching — describes the varied and interrelated roles of teachers who work with children
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Building partnerships with families — explores the benefits of working with families as partners in the care of their children