CREATIVE CURRICULUM
A SAFE PLACE CHILD ENRICHMENT CENTER
Curriculum Awareness
November 21, 2014
An
overview
of the
Curriculu
m we use
and how it
benefits
your
child’s
educationa
l
experience
.
WHAT IS CREATIVE CURRICULUM?
A research based curriculum that guides teachers
on how to create and implement lessons and
environments that cater to the developmentally
appropriate needs of preschool children.
DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE
PRACTICE?

Put simply
Developmentally
appropriate practice
means teaching in
ways that match the
way children develop
and learn.
HOW DO CHILDREN LEARN?
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The human brain grows as a
result of learning and
experience.
Emotions play a significant role
in learning. In order to learn,
children need to feel safe and
confident.
Nutrition ,health, and physical
activity affect learning.
There are sensitive periods
when the brain is at its peak
for learning.
During the first five years,
trillions upon trillions of
synapses are formed in
response to learning
experiences.
Children are active learners.
AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT AND GOALS
SocialEmotional
Physical
Cognitive
Language
GOALS FOR SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Achieving a Sense of Self: knowing oneself and
relating to other people-both children and adults

Taking Responsibility for Self and Others:
following rules and routines, respecting others, and taking
initiative.

Behaving in a Prosocial way: showing empathy and
getting along in the world, for example, by sharing and
taking turns.
GOALS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Achieving Gross Motor Control: moving the large
muscles in the body, especially the arms and legs,
consciously and deliberately. Gross motor control includes
balance and stability; movement such as running, jumping,
hopping, galloping, and skipping; and physical
manipulations such as throwing, kicking, and catching.

Achieving Fine Motor Control: using and
coordinating the small muscles in the hands and wrists
with dexterity. As these fine muscles develop, children are
able to perform self-help skills and manipulate small
objects such as scissors and writing tools. The achievement
of fine motor skills generally lags behind gross motor
development.
GOALS FOR COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT


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Learning and Problem Solving: being purposeful about
acquiring and using information, resources, and materials. As
children observe events around them, ask questions, make
predictions, and test possible solutions, learning reaches
beyond just acquiring facts. Persistence and knowing how to
apply knowledge expands their learning even further.
Thinking Logically: gathering and making sense of the
information by comparing, contrasting, sorting, classifying,
counting, measuring, and recognizing patterns. As children
use logical thinking, they organize their world conceptually
and gain a better understanding of how it works.
Representing and Thinking Symbolically: using objects
in a unique way, for instance, a cup to represent a telephone,
or a broom to represent a horse; pretending, for instance, to be
a mommy or a firefighter. Representations and symbols free
children from the world of literal meanings and allow them to
use materials and their imagination to explore abstract ideas.
GOALS FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

Listening and Speaking: Using spoken language to
communicate with others, enlarging one’s vocabulary,
expressing oneself, understanding the oral speech of others,
participating in a conversation, and using language to solve
problems. As children learn to listen and speak, they gain
control of themselves and their world, relate to others, and
gather and store more and more information.

Reading and Writing: making sense of written
language, understanding the purpose of print and how it
works, gaining knowledge of the alphabet, writing letters,
and words. When children begin to read they gain access to
the new worlds of information and faraway places,
including the world of imagination. Writing things down
expands memory, communication, and understanding.
WHAT CHILDREN LEARN
Literacy
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
The Arts
Technology
Process Skills
LITERACY

Vocabulary and language, phonological
awareness, letters, words, print, comprehension,
books, and other texts
MATHEMATICS

Numbers, patterns and relationships, geometry
and spatial awareness, measurement, and data
collection, organization, and representation
SCIENCE

The physical properties of objects, living things,
the earth and the environment
SOCIAL STUDIES

How people live, work, get along with others,
shape, and are shaped by their surroundings
THE ARTS

Dance, music, dramatic play, drawing and
painting
TECHNOLOGY

Tools and their basic operations and uses
PROCESS SKILLS

Observing and exploring; problem solving; and
connecting, organizing, communicating, and
representing information
THE TEACHERS ROLE
OBSERVING CHILDREN

Observation is an
objective look at what
a child does and says.
In a Creative
Curriculum
classroom, teachers
observe children
regularly.

When you use
observation to find out
what is unique and
special about children
you have a basis for
building relationships
with them and for
planning experiences
that will enable every
child to grow and
flourish!
GUIDE CHILDREN ’S LEARNING

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Teachers can guide
children’s learning
and integrate learning
by engaging children
in studies on topics
that interest them!
Good teaching
requires a range of
teaching approaches!
ASSESSING CHILDREN


Assessment is the
process of gathering
information about
children in order to
make decisions.
Through assessment
teachers obtain useful
information about
children’s knowledge,
skills, and progress by
observing, documenting,
analyzing, and
reviewing children’s
work over time.
HOW TEACHERS PUT TOGETHER
KNOWLEDGE OF DEVELOPMENT AND
CONTENT IN ORDER TO TEACH
YOUR CHILD
CHILD LED VS. TEACHER LED
Child Initiated



Children choose the
activity and the action
Interact with material
freely and in many
different ways
Uses whatever
materials are
available
Teacher Initiated
Plans an activity and
gathers material
 Works with
individual, small
group, or whole class
 Leads the group
 Takes advantage of
teachable moments

INTERACTION WITH CHILDREN
ACTION
Talking with children
about their work
 Asking Children
Questions
 Work with children in
groups. Whole class,
small groups, and
individual children.

RESULT
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Makes children more aware of
their actions and encourages
them to reflect on what they
are trying to do and why.
Challenges children’s
thinking and leads to more
meaningful learning.
Children experience being
part of a community.
Children get individual
attention to help them reach
developmental goals.
INTEREST AREAS
Definition

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Interest areas offer
opportunities for
teachers to teach
content as children
explore materials.
Commonly referred to as
learning centers.
Areas throughout the
classroom designed to
promote and enhance
the learning experience
for children.
Titles
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Blocks
Dramatic Play
Toys and Games
Art
Sand and Water
Library
Discovery
Music and Movement
Cooking
Computers
Outdoors
HOW INTEREST AREAS PROMOTE
DEVELOPMENT
BLOCKS
WOODEN BLOCKS NATURALLY APPEAL TO YOUNG CHILDREN
BECAUSE THEY FEEL GOOD TO THE TOUCH, ARE SYMMETRICAL,
AND INVITE OPEN-ENDED EXPLORATIONS
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Social/Emotional- in the
block area, children
negotiate for materials,
determine how many
children can work n the
area, care for materials,
and follow rules for
building safely.
Physical- Fine motor skills
develop as children carry
and carefully place blocks
together. Gross motor
skills and hand eye
coordination as they move
large hollow blocks and
balance them.


Cognitive- playing with
blocks allows children to
recreate the things they
have seen in the world.
This activity is the basis
for abstract thinking and
logical thinking
Language – By describing
their creations children
increase their vocabulary
and develop writing skills
by making signs for their
buildings
DRAMATIC PLAY
WHEN CHILDREN ENGAGE IN DRAMATIC PLAY THEY DEEPEN
THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD AND DEVELOP SKILLS
THAT WILL SERVE THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES.

Social/Emotional- skills to

cooperate with peer, control
impulses, and are less
aggressive

the table for a meal or use
play money to purchase
groceries they explore math
concepts. They also learn
from one another as they
share ideas and solve
problems together.
Physical-children develop
small muscles when they
button and snap dress-up
clothes and dress the dolls.
They practice hand-eye
coordination and visual
discrimination skills when
they put away props and
materials
Cognitive-when children set

Language- children uses
language to explain what they
are doing. They choose the
language that fits the role
they have selected. They use
reading and writing skills
when literacy props are
included
TOYS AND GAMES
CHILDREN STRENGTHEN ALL AREAS OF THEIR
DEVELOPMENT AS THEY PLAY WITH TOYS AND GAMES

Social/Emotional- Develop

confidence when they
complete a task successfully
using self-correcting toys such
as puzzles, sorting boards,
and stacking rings

construction and invention
and use creative problemsolving skills. Expand
emerging math skills such as
counting, serration, matching,
patterning, and classification.
Physical-Eye-hand
coordination while lacing
cards or placing pegs in a
pegboard, When children
string beads or construct with
interlocking cubes, they refine
small muscle skills
Cognitive- experiment with

Language- children use
words to describe how they
put together puzzles or sort
collections. They develop
reading skills such as left to
right progression, visual
discrimination, and matching
similar objects
ART
CREATIVE ART IS ANOTHER LANGUAGE CHILDREN USE TO
EXPRESS WHAT THEY KNOW AND WHAT THEY FEEL.

Social/Emotional- Children

express their thoughts and
emotions through their
choices of color, texture, and
media.

translate their ideas and
feelings into art, they use
thinking skills to plan,
organize, select media, and
represent their impressions.
When children draw, paint, or
make collages, they
experiment with color, line,
shape, and size.
Physical- As children tear
paper for a collage or use
scissors to cut, they refine
their small muscle movement.
Art is about fine motor skills
Cognitive- As children

Language- Art fosters
vocabulary development as
children learn and use related
technical vocabulary:
sculpture, palette, and clamp,
to name a few.
LIBRARY
IN THE LIBRARY AREA CHILDREN DEVELOP THE MOTIVATION
AND SKILLS NECESSARY TO READ AND WRITE

Social/Emotional-

Children develop social skills
when they share books
together, re-enact a story, and
write a card to a sick friend.

children gain a better
understanding of the world
around them. When they
retell stories, they learn to
sequence as they relate the
events in the story in order
Physical- Children
strengthen small muscles in
their hands when they use
tools for writing and
illustration. They use their
eye muscles as they follow the
pictures and words in a book.
Cognitive- Books help

Language- all aspects of
literacy – reading, writing,
listening, and speaking- can
be strengthened in the
Library area
THE DISCOVERY AREA
A PLACE TO SPARK CURIOSITY. CHILDREN CAN USE THEIR SENSES TO
TOUCH, FEEL, TASTE, SMELL, AND SEE. THEY CAN ACT ON OBJECTS AND
OBSERVE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.

Social/Emotional-

Children work together as
they explore and make
discoveries. They take care of
living things and learn
classroom rules for using
materials safely and
responsibly.

plants and make predictions
about how they change, move,
and react to different
conditions. Children organize
their thoughts by classifying,
comparing, measuring,
counting, and graphing
objects.
Physical-Children develop
fine motor skills when they
use eye droppers and
tweezers. They strengthen
gross motor skills as they pull
pulleys, make shadows with
their bodies, and run in place
to feel their pulse.
Cognitive- Children watch

Language- When children
make discoveries they are
eager to share their
excitement with others. They
want to talk about their
investigation, ask questions,
and share experiences.
SAND AND WATER
PLAY WITH SAND AND WATER INVOLVE SENSORY EXPERIENCES
THAT APPEAL TO YOUNG CHILDREN. WHILE SAND AND WATER
PLAY CAN DELIGHT THE SENSES, IT ALSO CAN CHALLENGE
CHILDREN’S MINDS AND PROMOTE ALL AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT.

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Social/Emotional- Sand
and water inspire children to
work together to construct a
sand village, wash a baby doll
in water, or chase a giant
bubble as it sails through the
air. The fact that play with
these materials can calm a
child who is agitated or upset
has been well documented.
Physical- Children
strengthen small muscles as
they mold sand and scoop
water. They build gross motor
skills as they haul buckets of
water or sand.

Cognitive- Children learn

Language- While playing
about volume and capacity as
they fill empty containers.
They explore cause and effect
as they discover which items
sink or float. Sand and water
are natural companions in
scientific explorations.
with sand and water ,
children expand their
vocabularies as they learn
words like grainy, sprinkle,
shallow, and sieve. They build
emerging literacy skills as
they write letters in the sand
or use alphabet molds.
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT
MUSIC NATURALLY DELIGHTS AND INTERESTS CHILDREN. AN
EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAM THAT INCLUDES TIME FOR MUSIC
AND MOVEMENT PROVIDES AN OUTLET FOR CHILDREN’S HIGH
SPIRITS AND CREATIVE ENERGY.
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Social/Emotional-
Children use their bodies to
express different kinds of
emotions– excitement, anger,
sadness. Sharing a song or
dance they learned at home
helps children to feel good
about themselves and their
culture.
Physical- Children work on
gross motor development and
explore the many ways their
bodies can move. They can
improve large muscle skills,
balance, and coordination.
They strengthen small
muscles through finger play
and musical instruments.

Cognitive- Children solve

Language- Children
problems while engaged in
music and movement
activities. They use logic and
reason to figure out how to
make a scarf fly like the wind
or which instrument make a
sound like thunder.
develop and refine their
listening skills as they notice
changes in tempo or pitch.
Children develop phonological
awareness as they play with
the sounds and rhythms of
language.
COOKING
WHEN CHILDREN PARTICIPATE IN COOKING ACTIVITIES, THEY
LEARN HOW FOOD IS PREPARED AND HOW IT CONTRIBUTES TO
THEIR HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THEY ALSO FORM EATING
PATTERNS THAT CAN LAST A LIFETIME.

Social/Emotional-
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Physical- Chopping celery,
Children show pride in their
ability to produce a snack
that they and others can
enjoy. They develop
independence as they follow a
recipe on their own or work
cooperatively on a common
task
squeezing a lemon, and
spreading apple butter are
actions that develop
children’s small muscles
control and eye-hand
coordination.

Cognitive- Children learn

Language- Food names and
comparative words as they
measure items for a recipe
and fill a gallon pitcher with
four quarts of water. Children
develop problem-solving skills
through experimentation and
observe cause and effect when
they watch bread dough rise
once yeast is added to it.
basic cooking-related words
like ingredients, recipe,
gadget, grate, knead, simmer,
grease, and dice all may be
new additions to children’s
vocabulary.
COMPUTERS
CHILDREN USE COMPUTERS TO INVESTIGATE QUESTIONS, SOLVE
PROBLEMS, AND EXPLORE AND MANIPULATE OBJECTS ON A
SCREEN. THE COMPUTER AREA IS A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN
CAN HAVE FUN WHILE EXPLORING THE MANY EXCITING THINGS
THAT COMPUTERS DO.


Social/Emotional-
Computers are a way for
children to demonstrate selfdirection and independence.
For some children. Becoming
computer “experts” provides
them with a valued
leadership role in the
classroom they might not
otherwise have.
Physical- Children work on
fine motor skills as they use a
keyboard and coordinate the
cursor. In fact, every action
on a computer involves fine
motor development and eyehand coordination.


Cognitive-Computers
contribute to children’s
intellectual development,
and bridge the gap
between concrete and
abstract thinking.
Language- As children
learn to identify and use
computer-related terms, they
gain a technical vocabulary.
As they use software that can
read and highlight spoken
text, they make a connection
between speech and print.
OUTDOORS
OUTDOOR PLAY IS ESSENTIAL FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH AND
WELL BEING.
THE TIME CHILDREN SPEND OUTDOORS
EVERY DAY
IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO THEIR LEARNING AS THE TIME THEY
SPEND IN THE CLASSROOM.

Social/Emotional-

Physical- Children develop
Children experience a sense
of accomplishment and
growing competence when
they spend time outdoors
every day. Social skills grow
as children share equipment,
work together, and follow
safety rules.
gross motor skills as they run,
leap, hop, jump, and ride
trikes. These activities allow
children to take risks and try
out new skills. Fine motor
skills are practiced when
weeding a garden, finding
bugs, or pouring sand.

Cognitive- The outdoors is

Language- Children
a natural laboratory for
scientific explorations as
children observe and explore
nature first hand. They study
bugs, plants, leaves, and
seeds. Children count seeds
and flower petals and
measure how tall sunflowers
grow.
expand their vocabulary when
they learn the names of bugs
and plants and use words to
describe them. They learn to
read traffic signs and use
field guides to identify leaves,
plants, and insects.
THE FAMILY ’S ROLE
Home and school are a young
child’s two most important worlds!
Children must bridge these two
worlds every day. If home and
school are connected in a positive
and respectful way, children feel
secure.
When the two worlds are at
odds– because of apathy, lack of
understanding, or an inability to
work together– children suffer! At
A Safe Place we recognize how
important our families are and
how much we can accomplish for
our children by working together!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
At the Center
Join the PTA
 Volunteer in the
Classroom
 Attend Center events
 Participate in
fundraisers
 Communicate with
teachers and
administration

In your Home
Talk to your children
about specific events
of their day(check out
lesson plans to see
what they are
learning about)
 Prepare materials for
teacher or center
 Read, go outside, and
PLAY with your
children!

CONCLUSION
DEVELOP IS THE STARTING POINT FOR SCHOOLS
AND FAMILIES TO COME TOGETHER IN ORDER TO
HELP OUR CHILDREN REACH THEIR FULLEST
POTENTIAL.
WHEN THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT MEETS
THE CHILDREN’S NEEDS AND SUPPORTS THEM,
TEACHERS CAN TEACH AND CHILDREN CAN LEARN.
WHEN THE CONTENT OF THE CURRICULUM
IS TAUGHT WITH CHILDREN’S DEVELOPMENTAL
STAGES IN MIND, CHILDREN ARE MORE LIKELY TO
BE SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS WHO FEEL EXCITED
ABOUT AND CHALLENGED BY WHAT THEY ARE
LEARNING.
IT IS OUR GOAL TO BUILD PARTNERSHIPS
BETWEEN A SAFE PLACE AND OUR FAMILIES IN
ORDER TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE
EXPERIENCE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
THANK YOU!
A Safe Place Child Enrichment Center
Curriculum Awareness
November 21. 2014