Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/early-childhood-curriculum-models/5015571/
The Changing Role of CurriculumIt wasn’t so long ago that the idea of using a written curriculum to guide the care and education of children under five was not widely accepted. It was unheard of in programs serving infants and toddlers and still controversial for programs serving preschool children. Even defining curriculum for this age group has been challenging. Dictionaries typically define curriculum as a scope and sequence for a course of study. Organizations and experts on early childhood education provide broader definitions that address all aspects of program planning for a given age group, including content, processes, context, and what teachers do. An appropriate definition for World Forum participants comes from NAEYC’s new position paper on curriculum assessment and evaluation, which states that “ . . . in general curriculum is seen as the means by which a society helps learners acquire the knowledge, skills, and values that that society deems most worth having.”
New research and knowledge highlight the importance of the early childhood years in preparing children, especially vulnerable children, for school and future success. Because high quality early learning experiences are so important, they cannot be left to chance. There is a growing consensus, supported by many ...