Connecting Emergent Curriculum and Standards in the Early Childhood Classroom: Strengthening Content and Teaching Practice

by Schwartz, Sydney L.

• ISBN13: 9780807751091
• ISBN10: 080775109X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-06-25
• Publisher: Teachers College Pr

Summary

The most pressing challenge in early childhood education today is to find a way to meet the standards within a developmentally appropriate approach. In this book, two active early childhood educators provide teachers with resources to bring content alive in the daily, action-based pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, and ways to document it. The book includes lists of key content ideas--coordinated with learning standards in science, mathematics, social studies, and the communication arts--to guide teacher observations of, and interactions with, young children. Chapters focus on ways to extend children’s emerging use of content in the block, manipulative, sand and water, drama, expressive arts, and literacy centers, and link to the development of themes. Book features include: lists of key ideas in the content areas; examples of conversations that nurture children’s emerging content understandings; vignettes from the field illustrating teachers’ experiences of embedding content into center activities, along with photographs; and sample forms for documenting children’s learning as they meet the standards in a variety of contexts

Author Biography

Sydney L. Schwartz is a professor emerita of Queens College of the City University of New York. Sherry M. Copeland is an experienced early childhood teacher, teacher trainer, advocate, and director of early childhood programs.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xiii
Our Response to the Current Challenge	p. 1
Two Curriculum Models, One Common Academic Goal	p. 2
Our Big Ideas for a Successful Action-Based Learning Environment That Addresses the Standards	p. 4
Children's Interests Drive Learning	p. 4
Strengthening Content Learning	p. 6
Summary	p. 9
Defining Content: Addressing the Challenge to Expand Content and Strengthen Skills	p. 12
The Way Young Children Learn	p. 12
Addressing the Deficiencies in the Early Childhood Standards Movement	p. 15
Organizing Teacher Content Knowledge	p. 16
Key Content Ideas in Science	p. 18
Key Content Ideas in Mathematics	p. 23
Key Content Ideas in Social Studies	p. 24
Key Content Ideas in Language and Literacy	p. 25
Summary	p. 26
The Teacher Role in Strengthening Content and Meeting the Standards	p. 28
Steps in the Process of Expanding the Teacher Role	p. 29
Identifying Emerging Key Content Ideas Through Observation During Center Time	p. 30
Initiating and Extending Conversation During Center Time	p. 32
The Use of Recording Forms for Professional Reflection	p. 38
Expanding the Curriculum Within the Centers	p. 38
Expanding the Content Through Group-Time Activities and Themes	p. 40
Assessing and Documenting Children's Learning	p. 41
Summary	p. 44
Strengthening Content in the Block Center	p. 46
Stages of Block Building	p. 49
Expanding the Content During Center Time	p. 56
Seeding and Leading in the Block Center	p. 57
Moving with Content Beyond the Block Center	p. 57
Summary	p. 60
Strengthening Content in the Water and Sand Center	p. 61
Developmental Stages in Learning About Water and Sand	p. 62
Expanding the Content During Center Time	p. 63
Structured Learning Opportunities	p. 68
Summary	p. 77
Strengthening Content in the Manipulatives Center	p. 78
Categories of Manipulative Materials	p. 78
Using Materials in Different Ways	p. 80
Progression in Levels of Use of Materials	p. 81
Content Inherent in the Use of Single-Purpose Materials	p. 82
Content Inherent in the Use of Sorting and patterning Materials	p. 83
Content Inherent in the Use of Construction Materials	p. 85
Role of the Teacher	p. 86
The Interplay Between Adult-and Child-Driven Activities	p. 87
Curricular Connections	p. 89
Topic: Animals and Their Characteristics	p. 89
Summary	p. 91
Strengthening Content in the Drama Center	p. 92
Forms of Dramatic Play	p. 92
Views About Adult Involvement	p. 93
Enriching Curriculum Through Focused Program Experiences	p. 94
Content Focus in Theme Development	p. 94
Supermarket Theme	p. 95
Teacher Reflection	p. 101
Summary	p. 102
Strengthening Content in the Expressive Arts and Literacy Centers	p. 103
Literacy Content	p. 103
Expressive Art Content	p. 104
A Developmental Perspective	p. 105
Standards in Language and Literacy and the Expressive Arts	p. 107
Setting Up and Seeding the Literacy and Expressive Arts Centers	p. 109
Experimenting and Discovering with Media Materials	p. 109
From Discovery to Expressing with Media Materials	p. 112
Promoting Communication in Curriculum Activities	p. 113
Stimulating Creative Expression	p. 114
Sample Developmental Experiences	p. 115
Expressing Ideas in Response to Science Events	p. 120
Summary	p. 122
Assessing Children's Learning: Documenting Results for Accountability Purposes	p. 123
The Assessment progression	p. 124
Sources of Assessment Data	p. 125
Collecting Observational Data: Phase 1 in the progression	p. 126
Designing Assessment Tasks in Management and Curriculum Activities: Phase 2 in the progression	p. 129
Teacher-Designed Standard Tasks: Phase 3 in the Progression	p. 136
Disseminating Assessment Information	p. 136
Summary	p. 137
Next Steps for Strengthening Content and Teaching practice in the Action-Based learning Environment	p. 138
Meeting the Challenges	p. 139
Our Challenge for the Future	p. 141
Physical Science Content	p. 144
Life Sciences Content	p. 151
Earth and Environmental Science Content	p. 153
Mathematics Content	p. 154
Social Studies Content	p. 158
Language and Literacy Content	p. 161
Guide for Planning and Implementing Themes	p. 164
Focused Curriculum Planning Form	p. 166
Sample Theme: Shoes	p. 167
Developmental Continuum for Visual Discrimination	p. 169
Developmental Continuum for Auditory Discrimination	p. 170
Developmental Continuum for Developing Number Sense	p. 171
Mathematics Observation Recording Form	p. 173
Physical Science Observation Recording Form	p. 176
Sample Checklist: Alphabetic Knowledge	p. 177
Visual Discrimination Observation Recording Form	p. 178
References	p. 179
Sources for Publication of Curriculum Standards	p. 184
Children's Books Used in the Shoe Theme	p. 184
Index	p. 185
About the Authors	p. 194
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