Creative Curriculum- new curriculum to be implemented at the Cox Children's Center

For the past few months, the Butterfly Room and now the Lincoln Room have been experimenting with a new curriculum style. We began looking into other options in an effort to better connect our observations and assessment of children with our purposeful and planned curriculum. The preschool teachers have completed a 15 hour training on Creative Curriculum and the infant, toddlers and two year old teachers will complete theirs this Saturday.

The care that infants, toddlers, and twos receive and their experiences during the first 3 years of life have a powerful influence on how they view the world, how they relate to others, and their ability to succeed as learners. Infants, toddlers, and twos who receive high-quality care are more likely to become sociable, capable preschoolers who get along with others, demonstrate self-control, and love learning.

Certain fundamental beliefs underlie The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Twos:

• building a trusting relationship with each child
• providing responsive, individualized care
• creating environments that support and encourage exploration
• ensuring children's safety and health
• developing partnerships with families
• observing and documenting children's development in order to plan for each child and the group
• recognizing the importance of social/emotional development
• appreciating cultural, family, and individual differences
• taking advantage of every opportunity to build a foundation for lifelong learning
• supporting dual language learners
• including children with disabilities in all aspects of the program

Creative Curriculum for Preschoolers is based on five fundamental principles. They guide practice and help us understand the reasons for intentionally setting up and operating our programs. The five principals are:

1. positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for successful learning.
2. social-emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
3. constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
4. the physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
5. teacher-family partnerships promote development and learning.