OUR CURRICULUM

THE ROLE OF CURRICULUM IN THE CHILD’S DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH

“Educate a child according to his way; even when he grows old, he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs)

Contemporary developmental psychology meets age-old Jewish wisdom in the shared view that – for real learning to occur – the child must be educated in “his way.” A child’s “way” consists of both the child’s essence (his nature, inborn talents, abilities and limitations), and the child’s outer reality (his present knowledge base, his mood at the moment, his context, etc.).

Of course, imperative to any discussion of “his way,” is the awareness of where the child stands in the developmental spectrum, acknowledging both the general set of capabilities for each age range (normative development) and in the child’s unique profile (individual development).

At Zimmer, our curriculum is designed with a developmental approach; it meets children at their place within the developmental continuum. Our curriculum focuses the growth of the whole child, in all areas of development – the body, the mind and the emotions. The atmosphere is one where children feel emotionally-safe to interact with their environment and to construct knowledge, knowledge that will help them to become unique and productive members of society.

A BALANCE OF KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND DISPOSITIONS FOR LEARNING

Life is a journey of growth and development. In that journey, there are certain tools that we use, tools that need to be easily accessed. Of course, the better and the more varied the tools, the easier the journey.

Think of the curriculum (units of study) as the means through which children fill their toolbox with three broad categories of tools:

• An expanded base of 'knowledge and information'
• Honed 'skills'
• A healthy 'disposition' - inclination - towards learning

KNOWLEDGE/CONCEPTS noun: Information in the mind, awareness

A child explores the outdoor landscape. He is intrigued by hardened clay. He collects a variety of elements and invites his friends to share in his explorations by posting a sign, “please touch.”

or possession of  information, facts, ideas, truths, or principles (Encarta Dictionary)

As we experience life, we learn. Based on those experiences, we formulate theories and refine our thinking. We study more, and things make more sense. Our knowledge of facts, stories, vocabulary and ideas expand and build upon each other....generating new questions to pursue, continuing the ongoing cycle of learning. As our knowledge base grows, we have more from which to draw and apply to situations as needed. 

SKILLS
noun: The ability to do something well, usually gained through experience and training (Encarta Dictionary)

Skills could represent three main categories: Motor (relating to muscle and body activity), Cognitive (relating to thought processes; how knowledge is acquired by use of reasoning, intuition or perception), Social and Emotional (relating to how emotion is expressed, relating to the way people behave and interact with each other in different social settings). 

Skills are cumulative (therefore, referred to as the 'vertical' component within the curriculum). For example, to attain the skill of simple arithmetic, a child needs to master counting skill, preceded by the skill of number recognition, etc. For a child to learn to read, the child needs to recognize the shape of the letters, understand how sound links to letters, language patterns, etc. Skills need carefully designed practice and attention, with the bar moving progressively higher, so that the learner grows - and meets - higher potentialities.

DISPOSITIONS 
noun: An inclination or tendency to act in a particular way (Encarta Dictionary)

Each person possesses tendencies or dispositions that induce us to behave in certain ways. Some are inborn; some are learned. These dispositions often determine our responses to any given situation. That is why our curriculum places great emphasis on the child's developing dispositions, in addition to the know-how. During the early childhood years, it is not enough for the child to master the mechanics of writing; it is so important to nourish the disposition to write. Likewise, the disposition to read, the disposition to be cooperative, etc., for within that lies the foundation for all future learning.  

The photograph on the left shows a child making her own winter scene; the photo on the right is an elaborate zoo. Can you identify the skills that the children used - cognitive, social/emotional and motor? Can you identify knowledge of concepts that they may have learned while they played? And, which dispositions for learning may’ve been strengthened?

A BALANCE OF GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL CURRICULA

As part of the daily schedule, we have Center Play. That is, the children choose from the variety of learning centers within the classroom. They can play individually or with friends. While playing with Unifix Cubes in the Math Center, Rebecca was practicing her counting and measuring; she was using fine motor and literacy skills to write her name (letter-recognition and word-formation). It was then that she discovered, “I can write my name backwards!”

It was Tu Bishvat - the Celebration for Trees - and the children were exploring the benefits we reap from trees. One child decided to make a fruit store, inviting the whole school and their parents to shop.

The 2-year old’s joy is contagious: This group of children are fascinated by the Torah scroll.

Within the developmental approachlies the assumption that a balance should be achieved between individual learning and group work. Such a balance would help the teacher meet individual needs with the benefits of group learning and experiencing.

The teacher role is to plan the curricula in a way where each child could find activities and experiences that meet his individual developmental needs with the potential of working with others.

For example, as a group, 4-year olds expand their knowledge as they study trees, deciduous and evergreen. They study how trees contribute to the world’s order. They learn the names of trees and how the climate (and seasons) affects them. They hone their skills as they practice holding a pencil while they draw a forest; around school they post handwritten notes on the things that come from a tree. Now, the curriculum has elasticity and space for a child with unique abilities and interests. Perhaps this child desires to further explore various barks, various leaves, etc. and to sculpt a clay representation of his findings. He may be intrigued by the effect climate has on different types of trees, etc. The teacher will continue to support the child in this endeavor. 

 

 

 

 

 

A BALANCE OF PRE-PLANNED AND EMERGENT CURRICULA

Knowledge is infinite. There is an endless amount to learn, and endless depth. However, learning has meaning when it is connected to the child's life and interests. That is why our curriculum is a balance of a preplanned component and an emergent one. Our preplanned curriculum comprises of seasonal and the holiday units. Our emergent curriculum is premised on the recognition that it is in the experiences that emerge throughout the day that we find unexpected opportunities for our children to further their skills, knowledge and dispositions for learning.

PREPLANNED CURRICULUM 
Our well thought-out preplanned curriculum comprises of seasonal and holiday units. Within those themes lie so many lessons which help us to understand the world we live in, and our dynamic relationship with it. The children revisit the units each year, at new developmental levels, their knowledge building upon itself and spiraling to new and deeper plains.

We approach the study of the seasons as one seamless, continuously unfolding cycle. The various manifestations and effects of each season - temperature, precipitations, plant life, animal life, etc. - are explored in their context, not differentiated in conceptual fragments, and experienced holistically, as an interrelated whole.

We study the Jewish holidays by accessing each holiday’s respective message. The children are introduced to the holidays in ways appropriate to their stage in development, and, as they get older, the holiday's message deepens, its practices, rituals and stories expand. Through the lens of the holiday units, the joy of Judaism is brought to life. We also study American secular holidays; they offer opportunities for us to learn the stories of American past and to be grateful for our American present.

Yearly events, like the transition into the beginning of school, the year-end graduation, children’s and teacher’s birthdays, etc. are approached with intent, and celebrated in kind.

The children are documenting the growth of the seeds they planted under the spring sun, as compared to the seeds they planted during the winter months.

EMERGENT CURRICULUM
Emergent curriculum describes curriculum that develops from exploring what is "socially relevant, intellectually engaging, and personally meaningful to children..." (Jones and Nimmo). It responds to children's immediate interests rather than focusing on a preplanned or calendar driven topic. After an idea emerges from the group of children, the units of study that are then prepared, organized, coordinated and facilitated by the teachers.

An example: After Thanksgiving our three year old children had a decision to make: what could be done with all the dried corn we had in our classroom? The children know that it is not responsible to throw things out if we can find another use for them; the teachers know that this would be a great opportunity to ‘give legs’ to our core values. “We could eat it,” suggested one child. “Icky. It’s too hard,” responded another. When a child suggested that we give it to animals to eat, the teacher facilitated this exploration by helping the children research which animals might like it. They were thrilled to discover that chipmunks fit the bill. “A lot of chipmunks live near our school. If we put it outside, they can eat it and they will be so happy. And we will be taking care of them!” The excitement spread. The children were ecstatic when the first chipmunk appeared and actually ate from the corn! They took a video to document this for their parents and fellow schoolmates. They then decided to build a house for the chipmunk so that he could visit often. They mapped out their plan for how they wanted to construct the house. Then they built it. They left notes and other treats for ‘their’ chipmunk. Soon the chipmunk stopped coming; the children wanted to know why. This presented a natural opportunity to introduce the concept of hibernation. Winter was approaching and the chipmunk was going to rest for the long, cold months ahead. Hibernation was now a real and relevant concept to these children, not decontextualized and hollow. When the chipmunk reappeared some months later, the children knew that winter was over and a new season had arrived. And, when these children graduated to their Pre-K classroom, their interest in the welfare of ‘their’ chipmunk continued, taking care of him in their own way... 

IN SUMMATION

Our curriculum cultivates children’s natural enthusiasm for learning so that they emerge with the skills, knowledge and dispositions necessary for a solid foundation of life-long learning, and value-based living. Our curriculum balances individual learning and group work, a preplanned element and an emergent one. It is designed around the child as an active learner, a dynamic explorer, rather than a passive recipient of knowledge. Our curriculum is designed to support children so that they can truly grow into their best possible selves!