Curriculum Selection Questions

09/07/2005

Curriculum Selection Questions

You should always learn, with life comes wisdom and with wisdom comes the courage to live your life selflessly. The more you learn about yourself and the experiences surrounding your life the more opportunities you have to make your life better and more fulfilling.
Amy Candy

When you are selecting a curriculum for your early childhood program, here are some questions to help you identify one that is right for your situation. These questions were proposed by Diane Trister Dodge in her Exchange article, “Early Childhood Curriculum Models: Why, What, and How Programs Use Them,” (Exchange, January 2004).

• Does the curriculum fit our beliefs, interests, and goals?

• Is it based on research?

• Is it easy to understand?

• Is it a comprehensive curriculum that sets out the basic information and guidance for putting a program in place, or a framework that allows teachers to create the curriculum?

• Is there evidence of the curriculum’s effectiveness when implemented well?

• Are resources available to support staff in implementing the curriculum (e.g., trainer’s guides, videos, parent resources)?

• Does it contain tools to determine how well the curriculum is being implemented (e.g., an implementation checklist that can be used by teachers and administrators)?

This article is featured on our website www.childcareexchange.com on the right hand side under "Early Childhood Curriculum Models" .

Katrina Watch: Thank you to all who have shared you shared your ideas on helping the victims of Katrina. You can view these ideas and add your own by clicking here. Then on Friday we will add a Katrina update section to our web site which will summarize the ideas provided, add commentary from early childhood professionals on the scene, and provide a directory of places to help.

For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.