The All Day Kindergarten And Pre K Curriculum

Grounded in theory and research, The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum provides an activity-based and classroom-proven curriculum for educators to consider as they plan and interact with pre-k and kindergarten children. Allowing young children the opportunities to become independent, caring, critical thinkers who feel comfortable asking questions and exploring possible solutions, the Dynamic Themes Curriculum offers children the skills they need for responsible citizenship and academic progress. This book describes a culturally-sensitive pre-k and kindergarten curriculum in the context of literacy, technology, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts, and play, and also discusses: How to use the seven integrated conditions for learning to meet and exceed content learning standards How to organize for differentiated instruction and to integrate multiple forms of assessment How to teach literacy tools and skills in fresh ways How to work with families, colleagues, and community Building off of author Doris Fromberg’s groundbreaking earlier work, The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum presents a practical curriculum centering on how young children develop meanings. This is a fantastic resource for pre-and in-service early childhood teachers, administrators, and scholars.

Grounded in theory and research, The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum provides an activity-based and classroom-proven curriculum for educators to consider as they plan and interact with pre-k and kindergarten children. Allowing young children the opportunities to become independent, caring, critical thinkers who feel comfortable asking questions and exploring possible solutions, the Dynamic Themes Curriculum offers children the skills they need for responsible citizenship and academic progress. This book describes a culturally-sensitive pre-k and kindergarten curriculum in the context of literacy, technology, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts, and play, and also discusses: How to use the seven integrated conditions for learning to meet and exceed content learning standards How to organize for differentiated instruction and to integrate multiple forms of assessment How to teach literacy tools and skills in fresh ways How to work with families, colleagues, and community Building off of author Doris Fromberg’s groundbreaking earlier work, The All-Day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum presents a practical curriculum centering on how young children develop meanings. This is a fantastic resource for pre-and in-service early childhood teachers, administrators, and scholars.

Prepared especially for decision makers involved in designing appropriate programs for kindergarten children, this research monograph concentrates on four specific issues that have proven difficult in most communities. Chapter 1 explains how kindergarten entry age affects children's school success. Chapter 2 discusses the ability of tests to reliably measure kindergarten children's entry-level skills and progress. Ways in which tests are improperly used are pointed out. Chapter 3 describes the components of an appropriate kindergarten curriculum. Appropriate and inappropriate practices, discipline methods, environments, materials, and activities are contrasted. Chapter 4 discusses time requirements for appropriate programing. Considerations of entry age, testing, curriculum, and length of day draw upon material selected from the knowledge base of the early childhood profession, empirical research, educational theory, and practical experiences in programs across the country. Each chapter includes an extensive reference list and recommendations for educational policy. It is concluded that certification of kindergarten teachers in early childhood education, scheduling choices for parents and teachers, and a flexible curriculum suitable for a wide variety of children will result in kindergartens that are appropriate for the children they serve. A bibliography and list of position statements conclude the work. (RH)

Helping you create effective learning environments for kindergarten students. Kindergarten in Canada is designed to help you create effective play-based learning environments for 4 and 5 year olds and addresses the transition across several provinces to publicly funded, coordinated early learning programs. Regardless of whether you are a pre-service teacher, ECE candidates, or experienced teacher, this text will prepare you for all aspects of a full-day kindergarten program. Rooted in both theory and practice, it illustrates ECE philosophy and brain-based research and contains samples of approaches in Canada and around the world.

If you haven't had the chance yet, go online and search for your state's core curriculum. You'll find it overwhelming. I did. Find the kindergarten section and feel unprepared, as I did, for all that these little children are expected to learn.First of all, remember that these are skills the child needs to know by the end of the school year, not entering kindergarten so it's okay to take it easy and be patient with yourself and your child.Secondly, we are fortunate to have caring, clever kindergarten teachers who will pull out all the stops to ensure that children learn.Over the years, kindergarten classes became common and accepted by the population. Again, it wasn't seen as a very important part of school and so students attended for just a few hours, most of the time only two hours for a half-day. Half-day kindergarten became the norm in the United States. Later, kindergarten began taking on a new importance, which it should have. Educators and parents realized that children were ready to learn and we as a society were holding them back. All day or full day kindergarten came to be. But not without some down and dirty fighting over the concept. There were those who thought it the only intelligent decision to help our students succeed in an ever-complicated world. Others, however, thought a full day just too long for a five year old. School boards complained about the extra cost of teaching staff. In most places, full day kindergarten won out. In the same vein as kindergarten developed, so did pre-school. Way back in my day there was no pre-school; you were lucky if your neighbor could watch you while your parents worked. Pre-school grew out of the need for child care services as more and more women joined the workforce and as families became composed of two working parents. It was more of a playtime, with napping and eating in between. Now, pre-school is practically expected from children entering kindergarten. It is unusual to find children entering kindergarten who have not attended some semblance of a pre-school. Pre-school has picked up a lot of what was considered kindergarten activities. During pre-school, children learn to get along, accept diversity, and practice taking turns and exhibiting good manners. In addition, pre-school has taken over academics that once belonged to kindergarten. Children often learn how to print their name, their numbers 0-10, basic colors and shapes, how to handle a book, listening and responding to stories, and so much more. Now, in addition to finding kindergarten checklists for readiness, there are many pre-school checklists for readiness. Some pre-schools are more difficult to be accepted into than kindergarten.Because learning has been pushed down to pre-school, children who don't attend pre-school are at a definite disadvantage. If you choose to have your child not attend pre-school, I strongly advise that you pick up one of the many books on kindergarten readiness and work with your child to develop some of these skills. Otherwise, your child will have a difficult time, at least initially, which may lead to frustration.So I guess what I'm saying is that, in my opinion, pre-school is a good idea, even if it's for only two days a week. And kindergarten is a necessity.You may notice that I do not mention creating or completing worksheets and I have tried not to include websites or books that are worksheets. Since it is only you and your child working together, I'd prefer that it be as active learning as possible. Let the worksheets for when they're needed. There is a place for them in education, but they're unnecessary when it's just the two of you.I admit: I am an old-fashioned educator. In this handbook I take the new core curriculum and use my tried and true methods to help you encourage your child.

Through its unique integration of curriculum and learning principles, Early Childhood Curriculum: A Constructivist Perspective, 2nd Edition fosters authentic, developmentally appropriate practice for both preschool and early elementary classrooms. The constructivist format of this book encourages active involvement on the part of readers by asking them to observe, question, reflect, research, and analyze, thus allowing readers to create their own knowledge through their responses and actions. Early Childhood Curriculum examines curricular goals such as autonomy, development, and problem solving and links those goals with constructivist principles of learning. It explores ways teachers can create meaningful learning environments and choose curriculum tasks appropriately—in all content areas—that are linked to the learning and development needs of young children. The text provides a wealth of practical detail about implementing constructivist curriculum as the authors discuss classroom climate and management, room design, play, and cooperative learning, among other topics. The book also includes information about how teachers can meet required mandates and national and state standards in appropriate ways as they plan their curriculum, and examines the early childhood educator's role with community agencies, reform and legal mandates, and public relations. Special Features: • “Curriculum Strategies” highlight models for developing curriculum, including projects, curricular alignment, integration of various subject matter areas, and types of knowledge. • “Constructions” promote problem solving by allowing students to explore, revisit, examine, and learn from first-hand experience. • “Multiple Perspectives from the Field” provide interviews with teachers and other early childhood professionals, offering students a realistic look at the profession from a diverse group of educators. • “Teacher Dialogues” explore a wide range of student concerns, including curriculum, learning environments, assessment, and documentation, representing a collaborative support group for pre-service teachers and readers.

Social studies is at the heart of content in education and takes on society's best hopes for helping children become good citizens and winners in the global economy. In its comprehensive scope, Social Studies for Young Children: Preschool and Primary Curriculum Anchor fulfills the promise of social studies as an integrator of the knowledge and experiences of young children. Filled with strategies, activities and resources, this book helps teachers develop a holistic, culturally relevant approach to social studies and social learning. It surveys the relevant state and national standards and offers essential guidance on how to integrate them into the curriculum -- while at the same time looking beyond the tests to foster young social scientists' development into critical thinkers and lifelong learners. Special features include: Children’s literature to foster social studies understanding Digital media for teaching and learning Emphasis on cross-disciplinary synthesis

This handbook synthesizes both contemporary research and best practices in early childhood teacher education, a unique segment of teacher education defined by its focus on child development, the role of the family, and support for all learners. The first volume of its kind, the Handbook of Early Childhood Teacher Education provides comprehensive coverage on key topics in the field, including the history of early childhood teacher education programs, models for preparing early childhood educators, pedagogical approaches to supporting diverse learners, and contemporary influences on this quickly expanding area of study. Appropriate for early childhood teacher educators as well as both pre- and in-service teachers working with children from birth through 8, this handbook articulates the unique features of early childhood teacher education, highlighting the strengths and limitations of current practice as based in empirical research. It concludes by charting future directions for research with an aim to improve the preparation of early childhood educators.