Emergent Curriculum

Emergent Curriculum: How Does Following an Interest Differ From a Theme?

August 22, 2009

Following my posts, Following Children’s Interests and What Happens When You Follow a Child’s Interest?, I wanted to clarify the ways in which following a child’s (or group of children’s) interest differs from learning about a given ‘theme.’ I consider there are two major differences Who takes the lead, and How the content is formulated. [...]

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The Hundred Languages of Children

August 14, 2009

The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages, a hundred hands, a hundred thoughts, a hundred ways of thinking, of playing, of speaking. A hundred, always a hundred, ways of listening, of marveling, of loving, a hundred joys for singing and understanding, a hundred worlds to discover, a hundred worlds [...]

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Emergent Curriculum: What happens when you follow a child’s interest?

July 28, 2009

In my last EC post, I promised to share a story about the difference exploring a child’s interest can make to the learning potential of the child. This is the story of 2 1/2 year old Henry. Henry wasn’t one of those children who stood out from the crowd. He wasn’t loud or overly talkative. [...]

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Emergent Curriculum: Following Children’s Interests

July 25, 2009

Within an Emergent Curriculum educators use ‘interests’ of the children, families, community and themselves as the substance of the learning program. ‘Interests’ are subjects, ideas, things, topics and events which fascinate and stimulate the curiosity of the child. Chosen interests are then developed through ‘projects’ or ‘investigations’ – related fun and interesting, hands-on learning experiences [...]

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Parents Participating: Understanding Emergent Curriculum

July 20, 2009

For new readers, here is a quick recap of my series of Understanding Emergent Curriculum posts so far; Why our children need an Emergent Curriculum Approach in – Why Our Children Need to Learn How to Think, Not What to Think An image of the child in – Perspectives, – An Image of the Child, [...]

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Ideas for Creating Learning Communities: What Do You Do Well?

July 11, 2009

A lovely display of flower fairy dresses including individual dresses created from collage materials and displayed in wooden frames and a collaborative group work costume displayed on the mannequin (3-4 year olds). Following on from my recent post about Learning Communities, I wanted to tell you about one of the premiere community building events I [...]

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Creating Learning Communities

July 7, 2009

A parent touring the child care centre I managed once commented, “Everyone seems to know each other – at my centre no one seems to talk to anyone. Everyone is so friendly here.” What does your child care centre/preschool/kindergarten feel like when you drop your child off? Is it friendly? Welcoming? Do educators greet each [...]

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Little Collections of a Different Kind

July 5, 2009

I have previously shared about the walks Immy and I take around our block most days and the little collections she makes along the way. Recently we made a little collection of a different kind, we’ll call it a ‘community building’ collection! We started out, rounded the first corner and came across our next door [...]

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