In order to effectively choose a curriculum approach, you must have the knowledge base regarding curricular approaches, an understanding of your own core beliefs about children, and your image of yourself as a professional. Much of how you approach choices related to curriculum relates to the assumptions and internalized values you bring to your particular school or center (Jaruszewicz, 2013, section 2.4).
An important step in this process is connecting what you know about curriculum approaches and how this information fits into your core beliefs. As Jaruszewicz (2013) posits, excellent teachers and caregivers are “reflective” and purposefully think about the curriculum decisions they make and their teaching practices (section 1.5). This journal is a start in that reflective process.
To prepare for this journal:
Describe the major differences between an approach and a model.
Compare and contrast the effectiveness of multiple early childhood curricular approaches to your own beliefs by completing the Matrix for Reflection and Decision Making and Interactivity download.
Explain how making these comparisons supports your ability to make appropriate curricular
decisions (i.e., respond to the unique needs of children based on culture and experiences, consider developmentally appropriate practice, etc.).
