Knight Hall School emergent curriculum

INTRODUCTION

How do children learn best? Knight Hall School takes the view of Piaget that young children learn best through play. “To understand is to invent,” he wrote in 1973. “Young children learn the most important things, not by being told, but by constructing knowledge for themselves in interaction with the physical world and with other children — and the way they do this is by playing” (Jones & Reynolds, 1992).

By actively observing children at play, Knight Hall teachers learn about the developmental progress of individual children and what skills and knowledge they are working on. They listen to children’s ideas and interests, and connect their curriculum goals with those of the children in responsive and creative ways (Cadwell & Fyfe, 1997). Planning emerges from the children’s interests and daily life in the program. This is our emergent curriculum.

At Knight Hall School teachers watch carefully for ways to extend each child’s thinking and learning within child-initiated activities. They pose problems, ask questions, make suggestions, add complexity to tasks, and provide information, materials and assistance, as needed, to enable each child to consolidate learning and move to the next level of functioning (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). It is called “curriculum” because teacher planning creates such effective early childhood settings, but “emergent” reminds us that spontaneity is always key where young children play and learn (Jones & Nimmo, 1994). For more on emergent curriculum, click here.

At Knight Hall School, play is an integral part of every child’s educational experience, and we feel it is important for families to understand how children learn through play. The following information is intended as a guide for you to use as your children grow and learn with us. Below are listed goals in five specific areas of child development. For each area of development, we indicate how those goals are met through the variety of classroom techniques that enhance play and foster growth. The teachers at Knight Hall serve a vital role in helping each child accomplish these goals. As facilitators in the classroom, teachers give children the support they need to take risks and accomplish increasingly challenging tasks.

We encourage you to read this information, to ask questions throughout the year, and to bookmark this page to refer to as you work with us to provide a quality education for your children.

The Knight Hall School Staff

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Social Development includes learning to get along with others, and developing the ability to communicate feelings, needs and ideas in positive ways. We support feelings of empathy and mutual respect among children and adults.

Our approach in the classroom includes:

• Encouraging sharing (stories, ideas, tasks, and materials)

• Encouraging children to verbalize their concerns, giving them words to use when necessary to help resolve conflicts

• Providing exposure to small and large group activities

• Providing time and opportunities for one to one interactions with teachers and peers

• Providing opportunities for the children to choose their own activities

• Modeling appropriate social behaviors

COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Cognitive development involves development of skills in thinking, reasoning, questioning, remembering and engaging in problem solving. We encourage children to use language to express themselves as they begin to understand the physical and social world around them.

Our approach in the classroom includes:

• Encouraging children to ask questions

• Asking open-ended questions (questions that have many answers, all of which may be correct!)

• Encouraging children to take risks, to try new things

• Providing materials and activities that challenge, but do not overwhelm

• Giving children new vocabulary to express their ideas, and opportunities to express themselves

• Reading to children

• Encouraging verbalization

• Giving children words when needed

• Providing pictures and books to open conversations

• Taking advantage of social moments (such as lunchtime)

• Incorporating singing throughout the day

• Enhancing problem solving by

• Encouraging children to ask for and a accept help from others

• Providing age-appropriate puzzles

• Changing selection of materials in the classroom often

• Allowing time for children to work through their ideas

• Asking open-ended questions

• Encouraging children to use their words and explain their ideas, thoughts, concerns, results

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Learning to use materials, sound, rhythm, language, movement, space, and ideas for personal expression are all part of a child’s creative development. We give children many opportunities to make choices and follow their interests.

Our approach in the classroom includes:

• Providing open-ended materials for experimentation (blocks, paints, collage materials, sensory materials)

• Providing opportunities for dramatic play:

1. in a variety of settings (sensory table, block area, climbing equipment)

2. with materials that are familiar (opportunity to replay daily routines & familiar roles)

3. that involve taking risks (children can assign roles and/or take on a specific role)

4. Providing opportunities for children to express themselves musically (with musical instruments, dancing, singing)

5. Providing opportunities to demonstrate solutions to physical challenges (using obstacle courses, climbers, large muscle tasks)

6. Encouraging children to make choices, and respecting children’s decisions

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

This area includes gaining a sense of security and independence in a setting outside the home. We encourage each child to know, accept, and take pride in himself/herself.

Our approach in the classroom includes:

• Assisting families with separation:

• Encouraging parents to say good-bye (no sneaking away)

• Helping children wave to parents at the window

• Making the classroom interesting and inviting to all

• Exhibiting T.L.C. (holding, hugging, comforting...)

• Getting children involved in activities

• Fostering development of self-confidence:

• Recognizing accomplishments

• Choosing activities independently

• Expressing feelings through words, to friends and teachers

• Providing positive reinforcement

• Providing age-appropriate materials to master

• Allowing time to accomplish a task

• Supporting development of trust:

• Listening to the children

• Getting down to the child’s eye level

• Respecting children’s feelings

• Being consistent with our reactions

• Keeping a routine, so the children know what to expect

• Encouraging independence by expecting children to:

• Clean up after snack and lunch times

• Use the bathroom (when toilet trained) and wash hands

• Put on shoes and socks after naptime

• Choose activities and clean up afterwards

• Always encouraging children to try

• Allowing many opportunities for making choices

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Physical development involves learning to use both large and small muscles in a variety of activities. We feel that both indoor and outdoor play are critical to healthy physical development.

Our approach in the classroom includes:

• Fine motor (small muscle development):

• Encouraging the use of various drawing and writing tools

• Providing opportunities to use scissors

• Pouring liquids, using containers of different sizes

• Providing manipulatives that challenge skills (manipulating smaller pieces enables children to develop dexterity)

• Strengthening muscles by using play dough, clay, goop, etc.

• Gross motor (large muscle development):

• Providing music and movement activities

• Providing outdoor time to run, swing, climb, ride tricycles, etc.

• Providing obstacle courses (inside and outside)

• Introducing physical games such as:

• red light, green light

• duck, duck, goose

• Providing large muscle props for play such as:

• basketballs, beanbags, hula hoops, large blocks