EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM REVIEW REPORT

Ruamrudee International School

2018-2019 Academic Year

Members
Early Childhood Department Kyleigh Pharris - PreK 4, HOD
Callie Chavers - PreK 4
Christine Whitmarsh - PreK 3
Lauren Pasquazzi - PreK 3
Bren Buckley -PreK 2
Ben Tan - PreK 2
Karen Page - PreK 2

ES Principal, Assistant Principal Josh Fritts, Jessica Seim

Director of Curriculum ES Madeleine Bystrom

SECTION 1 PROCESS USED TO DEVELOP THE REPORT

A description of the process used to develop the report, including collaboration

among faculty to achieve Preschool-12 vertical articulation and alignment.

PreKindergarten teachers met continuously between the academic years of 2016-2018

through department meetings, in-service days, and weekly grade-level meetings. The
information included in this report, reflects the collaboration of all PreKindergarten teachers,
with the support of the Elementary School administration team and the Elementary School
curriculum department.

SECTION 2 REVIEW AND EVALUATION EVIDENCE

RIS opened its PreKindergarten (PreK) program in 2005 encompassing

two grade levels (3-4 year olds and 4-5 year olds). At this time, RIS used
teacher-created standards and curriculum. In 2010-2011, RIS adopted
Creative Curriculum and its associated standards for the (3-4 year olds
and the 4-5 year olds) classrooms.

In 2017-18, RIS also extended the PreK program to include two year old
children. In the 2017-18 academic year, the two year old classrooms used
teacher-created curriculum using Montessori Teacher Manuals as a guide.

Beginning in the 2018-19 academic year, all PreK classrooms utilize the
Washington D.C. Common Core Early Learning Standards. The Early
Learning Standards are used to develop the curricular content within the
context of developmentally age appropriate milestones and skill sets. At
the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year, all PreK classrooms began
fostering the philosophical approach of Reggio Emilia.
What students learn
1. Description of current program including strengths and
identified area for growth
Previously
The PreK children were learning through the framework of the Creative
Curriculum program. Creative Curriculum offers units of study to guide
curriculum and instruction for the course of the academic year. The units
of study differ, in variations, between each grade level.

● Toddlers (PreK 2):

○ Routines and Experiences
● PreSchool (PreK 3):
○ Beginning of the Year
○ Balls
○ Buildings
○ Clothes
○ Trees
● PreK (PreK 4):
○ Beginning of the Year
○ Balls
○ Buildings
○ Clothes
○ Trees
○ Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
○ Insects
○ Sand
○ Simple Machines

Currently Creative
Curriculum:
STRENGTHS General
Previously Research
- Creative Curriculum states teaching and units should be designed
around children’s interest, to encompass best practices of Early Creative
Childhood Education. Curriculum:
● The units of study, created by Creative Curriculum, are focused Foundational
upon aspects of a typical child’s interactions with the world. Research

- Creative Curriculum emphasizes the importance of English Language

Development (ELD) for non-native English speaking children.
● Creative Curriculum provides resources and strategies, for Early
Childhood educators, to implement into their everyday classroom
routines for ELD students.

Currently Why Curriculum

Matters in Early
Childhood
AREAS FOR GROWTH Education
Previously (1998)
Although, the Creative Curriculum emphasizes the importance of child
interest to guide curriculum development, it lacks the flexibility to follow
children’s interests and incorporate children’s prior knowledge, questions,
and theories into the units of study.
● The Creative Curriculum framework, for Early Childhood
Education, does not allow for Early Childhood best practices to be
fully embraced and implemented.
● Creative Curriculum encompasses predetermined units of study
that outline the day-to-day and week-to-week schedule of the
content that creates the unit.
In the context of Early Childhood Education, it is critical to embrace the
fact that each classroom is a diverse community of learners (children
and teachers) that bring different experiences, prior knowledge, and
stages of development to the curricular content.
● When Early Childhood educators choose from predetermined units
of study, that may not truly reflect their student population, it
ultimately loses the interest of the children and the enjoyment of
discovering oneself as a lifelong learner.
● The units of study reflect a typical child’s interactions with the
world, but does not consider the interactions with the world of third
culture children, children with exceptionalities, or children living
outside the United States of America.

Creative Curriculum highlights the importance of English Language

Development for non-native English speaking children. Although the
strategies for creating a culturally relevant classroom encompass best
practices for Early Childhood Education, the resources are limiting.

- Creative Curriculum provides resources for English and Spanish

speaking populations, only.
● For example, the children’s book collection supplied by Creative
Curriculum are books that can be read in both English and
Spanish. Given the population of RIS children and families, these
resources are limiting and not useful, because not many children
have the first language of Spanish nor does it match children’s
home culture. The children’s books, therefore, have to be sorted Developmentall
by Early Childhood educators to find books that are culturally and y Appropriate
linguistically relevant to the RIS population. Practice Birth-
Age 8
Currently

2. Proposed changes based on review

We chose to eliminate the use of Creative Curriculum and adopt the
philosophical approach of Reggio Emilia and the Washington DC
Common Core Early Learning Standards. We'd like to continue to develop
our approach of Reggio Emilia and implement a child-centered curriculum
framework, such as Emergent Curriculum.

- When discontinuing the implementation of Creative Curriculum, teachers

are allowed to fully incorporate and embrace all aspects of
developmentally appropriate practices for young children.

- The implementation of the philosophical approach of Reggio Emilia has

allowed us to...
● reframe the way in which adults and children interact,
● change the current RIS perspective of Early Childhood Education
and learning,
● encourage constructivist learning to further develop children as
lifelong learners.

- The adoption of the Washington D.C. Common Core Early Learning

Standards has allowed us to...
● reframe the focus of the Early Childhood Department to
encompass all developmental domains for two-five year old
children.

- The proposed child-centered curriculum framework would be to adopt

the Emergent Curriculum model to teaching and learning. Emergent
Curriculum allows for children’s interests to truly be followed, while
developing curriculum specifically for a group of students that
encompasses the Washington D.C. Early Learning Standards.

How students learn

1. Description of current program including strengths and
identified areas for growth
Previously Maslow’s
Creative Curriculum emphasizes the importance of child exploration and Hierarchy of
choice to guide learning, and established classroom structures and Needs
routines. These structures and routines are embedded in the daily
schedule, and guide the interest area learning time of the day.
Creative
Currently Curriculum 38
Objectives
STRENGTHS
Previously
- The Creative Curriculum model describes teaching and units of study to
be designed around children’s interest.

- The Creative Curriculum highlights that best practices, within Early

Childhood Education, are…
● inquiry-based learning
● play-based learning
● encompass child interest
● incorporates child choice

- The emphasis of clearly established routines and classroom

structures, provides children with a sense of safety and security. When Critique of the
children feel safe and secure, that is when learning can flourish. Creative
Curriculum for
- Through Creative Curriculum, children learn by exploring a variety of PreSchool
interest areas. Each interest area is an individual learning encounter that (2018)
focuses upon the 38 Creative Curriculum Learning Objectives.

Currently

AREAS FOR GROWTH

The disconnection between the Creative Curriculum theory and practice
drastically limit the way, in which, young children learn. Predetermined
units of study depict the content that drives the learning taking place in
the classroom, not the community of learners (children and teachers).
● Within the Creative Curriculum units of study, the daily interest
area learning encounters are predetermined.
● The Creative Curriculum units of study, limit potential learning
encounters that could take place, because it does not actually
follow children’s interest, theories, and questions.

- When the units of study are predetermined, and Early Childhood

educators need only to follow a day-to-day and week-to-week scheduled
script, the children’s voice is lost.
● When the children’s voice is lost, the curriculum becomes not
relevant nor relatable to the children.
● When this occurs, young children become passive in their
processes of learning and the culture of education shifts toward
teacher-directed learning. The Hundred
Languages of
2. Rationale for choice of preferred methodology. Children: The
The Creative Curriculum units of study are misaligned with the Reggio Emilia
philosophy of teaching and learning. The Reggio Emilia approach Experience in
requires that teachers follow student interests, meaning topics of study are Transformation
not predetermined. (2012)

Following World War II, the citizens of an Italian city, Reggio Emilia,
sought to reconstruct their society to be a place free of oppression and
inequality. The citizens of Reggio Emilia began reconstructing the physical
space of their city, but also rethinking the educational journey of their
youngest citizens. A primary school teacher of Reggio Emilia, Loris
Malaguzzi, greatly influenced the restructuring of the educational system
of young children within Reggio Emilia. Through the work of Malaguzzi
and infant, toddler, and preschool educators the Reggio Emilia
philosophical approach to education was born. The Reggio Emilia
approach is influenced by the philosophical work of Jean Piaget and Lev
Vygotsky.

The philosophical approach of Reggio Emilia, embraces the components

of…
● A powerful image of the child. Children are seen as "rich in
potential, strong, powerful, competent, and most of all, connected
to adults and other children" (Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 10). Children are
seen to actively construct knowledge through play.
● The hundred languages of children. Children are believed to be
 capable of communicating and expressing their perspectives
through many different languages of expression. Educators honor
the hundred languages.
● The importance of relationships to assist in growth and
development. Learning is a process that requires the relationships
between others. Relationships amongst children, families,
teachers, and communities are critical for the development of
young children.
● The environment as the third teacher. The relationship children National
have with their learning environment is highly respected. The Association for
learning space provides children with rich opportunities to further the Education
make connections, build theories, and grow their sense of self of Young
within the context of their individuality and belongingness to the Children:
community. Inspired by
● The role of the teacher. Teachers are seen as researchers and Reggio Emilia:
carefully observe, listen, document, collaborate, and reflect on Emergent
what is occurring in the classroom. The role of the teacher is to Curriculum
provocate children’s explorations to further expand their
discoveries and deepen understandings.
Benefits of
3. Proposed changes to the RIS program after analyzing 1 & 2 Emergent
After piloting the Reggio Emilia approach in two classrooms (one PreK 3 Curriculum
and one PreK 4), it became evident that the learning environment
transformed. The two classrooms reported to experience a shift from
teacher directed instruction to a collaborative learning environment that
was equally shared between child and teacher voices. This transformation
allowed children to take ownership in their learning and develop an
understanding that learning is a process and way to grow.

At the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, a meeting was held with the
following members Dan Smith, Shalee Cunningham, Sudarat ___,
Madeleine Bystrom, and Kyleigh Pharris. At this meeting, it was decided
the Early Childhood Department would no longer use the Creative
Curriculum program and officially adopt the Reggio Emilia approach. This
decision was based upon the research, ongoing conversations, and the
reflection and feedback from piloting the Reggio Emilia approach in the
PreK 3 and 4 classrooms.

The proposed child-centered curriculum framework would be to adopt the

Emergent Curriculum model to teaching and learning. Emergent
Curriculum…
● Builds upon the Reggio Emilia approach principles.
● Allows Early Childhood educators to design and implement
curriculum that truly reflects children’s interests, theories, and
questions about the world.
● Encompasses developmentally appropriate practices for
children between the ages of 2 to 5 years old.
● Creates an environment that fosters a learning community that
gives ownership to the children and teachers.
 How assessment is used

Program Assessment
1. Summary of data used to evaluate program.
Previously
Creative
Currently Curriculum 38
The PreK section is the fastest growing part of the Elementary School. Objectives
PreK2-4 contains 23% of the ES student body. Currently, there are two
administrators for nine grade levels (PreK2 - Grade 5). 3-4 year old
Assessment
Student Assessment Rubric
1. A summary of types of student assessment, frequency, and
proposed changes of how instruction will be modified as a 4-5 year old
result of assessment data. Assessment
Previously Rubric
The learning standards within the Creative Curriculum, outline 38
objectives within 10 developmental domains. The current assessment
procedures of children’s learning is based upon the 38 objectives from
Creative Curriculum. Washington
D.C. Common
- However, the assessments and report card standards were compiled Core Early
from the Creative Curriculum objectives to construct teacher-created Learning
objectives specifically for RIS PreK children. Standards:
- The construction of teacher-created assessment standards allowed for Infant & Toddler
standards to lose elements of developmentally appropriate practices. Standards

Currently: PreKindergarte
The adoption of the Washington D.C. Early Learning Standards has n Standards
allowed for children to be assessed in a developmentally age appropriate
manner. Children’s growth and development is communicated with Vygotsky: Zone
families through a individual learning portfolio. This allows all aspects of of Proximal
the child’s unique developmental journey and learning to be Development
communicated and collaborated with families and teachers. Portfolio’s
also allow for student reflection of their learning journey. Developmental
Scope &
2. The expected results of the changes (in terms of student Sequence
achievement as it relates to the Standards, Benchmarks, and
POPs)
Adopting the Washington D.C. Early Learning Standards focus upon child
development, and
● guide educators to follow a child’s specific developmental path,
● assist in the creation of Emergent Curriculum investigations,
● effectively communicate growth and development to families,
children, teachers, and administration.

SECTION 3 An itemized and prioritized list of resources needed to support the recommended
changes to the curriculum program, including ISO numbers and estimated costs.
 Recommendations are listed in order of priority.

1. Official implementation of Emergent Curriculum

1. The official adoption of Emergent Curriculum flows into the Reggio Emilia
approach and the Washington D.C. Early Learning Standards, and supports
the child learning portfolios for assessment.
2. Emergent Curriculum embraces developmentally appropriate practice for
young children.
2. Hiring of an Early Childhood Pedagogista (CPD Office)
1. The Pedagogista would participate in curriculum planning, collaboration
with grade level teams, facilitation of department meetings, and strengthen
the core principles and values of the EC Department (Reggio Emilia and
Emergent Curriculum).
2. The CPD member would closely work with the ES Admin Team.
3. This would give the Early Childhood Department a member of the Admin
Council Team, to help in larger decision making processes and think about
best practices for young children.
3. Increased Student Services Support
1. Hiring a Learning Support Specialist to assist in Early Intervention
strategies and float amongst the PreK 2-4 classrooms.
2. Hiring an English Language Development Specialist to assist in ELD
strategies and float amongst the PreK 2-4 classrooms.
3. Contracting/hiring an Occupational Therapist to support children in PreK 2-
4 classrooms.
1. School Year 2018-2019 Children who could benefit from additional
support (LS-9 children, ELD-15 children, OT-14 children, Speech-9
children).
4. Increased Classroom Libraries
1. Update our classroom library collection to incorporate developmentally age
appropriate and culturally relevant books.
2. The books in PreK 3 and 4 year old classrooms are very worn and old.
5. Hiring Processes of Early Childhood Educators
1. Emphasizing the importance of hiring teachers with a certification of Early
Childhood.
2. If we do not hire a LS Specialist, ensuring a certified teacher with a learning
support certification is a member on each PreK grade level team (for
instance... Karen, Lauren, and Kyleigh all have special education
backgrounds and can be resources to team).
6. Professional Development Opportunities
1. Specifically focused upon Reggio Emilia and Emergent Curriculum
1. Reggio Emilia and Emergent Curriculum
1. Teacher Leaders
a. Reggio Study Groups (April 2019)
i. Participant fee (1300 euros/~1480 USD)
ii. Flight (~1000 USD)
iii. Train (~30 USD)
iv. Accommodation (~500 USD or less)
1. Total: approx. 3,010 USD per person
2. Teachers
a. Knowledge Source Institute: Reggio workshop
 b. PreK-specific workshops hosted by RIS CPD on
inservice days
c. RIS to host a consultant to work with Early Childhood
team, and host a weekend workshop
d. Early Childhood WIDA Climbs Course
e. Book studies
f. NAEYC PD opportunities:
i. Online self-paced learning modules
ii. Professional Learning Institutes & Annual
Conferences
iii. Webinars (live & recorded)
3. Instructional Assistants
a. Teacher-led workshops, based on specific areas of
need (Reggio philosophy, supporting interest-driven
learning, behavior management strategies, and more)
b. Knowledge Source Institute: Reggio workshop
c. Book studies or readings
7. Admissions and Screening Process
1. Implementing the Ages and Stages to facilitate the screening process of all
children (faculty and non-faculty children). This will identify where children
are currently in their development, and if any developmental delays exist.
2. Screening documentation shared with teachers before children begin
school.
3. Thoughtful class placement. Aligning student needs with teacher
qualifications/strengths, and with team input.
8. Learning Environments
1. Playground Committee shifting focus of playground, but as an
outdoor atelier for PreK 3 and 4 year old classrooms.
2. Furniture to increase our indoor learning environments.
3. Rethinking our learning environments.
9. Advertisement to Potential Families
1. Collaboration with Admissions Office and School Advancement Office.
Make sure we are effectively communicating our philosophy and beliefs to
potential families.
10. Family Engagement Opportunities
1. Host parent coffee’s for PreK families, throughout the school year.
2. Open house style mornings/afternoons to create a collaborative community
of learning to benefit children in all PreK grade levels.