What is Theme Based Curriculum?

With so many methods of teaching that schools offer, it might be confusing to know
which methods are more effective.

Luckily, with a theme-based curriculum, students experience an almost unlimited variety

of amazing real-life topics, which makes learning much more fun and challenging.

Let’s talk about theme-based learning, what it offers and why it is almost certainly the
best method of education for your child.

What Is Theme-Based Learning?

Theme-based learning is a method of education that makes perfect sense. At the same
time, it’s obviously very different to how you and I learned, so it’s natural to compare one
with the other to make sense of it.

Essentially, theme-based learning treats learning very differently from traditional subject-
based learning.

Firstly, theme-based learning considers the application of academic skills as a necessity.

Language arts, math and the fine arts are skills that allow us to understand and express
thoughts; they can be applied to any theme regardless of the topic.

Writing, reading, and drawing for the sake of it isn’t something you’ll find in a theme-
based classroom. They are all done for a reason.

In contrast, subject-based learning generally falls into the trap of treating education as
learning for the sake of learning, something to acquire for taking tests.

While there are different degrees to which you can immerse your class in a theme
(themes within subjects – themes across separate subjects – etc.), true theme-based
learning completely eliminates the concepts of ‘subjects’.

A school using this level of theme-based learning will make no mention of ‘math’ or
‘science’ on their daily schedule, because those skills are embedded into the themes.

Secondly, in theme-based learning, education should have real-world application in the

way that the learning takes place. This means that a child is empowered to use their
education to make real-life changes to themselves, their community and perhaps even
the world.

Lastly, theme-based learning treats factual knowledge as interconnected and complex. If

you want to study about environmental pollution, you have to consider not just scientific
matters, but also social studies (i.e. issues related to people).

Theme-Based Learning at Preschool, Elementary & High School

Preschool teachers use theme-based learning almost all of the time. Nobody questions
this, and in fact parents acknowledge how much their kids love studying this way.

However, elementary and high school teachers and parents globally have been
conditioned to think it is normal to separate knowledge and skills into subjects the
moment children enter kindergarten or grade 1. Just because something is the way that it
is at the moment, does not mean its natural or the right approach; this applies to the
persistence of subject-based classes.

This subject-based mentality is beginning to change with the popularity of a theme-based

school in Vancouver, B.C., changes in the B.C. curriculum, and changes in the Finnish
education system.

Now, it’s possible to apply a theme-based approach all the way to a Grade 12 level.
Even universities are now exploring interdisciplinary approaches.

Benefits of Theme-Based Learning

Research into the psychology of learning suggests that learning is a process of

integration.

When students are able to see how certain facts and ideas connect with other subjects,
we are adding meaning to the curriculum.

When those students become able to communicate that meaning, the learning is further
reinforced. This is why theme-based learning is so effective.

Higher intelligence levels

In order to really understand a topic and apply one’s knowledge to solve real-life
problems, you need to be able to connect knowledge and skills.

Through a theme-based approach, children learn to make connections constantly,

thereby developing a much deeper and broader level of understanding than traditional
learning can compete with.

Critical thinking skills are much more developed, because students regularly explore
ideas, compare and evaluate viewpoints, apply knowledge, and even create new ideas.

In turn, this leads to advanced creative thinking (thinking outside the box) and problem-
solving skills.

More Challenging Than Other Methods

Forget ‘accelerated learning’ approaches!

When you put learning into context, learning faces the same complexities as real-life.
Numbers become real-life numbers. Language becomes richer and more challenging.
Problems need to be determined and are not prescribed. Answers are many and varied.
Critical thinking and communication are a must.
Theme-based learning is much more challenging than traditional learning, because the
level of complexity, breadth and depth is far greater. Traditional learning puts too much
emphasis on text books, lectures, exams/quizzes with multiple choice questions and
prescribed answers, which severely restricts any learning.

Knowledge retention

When students learn through a theme, they are learning in context. This not only helps
students understand what they are learning (and why they are learning it), but also to
attach ideas and skills to specific contexts.

Consequently, this helps students remember what they have learned.

Add to that the use of project-based learning (an extension of theme-based learning),
and you now have artifacts that the students create. Facts, skills and processes are
attached to these artifacts, leading to greater memory retention.

On top of that, when teachers transfer previous knowledge and skills to new themes, it
helps to enhance and reinforce their learning and prevent learning loss.

Traditional subject learning can give the illusion that your child is learning. From your
own education, you can relate to this. You rote memorised from textbooks, took tests that
required regurgitating a bunch of boring facts, and then got a score which ‘proved’ that
you understood what you studied. But, did you really understand?

Traditional subject learning isn’t the kind of learning that children care about. Why would
students care about textbooks, worksheets, or tests? In reality, students forget most of
what they learn through this traditional approach. We, as adults, are proof of this. How
much of your elementary and high school learning do you remember?

Fun

It can seem strange based on our own experiences, but learning done correctly is fun!

Theme-based learning is so much fun for children! They are learning about topics that
are meaningful and relevant to their own lives. This creates what is known as ‘intrinsic
motivation’; in other words, children learn because they want to learn, not because they
have to learn.

When children want to learn, the quality of their learning is unquestionably superior.

Theme-based learning also requires hands-on approaches, including project-based

learning, which makes it an active approach to learning – again, enhancing the level of
engagement.

Next Steps
Theme Based Approach

The Theme Based Approach is a way of teaching and learning, whereby many
areas of the curriculum are connected together and integrated within a theme.
Using themes while working with young children has been popular since John
Dewey, an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer first
proposed that the curriculum should be related to real-life experiences.
Thematic units are common in preschool classes since preschool children learn
through interactive, hands-on activities. Thematic units are mainstream among
kids and educators alike. What numerous early childhood instructors don’t
understand is that the utilization of thematic units gives a coordinated way to
deal with educating and learning. Children are able to relate to real-world
experiences and build on prior knowledge of a topic. Thematic units also help
teachers with a paving way to facilitate learning for each child who has his/her
own way of learning things.

A thematic way to deal with instructing includes incorporating every single branch
of knowledge together under one subject. It traverses headlines and enables kids
to relate essential scholarly abilities to true thoughts. Themes help us to weave
the design that brings in the structure to the whole of our approach. They
intertwine the different methodologies which make the learning experience
meaningful for the child.

Through theme, children get to understand their own unique strengths, explore
multiple ways of learning and also use the skills that they have been acquiring
through Montessori methodology .
Through skillful planning the curriculum integrates into a framework that helps
children to be introduced to life skills, academic skills, understanding one’s own
unique skills, critical thinking and ample of opportunities are provided for
children to learn social, cognitive, emotional and physical development which are
recognized as equally valuable assets which are reflected in our curriculum.
Theme-based learning is popular and widely adopted in many preschool classrooms because
this method of teaching and learning benefit children in multiple ways, including: 

1) Interesting Themes Encourage a Love of

Learning
I remember a period of time when my son was obsessed with cars. I decided that if cars are
all my son wants to think about and explore, I would harness his obsession for learning. I
used cars as the vehicle (pun intended) to explore a variety of subjects in a fun and
meaningful way. Here are some activities from our car themed month:

 Counted the number of wheels on a car and compared it to that of other vehicles
(Math) 
 Made a axle and wheel model with TP rolls and chopsticks and explored why
round wheels are better (Science, Math, Design) 
 Made a graph of the different colored cars we see in a carpark (Math)
 Read countless books on cars (Literacy and Language)
 Designed and created a garage from a cardboard box (Art, Design)
 Matched letters written on the top of toys cars to letters written on parking lots
in his cardboard garage (Literacy)
 Painted with cars (Art & Sensory Play)
 Sang the Zoom Zoom Driving in the Car song (Music, Literacy)
 Researched where petrol comes from (Science, Geography)

Using Theme-based Learning, we can help children dive deep into topics they are passionate
about. When we tap in to children’s natural curiosity, they are motivated and excited to find
out more on their own. As the children get older, they can even choose the next theme and
decide what they like to learn about next. They become active learners.

For parents and educators, this thematic study approach makes it efficient and organized to
support children’s interests and harness their interests to encourage learning.
 2) Children Make Deeper Connections
Learning is an integrated process where the brain is constantly trying to make connections
from one experience to another. Theme-based learning supports and mirrors this natural way
of learning.

The overarching theme

 builds a bridge between different topics, subjects and skills,

 helps children see and make connections between them,
 helps them recognize the interconnectedness of the world around them which
leads to more creativity and innovation in their thinking. 

My son
learning about plant-eaters vs meat-eaters during our Dinosaur themed learning month
When you examine the list of activities from my son’s car themed month, you can see just
how many different learning areas were touched on through that single theme (language,
math, art, music, science, etc.). Children no longer see Math, Science, Geography, Art, etc as
separate entities, but instead, appreciate the intricate relationships between these subjects.

3)  Children Learn About the World

Themes can come from anything children are connected to, such as:
  items they see around them,
 favorite storybooks, or
 special events happening in their lives.

These themes become the platforms for children to learn more about the world around them,
as they make one interesting and thought-provoking discovery after another.

For example, there was a month last year where it rained heavily, so we set up a weather
themed shelf. The weather theme got my son thinking about what happens  when there is too
much rain, wind, sun or snow. This led us to reading about natural disasters and how they
affect people’s lives here and in other parts of the world. His learning became fun, relevant
and purposeful.

Theme-based Learning brings the world to children.

4) Learning Becomes Meaningful

A theme creates a context for children to see the meaningful applications of the academic
knowledge and skills. When children can relate what they learn to the real-world, they will
understand and retain the new knowledge better.

For example, during our winter themed learning month, I created two Snowflake invitations
to learn (Snowflake Puzzle and Snowflake Symmetry). Through these activities, my children
got to examine snowflakes closely and they learnt about symmetry with real-world examples.
 Learning about
snowflakes and symmetry during our Winter themed learning month
Back to our car themed month, when my son made an axle and wheel set, he observed the
real life application of circles in wheels. Shapes became more than just another drawing in
concept books.

Theme-based learning brings learning to life for children.

5) Theme-based Learning Supports

Different Learning Needs
Harvard psychologist Howard Gardner proposed in his book Frames of Mind: The Theory of
Multiple Intelligences, that people have different abilities and talents. He called them the
“intelligences and he identified eight of them:

 Linguistic intelligence
 Logical-mathematical intelligence 
 Visual-spatial intelligence 
 Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence 
 Musical intelligence
 Interpersonal intelligence 
 Intrapersonal intelligence 
 Naturalist intelligence 
Theme-based learning integrates together different learning areas and skills. Because of this
variety, this thematic learning approach is able to incorporate different intelligences and
cater better to children with different learning needs. This is an important benefit for schools
or families with multiple children.

For example, in my family, my son loves problem solving and logical reasoning (Logical-
mathematical intelligence) while my daughter enjoys role playing, exercising, sculpting play
dough (Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence) more. In a thematic unit, we get to explore a variety
of learning activities that cover different learning areas and skills. So even when my children
have different intelligences and learning styles, they can enjoy learning together.

During our Star Wars themed learning, I invited my children to make droids using paper
plates. While my son was obsessed with coming up with the specifications for his droid, my
daughter was loving the creation process where she could do lots of cutting and pasting.

My children
made droids with paper plates during our Star Wars Themed Learning Month.

More Theme-based Learning Resources for

You
Theme-based learning is a teaching and learning method that is strongly supported by
numerous researches on the brain and how humans learn. I hope these reasons will motivate
you to give Theme-based Learning a go at home! Here are more helpful Theme-based
Learning resources for you:
 Volcano
themed learning activities

 A list of some of our favorite Theme-based Learning Shelves

 The Happy Learners’ Club: my popular activity membership where parents get
an exciting theme-based learning activity pack sent to them every month!
 Happy Tot Shelf Pinterest: there are over hundreds activities all categorized
according to themes and learning areas.

Integrating the Curriculum Through Theme-Based

Learning
Focusing on "themes" enables
teachers to meaningfully link different
disciplines so that students will develop "big"
and important ideas. Educational researchers
are learning that students are better served
when provided opportunities to develop deep
knowledge about a few "big ideas" rather than
a superficial knowledge of a broader range of
ideas and information. Barbara and Susan try
to choose themes that are developmentally appropriate and socially engaging for
students. Themes can vary in nature and scope, however, they should be
motivating to students and relevant to their lives. For example, one theme might
focus on the color red where students discuss, experience and manipulate red
things in different contexts during the day. Another theme might focus on ocean
life and students can learn about salt water, waves, beaches, and ocean fish through
a range of activities that happen in different contexts.
Developing themes through a variety of activities over time has particular benefits
for many students with disabilities whose experiences may be limited. For students
with communication needs, themes enable the entire class to develop a common
content vocabulary that they can use to deepen their interactions. Because teaching
students with disabilities requires a delicate balance between addressing learning
needs and personal care needs, a theme-based curriculum can provide continuity
throughout the day. As you explore Barbara's and Susan's classrooms, you will see
how they weave themes into different curricular activities throughout the day.