When designing a curriculum, educators need to consider how effective it will be for children. They need to consider if it will help the children in any or all of the four domains. Educators must also think about their students, and their skills. Observing is essential to the childhood educator, because when designing a curriculum, the educator must know if the child is behind or progressing. The educator must design their curriculum to be developmentally appropriate for the child.
There are multiple key elements the early childhood teacher might implement into their curriculum. An important key is understanding the child and their needs. This can help educators design an effective curriculum by planning based on where the child is developmentally. Another key element is having knowledge of the child’s culture and/or traditions. Children are interested and the outcome are more positive when they can relate to the curriculum. Asking open ended questions is another key element in an early childhood’s curriculum. When teachers ask open ended questions, they are getting the child to think and have reason. The child is also using their cognitive thinking. This also helps the educator understand how children may think.
An effective curriculum supports all domains of learning and development. Educators should have centers in the classroom, that supports children across the four domains. Children are all different, and they learn differently. Some children are hands on, while others learn by seeing or verbally. It is important that educators know their children, and help set them up for success.
