Curriculum Approaches

HighScope
HighScope approach is based on children's development. They have
separate areas for things for them to do and play with. The teachers have
creative ways to teach them. They have many sensory items and hands on
learning. The children have daily schedules which means routine. The lessons
are guided not directed so they learn the way they want. This approach
provides the children with social interactions.

Montessori
The Montessori approach is action = knowledge. That every child is
unique and different and its okay. This is a very systematic approach they
use things like color coded objects. They have a plain and simple
environment to learn in. The children learn things by using all of their
senses. The teachers have the freedom to teach the basics. They may use
sand paper letters to help the children learn the alphabet. They teach the
children the sounds of the letters not the letters first. The classroom is a
mixed age group. The environment is prepared and very controlled for the
children to be in there. In the environment they have child sized everything
from chairs to silverware.

Reggio Emilia
Reggio Emilia is interest based. The students are serous they are the guide
own learning. There is no set curriculum. It emerges to be self-taught, to
be real experiences. It scaffolds the children's thinking. Respect for the
children, their families and the teachers. Collaboration working together to
plan learning opportunities. Expresses what children what to lean. Its a
very supportive environment for them to learn and play in. Its guidance
directed.

The Prject Approach

The Project approach is popular in early childhood education today, traces
its roots back to John Dewey's use of projects, and is based on
constructionist ideas and practices. Its an investigation that is taken by a
small group of children with in a class, sometimes a whole class, and
occasionally by an individual child. Key feature is that they find answers to
questions that the children have about a topic that they are interested in
and something that they want to know more about.