Topic 4 Kurikulum Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanakpdf

Topic
Structure
of Early
Childhood
Curriculum:
Planning,
Designing,
Implementing
and Assessing
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1.
Plan a curriculum
development;
that
promotes
childrens
learning
2.
Design goals and objectives that contribute to the reason for the
curriculum;
3.
Implement activities and materials that is needed to carry out the

desired goals and objectives; and
4.
Evaluate the assessment in early childhood curriculum.
Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)
and
TOPIC 4
STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING AND ASSESSING
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INTRODUCTION
The curriculum is an academic or study plan that should include (Lattuca &
Stark, 2009):
(a)
Purpose;
(b)
Content;
(c)
Sequence;
(d)
Instructional methods;
(e)
Instructional resources;
(f)
Evaluation approaches; and
(g)
Plan adjustments based on experience or data assessment.
Nowadays, the use of early childhood curriculum models is on the rise again and
it is due to these reasons (Goffin, 2000):
(a)
One of the education goals is that children have to be ready to learn upon
entering schools;
(b)
To increase the low academic achievement of children who come from lowincome families;
(c)
Education policy makers are responding to the findings from neuroscience

on early brain development; and
(d)
Many evidence shows the overall low quality of centre-based and family
child care.
This is true as curriculum plays an important role to achieve the goal of

enhancing social competence and school readiness among young children (Early
childhood development: Early childhood education, 2015).
However, early childhood curriculum is not just about increasing childrens
academic achievement as it should also include experiences that can be
developed to help children improve their problem-solving, thinking, reasoning
and creating skills. Childhood educators need to employ a curriculum that is not
only thoughtfully planned, but one that is also challenging, engaging,
appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive and able to promote positive
outcomes among young children (National Association for the Education of
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Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood

Specialists in State Departments of Education (SDE), and, 2004).
There are different kinds of sources that should be included when developing a
curriculum, including knowledge of early childhood, childrens individual
characteristics, the knowledge base of various disciplines, the values of our
culture, parents desires and the knowledge children need to function
proficiently in society (NAEYC and NAECS/SDE, 2004).
In this topic, it is important to know the aspects of planning, designing,
implementing and assessing the curriculum to ensure it promotes childrens
learning and development when developing early childhood curriculum.
ACTIVITY 4.1
What kind of sources should be included when developing a
curriculum? Discuss.
4.1
PLANNING
Early childhood education is more meaningful for children when they are
connected to real-world experiences, including their culture (Patton & Kokoski,
1996). This means that the objectives of the planned curriculum must be linked
with the developmental tasks appropriate for children and be comprehensive in
scope. Although recent changes in early childhood curriculum puts more
emphasis on academic content, it is important to remember the other disciplines
like art, music, science, social studies and learning through playing. Thus, it is
essential to know the indicators of an effective curriculum and the vital
components of planning. Next, you will also need to know the difference
between rigid and flexible planning, and how to plan based on questions asked
to yourself.
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4.1.1

51
Indicators of Effective Curriculum
According to the NAEYC and the NAECS/SDE (2004), to write an effective

curriculum, there are eight indicators as shown next:
(a)
Children are Active and Engaged

Children are able to learn through play, thus it is important to always keep
them active and engaged when implementing a curriculum. They should be
kept busy in learning centres, groups and outdoor play to actively learn
content from various subjects that have been incorporated within
individual activities.
(b)
Goals are Clear and Shared by All

In early childhood education, the curriculum includes learning goals and
skills based on the childrens level. These goals are visually supported
through pictures, labels, bulletin boards and charts. The goals are also
shared with the parents through communication forms.
(c)
Curriculum is Evidence Based

The ideal curriculum for early childhood is based on reliable research and
developmental theories which offers principal perspectives on how
children learn. Besides using classic theories from Vygotsky, Piaget,
Maslow and others, the curriculum must also be based on modern research.
This is to ensure that the curriculum is updated and relevant to current
interests and needs of young children.
(d)
Valued Content is Learned through Investigation and Focused, Intentional

Teaching
Every planned activity and learning item serves a developmental purpose.
Children should be able to learn through exploring, which is why the
curriculum must include appropriate learning environment, daily routines,
planning daily or weekly activities, and assessing and evaluating a childs
progress.
(e)
Curriculum Builds on Prior Learning and Experiences

The curriculums learning environment, routines and activities have to be
socially-relevant, intellectually engaging and meaningful to young children.
Teachers need to know what is a childs learning preference and implement
the appropriate strategies that build on his or her prior learning and
experiences.
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(f)
Curriculum is Comprehensive
Teachers must assess and evaluate before planning activities that are
appropriate for children. This is why the curriculum has to include
emergent curricular process which promotes cognitive, physical, socialemotional and language and literacy content through developmentally and
culturally appropriate practices.
(g)
Professional Standards Validate the Curriculums Subject-matter Content

The curriculum has to be aligned with the learning standards by wellknown early childhood agencies like Head Start, NAEYC and Bright from
the Start. In Malaysia, the curriculum is parallel with the learning standards
set by the Ministry of Education under the curriculum development.
(h)
The Curriculum is Likely to Benefit Children

If teachers are able to execute the curriculum as intended, it will create a
continuous opportunity for appropriate learning; enabling a child to
continuously improve. In order to do so, the daily instruction must be
based on curiosity, interests, needs and developmental goals and skills of
the children.
4.1.2
Vital Components of Planning
The following are the six vital components when planning a curriculum under
early childhood by the Connecticut State Department of Education (2007):
(a)
Objectives or performance standards for children to achieve by the end of

the curriculum.
(b)
The teacher does an ongoing assessment of their students skills,

development and abilities.
(c)
The content is available in language and literacy, mathematical concepts

and scientific enquiry.
(d)
The teacher plans a lesson that captures students curiosity so that they are
able to gain processes and experiences in a learning context.
(e)
The teacher interaction with young children is balanced between teacher

directed and child-initiated behaviours and strategies.
(f)
Organisation of the environment, schedule and materials.
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4.1.3

53
Planning a Curriculum
Once a teacher understands the indicators and components of curriculum

planning, they need to know how to start planning a curriculum. It might seem
overwhelming at first, which is why Table 4.1 is meant to help new teachers on
how to get started when planning a curriculum. Table 4.1 also includes questions
to ask themselves while planning to ensure that the curriculum fulfils students
and teachers needs in the classroom.
Table 4.1: Teachers Guide in Planning a Curriculum
How to Get Started
What to Ask Yourself
Identify students developmental

characteristics based on their age.
What developmental stage is the child

at?
Students individual abilities are

regularly assessed.
What is his ability?
Define two performance standards for

each of the four domains on which to
focus.
Which performance standard is

appropriate based on childrens present
development?
How will the different learning styles
and abilities be accommodated?
Select the best ways for students to be

engaged based on an appropriate
experience and determine the best
context for it to happen.
Can children be involved in the

planning?
What are the content or concepts that
should be introduced?
What context is best to enhance a childs
learning experience?
Differentiate between teacher

behaviours and strategies.
How involved should a teacher be if he

or she wants to direct, guide or model?
Are the language and diversity issues
being considered?
Organise the materials and environment

in the classroom.
Which part of the curriculum need to be

changed?
What kinds of materials are needed to
enhance childrens enquiry?
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Observe students learning experiences

and projects as a guide for future
planning and ongoing assessment.
What experiences are working?

What kind of questions do the children
have?
Are the children gaining any kind of
knowledge or content?
What is the next best step based on the
performance standard?
4.1.4
Rigid Planning versus Flexible Planning
Every teacher must plan their lessons, where they have the general idea of the
time and sequence of activities. However in early childhood education, lessons
cannot be planned to a rigid time schedule. Unfortunately, nowadays young
children are rushed from one activity to another because the teacher follows the
lesson plan rigidly. For example, children are learning how to use watercolours
during art. Even though the students are interested in the lesson, it may take time
to teach them how to use watercolours properly. Instead of prolonging the lesson
for a bit more, the teacher rushes the children to finish up because they have to
learn English at 2p.m.
If a teacher was more flexible, instead of following the rigid time of only 35
minutes for art, the period is extended to 45 minutes because of the childrens
involvement and interest. This is because children need to move around freely in
the classroom to spark their curiosity and initiate learning experiences in
different ways. Thus teachers need to have the general idea of understanding the
needs of the children when learning to allow some flexibility in their lesson plan.
As said by Eliason and Jenkins (1981, p. 75), there is great value in a wellstructured curriculum of sequential learning plans, but considerable flexibility
and skill must be used in following these through.
ACTIVITY 4.2
1.
How can the goals of a curriculum be shared by all?
2.
How should a teacher interact with young children in the

classroom?
3.
What are the disadvantages of rigid planning?
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4.2

55
DESIGNING
When designing a curriculum, a specific part of the lesson includes planned units
where the activities are coordinated to reinforce the desired idea and to meet
childrens individual developmental needs this means that the children is
learning what you intended them to learn. There are several ways to design the
lessons which ensure that the programme is in harmony with the needs and
abilities of each individual child (Brown & Glasner, 1999). When designing the
curriculum, the teacher first needs to make a unit plan or webbing. Once that is
done, the unit plan or webbing is used to make a specific planning called activity
plan. If the teacher is inexperienced or wants something more detailed, they can
opt to do the daily schedule of activities.
4.2.1
Unit Plan
Unit plan is the first step when designing a curriculum and when the teacher has
several possible activities for coordinating and carrying out a particular theme of
the study. This can be done by selecting a theme and then brainstorming ideas on
how this theme can be included in other areas of the curriculum. Using a theme
or concept gives way to meaningful conceptual development. There are many
possible themes or projects appropriate for young children because they are at
different stages of development, thus any kind of theme is able to benefit
children. Here are some examples of possible lesson themes; animals, family,
colour, numbers, pollution, texture, emotions, body parts and many more.
Once a theme is selected, the teacher can proceed with the unit plan to make the
curriculum. This approach gives the teacher a broad overview of where the
lesson will go. Table 4.2 shows how a teacher uses Unit Plan to integrate the
theme about seeds into different activities across the curriculum.
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Table 4.2: Unit Plan to Make the Curriculum

Theme: Seeds
Area of Curriculum
Possible Activities
Making seed collages
Art
Using seeds as part of finger painting

Turning seeds into a bracelet
Children must look for seeds in the garden
Field Trips
Students plant the seeds for their home garden

Look for foods that are seeds at the grocery store (for
example: peas, beans and corns)
Seed sprouts
Food
Green bean salad

Popcorn
The different types of seeds
Science
Study of how seeds travel

Observe the growing stages of the seed planted
Songs about seeds
Music
Make seed shakers

Role play using seeds
Language and Literature
Stories about seeds

How to describe different types of seeds
Choral reading on seeds
4.2.2
Webbing or Clustering
In this approach, the teacher has to pick a theme, project or concept and then
brainstorm the activities and ideas for teaching them. Webbing or clustering is
similar to a unit plan but looks different as teachers organise their ideas in a weblike figure and the chosen topic will be in the middle. Teachers may use the
webbing or clustering approach based on their own preferences, teaching styles
and background. The teachers may also seek input from children based on their
ideas, needs, interest and backgrounds. Young children may also try webbing or
clustering as their project, but with a teachers guidance.
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57
The web or clustering may be used in different concepts according to what the
teacher wants to achieve for the lesson they are planning. For example, in Figure
4.1 is about how to plan a study on seeds. Figure 4.2 is an example of a project
web for seeds study, while Figure 4.3 is a web that contains a child question web
for a study on seed.
Figure 4.1: Web study on seeds

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Figure 4.2: A childs project web for seed study
Figure 4.3: A childs question web for seed study
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4.2.3

59
Activity Plan
Once the web has been developed, a teacher can choose a specific idea to include
while teaching which matches the objectives that have to be met. This idea is
turned into an activity plan where the teacher outlines all of the activities
planned for each day throughout the duration of the unit. The activities need to
connect, strengthen and support the theme of the lesson as well as its desired
objectives. The activities in the activity plan must be balanced and go across the
curriculum (art, music, language and etc.). However, the teacher may choose to
not follow some activities in the theme as it can cause a lack of interest in
children. Next is an example of an activity plan that has been developed by the
unit plan and webbing (seed).
Example of Activity Plan
Day 1
Whole-Group Activity
Science
Study of how lima bean seeds travel
Observe the growing stages of the lima bean seed
Language
Describing different types of seeds
Choral reading about lima bean seeds
Individual Activity
Art
Seed collages
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4.2.4
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Daily Schedule of Activities
Daily schedule of activities is like a process in between curriculum planning

where it is the elaboration of an activity plan but it is simpler than a lesson plan.
Once the objectives are already thought through, teachers who are at an
advanced level in planning can use the daily schedule to replace both the activity
and lesson plan.
The following is the list of items needed to specify in the daily schedule of
activities:
(a)
Order of activities;
(b)
Approximate length of time;
(c)
Person responsible (if the teacher is working with someone else);
(d)
Specific responsibilities of each individual; and
(e)
Materials needed.
Besides including the activities, teachers can include additional routines like
lunch or rest time or reading workshops into their daily schedule for a full-day
programme. This is to make sure that teachers do not forget about the daily
routines as they are important for young children. Schedule and routines enable
children to predict what will happen next and this helps them feel secured and
prepared. Furthermore, children who are familiar with routines are more likely
to be attentive, engaged and learn new knowledge (Ostrosky, Jung, Hemmeter &
Thomas 2008). The teacher may also include which assignment and routine is
assigned to whom at what time to be more specific. Table 4.3 shows an example
of the daily schedule of activities.
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Table 4.3: Daily Schedule of Activities
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SELF-CHECK 4.1
1.
Name the three steps on how to design a curriculum.
2.
How does webbing differ from unit plan?
3.
What is an activity plan?
4.
What are the additional routines that can be included in the daily
schedule of activities?
4.3
IMPLEMENTING
Once all the planning has been completed, the teachers may implement them
through lesson plans. Lesson plan takes place once the unit plan is placed in
broad perspective through the activity plan, and the specifics are defined in daily
schedules of the activities. Lesson plan is the longer version of daily schedules as
it adds procedures to the activities and serves as a reminder on the t goals and
objectives that needs to be achieved. In order to make the lesson plan more childcentred, the teacher can seek input from the children before planning specific
activities. Children will become more interested and engaged when they are able
to decide their own learning.
Even though lesson plans are already detailed plans on how to achieve a class
objective, teachers should not be so rigid and strictly adhere to them. Lesson
plans should be seen as a guiding principle for a more systematic instruction
when teaching. Teachers can also opt to make adaptations and add or remove
lesson items as needed to retain childrens interest and motivation for them to
continue learning.
When teachers want to make a lesson plan, here are the specifications needed in
the format; objectives, focus, contents standard, learning standard, procedures,
resources, materials and lastly, assessment.
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4.3.1

67
Objectives
An objective is a performance-based description that you want your students to

achieve at the end of the lesson. In other words, an objective describes an
intentional result from teaching the lesson. A well-written objective lets a student
know what they need to achieve by the end of the lesson and provides teachers
with guidelines for assessing student progress.
Objectives in lesson plans should be specific, measureable, short-term and able to
observe student behaviour. Next is an example of a good and bad objective for
early childhood lesson plan.
Good objective
Students will label the four life stages of a frog.
Bad objective
Students will learn the life stages of a frog.
(a)
Focus, Content Standard and Learning Standard

Focus is directed to which skills teachers want their students to achieve
(listening, speaking, reading and writing). Content and Learning standard
are broad objectives from the Kurikulum Standard Prasekolah Kebangsaan
(KSPK). A teacher will choose the content and learning standard based on
what can be achieved through the lessons or as guidelines to create a more
specific objective.
Before setting specific objectives for the lesson, teachers have to go through
the KSPK to ensure that their lessons cover all of the learning outcomes in
the KSPK.
(b)
Lesson Objectives
Using the broad objectives taken for the focus and content standard,
teachers need to create more specific objectives. A teacher needs to ensure
that the specific objective matches with each of the content standard set by
the KSPK. The following is an example of how to create specific objectives
from the focus and content standard.
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Example on How to Create Specific Objectives

Example 1
Focus
Listening, speaking and reading skills
Content Standard
:
:
BI 1.6 Sing songs, recite rhymes and poems

BI 3.1 Identify letters of the alphabet
Learning Standard
BI 1.5.3 Listen to, recite and act out nursery

rhymes, action songs and poems
BI 3.1.3 Recognise small letters of the alphabet
BI 3.1.4 Recognise big letters of the alphabet
BI 3.1.5 Name letter of the alphabet with
guidance
:
:
:
Lesson Objective(s)
4.3.2
1)
:
:
:
2)
3)
4)
Students are able to sing the song A for

Apple
Recognise small letters for a
Recognise big letters for A
Name the letter A with guidance
Procedures
Once all of the objectives are set, teachers can write the procedures on how to
perform the whole lesson. Teachers need to decide how to sequence their lesson
based on the approach they have opted for. The procedure is to provide direction
on how to achieve the selected objectives during the lesson.
4.3.3
Resources and Materials
Once the lesson is planned, list down all of the items needed to be used.
Resources and materials are meant to be used as a list for teachers to ensure that
they have everything they need before starting the lesson. This is to prevent
problems like a teacher forgetting to bring the essential items to the class for
teaching.
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4.3.4

69
Assessment
Assessments are meant as feedbacks for teachers where they record all of the
lesson deficiencies and achievement. This is to ensure that teachers can look back
and try to improve where they lack and decide if the lesson needs to be revised
or can be recycled for another time.
Next is an example of a full lesson plan and how teachers can implement it in the
classroom to teach four year old students to recognise the letter g.
Example of a Full Lesson Plan
Class
Date
Time
Number of students
Subject
Theme
Focus
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Bestari 4
20 December 2015
11.00 11.45am
25
English
Fruits
Listening and speaking
Content Standard:
1.
BI 1.2 Listen to and understand meaning of simple words.
2.
BI 1.3 Acquire and use simple phrases.
3.
BI 1.6 Sing songs, recite rhymes and poems.
4.
BI 3.1 Identify letters of the alphabet.
Learning Standard:
1.
BI 1.2.1 Listen to and repeat simple greetings.
2.
BI 1.3.1 Talk about familiar things and experiences with guidance.
3.
BI 1.5.3 Listen to, recite and act out nursery rhymes, action songs and
poems.
4.
BI 3.1.3 Recognise small letters of the alphabet.
5.
BI 3.1.4 Recognise big letters of the alphabet.
6.
BI 3.1.5 Name letter of the alphabet with guidance.
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By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

Lesson Objective(s):
1.
Greet the teacher back appropriately.
2.
Answer the teacher on what are their favourite fruits to eat.
3.
Sing the song G for Grape.
4.
Recognise small letters for g.
5.
Recognise big letters for G.
6.
Name the letter G with guidance.
Materials and Resources: Pictures of fruits, G for Grape song, sandpaper

flashcards for G and g and exercise sheet.
Procedures:
1.
A teacher greets the students Good Morning and asks how they are
feeling that morning.
2.
A teacher asks each student what are their favourite fruit and show some
pictures of different kinds of fruits. Teacher discusses with students
about the different colours and shapes of the fruits.
3.
A teacher sings the song G for Grape with actions and students are to
follow and sing along.
4.
A teacher asks if students know what fruit starts with the letter G and
students should be able to answer after singing the song G for Apple.
5.
A teacher writes down the small letter g and big letter G.
6.
A teacher uses sand paper flashcards to let students trace out the letters
g and G.
7.
Students are given an exercise to circle the entire letter g and G.
8.
After the exercises are complete, a teacher sings the song G for grape
again but with less guidance.
9.
A teacher finishes the lesson by saying goodbye and the students will
reply.
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Assessment:
1.
Students know all of the basic fruits like apple, banana and orange.
Other fruits need guidance to name.
2.
Students are able to sing the song G for Grape together with the actions.
3.
The sand paper flashcards took a bit longer time as each student traced
out the letter g and G.
ACTIVITY 4.3
In a group, create a full lesson plan as shown in Figure 4.1 to teach five
year olds one of the following subjects:
(a)
New vocabulary that can be found at the farm;
(b)
How to add numbers using the farm theme; and
(c)
Make a collage to create a farm.
4.4
ASSESSMENT
Curriculum needs to undergo continuous assessment to ensure the curriculum is

constantly in harmony with childrens abilities and needs. Continuous
assessment will allow necessary adjustments to be made in the unit or project so
that it can be beneficial to children. Since children are constantly developing, the
curriculum needs to be adjusted to suit childrens constantly changing needs. An
assessment can be made using the following questions as a guideline:
(a)
Goal
Did the unit meet the overall goal of the programme? What evidence is
there to validate this?
(b)
Objective
Did the objective of the unit meet childrens needs, abilities, interest and
knowledge?
(c)
Preparation and Procedure

Were the necessary preparation for the unit prepared in advance? Was the
staff made known of their responsibilities?
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(d)
Activities
Did the activities support the objective of the unit? Were the children
interested in the activities? Did the activities promote learning, competence,
enjoyment and engagement in thinking and success?
(e)
Culminating Activities to Bring Closure and Provide Feedback

Did the summary bring closure to the unit or activity?
When evaluating a programme, a childs achievement in performance-based

objective can also be observed and assessed based on their work, comments and
behaviour. Feedback from evaluation can provide useful information for parents
when they have questions about their children and the influence of the
curriculum on their learning and growth. An effective evaluation must include
both negative and positive aspects or failures and successes of activities. For
example, if an activity outcome turned out different from expected then the
activity could either be a failure or it was much better than originally planned.
Successful and positive evaluation help builds a teachers confidence and ability
but failures and negative evaluation only shows inadequate planning and
insufficient follow through.
4.4.1
Assessing Children Learning and Involvement
Performance and children learning outcomes are also part of the assessment.
Each childs learning and achievement needs to be assessed and written down.
Assessment should answer questions such as:
(a)
Did the children achieve the desired objective?
(b)
Were there measurable behaviour changes?
(c)
Were the children motivated and interested to participate?
(d)
Did it provide adequate challenge to the children?
(e)
Does the child have any particular problem that needs continuous
guidance?
Teachers should keep abreast the development of children so that objectives can
be designed to increase a childs progress.
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4.4.2

73
Assessing a Childs Development
It is important to assess a childs development as an understanding of how

children grow and develop can help teachers in planning what will be taught and
how it will be accomplished.
Effective assessment must take into consideration generalisation of growth and
development which should include the following:
(a)
Each child is an individual and they grow in their own way.
(b)
A childs self-concept will affect how he learns.
(c)
A childs total development, not just cognitive functioning must be the

focus of his or her learning development.
(d)
Children learn best through real experiences by experimenting and

discovering.
(e)
The learning experience must take into account the cultural background,
needs, interest and developmental levels of each child in the classroom.
There are different techniques used to acquire and organise assessment

information as seen in Figure 4.4.
Figure 4.4: Different techniques of acquiring and organising assessment information
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Through assessment, teachers can plan learning experience to match the needs of
children and challenge their abilities. It is a must to present assessment
information to parents during parent conference to validate a childs
achievement and as proof of a childs development level as well as learning and
progress.
4.4.3
Evaluating the Teacher
As teachers, it is important to be reflective as it continually makes the teacher

committed to making improvements. When changes are made in the programme
or activities, a teacher must make appropriate alterations. Teachers should
constantly ask themselves the following questions:
(a)
Am I planning the curriculum to meet a childs abilities and needs?
(b)
Are my desired objectives achieved?
(c)
Am I providing adequate guidance, challenge and directions to the

children?
Teachers must continually work to build on strengths that already exist in the
curriculum and children.
SELF-CHECK 4.2
1.
What are the different kinds of resources that should be included

when developing a curriculum?
2.
Name three indicators of effective curriculum and explain briefly.
3.
Create a unit plan under the theme animal for food, music and
language.
4.
What are the four factors needed to write a good objective?
5.
Why do teachers need procedures, resources and materials and

assessment in their lesson plans?
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Curriculum is an academic plan which includes: purpose of the curriculum,

content, sequence, instructional methods, instructional resources, evaluation
approaches and plan adjustments based on experience or data assessment.
Early childhood curriculum is not just about academic but also to develop
childrens skills in problem-solving, thinking, reasoning and creating.
In order to plan an effective curriculum, you will need eight of these guides:
children are active and engaged; goals are clear and shared by all; curriculum
is evidence based; valued content is learned through investigation and
focused; intentional teaching; curriculum builds on prior learning and
experiences; curriculum is comprehensive; professional standards validate
the curriculums subject-matter content and the curriculum is likely to benefit
children.
Even though it is important to plan out all of your lessons, teachers cannot be
too rigid in following them as it may decrease a childs learning experiences.
After planning out the curriculum, here are the steps taken to design the
curriculum more thoroughly:
Once you have designed all of the activities needed, it is implemented

through a lesson plan.
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Lesson plan is the longer version of daily schedules as it adds procedures to

the activities and serves as a reminder on the goals and objectives that need
to be achieved.
Format of a lesson plan: focus, content standard, learning standard,

objectives, procedures, resources and materials and assessment.
Activity plan
Lesson plan
Assessment
Resources and materials
Content and learning standard
Rigid planning
Curriculum
Unit plan
Designing
Webbing
Flexible planning
Arce, E. M. (2012). Curriculum for young children: An introduction. California,

United States: Wadsworth Publishing.
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Implement activities and materials that is needed to carry out the

Evaluate the assessment in early childhood curriculum.

Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)

STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Evaluation approaches; and

Plan adjustments based on experience or data assessment.

Education policy makers are responding to the findings from neuroscience

This is true as curriculum plays an important role to achieve the goal of

STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Young Children (NAEYC) and the National Association of Early Childhood

Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)

STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Indicators of Effective Curriculum

According to the NAEYC and the NAECS/SDE (2004), to write an effective

Children are Active and Engaged

Goals are Clear and Shared by All

Curriculum is Evidence Based

Valued Content is Learned through Investigation and Focused, Intentional

Curriculum Builds on Prior Learning and Experiences

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STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Professional Standards Validate the Curriculums Subject-matter Content

The Curriculum is Likely to Benefit Children

Vital Components of Planning

Objectives or performance standards for children to achieve by the end of

The teacher does an ongoing assessment of their students skills,

The content is available in language and literacy, mathematical concepts

The teacher interaction with young children is balanced between teacher

Organisation of the environment, schedule and materials.

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STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Once a teacher understands the indicators and components of curriculum

What to Ask Yourself

Identify students developmental

What developmental stage is the child

Students individual abilities are

What is his ability?

Define two performance standards for

Which performance standard is

Select the best ways for students to be

Can children be involved in the

Differentiate between teacher

How involved should a teacher be if he

Organise the materials and environment

Which part of the curriculum need to be

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STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Observe students learning experiences

What experiences are working?

Rigid Planning versus Flexible Planning

How can the goals of a curriculum be shared by all?

How should a teacher interact with young children in the

What are the disadvantages of rigid planning?

Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)

STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Copyright Open University Malaysia (OUM)

STRUCTURE OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM: PLANNING,

Table 4.2: Unit Plan to Make the Curriculum

Using seeds as part of finger painting

Students plant the seeds for their home garden

Green bean salad

Study of how seeds travel