Curriculum

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 1 of 8

CURRICULUM

Introduction

Curriculum encompasses the full range of the child’s experience at school. The term

curriculum model refers to an educational system that combines theory with

practice. A curriculum model has a theory and knowledge base that reflects a

philosophical orientation and is supported by child development research and

educational evaluation. Curriculum models are essential in determining program

content and professional learning, as well as supporting and coaching staff to

implement high-quality programs. Curriculum models include the skills, knowledge

and concepts to be supported, and the plans for learning experiences through which

progress occurs. The practical application of a curriculum model includes guidelines

on how to:

• Set up the physical environment;

• Make decisions about learning objectives as well as specific methods to

accomplish objectives that support specific child interests and/or emergent

curriculum;

• Structure activities that are responsive to a variety of ability levels and

populations, such as dual language learners and children with Individualized

Education Plans;

• Interact with children and their families; and

• Support staff members in their initial training and ongoing implementation of

the program.

Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) subrecipients implement a comprehensive,

child-focused, constructivist curriculum model for all enrolled children, as is widely

espoused for preschool and supported by the National Association for the Education

of Young Children.

In a constructivist curriculum model, there is an appropriate

balance of child-initiated activities and adult-guided active learning. Throughout

each classroom session, teaching teams (Lead and Associate Teachers) intentionally

interact with children to build on their understandings and enhance learning. Play

and peer-to-peer interaction are vital to provide children with opportunities to

engage in abstract thinking, develop self-regulation skills, problem-solving and oral

language skills. GSRP subrecipients reflect the value of play in a written philosophy

statement, the comprehensive curriculum, and family communication.

Teaching

teams must have training in the curriculum from a certified trainer of the

curriculum to implement an appropriate curriculum.

Regardless of which approvable curriculum is chosen, the GSRP indoor physical

space is organized into clearly defined interest areas that can be recognized by the

children and have enough space for several children to play at once. GSRP

classrooms do not have a large portion of the room reserved for whole group

instruction and/or a cluster of tables for group activities such as journaling,

penmanship, worksheets. Classroom interest areas and materials are labeled and

arranged to support the ‘find-use-return’ cycle. Teachers and children use labels of

many types (tracings, photographs, actual objects, words). Materials in all areas

are plentiful and carefully selected, predominately open-ended and include many

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 2 of 8

real/sensory items versus toy/plastic models. Additionally, materials which reflect

the lives of enrolled families and the community are integrated into classroom

activities. A variety of individual and project work of the children in the classroom is

displayed at the child’s level; only essential adult-made/commercial displays are

present.

Together, learner-centered and learner-driven play = playful learning. Adult-

initiated GSRP classroom activities include large–, small group and transition times.

During these portions of the daily routine, adults select concepts, activities and

materials based on children’s strengths and interests. Adults plan possible

scaffolding strategies for children at emergent, middle and later developmental

stages. Adults comment on what children are doing/saying, imitate and add to

children’s actions, use materials with children and support children as leaders.

Children are engaged as active, participatory learners during adult-initiated

activities. Children contribute their own ideas and are involved at their own

developmental levels. Children have the highest level of control during

uninterrupted child-initiated play, where children make many choices about where

and how to use materials and carry out their activities. In this portion of the day,

adults are partners in children’s play; they observe and listen before entering play,

assume roles as suggested by children, follow children’s cues about content and

direction, imitate children, encourage children to talk about what they are doing,

use children’s words and comment specifically on children’s activities.

The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) does not identify one ‘best’

curriculum model, but rather supports preschool curriculum models that meet

specific criteria. Approved curriculum models must align with the Michigan

Early Childhood Standards of Quality Birth to Kindergarten (ECSQ), ensuring

horizontal alignment among early learning expectations and preschool program

standards, practice and assessment, as well as ensuring vertical alignment within

Michigan’s early childhood and education system and with kindergarten through

twelfth grade standards.

Selecting Curriculum

It is important when selecting a curriculum model from those approvable for use in

GSRP, not only to refer to the program’s student population and philosophy, but to

ensure alignment with the early learning expectations and program standards of

the ECSQ. The following questions can serve as a tool for guiding curriculum

selection:

• Is the curriculum model research-based and research-validated? Are

elements of the curriculum clearly based on research about the development

of young children? Has research demonstrated the effectiveness of th

urriculum model in improving comprehensive outcomes or results for

children?

• What domains are included? Are there learning experiences and activities in

all areas of development outlined in the ECSQ? Does the methodology

promote important development in “approaches to learning” such as

initiative, persistence, and imagination?

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 3 of 8

• Does the curriculum include guidelines on setting up the indoor and outdoor

learning environments? Are materials available throughout the learning

environment to support systematic child observation to assess what children

know and can do?

• Is the curriculum child-focused, supporting emergent and meaningful

curriculum for currently enrolled children? Does the curriculum promote

active, participatory learning through all portions of the daily schedule?

• Are the materials for children’s use appropriate? Does the curriculum model

include or promote many ‘real’ items in place of ‘toy replicas?’ Are the

materials appropriate for the age and level of development of four-year-old

children, including children with special needs and those who may be more

advanced in certain areas? Are the materials free of cultural bias? Do the

materials reflect the interests and home cultures of enrolled children and the

local community? Do the materials represent a balance of the need for

teacher planning and child initiation of learning activities?

• Is there a balance of teacher-planned and child-initiated activities? Does the

daily routine support a balance between adult-initiated and child-initiated

activities? Does the curriculum model encourage teachers to plan topics of

investigation based on the interests of the children?

• Is there evidence that authentic assessment (see Child Assessment section)

for instructional purposes is integral to implementation of the curriculum

model? Is there evidence that family engagement is valued and that

interaction with families is focused on partnership in their child’s

development?

• Are the resources for teaching staff sufficient and appropriate? Is there

adequate explanatory material on how to make decisions about learning

objectives as well as specific methods to accomplish objectives? Is there

adequate explanatory material to structure activities that are responsive to a

variety of ability levels and populations, such as dual language learners and

children with Individualized Education Plans?

• Do the authors or publishers of the curriculum model offer professional

learning opportunities to support staff members in their initial training and

ongoing, full implementation of the model?

• Horizontal Alignment: Has the publisher provided horizontal alignment with

the early learning expectations and program standards of Michigan’s ECSQ?

Are the contents of ECSQ, curriculum model, and child assessments aligned?

Alignment

Early care and education alignment focuses on the content and format of children’s

experiences across settings, through age eight. Educators are concerned with both

horizontal and vertical alignment.

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 4 of 8

Horizontal alignment refers to the agreement among standards, curriculum and

assessment within a given age or grade level. This alignment defines expectations

for children, families, and teachers and ensures that child assessment reflects

state-level early learning expectations. Horizontal alignment of program standards

and program assessment allows program administrators to measure the quality of

the program based on the standards and research-validated curriculum. For GSRP,

the research-validated curriculum model, developmental screening and

authentic/comprehensive child assessment align with the ECSQ. In kindergarten,

there should be alignment among the Michigan curriculum standards for

kindergarten, the local kindergarten curriculum and kindergarten assessments.

Vertical alignment refers to the agreement of the standards, curriculum, and

assessments between age or grade levels. This ensures consistent expectations and

quality from year-to-year for children, families, teachers, and administrators. MDE

vertically aligned the ECSQ and the kindergarten curriculum standards. Additionally,

some research-validated early childhood curriculum and child assessments have

both infant-toddler and prekindergarten versions.

Commonly Used Curriculum Models Validated by Research

GSRP grantees are required to use a research-validated curriculum model that

aligns with the ECSQ. The following curricula are currently allowed in GSRP

classrooms. Descriptions below are adapted from linked websites.

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 5 of 8

Reggio Emilia:

Distinctive traits of the Reggio Emilia approach include collegial and relational-

based provocative experiences, the importance of environments and spaces,

intense co-participation of families, affirmation of competencies in children and

adults, educational documentation, listening and intentional, flexible planning for

children. Guiding principles include:

• A strong and optimistic image of the child who is born with many resources

and extraordinary potentials.

• Participation values and fosters dialogue and the sense of belonging to a

community.

• The flow of quality information via documentation introduces families to a

quality of knowing that tangibly changes expectations.

• Research represents one of the essential dimensions of life of children and

adults, a knowledge-building tension that must be recognized and valued.

Project Approach:

The Project Approach refers to a set of teaching strategies that enable teachers to

guide students through in-depth studies of real-world topics. Projects have a

complex but flexible framework within which teaching and learning are seen as

interactive processes. When teachers implement the Approach successfully,

students feel highly motivated and actively involved in their own learning, leading

them to produce high-quality work and to grow as individuals and collaborators. A

study may be carried out with an entire class or with small groups of students.

Projects typically do not constitute the whole educational program; teachers use

them alongside systematic instruction and as a means of achieving curricular goals.

Montessori:

The Montessori curriculum focuses on five areas: practical life, sensory awareness

education, language arts, mathematics and geometry, and cultural subjects.

Components necessary for a program to be considered authentically Montessori

include multiage groupings that foster peer learning, uninterrupted blocks of work

time, and guided choice of work activity. In addition, a full complement of specially

designed Montessori learning materials are meticulously arranged in an

aesthetically pleasing environment. The classroom is prepared by the teacher to

encourage independence, freedom within limits, and a sense of order.

HighScope:

The HighScope Preschool Curriculum is based on the principles of active learning

and support of a child's positive interactions with adults and peers. The curriculum

is a comprehensive model that addresses all areas of development through eight

content areas and 58 key developmental indicators (KDIs). Each KDI is connected

to and reinforced by scaffolding strategies to support and gently extend children’s

learning. While learning in content areas prepares children for later schooling,

HighScope features methods that promote independence, curiosity, decision

making, cooperation, persistence, creativity, and problem solving in young children.

The website offers alignment between the curriculum and Michigan’s ECSQ.

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 6 of 8

Creative Curriculum:

Creative Curriculum helps teachers create a high-quality learning environment and

build a thorough understanding of best practices. Daily Resources help teachers

plan and manage every moment of their day. Through studies, which are hands-on,

project-based investigations, The Creative Curriculum

for Preschool helps teachers

build children’s confidence, creativity, and critical thinking skills, and promote

positive outcomes.

Connect4Learning

Connect4Learning (C4L) is a research-based curriculum that is comprised of six

units and 32 weeks of learning centers and lessons. It aims to synthesize research-

based approaches in four domains of learning: mathematics, science, literacy, and

social-emotional development. Connect4Learning uses a project-based approach, in

which children work toward a larger goal, such as playing a coral-reef scavenger

hunt or converting their classroom into a museum throughout a curriculum unit.

Each lesson can be tailored to fit the schedule and requirements of any classroom

setting. Observation opportunities and individualized instruction strategies are built

into the curriculum.

Early Foundations

Early Foundations is for use only by KinderCare subrecipients if approved

by the ISD.

Early Foundations is a curriculum that focuses on the whole child in six domains

built on a comprehensive scope and sequence of 120 learning objectives. With an

emphasis on executive function skills, the framework ensures development of

academic, social, and physical school readiness skills. Teachers use curriculum-

based assessment materials to inform their practice and adjust their teaching

strategies and methods when needed to meet the individual needs of the child.

Supplementing a Comprehensive Curriculum

When data reveal that many children are presenting differently than expected in

any developmental domain, the next course of action is always to ensure staff have

focused professional development in the domain in question. The professional

development must have strong connections to the comprehensive curriculum and

the ongoing child assessment tool. The ECS supports staff as skills are

strengthened, practiced, and subsequent data are collected on child development.

If, after focused staff support, data show many children are still not making

expected developmental gains, a process to approve supplemental curriculum may

be implemented.

This usually occurs in one of two ways. The subrecipient may want to utilize

resources from a supplemental curriculum or the program may request permission

to fully implement a supplemental curriculum. In either case, the GSRP model must

be maintained (comprehensive curriculum, daily routine, authentic ongoing

assessment, class-size and ratio, etc.).

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 7 of 8

Using supplemental curriculum as resources in the classroom means occasionally

choosing materials (books, songs, poems, manipulatives) from the supplemental for

use within the daily routine (at large or small group, in the reading area). In this

case, the ECS and ISD must ensure that the resources and teaching practices align

with the comprehensive curriculum and grant guidance. In other words, using the

materials of a supplemental curriculum as an occasional resource means that it is

not regularly reflected on lesson plans. The following chart and questions can assist

ISDs to determine if a program is using a supplemental curriculum or using

materials (books, songs, poems, manipulatives, activities) as a resource.

Supplemental Curriculum

Curricular Resource

• Consistent, frequent use of

materials and/or activities

• Daily routine modified to include

activities

• Reflected on the daily lesson plan

• Materials or activities are done in

order and/or in total

• Occasional use of materials

(books, songs, poems,

manipulatives) and/or activities

• Incorporated into a daily routine

that meets grant expectations

• Not regularly reflected on lesson

plans

• Activities and/or materials are

chosen based on strengths,

needs, or interests of children

If the answer to any of these is yes, the program is likely implementing a

supplemental curriculum and must go through the approval process described

below.

1. Are the activities and/or materials used by teachers with children on a

consistent schedule, i.e., every day or more than once per week?

2. Has the daily routine been modified to include time for the use of the

activities and/or materials?

3. Are activities and/or materials reflected regularly on the lesson plan?

4. Has the lesson plan format been modified to include use of the activities

and/or materials?

5. Are the materials and/or activities used or completed in a specified order?

6. Is there an expectation that all of the activities will be completed?

If use of supplemental curricula strategies/resources go beyond minor episodic use

to augment the comprehensive curriculum, then a tiered approach to approve

supplemental curriculum may be implemented. A process for preliminary ISD

approval of the supplemental curriculum must be completed. A subrecipient using

or planning to use a supplemental curriculum must make a formal request to the

ISD; the Great Start Collaborative School Readiness Advisory Committee is an

appropriate decision-making body for decisions on supplemental curriculum. To be

considered for approval, the request must utilize the applicable GSRP Supplemental

Curriculum Request Form, available as a resource to this section of the manual. It

includes features such as:

Section: Curriculum

GSRP Implementation Manual

Revised August 2023 Page 8 of 8

• Relevant baseline child assessment and program quality data indicating a

need for a supplemental curriculum. Approvable program quality data will

document that the comprehensive curriculum is implemented at a high-

quality level for all children and that grant expectations are met related to

daily routine and partnership with families on child development.

Approvable child assessment data will originate from use of the

comprehensive and authentic child assessment tool;

• Description of focused training, coaching, subsequent child outcome data,

and data analysis expressing educated opinion on why children are still

not making expected developmental gains;

• Questions on the process for selecting a curriculum;

• How the requested supplemental curriculum will fit into the typical GSRP

classroom daily routine, how it aligns with the GSRP philosophy on active

earning and play; and

• An explanation, if the supplemental being requested is not related to the

comprehensive curriculum used.

Decisions on supplemental curriculum are reported annually to MDE. Per P.A. 108 of

2017, “If the department objects to the use of a supplemental curriculum approved

by an Intermediate School District, the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall

establish a review committee independent of the department. The review

committee shall meet within 60 days of the department registering its objection in

writing and provide a final determination of the validity of the objection within 60

days of the review committee’s first meeting”.

If the department objection is upheld, the ISD may choose to eliminate use of the

supplemental and refocus teaching teams in related curriculum areas, per grant

guidance above. In this instance, the ISD may additionally indicate any plans to

move forward with data collection in order to justify the use of a supplemental

curriculum in the future. Alternately, the ISD may choose to reduce use of the

supplemental to a resource as earlier described and refocus teaching teams on

specific areas of the comprehensive curriculum. In all instances, ECSs are

intimately involved in coaching and mentoring for high-quality foundational

curriculum implementation.