You may not have used a curriculum in your work with infants, toddlers, and twos before now. Do not think that you have to read the entire book before beginning to use these resources. Find the topics that are of most importance to your work and start with those chapters. You will find a lot that immediately supports your daily work, especially your interactions with children and families.

A Trainer's Guide To The Creative Curriculum^® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos

Of course the best way to get started is to plan with intention from the beginning. This professional development resource provides you with a roadmap for fully implementing The Creative Curriculum^® for Infants, Toddlers & Twos in your program. It offers a variety of approaches for making professional development both effective and engaging.

The first section helps supervisors with program planning and implementation. It provides guidance on how to determine training needs and develop an organizational training plan, introduce the curriculum, and develop individual professional development plans for your staff members. The next sections include more than 20 workshops on the components of the curriculum, the five routines, and the eight experiences.

Implementing The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos

Phase I:  Develop an Implementation Plan

Needs Assessment
A one-size-fits-all approach to implementing curriculum would be simple. But each teacher in your program is unique and at a different stage professionally. A needs assessment helps you decide the training and resources needed for effective implementation.

Collect Resources
The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos is not a prepackaged, off-the-shelf, scripted curriculum. We value teacher's ability to be creative, make decisions, and shape their program based on the needs of their children. High-quality books and classroom materials are needed to make this happen.

Prepare a Schedule
By mapping out a training plan for one or more years, you will have a blueprint for action. Without this, your staff development efforts may not be successful.

Phase II:  Introducing the Curriculum

Introduce The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers & Twos to Your Staff
In the beginning stages of implementation, it helps to have an expert who really knows and understands the curriculum to introduce it to the entire staff. This person will likely motivate your staff members and help to ensure successful implementation.

Set Up the Environment
Careful arrangement of the furnishings and selection of the materials set the stage for learning.

Inform Families
Parents want to know what their child will be learning and what their day will be like. Sharing the curriculum with them will help them understand your approach and how they might partner in their child's learning.

Phase III:  Providing Ongoing Support and Training

Offer Ongoing Support
Attending a 3-day introductory workshop on The Creative Curriculum^® System is not enough. To achieve positive outcomes for children, teachers must have opportunities to reflect on their practices, be given feedback and ongoing support, and have opportunities to learn about new and innovative teaching strategies and techniques.

Offer Opportunities for More In-Depth Learning and Reflection
Once teachers understand the basics of getting started in a Creative Curriculum^® classroom, they must continue learning and refining their teaching skills. With experience and reflection, teachers can make informed decisions about how to best meet the needs of their children.