Inside this page: Needs Assessment | Collect Resources | Prepare a Schedule | The Creative Curriculum for Preschool | Set Up The Environment | Inform Families | Offer Ongoing Support | Offer More Opportunities
As you begin to develop your plan for helping teachers learn about and implement The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool, it will be helpful to think about the different phases in curriculum implementation. Each phase is described below. Download a copy of this Implementation Plan (pdf).
Phase I: Develop an Implementation Plan
Assessment Needs
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.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Complete The Creative Curriculum for Preschool Implementation Checklist to see what elements of The Creative Curriculum are currently in place and how training and technical assistance could improve other areas.
Study child outcomes data to determine areas that need additional training emphasis.
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The Implementation Checklist Complete Set includes:
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Collect Resources
The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool 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. Professional books and high-quality classroom materials are needed to make this happen.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Take an inventory of what you currently have and what you need. Refer to The Creative Curriculum for Preschool and the information you collected in the Implementation Checklist as a guide. Use the "Setting Up a Classroom for 20 Children" to determine the materials and equipment you need.
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| Make decisions about the method your teachers will use to assess and report children's progress using The Developmental Continuum for Children Ages 3-5. |
Online Option
Paper Version Option
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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.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Create a one- to two-year professional development plan. Include time and resources for:
- Orientation
- On-site assistance
- Staff time for collegial learning
- Extended training
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- Learning Team Plan (pdf)
- Learning Team Log (pdf)
- Implementation Planning Calendar (pdf)
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Determine if you will have a Teaching Strategies trainer come to your site or if you will send staff to a Teaching Strategies national conference.
For onsite training, complete the online Training Needs Assessment form and a staff member from the Teaching Strategies Training Department will contact you.
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Teaching Strategies Conferences
Training Needs Assessment online form |
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Phase II: Introducing the Curriculum
Introduce The Creative Curriculum for Preschool 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.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Arrange for a 3-day introduction to The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This can be done in one of the following ways:
- Arrange for onsite training by a Teaching Strategies Staff Development Specialist.
- Send a program representative to a Teaching Strategies conference. The representative can then share the training experience with others.
- Send classroom teachers to a Teaching Strategies training conference.
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For teachers:
For trainers:
- A Trainer's Guide to The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, Vol. 1: Getting Started
- The Creative Curriculum Video
- Room Arrangement as a Teaching Strategy DVD
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| Arrange for a 2-day introduction to The Developmental Continuum Assessment System. |
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Set Up the Environment
Careful arrangement of the furnishings and selection of the materials set the stage for learning.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Teachers set up classrooms according to the guidelines outlined in The Creative Curriculum for Preschool.
Administrators/mentors give feedback and suggestions on ways to use the environment effectively.
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Inform Families
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| 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. |
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Introduce The Creative Curriculum to families:
- Tour classrooms
- Meet with families
- Hold a parent workshop or an open house
If you are subscribing to CreativeCurriculum.net, share with families how to use ParentsCentral
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Parent Resources
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Phase III: Providing Ongoing Support and Training
Offer Ongoing Support
Attending a 3-day introductory workshop on The Creative Curriculum 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.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Support classroom teachers in a variety of ways including:
- Observe and give feedback
- Model effective teaching behaviors
- Foster collegial learning through study groups, peer mentoring, and attending conferences and workshops
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Attend the "Guiding, Evaluating, and Sustaining Implementation" session at a Teaching Strategies national conference
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Teaching Strategies Conferences |
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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.
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What To Do:
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What You Need: |
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Literacy
Arrange for a 2-day introductory training on Literacy: The Creative Curriculum Approach.
Provide follow-up support and ongoing training.
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For teachers:
- Literacy: The Creative Curriculum Approach (1 per teacher)
- The Creative Curriculum Literacy Kits (1 set of 4 per classroom)
For trainers:
For families:
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Science and Social Studies
Arrange for a 2-day training on studies.
Provide follow-up support.
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Study Starters: A Step-by-Step Guide to Project-Based Investigations in Science and Social Studies (1 complete set ---13 study starters---per teacher)
- Series 1: boxes, rocks, ants, clothing, flowers, buildings, balls (free download)
- Series 2:
chairs, wheels, water pipes, exercise, trash and garbage, shadows
- Study Starters Teacher's Guide
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Math
Arrange for a 2-day introductory training on Math: The Creative Curriculum Approach.
Provide follow-up support and ongoing training.
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For teachers:
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| Some documents may be in PDF format. You will need Acrobat Reader (available free from Adobe) to open and view documents in this format. |
