Emergent Curriculum
Teachers thoughtfully document the life of the classroom and emerging curriculum projects.
Teachers collect “traces” of children’s thinking by taking photos, making audiotapes and videotapes, and taking notes about children’s conversations and play. This documentation helps children revisit and reflect on their play and thinking. It also helps make the daily life of the classroom visible to children’s families.
Teachers consider relationships to be central.
Teachers emphasize relationship-building and collaboration among children, and between teachers and children. Teachers actively seek out opportunities to collaborate with other teachers and with families, discussing their understandings of and questions about children’s play. When we ask families to share their perspectives and invite them to help us make decisions about classroom life and curriculum, we enrich our understandings and we include families in the life we share with the children.