EMERGENT CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL

Designing Thematic Units Using Emergent Curriculum in Early Childhood Education

My goal as an early childhood educator is to provide a warm and engaging environment
where children may learn and grow. I encourage children to develop their potential
using emergent curriculum that provides a variety of stimulating materials and
experiences encouraging development of the whole childsocially, emotionally,
physically, and cognitively in a developmentally appropriate way. By incorporating the
interests of children into thematic units, early childhood educators more thoroughly
engage their learners. With this in mind, the Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design
Model is geared toward early childhood education (more specifically ages 3-5), and has
slowly developed throughout years of teaching at this level. In order to thoroughly
capture the Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design Model, background information
concerning emergent curriculum (including the Reggio Emilia Approach and social
constructivism), Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Early Childhood Environment
Rating Scale Revised, and each step of the proposed model will be explained.

EMERGENT CURRICULUM BACKGROUND

The concept of emergent curriculum has foundations in the Reggio Emilia Approach
(named for schools begun in Reggio Emilia, Italy). Educators, learners, and the
environment all play key roles in this approach. Educators are viewed as facilitators,
learners actively explore and participate in directing learning, and the environment is
set up by educators to provide for exploration and inquiry. When learners are actively

exploring and participating in directing their learning, the idea of emergent curriculum
develops. Emergent curriculum is simply the curriculum that emerges (is not planned)
from what is happening in or around the classroom. Often early childhood educators
make use of teachable moments to further exploration when using emergent
curriculum. For example, when learners notice and are interested the maple tree
changing from green to red, teachers use this as a teachable moment to further explore
this concept in science or in other ways in the classroom. Here the educators, learners,
and environment are all interacting with each other providing an emergent curriculum.

The emergent curriculum and the Reggio Emilia Approach are based on social
constructivist theory kindled by John Dewey, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and Jerome
Bruner (Dodd-Nufrio, 2011). Social constructivism emphasizes that learners are
constructing their knowledge through experiencing the world around them (socially).
Early childhood learners are very curious about the world around them, and proprietors
of emergent curriculum and the Reggio Emilia Approach utilize the theory of social
constructivism to plan their interactions and classroom environment accordingly. What
type of interactions and environment this entails, leads into what is developmentally
appropriate for early childhood learners.

DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICE (DAP)

Developmentally Appropriate Practice, referred to as DAP, is defined by the National
Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) as teaching young children
in ways that meet children where they are, as individuals and as a group [and] support
each child in attaining challenging and achievable goals that contribute to his or her

ongoing development and learning (NAEYC website). DAP is based on a constructivist

classroom, and notes three fundamental considerations to guide early childhood
educators when making decisions in the classroom: age appropriateness, individual
appropriateness, and cultural appropriateness.

When looking through the Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early

Childhood Programs book (DAP book), early childhood educators can pinpoint the age
range they wish to explore and then read about developmental appropriateness with
solid examples. For example, when looking at the age range of 3-5 year olds, it is easily
noted that coloring pages or dittos are not age appropriate, but open-ended art is age
appropriate. The DAP book does not just cover developmentally appropriate activities,
however. It also covers developmentally appropriate methods of teaching and
environments. Children in developmentally appropriate classrooms at the 3-5 year age
range are offered choices as compared to forced participation (constructivism). Each
center (art, music, science, etc.) is always accessible as compared to being open at
designated times of the day (constructivism). And, rote learning is discouraged,
whereas hands-on experiences with tangible objects are encouraged (constructivism).

EARLY CHILDHOOD ENVIRONMENT RATING SCALE REVISED (ECERS-R)

The Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale Revised or ECERS-R is a rating scale
system within the United States that is used to evaluate and rate group programs such
as preschools. ECERS-R is used to rate physical environment, basic care, curriculum,
interaction, schedule & program structure, and parent & staff education. For the
Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design Model, use of ECERS-R is important in the

environment phase. It provides book specifications and types of activities/objects that

must be present in the early childhood classroom.

EMERGENT CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL

The Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design Model is best used in constructivist
classrooms utilizing emergent curriculum, aligned with developmentally appropriate
practice, and geared toward 3-5 year olds. There are seven key steps to the instructional
design model which will help early childhood educators design thematic units using
emergent curriculum: 1) discover interests, 2) analyze children, 3) create learning
objectives, 4) align objectives and design learning experiences, 5) devise an
environment, 6) implement thematic unit, and 7) evaluate the unit. Thematic units are
typically 2-3 weeks in length at this age level to provide for exploration, and keep
learners interests sustained.

It should be noted that while this design model is based in a classroom using
constructivist approaches, there are objectives that early educators gear their classroom
towards using thematic units. In the constructivist classroom, these units and learning
experiences are created by early childhood educators and may go where the children
take them (constructivism). A learning experience may begin with one direction and
have a completely different outcome than originally planned. For example, a learning
experience may be planned around the maple tree changing from green to red outside
the classroom. The learning experience begins with a trip to the tree where students can
gather leaves. The original plan may have been to come in and discuss why the tree is
changing and look at books about this process (talk about seasons, weather, drawings,

etc.); however, while being outside the learners noticed other trees and differences in
nature. The learning experience has now turned into an autumn walk where children
are talking about all the changes occurring and collecting evidence of that. With that in
mind, the following describes the seven steps of the Emergent Curriculum Instructional
Design Model.

Discover the current interests of children for which you are designing the thematic unit.
Observe daily conversations between children and other children, children and parents,
and children and teachers within and around the classroom. Note topics of discussion
from the conversations that children are interested in and excited about. Choose a topic
that is of current interest to children to design the thematic unit around. Sticking with
the maple example, you may have noticed children talking to others about how pretty
the maple tree is now that it is changing from green to red. Suzy was depicting the tree
in her art, Johnny was staring at the tree while sitting in the book nook, and Liz was
talking about the changes in the tree with her mom. This topic is now your next
thematic unit!

Analyze children according to developmental progress using DAP. Use DAP to look
at social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development of the children you are
educating. Three to five year-olds have varying abilities, and will benefit from
developmentally appropriate practice. DAP also encourages educators to look at
individual and cultural appropriateness.

Knowing where your learners are at socially, emotionally, physically, cognitively,

individually, and culturally will allow you to create learning objectives from this learner
analysis.

Create learning objectives based on DAP that are both challenging and achievable.
Using your learner analysis, create your objectives. For example, cognitively your
children are developing awareness that print conveys a message. A developmentally
appropriate objective based around language arts would be to provide language
experiences that strengthens the awareness that print conveys a message. You also
notice that physically your children are further developing fine motor skills. Another
objective could be to promote the use of fine motor skills. Your learning objectives will
be centered around the learners with DAP, and should be chosen according to challenge
your learners in an achievable way.

Align objectives with the chosen topic of interest, & Design learning experiences for
the thematic unit. Give your unit a title based on the chosen topic of interest: The
Changing of the Leaves! Design learning experiences that meet social, emotional,
physical, and cognitive objectives in relation to the chosen topic of interest. For
example, the language arts objective of strengthening print awareness could easily
inspire a learning experience from your thematic unit. A developmentally appropriate
language experience that strengthens print awareness would be to have a child tell you a
story, while writing the story down word for word. You then read the story back to the
child (pointing to each word as you read). Often children at this age have difficulties
continuing a story. However, during the thematic unit you could host these language
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experiences by the maple tree giving children a topic that is already on their mind to
encourage further story telling, and which gives further opportunity to meet your
objective.

Devise an environment that supports the chosen topic of interest and learning
experiences designed. Adjust learning centers to encourage children to explore the
topic, and provide books related to the topic in the reading center. This part of the
instructional design model really incorporates the learning environment that is
important to the Reggio Emilia Approach to emergent curriculum. In The Changing of
the Leaves thematic unit, you could incorporate many aspects into the art, writing,
math, science, dramatic play, blocks, alone, music, etc. centers into the classroom. You
could bring the leaves from outside into the science center for exploration and
observation. You could provide different styles of classical music to dance to like falling
leaves in the music center which would also activate imagination. There are many
choices for each center that will activate learning from the chosen topic. As for the
books in the classroom (in the book center and all other centers), you can find books
such as Lois Ehlerts Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf. With books it is important to note that you
incorporate all types of books needed in an early childhood classroom according to
ECERS-R (3 fantasy, 3 factual, 3 people, 3 animals, 3 science, 3 multiple cultures, and 3
diverse activities). All books do not have to fit within the thematic unit. They should be
chosen appropriately and integrated into the classroom with intent. Use ECERS-R to
guide environmental and book decisions (ex. the math center must contain at least 3-5
small objects to count, materials for measuring, materials for learning shapes and sizes,
or materials for recognizing numbers).
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Implement thematic unit in the classroom. Introduce the unit you have chosen to
the learners. There are several methods to do this. You could begin the thematic unit
with a brainstorm about the topic where learners give input about the topic. The topic
in this method would be circled and input circled and connected to the topic. You could
also create a KWL (Know, Would like to Know, Learned) chart where you list the
learners input and list what learners would like to learn. This encourages this age level
to get actively involved in learning (constructivism). Throughout implementation
observation is important to the final evaluation and measuring learning. Observation
assessment instruments include anecdotal recordings, narratives, digital photography,
videotaping, and audiotaping.

Evaluate the thematic unit. Finally, once the thematic unit has come to an end, reflect
on the happenings in the classroom. Use your observations to assess learning and end
the thematic unit with the method used to begin the unit. For example, if you
brainstormed about the topic, complete another brainstorm and compare it to the
original to help evaluate what learning has occurred and student attitudes. If you used
the KWL method, have the learners list what they feel they have learned on a chart.
Evaluation is highlighted as an end step primarily because thematic units in early
childhood education usually last 2-3 weeks. So, this model must be completed in a fairly
quick manner providing for summative evaluation.

EMERGENT CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL GRAPHIC

Discover

Analyze

Create

Align &
Design

Devise

Implement

Evaluate

Discover the current interests of children for

which you are designing the thematic unit.

Analyze children according to developmental

progress using DAP.

Create learning objectives based on DAP that

are both challenging and achievable.

Align objectives with the chosen topic of

interest, & design learning experiences for the
thematic unit.

Devise an environment that supports the

chosen topic of interest and learning
experiences designed.

Implement thematic unit in the classroom.

Evaluate the thematic unit.

Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design Model summed up. In conclusion, the

Emergent Curriculum Instructional Design Model is geared toward giving a
constructivist classroom objective goals aligning with a thematic unit in order to provide
further opportunities for growth at the early childhood level (ages 3-5). While the exact
plans created by the educator in this type of classroom are usually altered, learning is
still occurring through teachable moments. Flexibility to go in a new direction with
these authentic moments provided by the environment and its learners is key in the
constructivist early childhood classroom.

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WORKS CITED
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Retrieved from
(http://www.naeyc.org)

Copple, C. & Bredekamp, S. (Eds.). (2009). Developmentally Appropriate Practice in

Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, 3rd Ed.
Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.

Dodd-Nufrio, A. (2011, October). Reggio Emilia, Maria Montessori, and John Dewey:
Dispelling Teachers' Misconceptions and Understanding Theoretical
Foundations. Early Childhood Education Journal. pp. 235-237.
doi:10.1007/s10643-011-0451-3.

FPG Child Development Institute. (2004). Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale
Revised. North Caroling: Teachers College Press.

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