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Full-Text Articles in Psychology
Choosing Quality Early Childhood Curricula, Rachel E. Schachter, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice
Choosing Quality Early Childhood Curricula, Rachel E. Schachter, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice
Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications
This article summarizes a study investigating the curricula and features of those curricula used by 497 early childhood educators across one Midwestern state. Curricula were identified and coded for quality features derived from the research, theory, and policy literatures. Results indicated that most educators utilized Creative Curriculum or High Scope (over 60%); however, these and many other curricula did not include all the key quality features. Importantly, most educators were utilizing curricula with no evidence of effectiveness for supporting children’s outcomes. Furthermore, limitations in the presence of key curricula features may indicate that curricula generally are not adequately supporting early …
An Investigation Into The Curricula (Type And Quality) Used By Early Childhood Educators, Rachel E. Schachter, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice
An Investigation Into The Curricula (Type And Quality) Used By Early Childhood Educators, Rachel E. Schachter, Shayne B. Piasta, Laura M. Justice
Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications
Most preschool-aged children spend time in Head Start and other center-based care. Thus, early educators’ use of a quality curriculum is essential to maximizing children’s learning. We examined the curricula utilized by educators working in diverse settings with children ages 3 to 5, focusing on key features of quality curriculum identified from the literature. Most educators (75%) reported using formal curricula. Creative Curriculum and HighScope were the most common; 6% of educators reported no curriculum use. There was a lack of consensus regarding what constitutes curriculum with 16% of participants reporting the use of materials generally not considered curriculum (e.g., …