The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment System Allen Brook Preschool Patricia Casey, ECSE Act 62 • As part of the Preschool Act 62 an assessment tool is required to be used by publically funded preschools. • The Creative Curriculum assessment was chosen to be used in all of Chittenden County. • Allen Brook teachers received training in using the assessment in June 2009. Theory and Research Behind The Creative Curriculum • • • • • • Maslow: Basic Needs and Learning Erikson: The Emotions of Learning Piaget: Logical Thinking and Reasoning Vygotsky: Social Interaction and Learning Gardner: Multiple Intelligences Smilansky: The Role of Children’s Play in Learning Theory and Research The Learning Environment How Children Develop and Learn The Family’s Role What Children Learn The Teacher’s Role Linking Curriculum and Assessment Ongoing Process Collecting Facts Reporting on Children’s Progress Analyzing and Evaluating Facts Planning for Each Child and the Group Looking at Objectives on a Continuum • It breaks down each objective so teachers can have realistic expectations as they plan. • It helps teachers observe and plan for all children. • It is strengths-based • It reveals a wealth of information to share with families Four Areas of Development Socialemotional Physical Cognitive Language Social-Emotional Development • Social-emotional readiness is critical to a successful kindergarten transition, early school success, and even later accomplishments in the workplace • Characteristics include: confidence, friendly nature, can develop good relationships with peers, persists at challenging tasks, able to effectively communicate emotions, able to listen and be attentive Goals Areas Sense of Self • How children feel accepted and valued by the people who are most important to them. Responsibility of Self and Others • Developing responsibility, independence, and selfdirection and following rules and routines. Pro-social Behavior • Traits that will help children get along in the world, such as empathy, sharing, and taking turns. Physical Development • Physical skills are important in their own right and for future tasks in reading, writing, scientific explorations, and math, as well as for the development of self-confidence . Movement wakes up the brain! • Opportunities to move skillfully, manipulate objects, balance and control their bodies, and refine small muscle skills Goal Areas Gross Motor Development Fine Motor Development (Big Muscles) (Small muscles) Cognitive Development • Cognitive and thinking skills are embedded within literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts and technology • In the early childhood years, children are not only learning knowledge, skills and concepts, but also acquiring the “learn to learn” skills that are so important for future learning. Goal Areas Learning and Problem Solving • Being thoughtful about how they use information, resources, and materials • Curiosity, persistence, applying knowledge, making predictions Logical Thinking • Making sense of information • Compare, contrast, sort, classify, count, measure, recognize patterns Representation and Symbolic Thinking • How to use symbols • Symbols stand for things such as objects, people • Representational drawing and graphing Language Development • Children who have rich language and literacy experiences in preschool are more likely to develop strong language and literacy skills • The skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing develop interdependently in children Goal Areas Listening and Speaking • Expressing oneself, vocabulary, understanding oral speech of others, participating in a conversation, using language to solve problems Reading and Writing • Handling books, understanding the purpose of print and how it works, story comprehension What to Expect • 3 Progress Checkpoints – October, January and May – Parent Conference – Child Progress and Planning Report Thank you for sharing your children with us everyday.