The creative curriculum approach is a research-based curriculum model that focuses on child development and learning styles. It uses theories like Piaget and Vygotsky to help teachers understand child development and create structured lesson plans tailored to each child's needs. The classroom is organized into interest areas to provide learning opportunities. Teachers form relationships with students and families to learn about each child and develop individualized curricula that promote social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The goal is to enhance school success by addressing each child's skills and preparing them for kindergarten.

1. Creative
Curriculum
Approach
Betty Ivory
SOE 115 Psychology of Teaching and Learning
Kendall College
http://kendallvilledaycare.org/creative-curriculum/

2. Overview of the strategy
Creative Curriculum approach is knowledge of child development of
preschoolers. It is teacher-directed and based upon students learnings
styles. Creative curriculum is knowing how well your students
develop so that professional teachers are able to create a structured
curriculum that fits each and every child's needs for learning. Creative
curriculum has many different developmental theories such as
Abraham Maslow (basic needs and learning), Erik Erikson (the
emotions and learning), Jean Piaget (Logical thinking and reasoning)
Lev Vygotsky (Social interaction and learning), Howard Gardner
(Multiple intelligences), and Sara Smilansky (Play and learning).
Teaching strategies was created to support teachers and develop
teaching practices that will help all children grow and develop.
I chose this strategy because I currently work in a school who uses
creative curriculum and I wanted to obtain further information on
how creative curriculum promotes student achievement.
http://www.healthykidstoday.org/build-a-better-brain/

3. Credible Source #1
According to Smarty Pants , “Knowing how children develop
and learn is the basis for planning your program, selecting
materials, and guiding children’s learning. By knowing, we
mean appreciating general patterns of growth in all children as
well as the differences you will certainly encounter among
individual children.” (Smarty Pants, 2014) Teachers observe
their students, get to know their students, create relationships
with the child and their family which allows the teacher to
create their own structured curriculum that will successfully
promote growth and development as well as prepare for
assessments based upon the teacher's knowledge of each and
every students child's developmental skills.
http://www.smartypantsmd.com/Pages/AboutCreativeCurriculum.aspx

4. Credible Source #2
Creative Curriculum uses teaching strategies where it is based upon five fundamental
principles. Such as:
Positive interactions and relationships with adults provide a critical foundation for
successful learning.
Social–emotional competence is a significant factor in school success.
Constructive, purposeful play supports essential learning.
The physical environment affects the type and quality of learning interactions.
Teacher–family partnerships promote development and learning.
Within these five principles it outlines certain theories that helps teachers to create a
structured child development curriculum.
https://teachingstrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Research-Foundation-
Creative-Curriculum.pdf

5. Credible Source #3
Creative curriculum is designed for teachers to set up their classroom based upon 10
interest areas for the children. According to Especially for children, “The physical space
of the Creative Curriculum classroom that is organized into 10 interest areas—Blocks,
Dramatic Play, Toys and Games, Art, Library, Discovery, Sand and Water, Music and
Movement, Cooking, and Computers—and Outdoors. Interest areas offer multiple
opportunities for children to explore, discover, and grow. In each, the arrangement of
furniture and the materials involves children not only in learning but also in caring for the
classroom and what is in it.” (Especially for Children, n.d)
https://especiallyforchildren.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/10/CC4_Ch2_exrpt.pdf

6. Analysis
According to the information I have gathered, they all touch bases on creative
curriculum. However, my first credible source focuses more on the research of
creative curriculum and my other two sources focused more about how teachers use
creative curriculum as well as which theories are used to help promote child growth
and development. Now that I understand the importance of creative curriculum and
the benefits of it for the children. I now understand why the school I work for
chooses the creative curriculum approach. The classrooms are very well organized
with interest areas, teachers have very good relationships with their students and
families, also the teachers are able to create their own structured lesson plans from
the guidance of teaching strategies.

7. Connections
Creative curriculum is research based upon child development which uses the
knowledge of different developmental theories. A lot of schools may only focus on
four major developmental areas however such as: social skills, emotional skills,
cognitive skills, and physical skills. According to all my sources, they all focused on
the theories of Piaget (logical thinking) and Vygotsky (social interaction and
learning).

8. Conclusions
Creative curriculum approach reflects on a child’s learning style. Knowing a child's
learning styles helps teachers to understand how to use certain teaching methods
and learn teaching strategies that will help create the best curriculum for a program.
Also creative curriculum is an community, children learn to interact with one
another, learn to make friends and socialize. Creative curriculum approach is all
based upon the knowledge of child developmental theories. According to Woolfolk,
“Students should be put in situations where they have to reach to understand but
where support from other students, learning materials, or the teacher is also
available.” (Woolfolk, 2013) The creative curriculum approach promotes students
achievement because it reflects on a child way of learning through the research of
knowledge of child developmental theories.

9. Communication With Families
If a parent wanted information and wanted to learn about what is creative
curriculum, I would explain it as:
“Creative curriculum is based upon the knowledge of child development. Teachers
learn about your child, understand their learning ways in order to create a
curriculum that best fits for your child's needs. Creative curriculum focus on
enhancing your child's social, emotional, cognitive and physical developmental skills
and if using this approach, your child will successfully get the proper education that
will successfully enhance your child's developmental skills as well prepare your child
for kindergarten.

10. Resources
Smarty Pants, What is Creative Curriculum (2014)
http://www.smartypantsmd.com/Pages/AboutCreativeCurriculum.a
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Teaching Strategis, (2010) https://teachingstrategies.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/Research-Foundation-Creative-
Curriculum.pdf
Woolfolk, A. (2016). Educational psychology (13th ed.). Boston,
MA: Pearson.