Creative Curriculum

The Creative Curriculum is a comprehensive early childhood educational system that emphasizes a practical, easy to understand approach to working with children. It promotes the use of interest areas as a way of providing experiences that promote cognitive, social, physical and language development. (Published by Teaching Strategies, Inc., www.teachingstrategies.com ) Below are research documents and links to Creative Curriculum resources.

Research on Effects and classroom processes

Scientifically Based Research on The Creative Curriculum and the Developmental Continuum
This entry includes link to a website with a large amount of research in support of the Creative Curriculum.

The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5
Teaching Strategies
The continuum presents the curriculum objectives in four developmental areas: social/emotional development, physical development, cognitive development, and language development.

Technical Report on The Developmental Continuum Assessment System for Ages 3 to 5: The Assessment Component of The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool
Richard G. Lambert
The purpose of this report is to accumulate evidence about the reliability and validity of the information that the Creative Curriculum assessment system provides and to facilitate the proper use of such information. The report presents evidence that can be useful to program administrators, researchers, and evaluators.

The Creative Curriculum® for Preschool A Comprehensive, Integrated Curriculum and Assessment System
Teaching Strategies
The NAEYC and NAECS/SDE published a joint position paper defining appropriate curriculum and assessment with indicators of effectiveness. This paper explains how Creative Curriculum is comprehensive, scientifically based, and effective.

Selected Bibliography of Scientifically-Based Research Behind the Creative Curriculum for Preschool
Teaching Strategies
This research was used to develop the Creative Curriculum and assessment materials. The curriculum was designed with later school success in mind as a primary goal.

Hartford Children are Learning by Leaps and Bounds
This study found that intensive training and development for child care staff and a focus on curriculum helps prepare children for school. Students in the study were well above the national average on every dimension assessed. The child care centers in the study used Creative Curriculum.

Commentary and analysis

Summary Information: The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum for Ages 3-5 (2002)
This Draft was developed by the Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Center and revised based on preliminary feedback from users and the tool publisher and/or developers. The document contains information on costs, purpose, and desired outcomes among other things.

What is Literacy: The Creative Curriculum Approach?
Florida Center for Reading Research
The Creative Curriculum Approach is a supplement to Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This article discusses how the literacy approach is aligned with current reading research and addresses its strengths and weaknesses. The focus of this new volume is on helping early childhood educators develop a better understanding of the key components of a comprehensive literacy program, the research behind each component, and the instructional role of the teacher. Literacy: The Creative Curriculum Approach builds on the “whole child” philosophy of The Creative Curriculum by describing how literacy activities, related research, and teacher’s role support the child’s early literacy and language development.

Field contributions to curricula

The Creative Curriculum of Early Childhood
Head Start of Lane County Oregon
This site offers an overview of curriculum philosophy and goals. The page also includes letters to send home to parents explaining aspects of the curriculum like dramatic play, computers and art.

Creative Curriculum
Go Kids, Inc.
Go Kids, Inc. operates many preschools throughout California. This site describes Creative Curriculum’s origins, the teacher’s role, the framework, and developmentally appropriate practices.

Scoring Sheet for the Developmental Continuum
Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Adult Basic and Literacy Education.
The scoring sheet corresponds to the Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum. Children are assessed twice a year in four domains.

Creative Curriculum Users - ProTeacher Community
Creative Curriculum users discuss different strategies, techniques and questions about the program.