The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, 4th edition

The first chapter offered the sort of thing I like to read: technical terms and names of theorists. I had never heard the word “resiliency” and I had never heard of Smilansky.In the second chapter, though, it started to offer common sense advice, with little impressive documentation or impressive terminology. At first, I rejected the advice as truisms. But then I started to wonder: if these ideas are so obvious, why didn’t I apply them on my last day care job?One of the most valuable nuggets is the suggestion to discuss disciplinary problems at circle time. I have never tried that, but I’m sure it’s better than what was done on my last job. We weren’t allowed to hit the kids, so we tended to practice what another writer calls “pheasant posturing.” That is, we screamed and yelled at the kids and tried to scare them. The worst threat we could think of was “Wait until your mom gets here!”My teaching assistant never had a kind word for the children. If she spoke to the children, it was only to scold them or bark orders at them. I could think of no solution except to treat her like she treated the kids. But if I held the meetings suggested by Dodge et al., she would have seen me discussing problems, discussing rules, and discussing activities in the interest centers, she might have followed my example.That’s only one of the valuable suggestions given in the book. At present, I’m not even halfway through the book. I hope that I will be even better prepared for my next job by the time I finish the book. Pages 91-92 offers suggestions on administering afternoon naptime. I got fired from my last job for not administering naptime right. If I had just read those two pages, I might still be working that job today.

I am a teacher heading back to pre-k after teaching gifted children and this book seems to have everything I need to let me go back into pre-k with everything I need to know.

Few signs of wear. Some highlighting, so it was in better condition than I expected. Quick shipping.

The Preschool I work at does not use the Creative Curriculum, but I wanted to see what it was, so I ordered the book. It is an excellent book, and I plan on using several of the ideas in my classroom this year. Although it is the size and content of a college textbook, it is easy to understand and read through. Ideas and examples, both written and illustrated, are given throughout the book. This would be a great resource to have in the classroom for the beginning teacher to refer to. Also would be an excellent resource for a teacher to use with her classroom aide.

Dodge, Colker, and Heroman present this updated version of the well-known program that focuses all aspects of the early childhood classroom around the environment, what the child learns, the family, the teacher's role, and developmental theory in its famed interlocking pentagon.Not only does the text explain each segment of the conceptual framework in painstaking detail, but a reference list of both primary and secondary sources sits at the end of each chapter.Please make sure that you get the Creative Curriculum Toolbox (which includes this book) in order to completely implement this curriculum in the classroom.Since play forms the foundation of this curriculum, I doubt a school/community will accept it as valid if they view education from a direct instruction viewpoint.