Valley School Emergent Curriculum
The Valley School utilizes an Emergent Curriculum which incorporates foundational aspects of the Creative Curriculum along with key elements of the Reggio Emilia Philosophy as part of the Valley School’s Emergent Curriculum to implement developmentally appropriate programs that promote children’s social-emotional development and learning in the core content areas of literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and Technological awareness.
The Foundation Components that we use as part of our Emergent Curriculum include Content Areas and Interest Areas
Content Areas
Literacy: vocabulary and language, phonological awareness, letters, words, print, comprehension, books and other texts, and sources of enjoyment
Mathematics: numbers; patterns and relationships; geometry and spatial awareness; measurement; and data collection, organization, and representation
Science: physical science, life science, and earth and the environment
Social Studies: spaces and geography, people and how they live, people and the environment, and people and the past
The Arts: dance, music, drama, and the visual arts
Technology: awareness of technology, basic operations and concepts, technological tools, and people and technology
Interest Areas
The Emergent Curriculum incorporates classroom interest areas which offer multiple opportunities for children to explore, discover, and learn.
| Blocks and Structures | Discovery |
| Dramatic Play | Sensory – Sand and Water |
| Toys and Games | Music and Movement |
| Art | Cooking |
| Literacy | Technology |
Research
Our Emergent Curriculum focuses on teachers as researchers and child-initiated learning, with an emphasis on responding to children’s learning styles and building on their strengths and interests. The Emergent Curriculum is constructed based on the research of a number of world-renowned philosophers and theorists whose contributions have revolutionized the modern field of education. These theorists include:
Abraham Maslow–Hierarchy of Needs: A Theory in Human Motivation
Erik Erikson–Childhood and Society
Jean Piaget–Theories of Childhood
Lev Vygotsky–Vygotsky in Action in the Early Years: The Key to Learning Curriculum
Howard Gardner–Multiple Intelligences
Edgar Klugman and Sara Smilansky–Childrens Play and Learning