Robbinsville Public Schools

Creative Curriculum

Theory

The Creative Curriculum’s foundation is based off the findings of six main theorists. Through their views on children, the curriculum is constructed as a guideline for how we as a center can be united to provide the best possible care.

T. Berry Brazelton and Abraham Maslow believed that children need their basic needs met, which include safety, belonging and esteem. Erik Erikson and Stanley Greenspan focused on the necessity of having supporting, trusting relationships with adults, which increases social, emotional development. Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky discussed how interactions with others are crucial in cognitive development.

The four stages

The Creative Curriculum includes developmentally appropriate goals and objectives for children within four main categories of interest: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language.

The social/emotional stage helps promote independence, self-confidence and self-control. Within this stage, children learn how to make friends, how to have group interactions and how to follow rules.

The physical stage is intended to increase children’s large and small motor skills.

The cognitive stage is associated with thinking skills. Children learn how to solve problems, ask questions and think critically.

The language stage deals with communication. Children learn how to communicate with others, listen and participate in conversations, and recognize various forms of print. In this stage, children begin to recognize letters and words and begin writing for a purpose.

View information more information on the Creative Curriculum website.

Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS)

The Robbinsville Public Schools Preschool Program uses the Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale (ECERS), and the Teaching Pyramid Observation Tool (TPOT). Preschool Classrooms are evaluated using ECERS and TPOT by the PIC/PIRS once per school year. The aggregate data is then shared with the preschool staff member and used to inform their practice.

Pyramid Model

The Robbinsville Public Schools Preschool Program will be utilizing the pyramid model.
The goals of the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (NCPMI) are to assist states and programs in their implementation of sustainable systems for the implementation of the Pyramid Model for Supporting Social Emotional Competence in Infants and Young Children (Pyramid Model) within early intervention and early education programs with a focus on promoting the social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes of young children birth to five, reducing the use of inappropriate discipline practices, promoting family engagement, using data for decision-making, integrating early childhood and infant mental health consultation and fostering inclusion.