Program Planning as a Leader
Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Where We Stand on Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation (Links to an external site.).
The word “program” in early childhood education refers to “the planning of the curriculum, which also includes the instructional practices, the daily schedule, the routines for caring for children, and the recreational activities, such as outdoor play” (Gadikowski, 2013, Section 4.1). Educational administrators are the instructional leaders of their schools and centers primarily in the planning of curriculum. For this assignment, you will choose a particular age group (infants, toddlers, or preschoolers), and design (outline) a program that is developmentally appropriate.
Please review the following web pages for examples:
- Primrose School at East Lake (Links to an external site.)
- Bright Horizons at Hunter’s Green: Our Curriculum (Links to an external site.)
In your paper,
- Describe the role of the early childhood administrator as an instructional leader implementing high-quality program models, theory, and curriculum into your early childhood program.
- Briefly describe the learning and developmental needs of your chosen age group.
- Analyze how your program will address the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development of children in this age group (give specific curricular ideas for each area of development), as well as classroom management, individual assessment, and the daily schedule.
- Explain how your program aligns with the philosophy, vision, and mission statements you created in Week
- Discuss how your program aligns with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) indicators of effective curriculum, as outlined in Chapter 4, and found in the position statement Where We Stand on Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation (Links to an external site.).
- Discuss a plan of professional development to train staff on how to implement high-quality program models, theory, and curriculum into their specific environments.
The Program Planning as a Leader paper
- Must be 3 to 4 double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center’s APA Style