Reflecting Children's Lives: A Handbook for Planning Your Child-Centered Curriculum

Deb Curtis · Margie Carter

Mar 2011 · Redleaf Press

About this ebook

Make the complex task of creating a child-centered curriculum easier with the practical guidelines and ideas in this updated and expanded handbook. Learn how to sharpen your observation and documentation skills, set up your space, and transform your teaching to reflect children’s interests and needs. Insightful classroom stories, assessment tools, checklists, comparative charts, and activities encourage new approaches and self-reflection as you plan your curriculum and put it into practice. Addressing new standards in early education, two new chapters focus on teaching academics in a meaningful way and guiding children as they play and learn. Reflecting Children’s Lives is your work in progress—use it to record the development of your own thinking and practice.

About the author

Deb Curtis: Deb Curtis is an experienced infant/toddler caregiver, preschool and school-age child care teacher, CDA trainer, Head Start education coordinator, college instructor, and assistant director of a child care program. Deb now works directly with children in classroom settings.
She holds a master's degree in human development from Pacific Oaks College.

Margie Carter: Margie Carter is an experienced preschool, kindergarten, and primary school teacher; curriculum developer; High/Scope trainer; child care director; and college instructor. In the last decade, Margie has focused her attention on working with directors to develop strong administrative systems that support reflective teaching. Margie holds a master's degree in human development and leadership.

Together, Margie Carter and Deb Curtis have designed and taught college-level classes, worked side by side with classroom teachers, produced professional development videos, and coauthored seven Redleaf Press books. They are regular writers for Child Care Information Exchange and contributors to other publications. Deb and Margie travel extensively across North America, Australia, and New Zealand to teach and to consult with early childhood programs.