Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Essay.

Reading readiness skills are necessary for preschool children to initiate the learning-to-read process (Matthews, Klaassens, & Walter, 1999). These capabilities are classified as (a) pre-reading, (b) emergent literacy, and (c) early literacy. Reading literacy skills that are developed in the preschool grades are the foundation of a student’s literacy throughout his/her school years. Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Essay.Research has shown that preschools provide various teaching materials to their students without deciding whether the application of the materials will meet particular preschool students’ needs.Preschool students who do not acquire the necessary literacy skills in reading may struggle to achieve academically in elementary grades (Berg & Stegelman, 2003). Since each child has different learning curve at the time he/she enters preschool, there is aneed for him/her to be exposed to differentiated learning instructions wherein various strategies can cater to the different needs of the preschool students (Beaty, 2008). There have been different research-based teaching strategies that incorporate brain research: technology and media-influenced instruction that will help young children develop literacy skills (Jalongo,2008). Moreover, majority of preschool-age children entering kindergarten have experienced atleast one of the theories on how children learn such as environmental theory, which asserts children learn from their environment by copying and imitating peers on their performances.These theories have been developed by Johaan Heinrich Pestalozzi, John Locke, Jean Piaget,Erik Erikson, Friedrich Froebel, Albert Bandura, Burrhus Frederic, Maria Montessori, AlbertBandura, and Lev Vygotsky. Environmental theory posits that children learn from their environment, and this is evident when children imitate their parents or adults when they are taught the alphabet, counting, and writing. Further, environmental theory asserts that children learn through real-life experiences like scribbling, drawing, and pretending to read books.These assertions influence teaching practices that are meant to develop emergent reading and writing literacy skills in schools (Roopnarine & Johnson, 2005).  Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Essay.Henderson, Berla, and National Committee for Citizens in Education (1994) confirmed that learned experiences in reading and writing the alphabet in preschool have a powerful influence on students’ school achievements. They gain higher test scores at schools (US Department of Education, 1994) and are more likely to earn their diplomas in higher education. Teachers have to decide how to implement research-based teaching strategies to support effective emergent reading and writing literacy skills and establish curriculum achievements before children enter kindergarten (McGee& Richgels, 2007). This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the Creative Curriculum Approach for Early Childhood (CCEC) (Dodge, Colker, & Herman 2002) in support of the Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) Education emergent reading program.Background and Justification This proposed applied dissertation will take place in a government nonprofit Child and Youth Program (CYP) facility that has 180 students ranging in age from six weeks to five years.Ninety five of these students are in the preschool program and will be immersed in either Creative Curriculum (CC) teaching strategies or traditional teaching protocol for one school quarter. The mission of the CC approach is to improve the quality of early childhood literacy programs. The CC teaching approach uses innovative curriculum tools of the highest quality and teacher professional development that is appropriate, practical, and responsive to the children’s needs.

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The state of Florida requires all students entering kindergarten to be assessed using theDynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) within the first 30 days of a schoolyear (State of Florida, 2009). Kindergarten students’ scores on the DIBELS within the last fewyears have shown that almost half of the new kindergarten students have not fully or did notpartially acquire literacy from their curriculum instruction in preschool (State of Florida, 2009).The CYP is based on the National Association of Education for Young Children(NAEYC) standards’ guidelines on development (National Association of Education for YoungChildren, 2005) and utilizes the Creative Curriculum teaching tools. This NAEYC-accreditedearly childhood program is funded by the government and strictly follows the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture’s policy on health and food administration (OPNAV 1700E, 2008).It is located in a suburban area and is committed to providing high-quality educationalopportunities that inspires all students to acquire and use the knowledge and skills necessary tosucceed in a culturally diverse and technologicallysophisticated world (State of Florida, 2009).The faculty and staff members of the preschool are committed to the task of providinghigh-quality education for each student. Students are afforded the opportunity to developacademically, socially, and physically “while striving to become a productive and integral part ofthe society” (State of Florida, 2009).Current statistics in the city in Florida where the school is located show that there are356,284 (48 percent) male and 379,333 (52 percent) females. The ethnicity is composed of 64-percent Caucasians, 29-percent African Americans, 3-percent Asians, and 4 percent categorizedas Other. This district is the 19th largest school district in the nation. It has about 130,000students, with approximately 8,000 educators at 105 elementary schools, 28 middle schools, high schools, three exceptional students’ centers, two academies of technology, and fivealternative schools (State of Florida, 2009).The CYP participates in the VPK program that is subsidized by the state of Florida. OnJanuary 2, 2005, Governor Bush signed a House Bill, making VPK free to all children who turn four years old by September 1 of the current school year (State of Florida, 2009). It creates a preschool curriculum designed to prepare children to enter kindergarten. Parents residing in the state of Florida are encouraged to enroll their children in the VPK program (State of Florida,2009). The purpose of the VPK program is to assist children in enhancing their reading and writing skills and developing the skills they need to become good readers and writers in the academic areas of curricula in the grade school classrooms in their later years of study (Neumann& Cunningham, 2009).VPK includes quality literacy standards, teachers’ accountability, age-appropriate activities, genuine instruction periods, manageable classrooms, and qualified teachers (Office of Early Learning, 2007). Qualified teachers are those who hold at least one of the following recognized credentials that allow them to work with young children: an associate’s degree in early childhood development or a bachelor’s degree in early childhood or in primary grade education (Office of Early Learning, 2007). The VPK program is composed of 540 hours of teaching instruction in a school year, or the summer prior to the school year. The summer VPK class invovles 300 hours of instruction and requires teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degreein elementary education or in early childhood development (Office of Early Learning, 2007). The hours and days of instruction depend on provider preferences (Office of Early Learning,2007).

Purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficiency of the Creative Curriculum approach. To determine if the CC approach is effective, between-group differences will be assessed after controlling for pre-test score differences. The study posits that students in the CCprogram (intervention group) will do significantly better on outcome exams in reading and writing than students in the traditional teaching class (control group). The teachers involved in the CC program allow children to play with other children by providing fun instructional games. The program was developed in order to satisfy guidelines established by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The NCLB Act was signed into effect on January 8, 2002 by George W. Bush and went into effect nationwide at the beginning of the2002-2003 school year. To ensure no child is left behind, the Senate and House Representatives in Congress integrated the NCLB Title 1 “Improving the Academic Achievements of the Disadvantaged.”The Creative Curriculum Assessment System will be used in recording, explicating, and planning curriculum improvements. This is similar to NAEYC and the National Association ofEarly Childhood Specialists (NASECS) (Dodge et al., 2002). This tool meets the US Department of Education’s Office Special Education Program’s (OSEP) standards for VPK assessment.Definition of Terms This section will provide the contextual definition of the significant terms that will be used in this study.Creative curriculum (CC).This term refers to research-based teaching instruction that offers students different avenues to develop their reading literacy skills in preschool, which will serve as the foundation for their school success. This instruction is described to be flexible to meet the children’s needs and interests. This term refers to a curriculum that is described to give professional development tools for teachers in different formats such as video-learning, E-learning, and other interactive tools (DeVries, Heldebrant, Edmiaston, & Sales, 2002). In this study, the Creative Curriculum program will be evaluated in a manner by which it develops preschool literacy readiness.Early childhood education.According to Weigel and Martin (2006), this term refers tothe stage wherein the foundation for literacy and school success is laid down. This term describes the education that children gain during the early years of their student life.Language acquisition.This term refers to the process by which children develop communication skills (Singer, 1999). It refers to the development of speech, wherein in the child is able to understand and communication through language.Literacy skills.According to Bennett-Armistead, Moses, and Snow (2005), literacy skills refer to the ability of an individual to listen, speak, read, and write. Early childhood educators provide children with activities that enable young students to develop these abilities, which included reading aloud, writing centers, dramatic play sessions, and simple conversations with the child.No Child Left Behind (NCLB). This term refers to a legislation that was enacted by former President George W. Bush in 2002, which is designed to guarantee that no child is left behind. It is a legislation intended to close the performance gap between advantaged and disadvantage students. The latter group refers to those from racial minority groups, students with disability, and those that have low socio-economic backgrounds.

Volunteer Pre-Kindergarten (VPK). This term refers to a mandate of legislation intended to prepare every four-year-old in the state of Florida for kindergarten and to provide the ground work for his or her educational success (Agency for Workforce Innovation, 2010). This is intended to improve the child’s school readiness, which includes achieving high literacy standards.School readiness.As promoted by the National Educational Goals panel, school readiness is described as the level by which a child is able to cope and succeed in grade school,which involves five areas of child development and learning. These areas include physical health and motor development, socio-emotional development, cognition and general knowledge development, literacy development, and the child’s capacity for learning (Cassidy, Mims,Rucker, & Boone, 2003). This term refers to the ability of the child to benefit from school, in the context of this study, to develop literacy skills.Summary The problem of the study is based on the risks that preschool students face if they are unable to develop foundational reading skills before they transition into grade school. This chapter introduced the background and purpose of the study. It discussed the significance of evaluating the CC program, not only because of the mandate of the NCLB Act but also because of the importance of early childhood education. Evaluation of a Creative Curriculum in Preschool Essay. The chapter also provided the significant terms that would be used throughout this study. The next chapter will provide a review of related literature wherein discussions about school readiness, language development, progressive education, and the Creative Curriculum program were provided in order to present the backbone for evaluating the creative curriculum for ensuring preschool literacy readiness.

References

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