The authors demonstrate how to tailor curriculum to support the varied interests, abilities, and talents of the children in a kindergarten class. Through words and photographs, they describe an in-depth study of rocks and sand, a topic of great interest to the children. The teachers posed open-ended questions that fostered high-level discussions.…

Reflects on experiences of 3- and 4-year-olds after reading "Cat and Alex and the Magic Flying Carpet." Follow-up activities involved children pretending to travel on a magic flying carpet. Notes that children selected locations important in their hearts, minds, and daily lives and that their actions reflected their knowledge of the world, their…

Describes a Montana child development center's creation of an area in which children could enjoy messy, creative, sensory experiences playing with mud and a wide variety of outdoor props. Discusses how mud play contributed to young children's emerging interests and provided opportunities for expressing creativity, enhancing fine motor skills, and…

Discusses how to integrate young children's interests into classroom learning activities. Emphasizes the need for early childhood educators to be creative and open-minded when encountering unexpected interests and classroom situations. (KB)

Describes the creation of a developmentally appropriate curriculum in one child care center using input from teachers, children, parents, and others. Discusses the planning process that combined teacher-initiated activities with child-initiated ideas and questions to produce a unique, dynamic curriculum of age-appropriate and individually…

Proposes replacing the term child-centered with child-sensitive to indicate more accurately the major role of teachers in determining the curriculum and activities offered to young children. In contrast to the laissez-faire, child-indulgent approach of many child-centered programs, a child sensitive approach would encourage teachers to capitalize…