Early Childhood Standards of Quality for ... - State of Michigan

Learning Environment6. Never penalizes children in any way for lagging behind their classmatesin any area of development.9. Program Standard: The curriculum is designed to include experiencesrelated to multicultural awareness.A Quality Program:1. Provides opportunities for children to interact with adult members of theirown and of other cultural groups.2. Provides classroom activities which include books, pictures, props, music,foods, materials, field trips, and costumes representing a wide range ofcultural groups.3. Assures that children receive positive, accurate information about avariety of cultural groups.4. Integrates multicultural activities into the daily routines of the programrather than reserving them only for holidays or special occasions.10. Program Standard: The curriculum is designed to enable children tolearn those things that are important to them.A Quality Program:1. Encourages teachers to plan themes and areas of investigation based onthe interests of the children rather than planning an entire year’s themesat the beginning of the year.2. Encourages spontaneous, as well as planned, investigation of thoseoccurrences which arouse a child’s curiosity and interest.3. Designs curriculum in such a way that children’s ideas, interests andconcerns are acknowledged, respected and supported.4. Provides for children’s questions to be answered promptly and accurately.5. Addresses home and community events important to children in a timelymanner and uses them as an opportunity for learning.6. Makes available materials children request frequently, as appropriate.36 Michigan Department of Education