Final Version May 5 07

Chapter Three:
The Journey’s Vehicle:
Early Childhood Education Curriculum
(Literature Review II)
It wasn’t so long ago that the idea of using a written
curriculum to guide the care and education of children
under five was not widely accepted. It was unheard of in
programs serving infants and toddlers and still
controversial for programs serving preschool children.
Even defining curriculum for this age group has been
challenging.
(Dodge, 2004, p. 71)
Introduction
Defining early childhood education curriculum is as Dodge (2004) suggests a
challenge. Given the contextual factors that shape early childhood curriculum, there are
inherent complexities within the ecological spheres that surround the field. Like the path
of a labyrinth, contextual factors impact curriculum direction. Curriculum, as
demonstrated in the district of Reggio Emilia, Italy, can impact context. This chapter will
focus on curriculum in early childhood education to demonstrate the impact of emergent
on the practice and self-image of early childhood educators.
Curriculum is the approach to education that is employed in the classroom.
Specifically, it is the theoretical orientation and goals of the program in which domains of
development are emphasized, such as the degree of structure in the program, the kinds of
materials used, and the roles of the teacher and the learner (Howe, Jacobs, & Fiorentino,
2000). In a more traditional sense, curriculum is the plan of activities carried out by the
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