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represent the trend towards school readiness. A review of the programs listed as academic
preschools in a city on-line directory has 75 listings. Only, one program listed has the
term Froebelian within its name. Twenty-two of these listings bear the name Montessori
in their title (Toronto Yellow Pages, 2006). While Jean Piaget’s name has not found its
way to child care and nursery school program names, his theories have endured and his
ideas support a less academic, more play-based focus. More recently the social
constructivist theories of Lev Vygotsky have become influential in shaping early
childhood education practice (Yelland & Grieshaber, 2000).
The choices are therefore plentiful. In part, this is due to the absence of
standardized curriculum. In North America there is a lack of legislation to mandate
specific curriculum outcomes and methodology (Dodge, 2004). In the province of
Ontario, The Day Nurseries Act (1990) oversees the licensing of child care programs. It
pays sparse attention to curriculum, calling for a visible plan of activities but little else.
Without a mandated curriculum there are numerous alternatives, producing inconsistency
for early childhood education in the province. There are early childhood settings that
produce a written curriculum in a matrix of activities connected to an overarching theme
of the week, such as community helpers. There are others that are inspired by innovative
curriculum approaches found in other parts of the world which includes programs in
Italy, Norway and France.
Global examples of early childhood curriculum.
Curriculum can either be a matter of minimal focus or it can be a transformational
experience. In a global comparison, Bennett (2000) identified two fundamental types of
curriculum, the integral, consultive curriculum and the expert, competency-orientated