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Application: Culturally Responsive and Individually Appropriate Curriculum: Program Perspective

As you have been learning, culturally responsive, individually appropriate curriculum requires careful attention to values and attitudes, individual children, the classroom community, and how the environment, activities, program, and interactions are structured. In this Application Assignment, you will have the opportunity to observe within an early childhood environment to explore and evaluate how effectively the development and learning of each and every child is supported.

Plan

• Print out and review the Culturally Responsive and Individually Appropriate Curriculum Assessment and Interview Form.
• Add two factors that you believe will help you better assess the program and practices.
• Review the interview portion of the assignment, makingsure you fully understand each question prior to making your observation/interview appointment.
• Make sure that you have all materials that you need to conduct the observation and interview prior to arriving at the scheduled observation/interview time. Keep in mind when scheduling your observation that in order to observe interactions with families, it is important to schedule your observation during a period of time when families will be present.
• Arrive on time.

Implement — This needs to be an early childhood program

• Choose a place to observe where you can see and hear but are unobtrusive.
• Conduct the interview in an area that is convenient for the professional, being respectful of his or her time schedule.
• Keep the following observation guidelines in mind:
• • Try to not make assumptions; objectivity is essential.
  • Record what you observe.
  • Note any questions you would like to ask in the interview.
  • Remember that you are observing one moment in time and so are not privy to specific circumstances and/or situations that may be affecting individual children or staff.
  • Try to keep to the time span that you agreed upon for the observation and be sure to thank the teacher(s) in the room and the person you interview.

Reflect on your observation and interview. Review your notes and consider the knowledge and insights you gained from this experience. Include the following:

• Summarize your observation and interview experience.
• Describe the ways in which what you learned from your observation and interview reflected and/or contradicted what you have learned about culturally responsive and individually appropriate practice.
• Based on your assessment of the program’s effectiveness, what practices do you feel should be continued? What additional suggestions would you make? What is your rationale for these suggestions?

For this assignment, submit:

• Your completed Culturally Responsive and Individually Appropriate Curriculum Assessment and Interview Form
• Your Reflection, citing specific examples from your observation and interview

Here is the interview form:

Culturally Responsive and Individually Appropriate Curriculum

Assessment and Interview Form

Name and Type of Program:

Ages of Children Served:

Before you begin, thank the professional and provide a brief overview of your assignment.

Part 1:Observation

For each of the following factors, indicate supporting evidence in the right-hand column. If absent, please indicate. Add the two factors you have chosen at the bottom of the chart.

Note: It may be difficult to observe all of the factors below in the short amount of time you will be in this setting. If you do not see any of the factors below, make a note to ask the teacher in your interview about whether they are a part of the program. Your interview should provide you with much more information to round out your view of the ways in which this program is culturally responsive and individually appropriate.

Factor*	Evidence
Pictures, posters, and other materials reflect the cultures and ethnic backgrounds of children and families served in the program or setting
Pictures, posters, and other materials reflect children and adults with varying abilities in natural situations
Props for the dramatic play/housekeeping area are culturally diverse and authentic (e.g. dolls, clothing, cooking utensils, household articles, furniture)
The book/literacy area has photographs, fiction, and nonfiction books that reflect the different cultures and abilities of children and families served in the program or setting
Table-top toys and other play accessories that depict people are representative of the various cultural and ethnic groups both within community and the society in general
Teachers share unbiased books that expose children to various life experiences of cultures, ethnic groups, and varying abilities other than their own
Meals provided include foods that are unique to the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of children and families served in the program or setting
If the program or setting consists entirely of children and families from the same cultural or ethnic group, the environment and activities reflect the cultural diversity within the society at large
If program or setting consists entirely of children and families who have little variance in abilities, environment including books, posters, etc. reflect varying abilities within the society at large
A variety of choices are provided based on children’s interests and capabilities
Objects in and areas of the environment are accessible to all children regardless of ability, needs, or background
The curriculum provides children with many options to communicate knowledge and skills participation supported through each child’s preferred mode of communication
Participation is supported through each child’s preferred mode of communication
Activities are presented in a manner that supports full participation of all children
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe]
[The additional factor that you have chosen to observe]

Part 2: Questions for the Professional

Professional’s Role in Program:

Interview Questions:

1. What do the terms culturally responsive and individually appropriate mean to you?

2. In what ways do you work to support the development and learning of every child in your classroom?

3. What specific policies or practices do you use to make sure that every child feels valued and is included in your environment? Are there specifics you would like to share that pertain specifically to policies and practices with regard to children and families who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?

4. What do you see as benefits and challenges associated with planning, implementing, and assessing a culturally responsive, individually appropriate curriculum?

5. Are there any experiences and/or insights you would like to share regarding culturally responsive and individually appropriate curriculum? Ways you have grown? Challenges you have overcome? Biases that have impacted you? Stories you would like to tell that have made your work rewarding?

*Factors in observation form adapted from

Darragh, J. (2010). Introduction to early childhood education: Equity and inclusion. Upper Saddle Ridge, NJ: Pearson

Goode, T. (2009). Promoting cultural & linguistic competency [Checklist].
Retrieved from http://www11.georgetown.edu/research/gucchd/nccc/documents/ChecklistEIEC.pdf