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The CSS Curriculum Model

Science, language, literacy, math and even social skills have all been combined into a meaningful learning experience for the children. The goal is to support the development of age-appropriate skills in academic and social domains that serve as the critical foundations for school success. Five key assumptions underpin our approach:

Children are active, self-motivated learners who learn best from personal experience rather than out of context verbal information.

Children learn best when they have opportunities to practice skills in the context of meaningful activities.

Children construct knowledge by participating with others in activities that encourage them to experiment, use problem solving, and evaluate outcomes.

Children should be allowed to exercise choice in their learning environments.

Children learn best through a curriculum that presents information in a coherent and integrated format.

The CSS Curriculum embraces the concept of An Integrated Early Education Curriculum. So what is this?

Coherent Integrated Curriculum

What it is?

Daily activities build on those of preceding days and provide a foundation for future days.

Having a scope and sequence for each content area gives coherence to what is to be taught and in what order

Subjects such as science, math, literacy, and social competence are integrated into the activities of each day such that the literature children read, the vocabulary they are exposed to, the social and math activities they experience, and the materials available are interrelated.

Benefits

Supports the creation of a knowledge base for children’s understanding ‘how the world works’

Relates new information to what is already known

Allows children to acquire and apply problem-solving processes across subject domains to continually enrich their knowledge base

Uses a child’s interest in the world around them to support learning in other areas

Takes advantage of children’s multiple styles of learning and strengths

Uses best practice and child-centered approach to learning

Children's School Success
Eigenmann Hall, Room 516
1900 East Tenth Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47406
Phone: (812) 856-1492 | Fax: (812) 856-0862
css@indiana.edu

Copyright 2004, The Trustees of Indiana University

Coherent Integrated Curriculum
What it is?	Daily activities build on those of preceding days and provide a foundation for future days. Having a scope and sequence for each content area gives coherence to what is to be taught and in what order Subjects such as science, math, literacy, and social competence are integrated into the activities of each day such that the literature children read, the vocabulary they are exposed to, the social and math activities they experience, and the materials available are interrelated.
Benefits	Supports the creation of a knowledge base for children’s understanding ‘how the world works’ Relates new information to what is already known Allows children to acquire and apply problem-solving processes across subject domains to continually enrich their knowledge base Uses a child’s interest in the world around them to support learning in other areas Takes advantage of children’s multiple styles of learning and strengths Uses best practice and child-centered approach to learning