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Emergent Curriculum
Emergent curriculum is an approach to planning and teaching that begins not with a theme or a script, but with listening. Rather than following a predetermined unit or lesson plan, educators observe children closely—watching for what captures their attention, what challenges them, and what questions arise in their play and conversation. From these sparks, curriculum emerges: responsive, contextual, and co-constructed.
The term gained traction in North American early childhood education through the influence of Reggio Emilia, as well as the work of educators like Carol Anne Wien and Diane Kashin. It draws heavily from constructivist theory and the belief that knowledge is built through experience and inquiry—not delivered from above.
Emergent curriculum does not mean a lack of structure. It requires deep observation, reflection, and intentionality. It asks teachers to be researchers, collaborators, and responsive guides rather than content deliverers. The curriculum that unfolds may include long-term projects, material investigations, stories, drawings, maps, or even silence. Its rhythm is slow. Its form is open. Its heart is relational.
How It’s Understood (and Used)
In practice, emergent curriculum looks different in every context—because it arises from the children, the place, and the relationships present. It may begin with a shared interest in rain, ramps, shadows, fire trucks, or fairness. The role of the teacher is to follow these threads, offer provocations, document the process, and extend the inquiry without hijacking it.
Many educators misunderstand emergent curriculum as “doing whatever the children want,” but this misses the depth and discipline involved. It is not free-for-all; it is freedom within a responsive, thinking framework. Educators still consider developmental needs, cultural context, ethical concerns, and pedagogical goals—but these are held with flexibility, not imposed from outside.
Challenges arise when systems demand fixed outcomes, pacing guides, or standardized assessments. Emergent curriculum resists those constraints. It values meaning over coverage, inquiry over completion, and relationship over efficiency.
How It Relates to My Approach (optional)
Emergent curriculum is foundational to how I teach and learn with children. It affirms my belief that learning is relational, nonlinear, and alive. I don’t teach toward a product—I teach in response to what is unfolding. I observe, reflect, and co-create alongside children.
In Reggio Emilia, curriculum is viewed as a process of negotiation—between children, teachers, families, and the environment. That spirit guides me. I also draw from the Project Approach, where deep investigation arises from real questions. From play-based learning, I hold space for open-ended materials and spontaneous exploration. And from contemplative education, I bring the pause—the spaciousness needed to notice what’s truly emerging.
Emergent curriculum keeps me honest. It reminds me to let go of control, to trust the moment, and to follow the child—not blindly, but with intention, curiosity, and care.
References
- Jones, E. & Nimmo, J. (1994). Emergent Curriculum
- Wien, C. A. (2004). Negotiating Standards in the Primary Classroom
- Stacey, S. (2015). The Unscripted Classroom: Emergent Curriculum in Action
- Wien, C. A. & Kashin, D. (2012). Emergent Curriculum in Early Childhood Settings
- Gandini, L. (2005). “Fundamentals of the Reggio Emilia Approach” in Designs for Living and Learning (Curtis & Carter)
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