The Instant Curriculum, Revised

Over 750 Developmentally Appropriate Learning Activities for Busy Teachers of Young Children

The Instant Curriculum is a resource for teachers who create and implement comprehensive early childhood programs. The new and revised edition of this book contains many brand new activities. Activities are designed to encourage the development of skills and practice specific concepts. This book reduces both the amount of time teachers spend in preparation, and the amount of money spent for purchasing supplies. The chapters in this book represent the primary domains included in a comprehensive early childhood curriculum. Each chapter begins with an overview providing the basic philosophy behind that particular curriculum area. This book will be an essential tool for new teachers, and a useful resource for teachers who may have the first edition of The Instant Curriculum.

Special features of this book:

• The focus on concepts and skills provides a flexible format that allows teachers to select activities that strengthen a specific skill for one or many children.
• Teachers can customize an activity to match curriculum themes. For example, the "Pasting Sets" activity in the Math chapter can be changed from pasting circles and squares to pasting sets of cats and dogs for an Animal theme
• Activities are assigned to a specific area, but are not limited to that area. For example, to develop the concept of four (Math curriculum area), a teacher using an integrated approach will provide opportunities to clap-count four (Music & Movement), to collect four leaves on a nature walk (Science) or to use four colors on a collage (Art).
• Activities for Teachable Moments are interspersed throughout the book.
• Special sections on Transitions and Family Connections are included.
• A chapter on problem solving and critical thinking focuses on the potential application of these skills to all areas of learning and life.
• Chapters on literacy and math are in sub-divided into skill areas. In both cases, activities move in a developmental continuum that, if used in order, allows children to build from easier skills to more complex skills. Teachers will be able to use these activities to meet literacy, language, and math expectations.

The Instant Curriculum emphasizes allowing children to learn at their own level of development and progress accordingly. The book also encourages teachers to provide choices for children to make and to allow children to experiment and discover. In this way, young children will develop skills in independent learning and will feel confident in their ability. Learning will become an interesting process that continues for a lifetime.

About the authors
Pam Schiller's career spans nearly every facet of the early childhood profession. Pam has authored or co-authored over 30 books on topics ranging from curriculum development to the management of childcare centers to the use of current brain research in the classroom. Pam has authored numerous articles for early childhood journals, including Child Care Information Exchange and Texas Child Care Quarterly. She is a highly sought-after speaker and has given numerous presentations over the years for well-known organizations such as NAEYC, SECA, Association for Childhood Education International, and International Reading Association.

Joan Rossano has been a co-owner of a private preschool, and director of several childcare centers. Working with fellow educators, Joan formed the professional association, Gulf Coast Association for the Education of Young Children, which continues to provide professional development for preschool educators in the area. During this time, Pam Schiller and Joan Rossano wrote a number of articles and pamphlets on preschool issues and program development. Joan twice served as president of the Gulf Coast Association for the Education of Young Children.