Creating a Love for Learning through Emergent Curriculum

Take a moment think back to your fondest childhood memory of when you were playing and discovered something amazing. It could be that you found a cocoon and watched as a butterfly slowly pulled itself out and then fluttered away. Or, perhaps you planted a seed in a cup. Day after day you went back and checked to see if anything had happened. Until one day you discover a tiny little sprout has pushed its way through the soil. Do you remember how excited you were? How you couldn't wait to tell and show everyone? 

Emergent Curriculum 

When we get excited about something, we are eager to learn as much as possible about it. The same is true for children. Children are natural born learners who are hungry for knowledge, even though they don't know it. By setting up an environment that allows children to explore, play, and express their creativity; countless learning opportunities abound.

So what is Emergent Curriculum?

Simply put, it is a way of teaching based off of what children already know and what they are interested in. By taking into account children's abilities, interests, and by taking time to cover each topic thoroughly; children will gain a much deeper understanding of the learning concepts. Children will be engaged in learning, which in turn, creates a of love of learning. With a little guidance and prompting of the children, you will be able to plan exciting and engaging lesson plans!

Aa Adventure in Autumn 

Late in September I introduced the letter Aa  and the season of Autumn to my daughter. After reading a book about all four seasons, my daughter was very interested in learning how plants grow. One thing lead to another. Her natural curiosity and love of learning lead us on a fun journey with the letter Aa, apples, the season of Fall, and how leaves turn water and sunlight into food for trees to grow.

Here is a glimpse of her Aa Adventure in Autumn.

Autumn Nature Walk

After learning that the season is Autumn/Fall, we went on a nature walk to look at the leaves on the trees. Next, we gathered leaves and other items that were red, yellow, brown, and green. Along the way we discovered a spider web that was covered with rain drops. She asked me to take a picture of it because "It is so beautiful!"

Nature Walk 

Nature Collage 

My little princess found a bunch of "treasure," she even found a dollar by our swing set! She also spotted red and yellow peppers growing in the garden. After the "treasure" dried out, we made a nature collage by gluing and taping the leaves and other items we collected onto construction paper. Another great idea is to use clear contact paper to make a beautiful two sided collage. 

Autumn Treasure

Throughout the week I would prompt my daughter into discussing in detail everything that was fun and exciting to her. She talked a lot about the leaves changing colors and falling off the trees. I also had her record her experiences in her journal in the form of drawing pictures. I helped her by captioning them.

 I hope this gives you inspiration to follow an emergent curriculum and hope you have just as much fun as we did!