Curriculum Analysis and Critique Presentation

ECI 501By Karen Hall

SRA Imagine It- 1st Grade Literacy Program

A comprehensive core reading program

Addresses five areas of reading and writing

Includes benchmark assessments

Includes resources for differentiating instruction

Cross Curricular Connections

Structured literacy program

Goals and Objectives

Provide 1st grade students with a comprehensive literacy program that includes the five components.

Structured way to provide literacy instruction

Program that is aligned to meet North Carolina standards Previous NC literacy standards Common Core State Standards

http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/

Goals and Objectives Continued

Provides instruction within thematic units

Spiraling format of teaching

Mastery is not expected the first time an objective is taught

Overview of Traditional Theory of Curriculum

Traditionalists use conventional wisdom

Curriculum work is to provide a service to practitioners (teachers).

Stems from a scientific approach, uses systematic lens to look at curriculum. (Pinar, 1978)

Straight forward, no nonsense method of planning curriculum

“The end proceeds the means” (Eisner, 2002)

Objectives should be clearly stated and measurable.

Traditional Theory- Key People

Ralph W. Tyler Wrote Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction Worked to establish a rationale for analyzing and evaluating

curriculum as an instructional program used in educational settings.

Uses four main questions to develop curriculum plan:1. What educational purposes should the school seek to attain?

2. What educational experiences can be provided that are likely to attain these purposes?

3. How can these educational experiences be effectively organized?

4. How can we determine whether these purposes are being attained? (Tyler, 1950)

Objectives are key. They should be clearly stated and measureable.

Analysis of Imagine It from a Traditionalist Perspective

Imagine It is comprehensive and helps to develop a literacy focus within schools

Imagine It uses a scope and sequence

Each lesson has daily objectives that relate back to the scope and sequence

Imagine It uses benchmark assessment.

Curriculum has been developed in a way that addresses Tyler’s 4 essential questions.

Analysis of Imagine It from a Traditionalist Perspective- Objectives from Daily Lesson Plan

Analysis of Imagine It from a Traditionalist Perspective continued

Thematic Units include topics such as- “Our Neighborhood at Work” which creates implicit messages that literacy correlates with good jobs.

Scripted program includes texts are chosen by curriculum, do not necessarily reflect diversity in experiences and lives of students.

Scripted phonics and fluency include primary focus on decoding words. Students receive decodable books to go with each lesson, these are meant only to practice decoding and are not meant to be substantive in constructing knowledge for students.

Evaluation of Program

Objectives are specific, but not always measurable.

Thematic Units rather than using skills as basis for teaching

Scripted program meant to allow ease, but does not demand on going critical thought from teachers or school curriculum specialists.

Evaluation of Program Continued

Overall the program follows the 4 essential questions presented by Tyler and has a logical sequence.

Program focuses on subject matter based on skills and students are given general knowledge of literacy.

Suggestions for Improvement

Program starts with Kindergarten standards

Rigor of the lessons

More room for teacher input (scripted program)

Improvements to the social studies and science components. They are lacking critical thought, substance, and relation to multicultural education

Objectives should be measurable and assess mastery

References

Eisner, E. W. (2002). The educational imagination: The three curricula that all schools teach (p. 87). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards for English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Washington, DC: Authors.

Pinar, W. F. (1978). The reconceptualization of curriculum studies. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 10(3), 205-214.

SRA/McGRaw-Hill. (2007). SRA Imagine It. Retrieved from http://imagineitreading.com/NA/ENG_US/index.php

Tyler, R. W. (1950). Basic principles of curriculum development. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 3(1), 65-70.