involves inductively generating and refining codes through repeated, systematic examination of the data. We collaborated to track emerging codes and data examples as a group. After each round of coding, we met to confer about the emerging codes. Once all data had been reviewed and discussed, we met again to organize the codes into themes.
Findings
Our analysis identified three themes responding to our research question: What happens when a group of early childhood practitioners engages in sustained, in-depth collaboration to develop a curriculum for toddlers? The three themes are:
› Equitable, playful structures support educator participation.
› Deep, sustained iteration ensures all voices are heard.
› Shared ownership of the written curriculum empowers educators.
Each theme is discussed briefly below.( See“ Themes, Codes, and Examples from the Inquiry Process” on page 67 for more information.)
Theme 1: Equitable, Playful Structures Support Educator Participation
Over the course of the 27 working group sessions, numerous structures and processes were used to facilitate engagement and participation in the digital meeting space. These processes were repeated frequently and served different purposes( building community, brainstorming ideas, resolving puzzles, iterating curriculum documents). Group members frequently expressed appreciation for the ways in which we conducted the sessions.
For example, we began each session with a round of sharing playful learning moments, in which each participant shared about a recent time when they experienced or observed playful learning in their work or personal life. This playful structure helped participants feel motivated to share their ideas with the group and sometimes generated unexpected curriculum ideas. During one Educator Working Group session, a toddler parent willingly shared about her weekend experience with her 3-year-old son:“ I loved watching my son’ s back and forth— he feels safe with other toddlers. Watching him redirect, his language and development as a leader— nice to see the shift in his relationships with others”( Educator Working Group session, December 2022).
Other playful structures included using playdough and other open-ended materials to represent ideas; brainstorming with interactive structures, such as digital workspaces where everyone could share ideas simultaneously; storytelling; and occasionally acting out an idea or example in a quick dramatization.
The recurring sharing of playful learning moments created a space where participants began to recognize more playful moments and were eager to share connections from their daily lives. At another session, an instructional coach described a moment when she observed a toddler recognize the way their shadow moved with their body while playing with light and shadow( Educator Working Group session, March 2023). Moments like this connected us with each other and also reminded us of some of the core values that underpinned our curriculum writing efforts: Safety, trust, relationships, and joy. All people in the working group, regardless of their jobs or roles, felt empowered to share.
Other processes supported equitable participation, which we believe were key to the authenticity of co-constructing curriculum. For example, using a circle order( ensuring that each person in the group has an opportunity to speak if they wish) or Jamboard( a digital whiteboard space where all participants can add ideas simultaneously) ensured that no one voice dominated the conversation and many different perspectives could be included.
66 Young Children
Summer 2026