Getting Started with Curriculum Development in Your Setting
Getting Started with Curriculum Development in Your Setting
For others interested in co-constructing curricula with educators, we suggest the following:
› Invite educators to be part of the process from the start.
› Offer accessible ways for educators to participate in working group sessions, at times that work for them and with options for in-person or remote participation.
› Establish protocols that support inclusive dialogue and an iterative process.
› Keep a playful mindset about the process— developing curriculum is messy, fun, and exciting, and the process should reflect that.
› Importantly, compensate educators for their expertise and time in the process. Early childhood educators are experts who should not work for free.
About the Authors
Pamela Thompson, MAT, is director of teaching and learning at Neighborhood Villages in Boston, Massachusetts. With extensive early childhood experience, she focuses on strengthening educator practices and supporting quality improvements through leading curriculum development, coaching, and professional learning. pthompson @ neighborhoodvillages. org
Sarah Elahi, MA, is an education consultant and curriculum writer based in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the founder of Raising Resistance, an education consultancy providing tailored curriculum and professional learning rooted in social justice values. sarahelahiconsulting @ gmail. com
Lisa Goddard, MEd, is a PhD Fellow in Reggio Childhood Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Lisa joined the field of early childhood in 2017 and has served as an educator, curriculum developer, coach, pedagogista, and researcher in Italy and Boston, MA.
Megan Shahnooshi, MA, EdM, is a doctoral student in Human Development, Learning, and Teaching at Harvard University. Her research aims to broaden our understanding of quality in early childhood, especially when it comes to relationships between caregivers and children. meganshahnooshi @ gmail. com
Megina Baker, PhD, is a program developer in the Boston Public Schools Department of Early Childhood, Boston, Massachusetts. Megina has over 20 years of experience as an early childhood educator, teacher educator, and education researcher. mbaker3 @ bostonpublicschools. org
Voices of Practitioners is devoted to teacher research in early childhood education. It appears as a regular column in Young Children. Visit the Young Children archive as well as NAEYC. org / resources / pubs / vop to peruse an archive of Voices articles.
References
Baker, M., & G. S. Davila. 2018.“ Inquiry Is Play: Playful Participatory Research.” Young Children 73( 5): 64 – 71.
Baker, M., & J. Ryan. 2021.“ Playful Provocations and Playful Mindsets: Teacher Learning and Identity Shifts Through Playful Participatory Research.” International Journal of Play 10( 1): 6 – 24. doi. org / 10.1080 / 21594937.2021.1878770.
Bauer, D., S. Fortin, & D. McPartlin. 2006.“ Solving the Puzzle of Infant Curriculum: A Model for Infant Curriculum Development.” researchgate. net / publication / 240625756 _ Solving _ the _ Puzzle _ of _ Infant _ Curriculum _ A _ Model _ for _ Infant _ Curriculum _ Development.
Braun, V., & V. Clarke. 2006.“ Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology.” Qualitative Research in Psychology 3( 2): 77 – 101. doi. org / 10.1191 / 1478088706qp063oa.
Cochran-Smith, M., & S. L. Lytle. 1999.“ Relationships of Knowledge and Practice: Teacher Learning in Communities.” Review of Research in Education 24( 1): 249 – 305. doi. org / 10.3102 / 0091732X024001249.
Cochran-Smith, M., & S. L. Lytle. 2009. Inquiry as Stance: Practitioner Research in the Next Generation. Teachers College Press.
Dam, R. F. 2025.“ The 5 Stages in the Design Thinking Process.” Interaction Design Foundation. interaction-design. org / literature / article / 5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process.
Derman-Sparks, L., & J. O. Edwards. With C. M. Goins. 2020. Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. 2nd ed. NAEYC.
72 Young Children
Summer 2026