Opal School closed in 2021. You can continue to access these resources for free. To learn more visit teachingpreschoolpartners.org.

Writing curriculum

Writing curriculum

A new post at Cadwell Collaborative responds to a familiar request: Will you write the curriculum for a new Reggio-inspired school?

The post thoughtfully responds that the request cannot be fulfilled.  We make that road through walking. While there are known guideposts to help orient that path and great tools to have in your kit, it is the people living in the school who need to conduct that work.

At opalschooldev.wpengine.com, we’re trying to show the road we are constructing at Opal School and draw attention to the guideposts and tools we’re following to support other schools’ efforts to do this difficult work in other contexts.

This week, Kerry Salazar wrote about how Partner Explore is helping the first- and second-graders she works with to wade into productive conflict as they construct community.

Tara Papandrew wrote about the relationship between Playful Inquiry and Open Systems – structural and philosophical considerations that undergird not just the work that she engages within the Beginning Community of three-, four-, and five-year-olds but also how we approach families and each other as a staff.

Nicole Simpson-Tanner shared how she invited the fourth-graders to welcome the third-graders into their community of writers.

In our Developing Your Story Workshop class, participants from around the world have been discussing how they are creating conditions where play and the arts support young writers.

We hope that you’re finding this site supportive in your efforts to co-construct curriculum with children and colleagues. As you find value and opportunity, as you confront challenge and confusion, we hope that you’ll use this as a platform for connection.