What are the key components for the successful use of
an integrated curriculum? The most important component
is creating meaningful, authentic learning experiences for
the children. According to current brain research (Shonkoff
& Phillips 2000), children need to connect new information
to existing knowledge in order for it to have meaning and
be stored for later retrieval. Connecting the new to existing
knowledge builds complex connections in the brain. When
the fi rst-graders read about a fox or a hawk in class, they
recall the real one they’ve seen on their walks to the nature
preserve. The children have a common, concrete experience
to which they can connect new information.
The brain and the connections within it are built through
individual experiences. Many children have had plenty of
interesting experiences to which they can add new knowledge,
but others may lack these kinds of experiences.
Because learning is most effective when building on children’s
existing knowledge, I make sure that all the children
have relevant experiences by planning activities that give
them a common background, like participation in a cooking
project, conversations with a visiting expert, or listening to
a story. All the children can reference these shared experiences
as they continue to make sense of their world.