Transform Your Teaching with
The Complementary Curriculum Online Certification Course
Transformative Learning
Discover practical strategies that foster meaningful, joyful engagement for both teachers and children.
Accessible & Affordable
High-quality professional development on your own schedule, from your own home.
Elevate Your Practice
Take your teaching to the next level and support your own growth as an educator.
Transform Your Practice Through Intentional Teaching
The Complementary Curriculum Approach invites teachers to support children’s play, cultivate classroom environments with rich, interesting learning experiences at the core, and commit to equitable classroom practices. The Complementary Curriculum Approach identifies four strategic and powerful teaching intentions that supports a child’s right to an educational experience rooted in an anti-bias stance. These intentions will invigorate and strengthen teacher practices and pave the way for meaningful, joyful engagement for children and the adults who work with them.
Our Approach
Complementary Curriculum Approach invites teachers to support children’s play, cultivate classroom environments and commit to equitable classroom practices with rich, interesting learning experiences at the core. Four strategic and powerful teaching intentions guide teaching for equity and are rooted in the anti-bias goals of identity, diversity, justice, and activism.Â
Compelling Materials
Explicit Presentation
Responsive Scaffolding
Following Children’s Interests
About the Authors
Lisa Porter Kuh, Ph.D. is an educational consultant, teacher educator, coach, and author. She was the Director of Early Education for the city of Somerville, Massachusetts. She has over thirty years of experience with young children as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, university professor and researcher, and professional developer.
Iris Chin Ponte, Ph.D. is director and classroom teacher at the Henry Frost Children’s Program in Belmont, MA. She is an adjunct faculty member in the Graduate School of Education at Lesley University. Recognized as an Exchange Emerging Leader in 2015, Iris is a former Fulbright Scholar, with expertise in cross-cultural issues in education.
Transform Your Teaching with The Complementary Curriculum Online Certification Course
Discover practical strategies to foster joyful engagement, access high-quality learning on your schedule, and elevate your teaching practice.
Schedule a Consultation Session
We provide education consulting services to support preschool programs, head start, public schools, and early care providers.
Join Our Newsletter
Download a free outline of the four intentions by signing up today.
News & Events
The Image of the Child as a Social Actor: Building Community in Your School
Over the past month or two, depending on the cycle of how children move up or begin school, you have probably been working to create community. For some it means creating a collaborative mural, for others it is singing songs together. In some places you are gradually...
Shelf Time for Choice Time: Designing Compelling Materials for Your Classroom
All choice time is not created equal. For some teachers it might mean putting materials on tables or offering pre-set areas like blocks or dramatic play, and then inviting or directing children to where they should go. We have observed that in some classrooms children...
What can children do? What do they want? What do they need?
The intentional teacher pauses to think about how they want to start the year? How will you build on children’s strengths?