Online Professional Learning for Early Childhood Educators

Transform Your Practice Through Intentional Teaching

An online professional learning course grounded in decades of classroom practice and The Complementary Curriculum Approach by Lisa Porter Kuh and Iris Chin Ponte.

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Learn about the CC Approach

Self-paced | Earn 5 professional learning hours | Certificate upon completion

The Complementary Curriculum Approach invites teachers to support children’s play, design classroom environments rich with meaningful learning experiences, and commit to equitable, anti-bias practice—while navigating the real complexities of everyday classroom life.

Grounded in decades of work by Lisa Porter Kuh and Iris Chin Ponte, the approach identifies four powerful teaching intentions that honor every child’s right to a joyful, engaging, and responsive educational experience. Together, these intentions strengthen teacher practice and bring clarity, purpose, and delight to everyday classroom decision-making.

The Four Intentions

The Complementary Curriculum is organized around four teaching intentions that guide intentional, responsive practice.

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Compelling Materials

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Explicit Presentation

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Responsive Scaffolding

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Following Children’s Interests

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The Complimentary Curriculum Approach in Practice

An online professional learning course that brings the Complementary Curriculum Approach into your everyday classroom practice.

Self-paced, online learning designed for practicing educators
Grounded in decades of classroom practice and the book The Complementary Curriculum Approach
Explores four powerful teaching intentions through real examples
Supports equity-centered, responsive decision-making
Includes certificate and 5 professional learning hours upon completion

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What Educators Are Saying

“This course helped open my eyes to what CCA does differently and the ways children's independence can be achieved through the environment working as the third teacher. Creating an environment that pulls children in is the key to fostering curiosity and independence and truly learning through play.”

Shannon

Early Childhood Classroom Educator

Complementary Curriculum Approach Book Cover

The Book

The Complementary Curriculum Approach offers a shared language and framework for intentional, equitable teaching in early childhood classrooms. The accompanying online course builds on the book’s ideas, supporting educators to explore and apply the teaching intentions in practice.

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Meet 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.