The Complementary Curriculum Approach invites teachers to support children’s play and cultivate classroom environments with rich, interesting learning experiences at the core. The Complementary Curriculum Approach identifies four strategic and powerful teaching intentions. 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.
What People Are Saying
“I’ve purchased many copies of The Complimentary Curriculum Approach since its publication. When a member of our staff is promoted to a Lead position, I give them a copy as a congratulatory gift to inspire them in their new responsibilities. It is so well written and practical. Just what a busy practicing educator with limited time and limitless passion can really use. Its information is solid and succinct, creative and well illustrated. It covers so much without ever getting lost in the weeds of theoretical practice. If I could give one text to engaged educators (and I do), this is it.”
Kim Kleeh
Mentor Teacher, Kidspace Childcare, Edmonds, WA“Drawing on the wisdom of pioneers in early childhood education and development, they take that wisdom and use it as ingredients to produce the feast in the classroom they call a “complementary curriculum.”
W. George Scarlett, Ph.D.
Sr. Lecturer and Tisch Sr. Fellow, Tufts University“The Complementary Curriculum Approach takes educational theories and practices that have strong foundations and uses a fresh look to bring them together to better meet the social-emotional and cognitive needs of all children by providing them with agency and choice.”
Debbie LeeKeenan
Lecturer, author, consultant, AntibiasLeadersECE.com“The Complementary Curriculum Approach shows us how to balance the best methodologies and integrate curriculum to truly create high-quality early childhood experiences like never before..”
Cady Audette and Kelly Pellagrini
Co-directors at Charlestown Nursery School“Dripping with evocative stories from early childhood classrooms, Iris and Lisa draw on their history as educators and coaches to respond to the everyday frustrations teachers experience as they seek to create a “settled classroom” in which children’s engagement and joy abounds. In this book, the authors show us how key theories and approaches in our field can complement each other to reveal powerful and practical solutions driven by clear intentions, rather than desperation.”
