Introduction
What Staff and Parents Do to Help Children Achieve These Goals Curricula for Indian Head Start Programs
Curriculum Development
Essential Components

Goal: To support the development of children's motor skills

• young infant: Place a rattle in the baby's hand
  
  
• mobile infant: Put brightly colored objects around the play area to encourage mobile infants to develop the ability to crawl or walk to them
  
  
• toddler: Offer words of encouragement as toddlers try new things, such as jumping, feeding, drawing, or painting
  
  
• preschooler: Encourage participation in activities such as an obstacle course that requires running, jumping, and crawling by ensuring that they are attractive to the children as well as safe

Head Start Resources

• Head Start Program Performance Standards and Other Regulations
  
  
• Setting the Stage: Including Children with Disabilities in Head Start (Training Guide)
  
  
• Building Supportive Communities (Training Guide)
  
  
• Engaging Parents (Training Guide)
  
  
• Fun and Learning for Parents and Children
  
  
• Head Start Handbook of the Parent Involvement Vision and Strategies
  
  
• Home Visitor Handbook
  
  
• Linking Our Voices
  
  
• Nurturing the Promise
  
  
• Our Stories Keep Us Connected
  
  
• Partners in Decision Making (training guide)
  
  
• Translating the IEP Into Everyday Practice
  

Seminars hosted by the American Indian Programs Branch often discuss curriculum in Indian Head Start programs. Participants identify several key components of curriculum for Indian programs, including the importance of community involvement and cultural relevance. The need for a holistic approach— one showing the interconnectedness of the world— is also emphasized. To provide these key elements, staff and parents must be involved in choosing or developing the curriculum, and the agency must provide ongoing training on the implementation of the curriculum.

Curriculum Development

A culture-based curriculum requires the support and involvement of parents. Some parents may serve directly on the curriculum development team, but support from all parents is critical. Head Start staff must involve parents in the curriculum development process and provide training on various elements of the curriculum.

Developing a curriculum for Indian Head Start presents many challenges, because the issues of cultural relevance are central and quite complex. Each curriculum is individualized to support the philosophy, history, culture, and language of the tribal setting in which the children are served. In addition to being adapted to the local program setting, there are certain common processes and components that every quality curriculum should have.

Development of Indian curriculum must involve a team of individuals from the community that assists staff throughout the process. These individuals offer a range of knowledge and experience and become the ongoing advocates for the program. Ideally, the team includes Head Start staff, parents, representatives from the schools and other agencies, tribal elders, and experts in native language, history, and culture. The role of the team is to set program goals (or review existing ones) and propose specific experiences that support the cultural heritage. As the curriculum is implemented, the team reviews its effectiveness and provides suggestions for any needed adjustments.

In some programs, the curriculum is supported by a theme-based approach to ensure inclusion of important cultural components and to show how the world and skills are interrelated. By beginning with common themes, children are able to initiate activities based on their own experiences. They help generate ideas for discussion and exploration. This approach is consistent with the learning styles that Indian children develop before entering the Head Start setting, as well as with the participatory learning style and philosophy of Native Americans.

The success of a culture-based curriculum will be determined, in part, by the extent to which its goals and expectations are shared at home and within the community.

James E. Kennedy served as Director of Program Development at Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.

Essential Components

There are some essential elements related to culture and heritage that are to be included in Indian curriculum:

• Native language
  
  
• A bilingual approach that includes English language skills
  
  
• A bicultural approach that includes the culture of society outside the reservation
  
  
• Symbols, stories, art, and music from the tribe's culture and heritage
  
  
• An understanding of past and current tribal structure and roles

It is essential that non-reservation programs enrolling American Indian children also be sensitive to and inclusive of these essential elements.