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Program information
Developer and contact
Curiosity Corner was developed and is distributed by The Success for All Foundation. Address: Success For All Foundation, Inc., 200 W. Towsontown Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21204-5200. Email: sfainfo@successforall.org. Web: www.successforall.net/early/early_curiosity.htm. Telephone: (800) 548-4998, ext. 2372.
Scope of use
Curiosity Corner is currently implemented in more than 300 sites in 29 states. Curiosity Corner is used in Head Start centers, preschool classes in elementary schools, child care centers, and early childhood education centers, mostly in high poverty neighborhoods.
Teaching
Curiosity Corner can be implemented in various early childhood settings. Typically, the program has a teacher and an assistant assigned to a class of 15 children. Additional teaching staff are required if some children need special care or have special needs. The teacher's manual and weekly theme guides provide teachers with detailed instructions for the lessons. The program also includes supplies for the instructional activities (themed children's books, manipulatives, and games). Teachers are trained through initial training and follow-up support (workshops and in-class visits by the Success for All Foundation staff).
Curiosity Corner is organized by weekly themes. Daily activities, which are conducted in a sequential order to provide children with active learning experiences, include Greetings and Readings, Clues and Questions, Rhyme Time, Learning Labs, Story Tree, Outside/Gross Motor Play, Snack Time, and Question/ Reflection. Although Curiosity Corner is designed to enhance the development of the whole child, it emphasizes children's language and early literacy skills. Parents are encouraged to actively engage in children's learning through various activities both in and out of the classroom, such as home visits, the Home Link Page, a lending library, videos, and classroom activities.
Professional development is provided by the Success for All Foundation staff. The first year of professional development includes an initial two-day training, additional training sessions and ongoing implementation visits, and training at a fall conference for the Curiosity Corner Coaches and Facilitators. The second year of professional development includes a day of refresher training, subsequent training sessions and ongoing implementation visits, and training available at experienced sites and conferences for Curiosity Corner Coaches.
Cost
Teaching materials for Curiosity Corner cannot be purchased without participation in training and other professional development activities. The teaching materials cost $2,825 per class and come with a teacher's manual, 38 weekly theme guides, more than 150 children's trade books, manipulative materials, games, and puppets. The first year of professional development costs on average $1,516 per classroom and includes initial training and follow-up support. Costs for the second year of professional development were not available.
