Emergent Curriculum
Learning That Begins With Curiosity
At MPI, we follow an emergent curriculum that grows from the interests and passions of the children — and the educators who guide them. This approach encourages exploration, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning.
Instead of starting with a rigid lesson plan designed to “hook” children, emergent curriculum begins with what children are naturally curious about.
To plan an emergent curriculum, our educators focus on:
Observation
Carefully watching how children play and interact
Documentation
Recording ideas, progress, and discoveries
Brainstorming
Creating learning opportunities inspired by children’s interests
Flexibility & Patience
Adapting plans as children’s curiosity evolves
Educators also play an active role by introducing meaningful topics and providing materials or experiences that serve as jumping-off points for exploration.
Why We Use Emergent Curriculum
Because this is how children learn best.
Research shows that children learn most effectively by doing and exploring, rather than sitting passively and listening. Our philosophy is simple:
Children learn by seeing and doing
Play is a powerful tool for learning
When children guide their own learning, they develop a lifelong love of discovery
We use the PEI Department of Education and Early Childhood Development’s Early Learning Curriculum Framework to plan our programs and track each child’s growth and development.