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American Curriculum: What Does This Mean?

November 14, 2014
With so many teaching methods out there, it's hard to make sense of what each method offers. Dina has done the research for you in a series of articles; here, she explores the American curriculum and what that really means to parents and students.By Dina Kassymbekova  On the lists of international schools in Bangkok, there are many schools describing themselves as following the American curriculum. Parents unfamiliar with the educational system in the United States could assume that there is a common national curriculum.
...a school following the American system could use any curriculum from the US as their foundation.
However, curriculums in the US vary depending on states and school districts. Curriculums are designed locally and allow individual schools to decide which instructional material and programs to choose. This originates from the strong influence that local communities traditionally have on education in the US. To make sure that students receive schooling of a certain quality, each state sets academic standards defining the expected level of students’ skills and knowledge.In light of the above, in Bangkok, a school following the American system could use any curriculum from the US as their foundation. This makes it all the more important for parents to find out if a school they are considering is accredited by a reputable organization, for example, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges: WASC.

Clarifying definitions

In the US, the age at which formal education begins varies depending on the state, but usually children start school when they are around five to six years old. Nowadays most children complete a year of kindergarten before they begin grade 1, even though in some states it’s not required. All other kinds of early childhood care, such as preschools, nurseries, toddler groups, etc. fall under the term pre-kindergarten and are not compulsory.

Curriculum

To provide you with a local example of an American curriculum, we asked Khun Patcharalak, Kindergarten Principal of the American School of Bangkok, and Carla Sodsaikich, Deputy Head and Nursery 2 teacher, to share what it is exactly and how they teach their students.
a new but important learning subject ... helps children obtain the language they need to express their emotions and learn how to cope with their feelings
The main focus in the school’s curriculum is on language and literacy as well as on math; children also learn social studies and science. A new subject area, social and emotional development, was recently added to the curriculum. In addition, art, physical education, music and movement, swimming, and Thai language classes are offered.

Literacy and math

The school starts teaching academic subjects from an early age: even nursery students (children of the age of two to four years) are engaged in age-appropriate literacy and math activities. They learn how to hold a pencil, trace, and later how to write their name; they learn sounds and letters.In kindergarten, students start practicing reading and writing. In K1, four- to five-year-old students learn to put sounds together. In K2, five- to six-year-olds start reading and writing short sentences.In math, nursery students learn colors, patterns, shapes and number recognition. N1 students are taught how to count to ten; N2 students practice counting to 20 and simple estimation (more or less). Kindergarten students already master simple addition and subtraction.Carla’s students are three to four years old. To teach them, she uses workbooks, touch-and-feel activities, interactive games on the smartboard, educational videos, and lots of games. Carla lets her students write using foam and sand and even asks them to write in the air. The games can be as simple as searching for cards with letters on them hidden in the classroom or suggesting students organize themselves into patterns (boy-girl-boy etc).

Social & emotional competence

Along with academic knowledge, students acquire at school social and emotional competence. Khun Patcharalak explains that this is a new but important learning subject that helps children to obtain the language they need to express their emotions and learn how to cope with their feelings as well as how to deal with disappointments.
A teacher not only educates but also serves as a role model for students.
A big part of this learning happens indirectly as the teachers set an example through their language and communication style. To inspire children to reflect on both their own and others’ behavior, teachers also use stories and discussions. In addition, there is a workbook in which students can practice their social and emotional skills. An exercise from the book could, for example, describe a typical real-life situation (your friend fell down on the playground) and offers choices of different ways to react (will you laugh or help?).

Learning environment and daily routine

Most of the time that children spend at school is structured. Literacy and math are on the schedule every day, around 40 minutes each. Social studies and science are taught three times a week. The rest of the subjects are taught twice a week. Kindergarten children also have homework. A kindergarten child has about an hour of free play time a day spread into different time slots throughout the day.When children arrive in the morning, the classrooms are already set for a particular subject. In each classroom, there are different stations, so that students can work either individually or in groups. For example, in a classroom that is set up for learning literacy, there could be a corner for reading with friends or a table for journal writing.After a few weeks into a school year, students adjust to their learning routine and become able to work more independently. During the morning circle time, the nursery children get to pick a card with a picture of an activity they should be working on next; the kindergarten children work mostly in groups, know to which group they belong and receive assignments as a team. In this way, the teacher and assistant teacher can turn their full attention to one student or a group at a time.The learning set-up for the nursery students is less formal -- they mostly learn sitting on the carpet or moving around in the classroom; whereas in kindergarten, students work mostly sitting at their tables.

Assessments

At the beginning of a school year, teachers run assessments to find out each student’s level of skills and knowledge. After that, they test children’s progress monthly in order to design appropriate activities and provide their students with learning support, if necessary. A final assessment at the end of the year reflects a students’ achievements. In nursery and kindergarten, students do not receive grades for their performance.
In American schools, parents are traditionally very much involved in school life.
Parents receive a progress report in the middle of the year and an achievement report at the year-end. Parent-teacher conferences also provide both sides with an opportunity to discuss the individual child’s learning progress.

Teacher’s role

Based on the variety of individual curriculums, there can be big differences in how teachers that work with American curriculum define their roles.In the American School of Bangkok, for example, social and emotional development is an important component of the curriculum. Describing the teacher’s role, Khun Patcharalak emphasizes that it goes beyond the teaching of academic knowledge. A teacher not only educates but also serves as a role model for students.

Parents’ involvement

In American schools, parents are traditionally very much involved in school life. They help to organize and participate in celebrations (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, etc.), bake sales, and community events. In Bangkok, many schools following American curriculums additionally offer parenting workshops and events that allow families to spend quality time together and to connect parents with the school.

Benefits and problems

A variety of curriculums allow parents to choose an approach that suits their individual family -- a privilege that is not existent in educational systems with a standard curriculum. For educators, curriculum flexibility is beneficial, too. Should they feel attracted to an innovative teaching method or wish to add a new curriculum component, they have the possibility to weave it into their own curriculum.On the other hand, such diversity within a curriculum system can be seen as troublesome, as parents have to research more thoroughly to choose a good school which suits their family needs. 

American-curriculum schools in Bangkok

Photos by Element5 Digital on Unsplash and Holly Dornak from Pixabay 

About the Author

Dina comes from Almaty, Kazakhstan. After graduating with a degree in philosophy, she moved to Germany to get her master’s degree in public relations from Freie Universitaet Berlin and worked as a freelance PR-consultant and a children’s book editor.
The views expressed in the articles in this magazine are not necessarily those of BAMBI committee members and we assume no responsibility for them or their effects.BAMBI News welcomes volunteer contributors to our magazine. Please contact editor@bambiweb.org.