A well-written curriculum helps ensure students have the experiences needed to learn specific content. It clearly identifies goals and objectives and presents content in a logical sequence with no gaps, both within and between grade levels. With this plan, instructors can prepare ahead of time to ensure availability of necessary materials. A curriculum is especially important when the instructor is not a content area expert, such as in many elementary science classrooms. Elementary teachers are generalists and are not equally familiar with all material. If a solid curriculum exists, teachers can be confident that they're guiding the students correctly. In addition, a strong curriculum helps teachers ensure that they are directly connecting assessments to the content they are teaching.
Good teaching requires reflection. After an educational experience, the instructor should look back and consider the strengths and weaknesses of the activities. A sound curriculum makes this easier. A written record exists of what the teacher should have accomplished, and the teacher can compare it to what actually happened in the classroom. If something didn't work, looking at it within the context of the entire curriculum helps the revision process. The instructor sees the overall plan and can make adjustments and improvements. On the other hand, if the experiences were successful, the teacher has documentation for future classes.
Sometimes curriculum makes it harder for teachers to help students pursue their interests. A regimented curriculum may leave little time to answer interesting and elaborate student questions. Flexibility can be essential for engaging students and maintaining their interest. If the curriculum does not provide opportunities for original ideas, it’s not meeting students' needs. Kids are natural learners, full of questions. They're more motivated to learn when the topics being studied originate with them. A curriculum may not consider where learners begin and where they want to go.
Writing accurate and thorough curriculum is difficult and time consuming. It requires both content knowledge and pedagogical expertise. Often educators don't have both, so curriculum development must be done in cooperative groups. Teachers work together within and across grade levels to ensure that early learning lays the groundwork for later experiences. Disagreements may arise among curriculum writers about the importance of specific information or activities. In addition, some material within the curriculum may not be acceptable to parents and other community members.