A child cradles a moon. Shadows swirl across the wall like satellites. A classmate arranges cotton clouds below, imagining a rocket’s trail through space. A teacher scribbles observations as a constellation of questions forms in the minds of six-year-olds.
This is not a scene from a science museum. It’s a preschool classroom. And now, for the first time, it’s a scene that will echo into Grade One.
A Bold Step Beyond Preschool
Beginning this school year, Montessori De Sagrada Familia Inc. is expanding its Emergent Curriculum approach from the preschool level to Grade One, marking a milestone in its commitment to child-led, joyful, and curiosity-fueled education.
“Joyful learning is our north star,” School Principal Ma. Cristina Silamor said.
Grade 1 Level Coordinator Queen Ara Dela Cruz said the grade school department will be merging the Emergent Curriculum with the revised K-12 curriculum in first grade.
“That means we’re preparing classrooms that are not only flexible and responsive, but also aligned with student interests. It’s a balance of structure and exploration.”
The shift signals alignment to nurture joyful learning through a strong sense of family and freedom to wonder.
What Is Emergent Curriculum?
At its heart, emergent curriculum is about starting where the child is—emotionally, intellectually, and imaginatively. By definition, emergent curriculum shapes how teachers in early childhood settings plan learning experiences. It helps them identify each child’s needs and tailor activities that support individual development.
“It’s a dynamic and responsive approach to education,” Pre-elementary teacher Sharon Decena explained.
“It is cultivating their freedom to imagine and create based on their interests,” she added.
According to other preschool teachers, EC is not limited since themes evolve based on children’s fascinations. Some days are filled with structured projects; others with open-ended play. All of it is meaningful to the child.
“We don’t follow templated activities anymore,” added Teacher Leilyvin Reyes.
“We provide ready materials and the structure to ensure that they are really learning,” she said.
Wonder-Led Learning in Action
Teachers recall moments when students took the reins, like talking about the moon during a class conversation.
“I didn’t even know that we could discuss the moon in kindergarten,” Reyes said.
“Our young learners dig deeper when they’re free to be curious.”
For teachers, it’s a daily act of rediscovery.
“We learn with them,” she added.
Grade One Joins the Movement
This year, that spirit of learning together will extend to MDSF’s youngest grade schoolers.
Can six-year-olds handle emergent curriculum?
“Absolutely,” Queen Ara Dela Cruz declared.
“They already come in curious, adaptable, and ready. Our job is to meet them where they are,” she explained.
Grade One classrooms have been redesigned to reflect this approach. Materials are intentionally open-ended. Corners spark questions. Classrooms are set up with nature-inspired spaces and provocations to ignite curiosity. Teachers have also undergone intensive professional development, planning sessions, and team collaborations—guided by the newly appointed Vice Principal for Curriculum and Innovation, Dan Angelo Bagadiong—to integrate emergent strategies into their routines.
“There were ongoing training sessions. The goal is for the children to be inspired to create,” Bagadiong said.
Planting Seeds for the Future
The success of emergent learning in Preschool has set the stage for broader possibilities. Could this child-centered method reach higher grade levels?
“Up until Grade two,” VP Bagadiong said.
“That’s the direction.”
As MDSF continues to evolve, the emergent curriculum may one day guide learners well beyond the primary years, always anchored in curiosity, collaboration, and the joy of discovery.
Curiosity, Uncontained
Back in the Grade One classroom, the room hums—not with noise, but with intention. A teacher watches while believing.
Because at MDSF, the child doesn’t merely follow a curriculum.
The child is the curriculum.