Small-group instructional workshops are planned by teachers around specific content in the major subject areas. In each area, a wide range of appealing materials are stored in consistent, accessible locations so children can get out the materials they want and put them away independently. These key experiences guide teaching and assessment in each area. Teachers use the key experiences and their own observations of children to plan small-group workshops focusing on concepts and skills in each subject area. The emphasis throughout these activities is on hands-on projects in which children work with manipulative materials, apply skills to solve practical problems, and learn to communicate the results of their efforts in a variety of formats.
Many experiences require cooperative work and the use of effective communication skills.
Adults help children learn to use a problem-solving approach to resolve difficulties and conflicts. Adults strive to focus on children's strengths rather than deficits and use teaching strategies that build on children's intrinsic motivation to learn. Data for completing the COR come from children's portfolios and teachers' anecdotal notes. Together these assessment methods provide a more complete and balanced picture of children's progress than traditional standardized achievement tests. The curriculum has since been revalidated by the U.S. Department of Education's Program Effectiveness Panel.