The Biggest Responsibility for the Molding of the Childs Education - Essay Example

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION pg 2 ment of the Problem What is a curriculum Why prepare a curriculum Curriculum planning guide THEEARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM 4 THE SIX LEARNING ASPECTS 5 Communication Skills Numbers Memory and Critical Thinking Practical Life skills Social Development Play Time CONCLUSION 10 The Curriculum Parent's Role Stakeholder's Role BIBLIOGRAPHY 13 ATTACHMENTS 14 I. INTRODUCTION Opening Statement Suppose there is this small boat, onboard were several grown men, rowing in all directions. Where do you think is the boat going Yes, it will not get to anywhere. This is the rationale behind this paper. To recognize the value of a curriculum, vis--vis children's educational growth and the route they are taking to get there. This will provide thorough elucidation on the need to curve the educational course of early childhood children in answer to their nature. By cultivating this nature, it will be a straightforward, effortless sail to the educational goal established in the beginning of the school term. What is a Curriculum The word 'curriculum' is an ordinary jargon in the world of education. We hear it often times at conferences, discussions and ordinary interaction. What is a curriculum, do we really grasp its meaning, or have we mistaken it for some other related terms Now is the time to know. 'Curriculum' came from the Latin word 'curere' which literally means 'to run'. In educational context, it is 'the course of the race'. As the word evolves, it has now come to mean 'the course of study.' (Wikipedia,2008 )A 'curriculum' is the sum total of all learning activities, content, experiences and resources that are deliberately chosen organized in such a way that learning is maximized and goals are achieved. We often mistake a 'curriculum' as: a list of subjects to be taken (prospectus) the content and the requirements of each subject to be taken a course outline a list of activities to be followed Therefore, a curriculum is not only a plan for what will happen in the classroom but also a long ranged scheme of the events, activities and practices to achieve the total learning goal set at the start of school year. Why prepare a Curriculum As much as spontaneous learning is encouraged in preschool, there should a set of learning priorities to be followed. It is important that learning is well planned, suited for the age and physical development of the child, as well as the physical set up of the school. Each school varies in physical and temporal set ups, learning goals, resources and many others; it is vital to program activities around available resources (but not limited to), weather conditions, environment, people and routines. These factors are adjusted to suit the individual and communal needs of the learners to achieve the ultimate goal set by the school. (Zaslow,1991) "Children in well run program acquire a wide range of social skills and become more competent as a result of their frequent interactions with other children." Curriculum Planning Guide When planning a curriculum, there are many things to consider. Carefully think about the following elements when planning: Age appropriateness. Consider the ages of the students involved in the program and organize activities suited to their developmental growth. Individual appropriateness. Children, though of the same age level has different developmental speed or ability. One can distinguish a symbol faster than the other; consider the individual differences and plan activities wherein all children can participate. Family and Culture. Plan activities with respect to individual family and cultures. Do not discriminate, alienate or make fun of differences. Transition periods. Transitions are times that occur between activities; a good maneuvering technique should be developed in order to maximize transition period. Teacher values. What the teacher believes in is also an integral part of the curriculum. What are her interests, personal philosophies and values Should it interfere in the class, or is it an avenue for fortified learning There are many other aspects to be considered in planning a curriculum, but the basics are already statedabove. Let this be a guideline in making your own, but do not be limited to this. Use your imagination; use your creativity. Think of other ways wherein learning can be fun and exciting for the children. Let them enjoy school. (Time-life,1987 ) "Piaget saw mental growth as proceeding in many different fonts simultaneously." In totality, the curriculum should be able to address to the students' individual needs, forsee answers to the questions, fills the gap, and make learning happen in between the childish fracas. II. THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM (Leach, 1997) " people often call this the "pre-school period" but that's not only a mundane name for a magical time, it is also a misnomer. These three-ish and five-ish years are not waiting time before school- or even a preparatory time, but an age stage that is called "early childhood" that has a developmental agenda of its own." Indeed, children of this age are insatiable learners. The see minute details and ask for an explaination. They spend curious time figuring out how a this toy works, only to throw it away after half an hour, and come back for it a day later. Children are amazing. How can we guide them, and facilitate their learning There are several, and varied approaches of early childhood curriculum. Each type claims to have proven, effective results in early childhood learning. Based from the many studies and readings about early childhood development, an Eclectic Curricula has been especially designed for early childhood learners. Recognizing the strongest points of each model and in line with the goals set beforehand this curriculum is named the "CNPP curriculum". CNPP curriculum stands for Cognitive-Numeric-Practical-Play curriculum. Howard Gardner's theory of 'multiple intelligences' has been alluded to, in this paper. Understanding that a child/person is capable of not one but multiple talents and gifts, this curricula is aimed to establish grounds by which the children can explore and discover their gifts and 'intelligences' (Berger,2000) "Children should develop all their intelligences and then demonstrate achievement in many ways." The Montessori model emphasizes on Practical Life learning; teaching the basic every day skills children must learn, to develop independence and self-confidence. It is ordinary, everyday work, stringed together to a precision. Children should learn this in early in childhood. (Fong, 2000) "The approach use particularly for children, who could get satisfaction from conquering the environment." Finally, it is a given fact that children learn more when they are enjoying, and so, play should be an important ingredient in everyday classroom activity. With all these considerations, the "CNPP" curriculum was designed. III. THE SIX ASPECTS OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM COMMUNICATION SKILLS (Ames, 1976) "This is an age where language is paramount." Before the child can say his first word, he has already established a communication pattern with the people around him. A smile, a touch, a certain sound, a pull would signify whatever he idea he wants to transmit. More than the non-verbal communication, the child should learn the ability to communicate with the outside world. The home is the first place where a child learn the ropes of communicating; fortified by formal academic practices, the child will emerge as a person who is confident with the way he deals with others, has the facility to communicate to the world. More urgently, the child will be able to learn faster, participate more in class, and become a successful learner. (Berger,2000) Vygostsky believed that " verbal interaction is a cognitive tool, essential to the growth." CONSTRAINTS: Not much constraint in this aspect, as language, reading and communication are very much a part of the daily school routine. However, if language should be given emphasis, there should be a variety of up to date materials to be used. POTENTIALS: Developing the communication skills at an early age will encourage children to be wide readers, eloquent speakers. His facility of the language will enhance his chances of being successful as he knows how to make his point, and is not afraid to communicate his ideas and thoughts. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES: Alphabet song Story Reading Say and Play Changing Voices Rhyming Games What's in the picture Letter Sounds Action words Letter and Sound matching Sharing stories Asking Questions Making conversations NUMBERS Mathematics help children understand how the outside world works; from the patterns in the bed sheets, to the number of candies at hand, a child is always in awe at the wonders of math. Stacking together blocks to form a taller 'tower', to the number of crayons, colors and shapes, all form part of the basic pre-number, pre-math activities in early childhood. (Gelman and Massey, 1989) " In many societies, he child's mathematical flowering has a rich environment to support it." Therefore the math culture should be everywhere, from the house, to the grocery, school, public transport, dinners, and that children should be included, at least allowed to observe how numbers work in daily basis. CONSTRAINTS: Teaching mathematics at an early age needs to employ a creative strategy so that children will not be 'afraid' or intimidated at the complex nature of numbers. The teacher should be sensitive, creative and patient in carrying out the lesson. POTENTIALS: (Berger, 2000) " School age children are active learners which means that passive instructions are not most appropriate means of teaching." The exploration pre-number readiness in the inviting world of colors and shapes will enable the child to grasps more complex ideas later in life. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES: Shape mobiles Attribute blocks Song with numbers in the lyrics Poem about numbers Counting Measuring using cups and glasses Mock balancing scale Growth chart Recognizing patterns Blocks Sets and pairs Where does it belong MEMORY AND CRITICAL THINKING Insatiable curiosity and love for learning are the benchmarks of early childhood years. Activities that foster organized analysis would encourage the child to use his mental facilities more. (Kail, 1990) "Preschoolers have not yet acquired the strategies they need for deliberately storing memories of events and later retrieve them. They rarely even try to retain details and information. They can be trained to do so." In the absence of a specific memory, the child will not be afraid to come up with alternative answers; he is more absorbed in the process of thinking that encourages informal recall. Thus, the child is more understanding and open-minded. There are strategies that will enhance the child's memory and reasoning. CONSTRAINTS: The child may be confused at certain times, especially if the teacher is not facilitating properly as there are no exact correct or wrong answers to the question. The response may also vary depending on the cultural background of the learners, and some goals/objectives may be hard to achieve. POTENTIALS: Children's capacity to think is encouraged, and with unceasing guidance and direction, the child will develop independence, security and is not bothered/ disturbed by petty differences. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Clustering What's next game Memory game Spot the difference Puzzles Putting together game Ask "what if..." Taste Tests Looking for clues Fill in the blanks Who did it Guessing game PRACTICAL LIFE SKILLS Practical life skill is the core of Montessori education. (Gitter, 1967) " Montessori created a prepared environment where children can work at their own level." Children were trained how to take care of their personal needs. . In class, children develop a love for order and the ability to focus. Thus, practical life skills, is an affective aspect of education where children are taught Discipline, independence and confidence. CONSTRAINTS: Some will interpret it as "child labor" by the fact that the children will be trained to do household chores. This will not come easy for children coming from wealthy families. POTENTIALS: To train a child the value of hard work at an early age, he is more industrious, self-dependent and secure. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES: Sweeping the floor Wiping the Tables Washing rags Setting the table Cleaning up after eating Taking turns Buttoning/zipping Cleaning up of toys Lacing Simple food preparation Washing of dishes Taking charge of own things SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT The primary aim of preschool is to provide a transition from the home to formal education. It should be a happy, healthy environment where the child first learns to appreciate the value of interacting and working with children of the same age, and eventually with mixed-age groups. (Zahn-Waxler,1996) "Social skills and relationships are developing as networks widen to include peers as well as family members." CONSTRAINTS: Some children are already sociable by nature, and have no problem with group set up, reinforcing sociability may in time be boring and redundant. POTENTIALS: Children that are usually aloof and withdrawn will have a chance to interact with others and will have ample time to adjust to group settings. This will be beneficial in primary school where children have to do group works and activities. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES Group Games Mixed-group interaction Individual talent performances Field trips Community visit Educational Trips Team tasks Working in pairs Group experiment Expositions Learning areas/corners constant interaction with others PLAY TIME Since preschool is a transition school from the home to formal school, it should be a place of fun and learning. School should not be rigid, stiff and formal at this stage. There are many strategies and designs in which 'play' can be an educational tool for learning. Play when in groups can help in the affective area of the child where he learns to communicate and adjust to the children around him. At the same time, his fine motor skills are being honed, his language vocabulary enhanced and his bargaining abilities challenged. Taken from an old proverb, "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." CONSTRAINTS: Some parents may think it is just a waste of time to pay good money for school and instead have their children "just" play, instead of studying. There should be a systematic plan on how to use play to reach a learning goal or objective. POTENTIALS: Play can be a very effective tool in learning. It is only through play that a child develops multiple skills at the same time: uses his hands to manipulate the toy, in effect, his small muscles are being readied for writing; develops his critical thinking, and patterns when using blocks; develop team work and adjustability when playing in groups; develop independence when playing alone. SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES All kinds of play Learning corners Blocks Dramatic play Guessing games Follow the Leader Puzzles Individual games Teacher initiated games Ball games Parlor games Group games IV. CONCLUSION The Curriculum This curricula takes on the development of the 'whole' child. It takes into account the cognitive aspects of learning, broken down into communication and numeracy skills. Under communication skills is the language development of the child and his reading-readiness skills that will prepare him for his formal reading lessons in the future. Practical life was chosen as a part of the program, a Montessori based teaching that encourages self-dependence. When a child is trained to take care of his own personal needs and is expected to maintain order and cleanliness. It is under the affective domain, where the constant practice will mold the child's emotional and behavioral outlook. Socialization takes an equal piece, as the child's transition from the home to school should be smooth and enjoyable. Some educational discipline such Waldorf-steiner practice makes sure that the child is not 'shocked' at the changes, and so the classroom is designed to be in a 'homelike' set up to cushion the child's transition. Memory and Critical thinking is encouraged; although unusual, it is better to open the mind of the child of the many, varied possibilities and diversity of the world. By so doing, the child will not only learn how to find answers but to 'make' and 'create' answers when there is none. It can also develop his creativity and imagination. The last component of this curriculum is rather, sensitive. We are in a society where play is not associated with school. It then is quite a surprise to know that it is included in the program. Contrary to the conservative outlook of school, it has been discovered that play has achieved a lot more in terms of developing the child's totality, ability to think, the power to decide and negotiate. Play is not a waste of time then. Given these components, the CNPP curriculum would be able to maximize the child's learning potential. As the child's mind is a 'tabula rasa' or an empty tablet, the school has the power to make or break the child. It is with love and wisdom that this program be implemented at all cost, to better the child's chances of being successful later in life. Parent's Role (Berger,2000) Lev Vygotsky's social learning theory, that says, "children do not strive alone, their efforts are embedded in a social context." Children need their parents and teachers to guide and instruct them. Here are some suggestions: Parents should know the exact program which their child belongs to. By knowing the learning areas and priorities of the syllabus, they can assist their children and guide them at home. There should be coordination in the home to school to home activities so that the children will not get confused. There are many instances when a child is perplexed with the difference of discipline, control and level of authority of the home and the school. This should be controlled or limited. Parents are partners of the school in achieving the learning goals at the beginning. They have an active part to take. A parent-teacher conference at regular basis would improve this kind of relationship, and for parents to better understand and get involved in the education of their children. Parent's conservative outlook of the "pre-school" should be altered by now. Play in the preschool is essential to every child's growth. (Pillai, Maya,2009) "Through play, children not only learn many new skills, but also develop self-esteem. One thing worth mentioning is, parents must learn to respect the interests of their children and let them take the lead while playing. Play helps in developing a healthy and long-lasting relationship between a child and his/her parents. It also helps the parents to gain an insight into the thought process of their child." School/Stake holder's Role As the school is the second home of the students, the school should take the biggest responsibility over the molding of the child's education. School is the second family, through constant interaction, friendship and character is born. The school should be a healthy environment for the children. It should anchor in the community's needs and way of life. With this belief, the school should be able to: come up with programs and activities to make children be a part of community building design learning goals in answer to the pressing community problem, example of that is when there is a big number of migrants in the community, cultural differences and individuality should be addressed. Provide materials and resources to make the child's first school experience memorable and pleasant Work hand in hand with the parents and teachers to maximize learning Compete with other local and district schools in terms of academic performance, discipline and system upgrades V. REFERENCES Ames, LB & Ilg, F. (1976) your-Three-Year-Old; New York, Dell Publishing Bee, Helen (2000); The Developing Child;9th edition. USA, Allyn and Bacon. Berger, Kathleen (2000); The Developing Person; 9th edition; USA, Worth Publication Fong, BC & Resnick MR (1986); The Child: Developing Through Adolescence; California, USA, Mayfield Publishing Gelman, R. & Massey, C. (1987) Social Processes in Early Number Development, Serial 216 Gitter, Len (1967) The Journal of Special Education " The promise of Montessori" (2)1, pg 5-13 Kail, R. (1990) Commentary. The Development of Memory in Chidlren. 3rd edition. New York, Freeman. Leach,Penelope(1997) Your baby and your child: From Birth to age 5. New York: Knopf Pillai,Maya. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/importance-of-play-in-early-childhood.html. Accessed: May 01, 2009. Rincover,Arnold(1991); The Parenting Challenge. New York; POCKET Publishing Time-life books (1987). Developing your Child's Potential. USA, Time-Life, Incorporated Warner, Penny (1999) Baby, Play and Learn. New York; Meadowbook Press Zahn-Waxler, et al (1996) Behavior Problems in five- year old. Development and Psychopathology, 8,103-122 Zaslow, Martin (1991) Variation in Child care quality. Journal of Social Issues, 47, 125-138 VI. ATTACHMENTS Here are attached excerpts of observations with children, that has become the basis of the design of this curriculum: Child 1, Megan: I was observing Megan, age 3 fiddling with the pieces of the puzzle. Came up to her, without talking to her, showed her how the puzzle is suppose to be formed. Then she looked up, stared at me for a while. I spoke to her in a clear but gentle way, instructing her that the puzzle should be attached to each other like the way I did. I told her to look at the puzzle again, then unattached the pieces and let her work on her own. After a few minutes of trying, she has put together the puzzle and smiled at me. Personal comment: With less, or little instruction, a child will learn quickly if given proper instruction and guidance. The puzzle is a critical thinking game, that should be done starting with the easiest, meaning two-piece puzzle to a more complex one. That is also known as scaffolding. Child 2, Pamela Pamela, Megan's twin was also playing at the other end of the room. She was playing with her doll, feeding it and talking to it. Around Pam was a mountain of other bits and pieces. When their mother called them for their meal, Pamela took the toys back to the toy box. Slowly, she was able to put away properly the mountain of toys that was scattered earlier. Megan, did the same on her end. Personal comment: A child trained early to do simple chores will grow up independent and secure. I asked their mother about it and she told me that when the twins were a year and a half, just started walking, she took time to teach them and help them clean up and put away their toys. The twins got used to doing it that they took it upon themselves to clean up after playing. Child 1 and 2 : Megan and Pamela Note: even when they are twins, their mother do not dress them identically. She encourages the child to grow as individual people, not mirror images of each other. They are also given different toys, sleep in different rooms and uses different things. This is to secure their individuality and not to compete with who-is-the-best-me that twins usually go through. Child 3: Francesca I observed Francesca in a party. Francesca is vocal, and very independent at age 3. She chooses her own clothes, and is secure in the presence of older people. She goes around talking, greeting, interacting with children her age, and older. When she is with the company of older children, aged around 10 years, she behaves herself; when she is with a baby, she acts like an older sister, asking the mother of the baby if it needs to be fed. Basically, she likes to be in charge. She likes to draw, paint and color. Personal comment: this child is used to going to parties, and big gatherings. She is not afraid to be a part of a group. Her mother allows her to choose her clothes whenever she can; she is corrected most of the time, but not scolded or shamed by her parents. In effect, a very confident child is emerging. Child 4: Kent Kent is a timid, regular boy, who loves to play. At the age 3, his mother enrolled him in a nursery school program. Kent was not yet ready to read and write, but his mother pushed him to learn quickly. He has little or less time to play, and more and more time practicing how to write and to study harder. Everyday was an ordeal for this boy. In school, he would complain of stomachache and headache. When brought to the clinic, he would feel better. Personal comment: a child should be given time to play and time to learn. Parents should be educated themselves so as not to push the child so far it may be harmful to his psychological growth. Child 5: Dom This child's parents are indifferent. Concerned with their marital troubles, they have sufficed themselves with paying for the school, and bringing the child to and fro. This child would come to class without an assignment most of the time, and with no notebook or snack. The child is a happy, simple child, who is content with whatever is there. Though the child has a lot of potential, she can not perform well because of the limited support and guidance of her parents. Personal comment: parent's over eagerness or the lack of interest is crucial to the child's growth. There should be a balance. Read More