Early Childhood Education at Kindergartens and Early Children Centres - Assignment Example

Report on establishing a new Healthcare centre Name Course Task Date 1.0 Introduction Small children struggle to understand and familiarize themselves with the environment they live in. they try to collect and put together images and objects to make sense out of it. For this reason, the kindergartens and early children centres should be designed in a way that the environment will be comfortable and accommodative to the needs of these small children grow at differ stages and it would be important for the planners of these systems to understand every development stage as it put into account its needs in designing the environment for these children. This is because small children through interaction with the environment. To develop a new day care centre for children, I visited a number of day care centres and kindergartens to establish some facts relating to the running and management of a kindergarten. The pre-school centres and kindergartens I visited were; East Beaumaris Community Kindergarten, Beaconsfield Kindergarten, Chelsea Central Childcare Centre, Seaford Kindergarten and Early Beginners Child Care Centre. As I visited the centres, I had a number of questions to the teachers and management of the kindergartens; 1. How is space in the kindergarten divided? 2. What type of the furniture is used in the kindergartens? 3. How is time managed in a kindergarten? 4. What qualifications are needed for early childhood professionals? 5. What is the role of parent in early childhood education? 2.0 Space issue Space management in a classroom determines the level of interaction between the teachers and the learners. The layout of the classroom starts with how the desks and other furniture are arranged, hoe attractive and appealing the bulletin boards are and how the storage of the equipments is done. The seats will be set in a manner that they can be changed for group work or individual work. The class room will also have space for informal furniture like mattresses and pillows where learners can sit when learning. Sometimes, it is tiring for the children to sit on the hard chairs. The teacher should be able to learn the students and know when to let them sit on the pillows and mattresses. The storage shelves will be kept at the back and sides of the class where they will not interfere with the normal class work of the children. seoford Chelsea Early beginners Beaconsfield East Beaumaris Pre School. The photo of a classroom setting in Seaford Kindergarten. The desks arranged for group work, and the other shelves kept at the back of the class and the paintings to make the class more appealing. in Chelsea day care, the shelves are kept at the side of the class. The storage shelves at Early Beginners care centre are set alongside the wall. Storage shelf in East Beaumaris preschool is kept in a separate room. The shelves in Early Beginners are the best arranged among the five kindergartens. The room will have paths through which learners can move around without hurting themselves. The space between the desks and the tables should large enough to allow children to run and walk without hitting themselves on the furniture. In addition, the teacher should have enough space to reach every learner. The teachers are able to attend to the students as they move around. The classroom and children are easily excited by the organization of the rooms. The classroom should contain enough space for all kinds of play. For instance, the room should be spacious enough to support active and messy plays as well as the non-interactive ones. The room should also have an allowance for the children share, interact and converse. The room will have areas both brightly lit and dimly lit. This is because; some learners learn best under bright light while others learning best under dim light. The lighting will be controlled by use of plants, screens and other furniture. Learners will be allowed to sit where they are comfortable. The teacher should also identify students with eye problems and position them in seats where they can comfortably see the board and other learning materials (Persky, 2001). The walls of the kindergarten class should be filled with drawings, pictures and worked of the children. The paintings from the arts and craft classes should also be hanged in these classes. They will be well coloured to ensure that they make the class more appealing, attractive and beautiful, this is because, children are amused by colours and will always look forward to coming to class. In addition, the teacher should hang tables and schedules relating to the children’s homework. East Beaumars preschool Chelsea Beaconsfield kindergarten Seoford Kindergarten This is an example of the walls of East Beaumaris preschool. It contains the pictures and photos done by children. This is how the walls of the centre will be like. The centre will also hang family pictures on the walls. This will make the children have a feeling of being at home. These are examples of family photos in East Beaumaris Preschool. These photos help the children to have the home comfort and feeling. The beds and resting places for the children should be quiet and away from the playing grounds. The beds and the resting mats should be arranged in a way that the kids can sleep facing each other. This is because, children like imitating the others and they will sleep if the others have slept. The diaper changers should be placed near a water source to ease cleaning Chelsea resting place and Seaford resting area The sleeping area for Chelsea is well organised than it is for Seaford. The latter is more squeezed and disarranged. The playing field for the centre will be positioned some distance far from the classroom so that their Noise while playing will not interfere with the normal classes for the other children. The store for the playing materials and objects should also be away from the classrooms so that children going to the field can access them without interfering with other students. The playing field will have a variety of playing objects and instruments. The plying tools and gadget depends on the age of the students. Photos of the playing grounds in Beaconsfield kindergarten Seoford kindergarten Beaconsfield kindergarten East Beaumaris Chelsea childcare centre Seaford and Beaconsfield Kindergarten have more variety of toys for the kids. The environment should be appealing to the children. Children's toys, playing tools and books will be arranged in a way that is attractive to the children and in areas where they can easily reach them during their playing time. However, toys that children should not access without the supervision of the teacher will be put in a locked drawers, childproof shelves and shelves without the reach of children. Each shelf or holder will be well labelled for easy access by the teacher or the person in charge. The environment and the setting will represent children's culture fully. Toys, dolls, paintings, artefacts will represent the cultural background of the children in the school. This is o enable them identify with their particular culture and also allow then know the existence of other cultures. This will enable the children to grow understanding and appreciating different cultures while at the same time retaining their cultural identities. The teacher and caretakers should consider adding family photos, the children's arts and pictures. This will intersect the children to learn more as they associate them with things they have done, or things they know. The toys and equipments provided should depend on the age of the children. For infants, toys should involve baby songs, and lullabies. Toddlers are more interested in manipulative toys (Grotewell, 2008). The floor should be carpeted in a way that fits the toddlers' activities and ages. The floor should contain mats that washable, easy to clean and maintain. It promotes safety for the children who are crawling, sitting, playing, feeding and messy play. The carpeting should be wall to all to avoid children hurting themselves from cemented or wooden floors while playing. 2.0 Furniture When choosing furniture for a day care centre, it is important to take into account the needs of the teachers and toddlers. All the wooden furniture should be smooth to ensure that the furniture durability. The corners of the furniture will be round ended to avoid children hurting themselves on the sharp corners of the furniture. In addition, the centre will furnish the centre with piano hinges to avoid small children from hurting themselves from the nails and other hinges. The care centre will also have plastic seats and tables that will reduce the chance of the learners being injured while playing. Seoford Chelsea preschool east beaumaris preschool Early Beginners This is an example of safe furniture for the children. The child care centres use furniture that cannot injure the children while playing. The sand tables will be utilised so that the learners can play and learn at the same time. Sand table gives learners a chance to use their senses while playing. They feel objects hidden under the sand and identify them. This is important to the learners, because, the more they make use of their senses, the more their sensitivity develops. The centre will also introduce nap mats and mattresses where the children can take a nap after their lunch. The centre will also buy cots for the very small children who cannot sleep with the elder children. This is important as they will the children are able to rest and refresh their minds. After a day of academics and playing, most children are tired by this time and it will be important to the, rest for at least one and a half hours. Furniture that is important in a Kindergarten is a diaper changer, which is used by the caretakers to change the children. This is very important as the care taker is dealing with very small children who cannot go to relieve themselves to the toilet. The furniture should be placed near a tap of water so that the caretaker will be able to clean the children. The lockers and the shelves should be same size as the learners so that they can reach them easily when necessary. The shelves will also have a wide base so that the table cannot fall over the children. This is because, most toddlers like climbing on objects and they may fall. For this reason, the centre will buy furniture that have a wide base and strong legs, which will ensure that the shelves, tables and lockers are strong enough to us to support the children. For the seats, the centre will furnish the classrooms with seats that stable enough so that children can seat comfortably without the fear for falling. If the chairs have wheels for the toddlers who cannot walk, the centre will ensure the wheels have locks to avoid any risks for the wheelchair moving without the knowledge of the caretakers. Moreover, foldable chairs will have locks so that when they are not in use, they can be folded and locked. The chairs in the classroom will be arranged in a way that there are no shelves or lockers around. This is because, the children can attempt to climb on the shelves and tip over the chairs. 3.0 Time management As a kindergarten teacher, one of the most challenging issues is time management. This is because, small children act and react at different rates and some children may take much more time to complete a task than other children. This means that the teachers should manage time in a way that they will take into account the speed of all the toddlers. The timetable should be planned with caution so that it offers activities according to the ages of the children their stage of development. The time should seek to strike a balance between play activities, group experiences, individual work, meal/snack times, quiet and active times (Slentz, 2001). The centre will have a timetable that will allow a lot of play in between class work and group works. Children will get to class early at around eight, and then get into the class for academics. Then the students will go for a break and outdoor activity. Then the students will go for a snack break after which they go back to class. After another lesson in class, the learners will break for lunch and then time for a nap for the children. The children will be woken up at three for another lesson, then break for snacks after which they break for outdoor activity. This timetable is very suitable for the children; this is because, at such a tender age, the children cannot concentrate for long. Constant breaks from class work will help the children to freshen their minds for the next class. Chelsea's timetable Early Beginners Childcare Centre timetable The two kindergartens have many breaks in between the day work and also have time for sleep for the children. 4.0 Materials needed in the day care centre The kindergarten will take care of children of tender ages. For this reason, different materials and centres will be established to the care of the different ages in the centre. The day care centre will have the following centres; 4.1 The build centre This centre will have adequate space that will help students build structures using some playing blocks. The fitness plays strengthens the children to develop their imagination ability and enhance their ability to manipulate the environment. In addition, the centre will help the learners in language development, scientific and mathematical understanding. The floor of the centre will be carpeted to make comfortable for the children to build their structures. Moreover, the carpet will minimise the noise from the falling building objects. The carpet will be smooth and firm to provide a good surface for building. The centre will also have a shelf where the building blocks will be stored after the children finish the building session. Children will be taught to arrange the blocks according to size, shape and colour. This will help then to develop their organisation skills. 4.2 Problem solving centre In order to solve some problems by the children, will be done in the centre. This room will have a variety of materials related to creative arts. The materials needed here include crayons, scissors, papers, and other arts and craft objects. The centre should be near a water supply as the learners will need to wash their hand after their creations. This centre will help the students to develop problem solving skills. Moreover, it promotes creativity. Seaford kindergarten Seaford kindergarten East Beaumaris Chelsea childcare centre Beoconsfield Childcare Centre Children at the kindergartens' problem solving centre. 4.3 Exploration centre The explorations centre provides children with an experience to interact with the animals, plants and other objects. This centre should have a store where pictures and photos from field trips should be kept. The area will also have bulletin boards and displays of animals and plants. This centre is to provide the opportunity for the children to do further examinations on the materials and objects they collect from field studies and trips. The objects will be changed continuously to ensure that the curiosity of the learners to know new things is kept alive (McLachlan, Edwards & Fleer, 2010). This is an example of a bulletin in an exploration centre from East Beaumaris Preschool. 4.4 The group assembly area This area is meant for group work, discussions and teamwork. The floor of this area should be carpeted so that the children and the teacher can be comfortable sitting on if need be. Low chairs and lockers will also be available in the room that will allow the teachers and the students are comfortable when undertaking the group work. The objects and materials needed in this area are subject to the actions being executed. The area will have bulletin boards where the teacher and the students can scribble. The area should also have a storage facility where different object will be stored. 4.5 The imaginative play area This area is basically for role playing, initiative and expressions. This are should be partitioned so that different activities and plays can be separated. The separating wall should be high enough for the children to ensure privacy but low enough for the care giver to be able to keep watch of the happenings in this centre. The basic objects in this room should be kitchen appliances, chairs, tables and beds to help the children play the house roles. The room will be transformable so that children can use the room for different settings. This centre is important as children learn to become responsible. Children also learn how to share responsibilities with other people (Morgan, 2010). 4.6 The physical activity centre This centre is important for physical activities because small children are very active. A free hall will be utilised since there is adequate space for the children to run up and down. This area is important because it is very crucial to have physical activity for the health of the children. The playing materials in this centre range from simple toys to skipping ropes for the older children. 4.7 The relaxation centre This centre provides a quiet environment where toddlers can read books; this centre should be very quiet but attractive. It should be carpeted to avoid any noises from shoes. The centre will ensure that it furnishes this centre with books, story books and other equipments like the radio cassettes where children can listen to stories or soft music. 5.0 People The early care centre teachers are charged with the duty of assisting the toddlers. The experience the learners got through in their early stages of development affects their later performance in their personal lives and school works. The teacher introduces children into the basics of all the disciplines they later learn in life. For this reason, the centre will employ teachers who are fully qualified in early childhood to ensure that the learners are introduced into the disciplines well. The teachers have to arrange the classroom depending on the needs of the individual students. They will undertake one-on-one activities with the students to handle their specific differences in details. In addition, the teacher foresees outdoor activities and field trips. Through such activities, teachers are able to identify students with special needs and refer them to the necessary authorities for care. The centre will also employ the services of care givers, who will be taking care of the children while not in class. The major role of the caregivers is changing and cleaning the children. They have a duty of nourishing the children and ensuring every child has fed. Moreover, the caretakers are responsible for taking care of the children while they start crying. Parents also have an important role to play in the life of the young children who are going to kindergarten. The centre will emphasize on the role of the parents in the lives of the children. The parents should take part in their child’s life but should not be over-involved. This will allow children to develop independence in the academic work. However, the parents should provide guidelines to their children. In addition, parents should ensure that the children do their homework. The center has to partner with the parents for the best interest of the children. The content of the curriculum will be determined by partnership between the parents, caregivers, teachers and the students. The content should be divided into two, As teachers, parents and other stakeholders design the curriculum for small children, it is important that takes into account the age of the children. Children should be introduced to different disciplines at different ages. In developing the curriculum and content for small children, it is important to understand the two levels of children life; the day-to-day level and the schooled level. The teacher is the mediator between these two levels of a child's life (Hirsh, 2004). Kindergarten exposes the children to an initial learning environment in life and the experience they get at this stage will determine their future development. Key concepts on mathematics, writing and reading will be the core of the curriculum in the centre. Relevance of the curriculum will be highly valued to ensure that the small children value the learning process at the early stages of their lives. The curriculum in the centre will be all rounded to ensure full growth and development of the young children. Children will engage in activities that enhance development of the language skills and phonological awareness. The children will acquire the art of adhering to directions through language. The maths curriculum will introduce the learners to the concepts of numbers and later on to the complex technologies such as calculators and computers. In addition, the curriculum will contain social studies that will enable the learners know their backgrounds, and how to socialize. The curriculum will also contain health and safety lessons, arts lessons, science lessons and physical education. References Grotewell, P. G. (2008). Early childhood education: issues and developments. New York: Nova Publishers. Hirsh, A. (2004). Early childhood curriculum: incorporating multiple intelligences, developmentally appropriate practice, and play. New York: Pearsons. McLachlan, C., Edwards, S., & Fleer, M. (2010). Early Childhood Curriculum: Planning, Assessment, and Implementation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Morgan, H. (2010). Early Childhood Education: Integrating History and Philosophy. London: Rowman & Littlefield. Persky, B. L. (2001). Early childhood education. New York: University Press of America. Slentz, K. (2001). The early childhood curriculum. London: L. Erlbaum Associates. Read More