Reggio Emilia Curriculum Framework for Children in Group Care Situation - Case Study Example

Name: Introduction Principle behind Reggio Emilia is that children are full of creative and curious and they are not just receptors information. Reggio Emilia led curriculum is flexible and originates from ideas of children their thoughts and observations. The purpose of Reggio is to instil a culture within children of a lifelong quest for learning and constantly making new exploration. The Reggio Emilia approach as and learning viewed as a journey. Reggio Emilia is based on the following principles Environment, teachers as researchers, collaboration, project work and emergent curriculum which builds up on the interest of the child. a) Theory This document is designed on consideration of the following The curriculum for young children in a group care situation is, and enhance their physical, acquire some academic skills and knowledge Children have the abilities and are competent individuals with a wide and varied range of backgrounds and experiences. Understanding of child growth and development is important for making appropriate decisions about a curriculum content for children in a group care situation. Through relationships and interactions with adults young children creatively construct values and knowledge. Many opportunities need to be provided to children for work and play which cultivate promote the quality of their social interaction and accommodate their individual needs. They become creative when they represent their ideas and knowledge through.The project approach to learning promotes connections across the curriculum. Connections that cut across developmental stages help children reorganize. Curriculum and Practices The curriculum is not determined in initial place. Teachers develop general goals and hypothesize on the direction children would take activities and projects. On this ground, they make preparations appropriate for learning practices. Then, after the careful observation of children in the learning process, they compare their observation, make a discussion, and interpret together their observations and make choices which they share with children and determine what to offer and how to sustain children in exploration and learning. The curriculum generated in the process of each learning activity or project and is flexibly and adjusted throughout this continuous interaction among teachers and children. Learning experiences sourced from project and group work. These projects are based on the fact that learning by doing is importance and discussions in groups, revisiting ideas and experiences are the primaries to gaining better understanding and learning. Projects ideas come from experiences of children and teachers while they build knowledge together. Collaboration Different techniques toward the same investigation are valued and therefore children are given opportunity to access many tools to express themselves. The relationship and collaboration with the family, school and the community all greatly support the child learning. Documentation . Documentation is used for learning assessment and advocacy. Environment The environment is considered the "third teacher" Teachers carefully organize space for group projects. Documentation for children's work, plants, artistic work and other materials collected by children from outings are displayed for view. Common space is set aside to all children in the school this includes play areas and secure worktables for children from different classrooms to come and play together. Project Work Projects assist children gain in depth understanding of concepts, ideas, and gain more interests in learning as well as enhancement of problem solving skills. The duration of the project could be a week or even a month or throughout the year. Teachers help children to make decisions on the direction of study the manner in which the group will arrive to the topic and the selection of materials for the work. Representational Development Reggio Emilia approach calls for an integration of the graphics for cognitive, language, and social development. Presentation of concepts in varied forms e.g. Construction, print, art, drama, music, puppetry, and plays are essential to children's understanding of experience. Curriculum Framework The Curriculum Framework identifies the content covered for each unit in the curriculum. In the case of young children in a group care situation this document will focus on the following child development domains: i. Physical development. ii. Cognitive development. iii. Affective development. There are inter-relations among these child development domains. For example when children play or work together on a project they may apply psycho motor skills, cognitive or affective skills. Therefore, this document puts into consideration the holistic development of each child in a group care situation. i. Physical development. The programs for physical development should provide children with the opportunity to explore and manipulate objects which promote muscle development, hands co-ordination, practice self drive skills and basic hygiene. Experiences a. Demonstrate control in drawing and writing. e.g. Good grasp of a marker or pencil. b. Performing motor activities that require muscle movement, strength and control. E.g. using scissors, paintbrush and paper punch. c. Successfully using eyes and hands coordination to perform fine motor activities. e.g. Arranging puzzles, building block structures, cutting with scissors, stringing beads. d. Engaging in child or teacher initiated activities. e. Putting into practice personal hygiene e. washing hands. f. Practice self drive skills e.g. arranging materials in proper manner. ii. Cognitive development. The target programs should assist children to enhance the development of thinking and problem solving skills. This is achieved through active exploration and interaction with adults and expression of their understanding of objects. Experiences a. Ordering objects in the patterns of their choice. Children should be able to arrange objects in the manner they can explain. e.g. Identifying which of the object is the biggest or smallest, shortest or tallest. b. Making comparison and contrast of objects and events. c. Engaging in scientific experiments in groups using sharing skills and making observations. d. Use commonly available instruments for measuring objects. Example: measurement of weight, height, temperature. e. Recognising printed words. iii. Affective development. The programs for affective development in children should provide children with opportunities to communicate and play with other children, share, take turns, explore new things and take some risks, play in group or independently without supervision, understand what is right or wrong and also respecting those in authority. Experiences a. Using of role play to and resolve conflicts. A role play can be set up which reflects the conflict that may occur among children then encourage children to use their own word to solve the situation. b. Cooperative games among children in groups. E.g. Traveling Train game. c. Team Efforts. Example: Blind fold game where one child acting as a mole which can’t find its hole (represented by a chair in a room) and sit on the chair without assistance then she/he is guided by others. The room should contain no obstacles. d. Creative play such as painting pictures to assist children expresses emotions they cannot or may have difficult verbalising. Relationships with stake holders Parents There is a vital role that parents and other family members undertake for their children’s development. They usually assist children to develop interest in learning. Teachers can offer guidance to parents on good study habits to enhance parents’ success in supporting their children’s learning at home. For teachers to teach effectively they should have an understanding of children’s’ families’ lives, expectation, parenting styles, educational values and ideas about discipline. This understanding can help teachers guide their expectations and teaching. Other ways to involve families include scheduling meetings with parents, informing families about the curriculum, offering mentoring and support groups and obtaining feedback and suggestions from families. School The schools administration can design a parent - teacher resource centers, parent-child activities, and encourage families to pay visits to area museums and their resources for the children’s exposure. Community The community constitutes a network of support groups and the environs of the school. Support groups assist the school in terms of finances and administration while the school neighbourhood ensures the safety of children and the school community. Teachers as Researchers The teacher's role in Reggio Emilia approach is to work as co-teachers, the role of the teacher is learning alongside the children. The teacher is a teacher on research, a resource person who guides and gives expertise to children (Eddwards, 1993). Within such a teacher and a researcher role, they carefully listen, observe, make documentation of children's work and the community growth in their classroom and they co-construct, provoke, and initiate thinking and peer collaboration. The teachers are always committed assessing their own teaching and learning processes. The Atelierista A specialist trained in the visual arts known as the atelierista works with the teachers and children to develop projects which summarize learning experiences (Eddwards et al., 1998). The atelierista assists children and teachers in developing their projects especially in the art room. Constraints Meeting Individual Needs The challenge to teachers is in observing, identifying and planning activities that will accommodate the individual development difference among children. Teachers should adapt a curriculum and classroom plans to address the specific needs of the children with varied abilities through close and careful observation and planning of learning activities and practices. Teachers should individualize. The freedoms/potentials Curriculum Approaches Integrated Curriculum Integrated curriculum breaks barriers between subjects and makes learning more interesting and meaningful to children by teaching around themes children can identify with. Differentiated Curriculum Children have diverse experiences, abilities, and backgrounds. Differentiated instruction is an effective way to offer appropriate curriculum that assists all children to meet the learning goals. This makes children take more responsibility and ownership for their own academic development. Critical discussion Observation and Ongoing Assessment Research-based assessment systems should be used by administrators and teachers to assess children’s work and performance. Children may also be engaged by their teachers in group projects and other learning activities that require collaboration. Long time observation and documentation assists the teacher to understand each child’s learning styles, weaknesses, and strengths. Curriculum and Assessment There is need for teachers and parents .One of the greatest challenges face teachers is the observation; identification and planning a curriculum that can accommodate children’s individual differences in development among all the children in their classes. Conclusion To make young children in a group care situation to fully understand own self, their environment, and the world around them, a curriculum framework need to be implemented which reflects the interest, motivates and prepares children for successive learning and problem solving in greater challenges. Teachers should carefully observe children noting down their developmental processes to plan the instructional approach which each child best responds to. The teachers should also collaborate with parents and constantly inform them of the children’s progress. References. Nellhaus, J. (Ed.) (2008) Kindergarten Learning Experiences. Massachusetts : Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Montessori, M. (1964). Dr. Montessori's Own Handbook, Robert Bentley, Inc.  Mills, J., & Mills, R. (2000). Childhood Studies.A Reader in Perspectives of Childhood. Arnold, C. (2003). Observing Harry: Child Development and Learning 0-5. Maidenhead, England: Open University Press. Mills, J., & Mills, R. (n.d.). Childhood Studies: A Reader in Perspectives of Childhood.. Appendices This document has been written on the basis of the fact that the curriculum should be designed based on the theories of child development propagated by theorists such as Jean Piaget, Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson and Lev Vygotsky. The theorists provide the insight that teachers can use to develop curriculums that can motivate learning in children at different stages of development, selecting best instructional strategies and learning materials that accommodate individual difference among children. Observations There are key issues that affect the learning of young children in a group care situation. These factors that may affect learning of young children include: a. Social and emotional factors This includes the kind of child-teacher relationships in the classroom, the social interaction among children, the relationships among family members, the classroom environment, and children attitudes towards teachers. When children’s emotional stability is maintained their performance is enhances as well. b. Environment The kind and quality of instructional materials and equipment play an important role in the in children development. The environment should be stimulating and provoking the children’s interest to learn. c. Personality of the teacher The teacher is a vital element in a learning environment or in level of the children’s development. The teacher should have the potential to inspire children through the influence of his personality. This personality of the teacher results to effective teaching and learning processes. Read More