Ideal Curriculum for Young Learners - Essay Example

Ideal Curriculum for Young Learners Young children are always full of wonder. They are eager learners whose curiosity is never-ending. Being in this world for just a few years, they are raring to know more and more about how things are and how they work. Thus, they need opportunities to explore and make their own discoveries. Of course it helps if supportive teachers aid them along the way. Early Childhood Education provides young children with various learning opportunities. The curriculum implemented in the school or centre is an integral tool to help these young children maximize their learning potentials at the developmental age they are at (thesis statement). Understanding the quote presented in the module at 4.1.2 - "....curriculum is what happens in an educational environment - not what is rationally planned to happen, but what actually takes place." , it can be said that the curriculum comprises the whole early childhood programme. It covers a broad spectrum - from how the physical environment is designed, which skills are targeted to be developed in the children, which concepts and activities are appropriate for the age group, what are the routines to be included and how one transitions from one activity to another. Early childhood settings may be particularly challenging to plan a curriculum for, as the learners are very young and may be at various stages of development. Each age may be a different stage in early childhood as children grow up rapidly in all domains. Group settings at preschools or day care centres may have various ideas of how to provide group care and education. In this particular paper, curriculum shall be discussed in terms of meeting children where they are at. The situation to be studied falls under a constructivist approach of learning which puts the learner in charge of “constructing” his or her own learning with the able help of a nurturing educator who provides her class with much challenge to their potentials. An ideal early childhood curriculum considers various factors in its planning and implementation. The writer shall discuss what she deems essential aspects of the early childhood curriculum based on observations of how very young children learn and various theoretical frameworks culled from literature. It will enumerate the roles, responsibilities and benefits to stakeholders in early childhood education, specifically that of the children themselves and the teacher-practitioners who are in charge of creating the curriculum. Specifically, the writer believes the following are the important aspects that the early childhood curriculum must embody: It must be learner-centered and follow a constructivist approach Play must be central to its strategies It must be holistic in developing children’s skills in all domains: physical, cognitive, social, emotional and creative areas of development. It must consider that children have various intelligences and should appropriately address such. It must integrate various subject areas as anchored by a theme that is interesting to the children. Selected themes of study must be interesting, relevant and appropriate to the children. It must encourage creativity in children It must be experienced by the children, as concretizing learning in this particular stage of development is essential to very young children if they are to retain it. Learner-centered / Constructivist In Appendix #1, the teacher tried to get to the level of Sydney, a two year old toddler as she played. She took interest in what she was doing and respected her ideas. She also took the opportunity to expose Sydney to a wider vocabulary and correct sentence construction, as the child has very limited verbal skills as of yet. The teacher was learner-centered in this simple interaction. A child-centered program becomes meaningful when it draws from the children’s needs and learning styles, life experiences, interests, and ideas. Content areas in an integrated curriculum largely stem from the children themselves – their interests, questions, and passion. This gives children the opportunity to become active partners in curriculum planning and the learning process; in effect, this departs from the traditional notion of a student’s role of passively listening to a teacher. The emphasis of the educational process then shifts from teaching to learning. This is the kind of curriculum in the constructivist approach. It premises on the belief that learners “construct” their own learning, and in effect, have better retention of it. “In the Constructivist theory the emphasis is placed on the learner or the student rather than the teacher or the instructor.  It is the learner who interacts with objects and events and thereby gains an understanding of the features held by such objects or events.  The learner, therefore, constructs his/her own conceptualizations and solutions to problems.  Learner autonomy and initiative is accepted and encouraged.” (Van Ryneveld, n.d., n.p.). “Piaget believed that children create knowledge through interactions with the environment. Children are not passive receivers of knowledge; rather, they actively work at organizing their experience into more and more complex mental structures.” (Brewer, 2001, p.6). He insists that children need to use all their cognitive functions. These theories were designed to form minds which can be critical, can verify, and not accept everything they are offered. Such beliefs reflect his respect for children’s thinking. Play-based Play is a child’s world. It is an avenue where one can be free to be oneself without anyone imposing rules or restrictions to conform to society’s standards. Play offers many benefits that foster children’s learning. It engages the mind to actively imagine various scenarios for fun or for problem-solving. Babies and toddlers play in order to get to know their world – how things work, how people react, etc. They get to explore and discover things that otherwise they will not learn about if they do not actively engage in play. Preschoolers and primary school children learn better in play-like settings because they retain concepts better when learned in the spirit of fun. They enjoy competitive games in testing their stock knowledge and even simulate game shows they watch on television in reviewing certain academic concepts. Such cognitive benefits extend to their real lives as they make decisions, compare and contrast things, use their imaginations and thinking critically and creatively. Appendix #4 shows how the teacher used play to introduce more ideas that children can explore. The three little girls, Veronica, Carylle and Isabelle were simply playing with the cooking toys in a way they were familiar with. The teacher ignited more ideas for them as she provided them with paper and colored pens. The teacher caught on and it added more color to their play. Play also engages the body. Certain games involve gross and fine motor coordination. Running around, jumping, tumbling and other physical activities help them be physically fit as well as release tension. Much practice in physical play develops their muscles, agility, flexibility and endurance. Socially, play fosters the development of friendships, coaxing children out of their shells. As they play with other children or adults, they get to know about how other people behave, think and feel. They also get to learn socially acceptable behavior like not hurting others and playing fair. Most importantly, they get to know themselves better- how they react to certain situations in the play setting. Play may also be an outlet for emotional release. Young children use role play or puppet play to process experiences they do not fully understand. Doing it over and over helps them realize what was wrong or right in confusing situations. Resolving issues in play may also be therapeutic for some children. Holistic The process of growth and maturity of an individual entails development in physical, cognitive, social, emotional and moral areas. Development in one area affects another. In children, this is very obvious, as they are in a stage in life when development occurs rapidly. Physically, a child’s body grows in accordance to the genetic structure he was born with. Logically, children grow bigger and taller and every year, their growth is obviously apparent in the clothes that don’t fit them anymore from a few months before, and the height and weight that drastically increased from their last doctor’s check up. Heredity plays a great role in their physical development, as they take on physical traits from their parents. The genes they inherit from them dictate their physical developmental path. Their motor skills also develop in accordance to their developmental needs. This means, the older they get, the more things they are expected to do, so they develop physical skills to be able to do such tasks. Younger children’s fine motor skills, eye-hand coordination and body coordination are much less developed and more awkward than their older counterparts. As they grow, they also gain more control of their fine motor muscles to enable them to do more things with their hands, such as cutting, drawing and writing. With regards to their gross motor development, as children grow older, they are more able to move their large muscles in more well-coordinated movements so they are able to do more challenging things with their bodies such as skipping, running with agility, dancing with flexibility, tumbling and the like. Intelligence is another area where one grows over time. Jean Piaget, among others, has outlined a remarkable framework in the cognitive development of a person and describes each stage. The initial stage is the Sensorimotor Stage of babies and toddlers. This period is characterized by interactions with the environment based on the child’s reception of sensory input and muscular reactions. The task of this period is to develop the concept of object permanence, the idea that objects exist even when they cannot be seen or heard. (Brewer, 2001). The Preoperational Period (two to seven years) marks the time when a child becomes able to represent objects and knowledge through imitation, symbolic play, drawing, mental images and spoken language. Lack of conservation skills is also characteristic of this stage. “Conservation is defined as the knowledge that the number, mass, area, length, weight, and volume of objects are not changed by physically rearranging the objects.” (Brewer, 2001) The ages of seven to eleven or twelve years falls under the Concrete Operational Period. Primary school children at this age begin to think more operationally. Piaget and Inhelder (1969) described the operational thinker as one who employs “identity or reversibility by inversion or reciprocity” (p.99) in solving problems. They have moved on from being egocentric and consider that others may come to conclusions that differ from theirs. The Formal Operational Period commences at age 12 and continues on to adulthood. This final stage of cognitive development is characterized by the ability to think abstractly, reason logically and draw conclusions from available data. The young adult at this stage is more capable of understanding things beyond the surface meaning. Socially, there are children who may be inherently shy or gregarious, as is likewise dictated by their genetic make up or as an effect of exposure to shy or gregarious parents. However, as children get older, they are provided more opportunities to be with other people and learn to deal with different personalities. Erikson’s Psychosocial Stages propose than in each stage of a person’s life, he encounters various conflicts that pertain to their developmental stage. For children aged three to six, fall under the Initiative vs. Guilt stage. In this stage, preschoolers are so into doing things on their own and showing everyone how much they have grown in many ways. Thus, they initiate help. However, at this stage, children may be awkward, and their good intentions may backfire as in destroying some things in the process. When this happens, they are overcome with guilt (Brewer, 2001). Their emotional development is also linked to their moral development. A man named Kohlberg (1984) even came up with a theory of moral development based on a hypothetical moral situation calling on children’s decision-making skills, and his theories attracted much attention from moral philosophers. It was theorized that young children conceptualize morality in terms of obedience to adults’ rules and regulations. They know that it makes them good children. This is so because they think in concrete, physical, egocentric ways and their social worlds are dominated by adults. On the other hand, older children think of morality in terms of cooperation with peers because they are cognitively able to comprehend the views of others and already understand concepts such as reciprocity and cooperation because their social worlds consist mainly of interactions with peers. Kohlberg based his work on this theory of cognitive development and emphasized reasoning as the key to moral development. Appendix # 2 showed how the teacher adjusted her reasoning skills to comply with Leon’s, a six year old boy. She was aware that at his age, he is more agile in his movements (physical development), may have the tendency to show off his newfound skills such as swinging as high as he can possibly can (social development), however, he may not be aware of the danger he may face if he is much too daring (cognitive). By informing him the dangers of losing balance on the swing, he was able to come up with the limitations himself, and was reminded what the teacher says about keeping safe. By knowing the reasons why there is a limit, it would be easier for him to comply with the set limit. Asking him questions and extending his imagination on what things could happen if limits were not followed, Leon got curious and understood the reasons behind limits. Showing interest in his activity, swinging beside him, also makes him feel comfortable and avoids the appearance of talking down to the child. Unknowingly, in this incidental learning situation, the teacher was able to provide the child holistic learning in all domains of his development. Respectful of Children’s Various Intelligences As illustrated in Appendix #3, respect for individual differences is upheld in the preschool learning environment. The teacher showed Anton and Patrick, both 5 year olds that thinking and doing things another say is welcome. That particular interaction of accepting another way of creating a spaceship encouraged children respect differences, especially others’ preferences. It shows how people can have different opinions on things yet nobody is considered wrong. Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences (1983) has impacted education ever since it was publicized. It has been liberating to finally accept that all people have something to excel at, and being smart above the rest is not limited to those who do exceptionally well academically. Schools have adapted Gardner’s views of searching for competencies that each student is strong at and maximize his potentials for such skill so he gets to join the circle of the “smarts”. Some schools have simplified the intelligences to capture children’s interest in their own intelligence and motivate them to optimize their gifts. Terms such as “body smart”, “music smart” or “people smart” are held in equal esteem as “word smart” and “number smart”. That way, no one feels left out and self-confidence is generally boosted. It is comforting to think that if one has an aptitude for music, for instance, and is weak at math and science, then he can still excel at something creative and non-academic. For teachers, knowing the special intelligences of their students will enable them to adjust their teaching methodology accordingly. Math and Science may be taught using strategies that involve music, games, literature, and the like. It also makes learning so much more fun because aside from the variety of experiences the students encounter, it considers every student’s intelligence profile. Ideally, it creates a stimulating learning environment that is conducive to optimal learning and full development of human potential (Gardner, 1983). Integrated The principle of curriculum integration pertains to a form of instruction that provides learning experiences which combine content areas across multiple disciplines collectively. The initiative to integrate curriculum began when John Dewey proposed that curriculum be linked to real-life experiences and organized around activities that interest and engage children actively. Dewey asserted that children’s interests naturally progress into appropriate learning activities and extend to various areas of study. As implied by the guidelines for appropriate curriculum, the concept of integration can also be attributed to the integrated nature of development; that is, development in the different domains does not occur in isolation; rather they influence one another (Bredekamp and Rosegrant, 1992). An integrated curriculum allows the young child to perceive the world around him more clearly. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for in-depth exploration of a topic and learning that has a thorough coverage; more choices and therefore more motivation to learn and greater satisfaction with the results; more active learning; an opportunity for the teacher to learn along with the children and model lifelong learning; and a more efficient use of student and teacher time (Brewer, 2001). Curriculum integration helps students recognize connections between curriculum areas. These connections are essential to the brain in order to learn effectively. Integration changes the emphasis from the instruction of discrete academic subjects to activities that promote learning through real-life tasks. It blends academic disciplines into integrated topic studies which support creative thinking and problem solving, as opposed to rote memorization and teacher-directed instruction of isolated skills and bits of information. Thematic A thematic organization is a model in which skills, facts, materials, activities and subject-matter knowledge are integrated around a unifying theme (Brewer, 2001). Themes provide coherence and allow young children to understand meaningful relationships across subject and skill areas. Using themes as an instructional tool organizes learning around basic concepts and ideas, and creates a general framework which serves as a basis for relating content and processing information from a range of disciplines. Katz (1999) cited the following factors to consider in selecting themes: relevance, the opportunity for application of skills, the availability of resources, teacher interest, and the time of year. Moreover, theme teaching is most effective when the following strategies are considered during planning and implementing of the selected themes (Katz, 1999). It is evident that themes are generally derived from objects and realities found in a child’s immediate world. In the course of planning themes, the teacher’s role in determining appropriate themes is to carefully observe and make a written record of the children’s interests, discussions and play. Teachers can also promote their students’ interests by providing a variety of materials, including blocks, puzzles, pictures, and books that would invite the students to participate in activities and projects. Creative There are several positive effects of integrating creative activities in the curriculum. Firstly, creativity enhances each child’s skills and abilities. It boosts the self-esteem of a child especially when he or she does not succeed in academic areas. Creativity develops the child’s flexibility of thinking and broadens his or her imagination through self-expression. Expression of creativity is non-threatening and non-evaluative. It acknowledges the fact that each child’s work is different from one another (Woods, 2003). Secondly, it promotes positive attitudes towards learning. Children are more involved if the approach is interesting and presented in a creative manner than by merely presenting the topic. They are not passive and non-responsive students. Instead, they are active learners and participants of the learning process. Thirdly, children learn concepts and ideas from creative activities. They experience pure enjoyment in such activities because these are retained in their memory. In addition, it provides numerous interactions with other children and promotes socialization among peers. Most importantly, learning through creative activities will develop a well-rounded child. Other children who may not succeed in academic subjects may find it successful in creative arts. Experiential/ hands-on It is important to consider how young children learn and process information. Experts agree that children learn best through exploration, hands-on experiences, and purposeful play. Young children develop concepts deductively through first hand experiences (Lawton, 1987). They learn skills and acquire deeper understanding of concepts when these are embedded in personally and socially relevant activities. Young children build knowledge as they interact with the world around them by combining new data with previous knowledge and perceptions, to clarify or modify current understandings which they later utilize in absorbing new ideas (Hunt, 1961). They construct, adjust, and expand their concepts over time as they organize a variety of experiences and make connections among them (Kostelnik & Howe, 1991). Benefit and Potential of Advocated Curriculum Design The aspects of curriculum specifically chosen by the writer reflect a philosophy that is respectful of children’s learning. It does not impose unreasonable expectations that traditional philosophies may have, that of teachers being the sole “dispensers of learning” while the students are open vessels or “blank slates” for them to write on. On the contrary, this curriculum design empowers children to be bold enough to initiate their own explorations and discoveries. It builds up their self-esteem that adults around them consider their contributions to their own learning, and that it is what truly matters. It may be difficult for some teachers to adopt this curriculum design at first, especially if they are used to designing one at par with traditional adult standards that are usually printed out to comply to. It may be challenging to share the reins of planning a curriculum with the children. It takes a mature teacher to eventually pass the responsibility of learning for themselves. Of course she is on hand to supervise and provide gainful learning opportunities to them. It shows that she puts great trust in their ability to learn and confidence in herself that she has trained them well. John Dewey (1916) believes that quality education stems from how children are trained to think. Dewey claims that learning must be experienced by the learner if it is to be effectively retained. He does not agree with teaching students via lectures about things children have no direct experience with and reliance on mere textbooks. Dewey advocates active learning to stimulate a student’s thinking on his own. Teachers should recognize and respect that children are capable of coming up with their own opinions, and conclusions and ideas. Allowing students to explore their own ideas gives them more power in the acquisition of learning. Using information they have previously acquired, they are encouraged to invent their own solutions and try out their own ideas and hypotheses with the able support of their teachers. This way, they can indulge in concrete experiences that focus on their interests. The learning that they acquire from their experiences are retained within them, accessible to draw from when needed in future learnings when they grow older. For example, being able to do simple experiments such as blowing bubbles will be an experience they can refer to when they study air pressure in elementary school. The process of searching for information, analysing data and reaching conclusions is considered more important than learning facts. The proposed curriculum design envisions children who will grow up to be well-rounded, implanted with a deep love for learning, as their interests and needs were addressed. They will become creative thinkers who go beyond borders of accepted ideas and come up with their original ones that are pursued with passion. Gaining enough support and respect for their learning initiatives, and having been provided with the right opportunities and challenges while they were very young will most likely develop them to be lifelong learners and productive members of society. An ideal curriculum for very young learners should be planned with a lot of care and consideration of the needs of the children. After all, the foundation for all learning is in the earliest stages of an individual’s life. A child’s learning experiences in that stage may very well spell his success or failure as he grows up. References Brewer, J.A. (2001) Introduction to Early Childhood Education. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Dewey, J. (1916) Chapter 12: Thinking in Education, from Democracy & Education. The Macmillan Company. Gardner, H.,(1983) Frames of Mind: the theory of multiple intelligences London: Heinemann Katz, L. (999). Another look at what young children should be learning. U.S. Department of Education. Database online. Available from EDO-PS-99-5. http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/eecearchive/digests/1999/katzle99.html. Kohlberg, L. (1984). Essays in moral development: Vol. 2. The psychology of moral development. New York: Harper & Row. Kostelnik, Marjorie, ed., Howe, Donna, et al. 1991. Teaching young children using themes. New Jersey: Good Year Books. Piaget, J. & Inhelder, B. (1969) The Psychology of the Child. New York: Basic Books Van Ryneveld, L., (n.d.) “What is constructivism?”, Retrieved on May 10, 2009 from http://hagar.up.ac.za/catts/learner/lindavr/lindapg1.htm Woods, J. (2003). The Creative School. New York: Routledge-Falmer. Appendix Observation Journal: Preschool Interactions #1. Child’s name and age: Sydney, 2 years old Activity: Sydney is playing by the kitchen at the Dramatic Play Area during Free Play time in school I believe my interaction with Sydney was appropriate. I smiled at her as I approached her and greeted her with a warm hello. I squatted, an arms’ length away, and leaned slightly toward her, to have a face-to-face communication. These non-verbal signals make her feel my interest in her work. I always mentioned her name while I was talking to her and maintained frequent but not continuous eye-contact to demonstrate interest. I responded positively with respect to the communication style used by the child. When asked what she was doing, she answered “Breakfast”. Children her age usually respond to questions with a word or two. I elaborated on her answer by phrasing her answer to make a sentence. I responded, “Oh, so you’re preparing breakfast”. When asked who it was for, Sydney just looked at me. Children her age are not so verbal and it would be easier for them to choose from different options rather coming up with their own answer. So I provided her with choices. “Is it for Teacher?” I asked. This time I had a shake of head as a negative answer. “Is it for Daddy?” I again asked. She said “No”. “Is it for Mommy?” And this time, she said, “Yes”. I responded with an approval and praise, “Wow! I think Mommy will love the breakfast you prepared for her. Good Job!” #2.) Child’s name and age: Leon, 6 years old Activity: Leon is playing and trying different positions on the swing during Outdoor Play I noticed that Leon was trying different ways of keeping his body on the swing while the swing was moving to and fro. I first praised him on how good a ‘swinger’ he is. He can make the swing move very fast and still balance himself on it while sitting, standing, or keeping his chest on the seat. Then I reminded him on being safe when using the swing. I also tried the other swing beside him. I agreed with him that it’s really fun when the swing is moving very fast. Then I asked him what he thinks will happen if I fall down from the swing. He told me that I will get hurt. I agreed that it’s really painful to fall from the swing and added, with a very worried look on my face, that I could hurt my spinal column and be paralyzed. He got curious with the words I used and asked what they mean. I explained to him what they meant and showed where his spinal column is. I asked him if he wants that to happen to him and how he can avoid that from happening. #3.) Children’s names and age: Patrick and Anton, both 5 years old Activity: Patrick and Anton were playing with interconnecting blocks and were building spaceships using different shapes and sizes of blocks. I believe the interaction was respectful and positive. I smiled and asked permission first if I could join them and if they could teach me how to build my own spaceship. They both eagerly showed me the blocks I need and how I can put them together. I noticed that their spaceships do not look the same and I asked if I can make it in a different way. They agreed as long as I make my spaceship with wings. I told them that I do not like spaceship with wings. At first they disagreed but when I told them my feelings about the wings, they both agreed that I was fine to have spaceships without wings. It was a respectful and positive decision. I think this interaction will encourage children to respect differences, especially others’ preferences. It shows how people can have different opinions on things yet nobody is considered wrong. #4. Children’s names and age: Isabelle, 4 years old; Carylle, 4 years old; Veronica, 6 years old; Activity: The children were playing at the Dramatic Play Area. They were busy cooking at the play kitchen. First, I intentionally ordered food, pretending to be a customer at a restaurant. I asked for their menu. This got them interested and thinking of expanding their kitchen into a restaurant. I showed them the paper and colored pens I brought that could be used for their Menu at their new restaurant. They got very excited and each of them contributed to the kind of food they will serve. Veronica made the Menu, as Isabelle and Carylle looked for more toys that they could use for their new restaurant. Read More