Curriculum Development & Assessment in Early Years

According to UNESCO, Early Childhood Care and Education is defined as the time when a child’s brain is at its peak development from birth to eight years of age. UNESCO claims that at this age, children are very much influenced by both, the people they are bonded to, and their environment. ECCE plays a vital role in nurturing the development of the child’s needs, in order to build a foundation for lifelong learning and well-being. (UNESCO).

With the successful implementation of legislative guidelines, it is possible that the establishment of ECCE services can play a major role in the development of capable and responsible citizens in the future. (UNESCO). The national ECCE Curriculum Guide of Trinidad & Tobago (MOE), has stated that since the inclusion of the ECCE, there were lots of recognition given because of its important role in producing good citizens and life- long learning.

The aim of this guide, (MOE) is to assist educators in using effective strategies to create the appropriate environment to guide children’s behaviour, and to adapt to and incorporate new research ideas in early childhood development and education. Some of the critical standards or legislative guidelines that are important for early childhood institutions and their impact on the Early Childhood Care and Education development in my country are:

Staffing
Physical Environment
Nutrition
Interactions and Relationships with children.
Staffing.

In support of learning, a very organized staffing pattern is important in providing individualized and responsible care in the ECCE institution. The international standards for teacher to child ratios require that children from birth to five years are as follows:

Birth -2 = 1:4.
2-3 years = 1: 6 (Infants & Toddlers).
3- 4+ = 1: 15 (Maximum). (Course page ECFS 1006 Unit # 2).

It is a requirement that all staff members be professionally qualified to work with young children, having the required knowledge, the right attitude and skills that promote the healthy development of the child. (Regulating Early Childhood Services). In most countries, the ECCE educators must possess a degree in the field and should be able to demonstrate a high level of understanding of the learning and developmental stages. (National ECCE Curriculum Guide of T&T).

High levels of staff qualification and small teacher/child ratios provides quality care and has a positive effect in impacting the quality of ECCE services. (Spotlight). According to “Spotlight”, it has been proven that quality ECEC programmes that hire professionally qualified staffing, can be the results of good educational, labour markets and a smart economy. However, Spotlight also disclosed that there are disadvantages in starting formal education too early in a child’s life and spending long hours in out-of-home care.

A research literature by the National Quality Standard reviewed by Dr Leone Huntsman supports the idea that the ratios of child to educator and educator qualifications support quality experiences for early childhood education. The evidence in this review concluded that the least children to staff resulted in a higher process quality. It has been noted however, that high quality care has resulted in better language and cognitive development and less behavioural problems (National Quality Standard).

For example, Leo from Rainbow Children’s Centre in Ballina believes that staff employment arrangements can also strongly impact on the quality of interactions and experiences for children. Sharon at Cherubs Preschool and Early Learning Centre said that the reason why they focus on low child/staff ratios in each class room is because it allows the teachers to implement individualised care routines for children. (National Quality Standard).

Qualified staffing and smaller ratio of children to teacher is the key indicator to quality care and should have an impact on the ECCE institutions in my country because, as it can be seen here, this proves that a higher process quality will result in better cognitive development and less behavioural problems. The ratios are better because it is believed to improve the success of the child by providing him with individualised interaction from the teacher. (NCBI Resources).

Physical Environment:

The design and structure of the physical environment plays an important role in a child’s development, whether it be at home or school. It assists him in forming relationships, affects his behaviour and health and has a positive effect in both work and play. (J. Bullard- Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall). The advantage of having this layout will assist the ECCE’s practitioners to perform a satisfactory job because they can now focus on developing new activities while helping the children to meet their needs and develop new skills.

With a properly designed physical environment, children are encouraged to explore and learn. This learning supports their interaction with space and the materials that are available. (EEC). According to the Department of Early Education and Care, (EEC) some important pointers that would help to impact the physical environment for the development of ECCE are: There should be a variety of equipments and play materials which are easily accessible to the children.

There should be enough space that is also uncluttered that is used for active play, and also another area that is solely used as a cozy room for quiet play. Children’s artwork should be displayed at eyelevel and containing lots of colourful pictures and photographs. Proper natural lighting should be provided in the form of windows. Furniture should be child friendly. (Department of Early Education and Care). Safety should be maintained by properly securing cords and electrical items that are hazardous.

Nutrition:

There are many children all over the world who are overweight. The main reason for this is either poor nutrition or not eating the right foods. According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, parents are not sure of what to give their child to eat, if they are getting enough calcium, iron or too much fat. Good nutrition is essential for all children, no matter what their age, to provide for their physical and mental development. Pre-schoolers need a healthy selection of foods so that their bodies get to absorb what it needs to promote good development.

It is important to have a good supply of calcium as it is the building block for the body that is needed for strong bones and healthy teeth. Some good sources of calcium that will be tolerated by most children are milk, orange juice and cereals. Pre-schoolers tend to be very fussy about certain foods, so in order to get them to incorporate good nutrition, we have to sometimes disguise the healthy foods eg, blend fruits or vegetables like carrot or beet into delicious smoothies or ice-cream.

Vegetables and beans also provide fibre to aid in the prevention of constipation, heart disease and digestion. (American Academy of Academics). Since it is proven that at this age, children model adults, if the teacher eats fruits each day during break time, a healthy eating habit can be modelled. Pre-schoolers age is the time for brain development, and good nutrition is very important. This can be a lot easier with the help of both parents and caregivers because it is necessary to help the kids to stay at a healthy weight.

(American Academy of Paediatrics). According to the American Academy of Paediatrics, water or milk should be given as a drink instead of the frequency of sodas or fruit juice which contains lots of calories and can harm the child’s teeth. For picky eaters, this can be a phase they may go through from time to time during the early years, but with hard work and patience these habits can be changed. At this age, the child is experimenting on his taste, to figure out what he likes and dislikes.

The main thing is be calm and allow him to choose between two healthy options and continue to introduce new nutritious foods. A good idea is to make healthy dips to serve with fruits of vegetables with the inclusion of Yogurt. (American Academy of Paediatrics). In my country this is no exception, good nutrition has a positive impact on a child’s development during the early years because his mind and body are still growing and needs to develop both physically and mentally.

Nutrition can impact a child’s learning ability through the quality of his diet. Deficiencies in nutrition can cause damage to a child’s neural development leading to learning disabilities. Studies have found that poor nutrition during childhood can lead to poor problem solving and memorizing. Studies have also shown that children who are malnourished from an early age can have problems with vision, fine motor skills, language and social skills which can last until adulthood. (American Academy of Paediatrics).

Interactions and Relationships with children.

According to Harvard University October 2009, it is important to know that the healthy development of a child’s brain depends on establishing the relationships he has with the important people in his life, whether it’s within or outside the family circle. Interactions and relationships with children is a standard that proves to be very important in ECCE institutions. It is important because according to Harvard University, relationships with young children have a positive effect on all aspects of their intellectual, social, emotional and behavioural development.

To them, their world is an environment of relationships, and in their early years, the quality of these relationships helps to lay the foundation for a range of positive outcomes. Some of these include, self-esteem, self-motivation, achievement in school and later in life, and to be able to resolve conflicts without violence. (Harvard University). Meaningful relationship and interaction creates an emotional connection with other human beings who has an impact on their development, whether it’s parents, caregiver or other relatives.

Interactions and relationships are important to children because it helps them to understand who they are and what makes them feel important. Successful relationships provides children with capacities that will be useful for a whole lifetime. (Harvard University). Studies have shown (Harvard University) that children who develop positive relationships with their pre-school teacher are more eager to learn, more anxious to attend school and therefore, achieve more in the classroom.

 

M.M. Ostrosky

• E.Y. Jung have stated that in an ECCE setting, each time a teacher interacts with a student, it creates an opportunity for forming positive relationships. Some of the different ways a teacher can use to form positive relationships with the children are by having face to face interactions, making eye contact and by talking to them with a calm pleasant voice. M.M. Ostrosky

• E.Y. Jung went on to say that where children had secure relationships with their teachers in pre-schools, they demonstrated positive relationships with teachers and peers in elementary schools.

Interactions and relationships have a positive effect on a child’s intellectual and social development. This has an impact on the ECCE development in my country. Children who bond to close relatives, friends and their teachers tend to be more focussed and willing to learn. Studies have proven that they have improvement in self-esteem, a willingness to attend school and boosts their IQ. In my country, efforts have been made to ensure that all children receive an Early Childhood Education and to benefit from the care that it provides with qualified and efficient staff. In the long term, creating a better country for the next generation.

Impact that these standards should have on ECCE Development in my County are,

Children will:

Develop the right attitude to be life- long learners, being creative and independent. They would gain the knowledge and attitude needed to communicate effectively with others. They would be able to better understand themselves and the world around them. They would develop confidence in themselves and learn to respect and care for others. They would contribute to society by making fair, responsible and peaceful choices. They would use the skills acquired to empower themselves to become successful learners and they would be disciplined in following rules and respecting others.( National ECCE Curriculum and Guide of Trinidad & Tobago).

Conclusion:

During the early years, a child’s brain is at the peak developmental stage. Claims has been made by UNESCO that this is a crucial time for kids because at this stage the people in their lives and the environment play a crucial role in their development. The ECCE services makes a major contribution in honouring standards or guidelines that are mandatory for the establishment of ECCE institutions and making positive impact into the lives of children and their families.(UNESCO). A smaller children/teacher ratio has been proven to result in better cognitive development and less behavioural problems. (NCBI Resources). We have also learnt from the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) that the physical environment helps in bonding with peers and encourage socializing. Children love to interact with strangers and things in their environment. This helps in forming relationships and increasing their self- esteem and hence, become more eager to learn and achieve more in the classroom. (Harvard University).

REFERENCES:

American Academy of Paediatrics. Childhood nutrition (n.d) retrieved on 2/10/2018 from:
https://healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Childhood-Nutrition.aspxAmerican Academy of Paediatrics. Tips to keep your child healthy. (n.d) retrieved on 2/10/2018 from: https://healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/growing-healthy/Pages/assessment.aspxDepartment of early education and care. (EEC) (n.d) retrieved 2/10/2018 from:
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/08/xf/classroom-physical-environment.pdfDeveloping Quality Standards for Early Childhood Care and Education in Seychelles ELP Virtual Event 9th March, 2016 Retrieved from:
http://pubdocs.worldbank.org/en/673281485965596864/Developing-Quality-Standards-for-ECCE-in-Seychelles-ELP-Virtual-Event.pdfECCE- Regulating Early Childhood Services. (n.d) retrieved 2/6/2018 from
http://moe.gov.tt/Services/Education/ECCE/RegulationHarvard University. October 2009. Young Children Develop in an Environment of Relationships. Retrieved from
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http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/nqsplp/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/NQS_PLP_E-Newsletter_No32.pdfNational ECCE Curriculum Guide of Trinidad & Tobago (MOE). April 2005. Retrieved from:
http://deanascorner.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/1/7/12170587/draft_national_curriculum_guide.pdf Perlman M, Fletcher B, Falenchuk O, Brunsek A, McMullen E, Shah PS (Jan 19,2017) Child-Staff Ratios in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings and Child Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS ONE 12(1): e0170256. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170256 Retrieved from: PLoS ONE at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5245988/Spotlight. Early Childhood Education and Care No. 4, 2012 retrieved from:
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