Policy and Practice in Early Childhood ECS Year 3 2015-16

Assessment Written assignment of 4,500 words 03/05/2016 by 16.00 on the VLE NO seen examination

Requirements Attendance and active participation Presentation on chosen curriculum model or programme--23/11/15

Activity Discuss with a partner— What is childhood? When does it begin? End? What are some of the characteristics of childhood? Is childhood the same in all cultures?

Adult Concepts of Childhood Memories Romanticism Religious/Moral Naturalist

Early Childhood Birth to 8 years General Characteristics Critiques

Consider…. Early childhood education within many English-speaking countries has evolved routines, practices, rituals, artefacts, symbols, conventions, stories and histories. Identify some of these….

The Impact of Culture We use all the things we just discussed to inform and guide us in the practice of early childhood education. Is our practice appropriate for all children? Why or why not?

A Key Theme in this Module…. We need to understand how adults (ALL adults) contribute to and shape the cultural world of the child. What does this mean?

Child Development What do you remember/know about it? Who is credited with developing the theory about it? How does this impact how we organise early years education?

Cross Cultural Research Stranger anxiety Western culture: developmental norms Your experiences?

Language Acquisition Papua New Guinea: social embeddedness (integral part of community life) Western culture: disembedded practices of segmenting and studying language

Interacting with Infants Sleeping arrangements Eye contact Conversational behaviours

Development Social construct? Developmental construct? Emotional construct?

Adult Influences The perspective taken by a caregiver or educator shapes how they respond to, think about, and plan for children. What is your perspective?

Evolutionary vs. Revolutionary Static and non-individualised pedagogy Child becomes difficult when s/he cannot “fit” into the pedagogy

Revolutionary: Learning for young children considers cultural context, institutional context, and individual child’s lived experiences Moves beyond a static view of child development and learning

Cultural Communities Cultural communities shape development by what they value and need The social situation of a child is determined by the society and cultural context in which the child is embedded Culture determines not only the principle for defining development but also frames the contexts in which the development of children is supported

Dominant Culture Universal views on child development positions some children from some families in deficit. What does this mean?

Development Is not something that exists within the child but rather takes place as the child interacts with her/his cultural community Children’s development is marked by crises, which are created through change in the child’s social situation

Early childhood is “…a period of momentous significance for all people growing up in [our] culture…By the time this period is over, children will have formed conceptions of themselves as social beings, as thinkers, and as language users, and they will have reached certain important decisions about their own abilities and their own worth.” (Donaldson, M., Grieve, R., and Pratt, C. Early Childhood Development and Education: Readings in Psychology. Oxford:Basil Blackwell, 1983, p. 1)

Children from birth through to eight years of age have developmental needs and capacities that differ from those in any subsequent time of their lives. The early childhood curriculum is therefore different in its approach from the curriculum for older children. The curriculum for early childhood emphasises reciprocal and responsive interaction with others, both adults and peers, who can respond to children’s development and changing capabilities. Although these needs can be met in either mixed age or separate age programmes, it is important that programmes meet the needs of the full range of children they cater for. The early childhood curriculum recognises that there can be wide variations in the rate and timing of children’s growth and development and in their capacity to learn new things in new places. Each child learns in his or her own way. The curriculum builds on a child’s current needs, strengths, and interests by allowing children choices and by encouraging them to take responsibility for their learning. Ministry of Education (1996)Te Whāriki Learning Media Limited: Wellington, New Zealand