Issue: Curriculum of Early Childhood Education

Topic: Children, Teacher

Submitted By: Rachna Bajpai

Date: 09/29/10
Class: CHD*007*
Instructor: Paul Proett

Source

Curriculum Disputes in Early Childhood

http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/disputes.htm
Name: Rachna Bajpai Class: CHD*007*

Date: 09/29/10 Instructor: Paul

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There are lots of issues about children in early childhood education, for example:

behavioral issues, safety issues, issues about child education curriculum and

methodology. Being a mother of two I am already a little bit aware of the behavioral

issues and safety issue but wasn’t knowledgeable about curriculum issues so I thought to

pick the topic of curriculum dispute for my issue paper because it’s an important topic for

young children and for their better future.

This article talks about teaching methodologies and curriculum variances in early

childhood education. There are many teaching methods used in schools and the

curriculum content also varies widely across schools for a certain age group kids. These

play an important part in child’s academic success in adult life. This article explains two

most commonly used teaching methods: - instructive approach and constructivist

approach. It discuss there pros and cons and explains that although research results prefer

the constructivist methodology, both teaching curriculum lack the ability to nurture

children’s intellectual development. The article also discusses differences between

academic learning and intellectual development and gives example of what type of

curriculum may support intellectual development in children.

In instructive approach the teaching is done by focused, systematic, explicit instructions

given to children repeatedly, they are asked to systematically practice them repeatedly. In
contrast, in constructivist approach the learning is child initiated, educators just provide

them ample opportunities and methods to them for there self learning and provide a

controlled guided framework for learning.

In my personal experience, we have always been taught with strong instructive academic

approach during our childhood in India, it is the only approach followed in India not only

for early childhood but also for adolescent and higher professional education, very little

emphasis is given to project work, self exploration. It is very commonly said that students

from India have the more academic knowledge but very little sense of its practical real

life use. This is especially true when compared to American students of same standard.

I think the above can be attributed to the different approaches used for education as

explained in the article.

Although instructive teaching approach is gaining more grounds these days due to the

heightened academic expectations and parent’s peer pressure for there kids performance

even in early childhood. In my opinion constructivist approach is much better for young

children. It makes the learning process a fun filled playtime activity without any undue

pressure on them. When children explore things on there own, it generates interest in

them, the learning by such process is stronger and deeper, also the liking develops for

that subject in child’s mind. Instructive approach also has benefits, for some subjects the

constructivist approach may not work, at that time the instructive approach should be

followed. Also project work and group activities should be added to the curriculum of

early childhood education programs to develop children’s intellectual and moral skills.
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Links:

Curriculum Disputes in Early Childhood

http://www.ericdigests.org/2000-3/disputes.htm

ISSUES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/pubs/katzsym/frontmatter.pdf

Safety Issues
http://www.preschoolerstoday.com/articles/safety-issues-252

Preschool Issues Ages 3 to 5

http://www.education.com/topic/preschool-issues-ages-3-5/

Preschoolers and Bad Behavior

http://school.familyeducation.com/preschool/behavioral-problems/56510.html