Introduction to Early Childhood Education

It was in 1996 that the first UK curriculum was introduced which was called ‘Desirable Outcomes’. Within the document were learning outcomes to be achieved by all children by the age of five and being a centralised system, an inspection scheme was also introduced. In this article Soler and Miller (2010) highlight how these changes were perceived to be shaping the early childhood curriculum from the outside rather than from within the early childhood community.

The state of early childhood profession has rapidly been changing because of the current trends, policies and movements in the rapidly changing 21st century world. This report articulates the key issues of diversity of the early childhood settings, a number of models of early childhood education and care, diversity among people, the status of early childhood profession, the belief that the profession suits female than male, the poor status of the profession and less pay than other professions associate with the early childhood profession The study consisted of analysing the strengths and challenges of the early childhood profession. The study methods of analyses include the National Quality Framework, The National Quality Standards, Assessments

What are the goals of Early Head Start? The goals or priorities of this is to provide safe and developmentally enriching caregiving. To support parent, mother and father, in the role as primary caregivers. The teaching of the children, and family in meeting personal goals. Being able to successfully achieve self sufficiency across a wide variety of domains. Communities being mobilized to provide proper resources and environment that is necessary. But also, to ensure the provision of high quality responsive services for the family. The idea of this topic, is to show the types of things that should be looked for when choosing a child care center. When choosing a child care center for whom it may involve it should be important to look for things like the quality of care, and the type of care and learning techniques that will be involved, while the child is there.

Chapter two discusses various theorists that helped to mold and shape early childhood education to where it is today. There are several different theorists that contributed to the development of early childhood education. Some of these theorists include Alfred Adler, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, and John Dewey. Each theorist developed a unique theory that has caused early childhood guidance and education to flourish like it has today. Without learning and building on these theories, early childhood guidance and education would never develop or change. The chapter explains how some theories may seem strange to the contemporary families, but these theories are the foundation of how early childhood education got to where it is today. The book goes

Early childhood education curriculums are becoming a national curriculum in most countries. With more governments and society thinking about education of under-fives we are seeing shifts in thinking and education to meet the changing world. We are developing children skills for the future to create a society where children feel they belong and can contribute to society. Curriculums are being influenced my social, political, cultural, historical and theoretical issues that are impacting different curriculums in the world. I am going to explore and develop my understanding about three different curriculums to recognise the different influences affecting curriculums. I am going to explore the curriculums of Te Whāriki: New Zealand, Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia and Curriculum for Excellence: Scotland. This will allow me to develop an understanding of other curriculums which I have not heard about to discover other way to education that I have not been taught in teacher’s college.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum in England differs greatly in structure and content to the Te Whariki curriculum in New Zealand; this therefore makes for an interesting comparison. The EYFS was introduced in England, in 2008, by the DfE as a framework that ‘sets the standards for learning, development and care of children from birth to five’ (DfE, 2012). Alternatively, Te Whariki was founded in New Zealand, in 1996, based on the aspirations for children ‘to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society’ (Ministry of Education, 1996). Throughout this essay, the EYFS

1. Setting the standards for the learning, development and care, ensuring that every child makes progress and that no child gets left behind. Parents, providers should deliver individualised learning, development and care that enhances the development of the children in their care and gives those children the best possible start in life. Every child should be supported individually to make progress at their own pace and children who need extra support to fulfil their potential should receive special consideration. All providers have an equally important role to play in children’s early years experiences and they have to ensure that the provision they deliver is both appropriate to children’ needs and complementary to the education and care provided in child’s other settings.

The early years framework emphasises a personal and individual approach to learning and development because valuing a child’s individuality, ideas and feelings is an important part of developing an individual approach to the learning and development. A child has universal physical needs such as food, drink and shelter and psychological needs such as love, affection, security, friendship which are essential to maintaining their quality of life. In recognising and trying to meet an individual child’s needs each child’s age, physical maturity, intellectual abilities, emotional development, social skills and past experiences and relationships need to be considered.

My philosophy of Early childhood education is based on research that indicates that a child’s growth is developmental. Every child is unique in terms of life experiences, developmental readiness, and cultural heritage. A high quality early childhood program that provides a safe and nurturing environment, which promotes physical, social, emotional, language and cognitive development will ensure a positive continuation of the child’s education process

The NAEYC statement on developmental practice indicates change and continuity and change in the early childhood education field is vital due to the fact that their main commitment is excellence and equity. Nevertheless, all new knowledge gained over time has been advanced and increased. This means that with understanding, it has allowed us to revise and refine ideas for promoting children's development and learning. With developmentally appropriate practice, meeting and enabling the children are required. This means that teachers should get to know them well and push them to reach goals that may be a challenge but are achievable for them.

The National Quality Standard includes standard 1.1 states that ‘An approved framework informs the development of a curriculum that enhances each child’s learning and development’. This is where the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) is introduced. This framework is included in the National Quality Standard to help ensure the consistency in the delivery of learning programs within Australia. Within the EYLF is the Early Childhood curriculum framework which guides early childhood educators to develop quality early childhood education programs. This framework describes the principles, practice and learning outcomes which support and enhance young children’s learning from birth to five years old, and then their transition to school.

Child-care or non-maternal care of a child also has an impact on a child’s development. Research has found that child-care quality is positively correlated with family income indicating that those children living in poverty would be more likely to receive poorer child-care (NICHD, 1997). Studies show that quality early child-care

The pre-school’s aim is to provide early childhood education that is tailored to fit the unique way each child learns. They provide structured social learning, as well as academic skills.

When the Māori chiefs and the British government signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 they created a partnership which showed the dual heritage between the two and created the shared future we have together as one today. Through this partnership New Zealand was able to create a bicultural curriculum Te Whāriki. The founding curriculum document, Te Whāriki, is an integrated curriculum which involves all children having the ability to learn through their strengths and interests through people, places and things. The philosophy and framework of Te Whāriki creates a holistic view of early childhood education incorporating both Māori and Pākehā world views and aspirations for children. The curriculum is foundered on one aspiration statement “to grow up as competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p9). Understanding a bicultural integrated curriculum is exceedingly

The history of early childhood in New Zealand Aotearoa is not as extensive as countries such as the United Kingdom – though, does not mean it is not complicated. Aotearoa’s history of early childhood education (ECE) is deeply entangled within social, cultural and political contexts. These contexts have shaped the mandated and chosen curriculums of ECE today (Duhn, 2009). The 1980’s was a significant era that had fundamental influences on curriculums such as Te Whāriki (1996) and New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) (2007). Within this era, education and care was transformed as the government (of the day) were persuaded to invest more in ECE. This transformation was guided by an ideological shift, hence becoming the period of governmental and economic reform (May, 2004). Anne Meade (1989) depicted Aotearoa to the international community as “in the midst of knitting a new early childhood sweater” (cited in May 2004, p. 203), in other words, a new curriculum. Reports helped the ‘knitting’ of the new curriculum through its political pathways. The ‘Education to be More’ report (Meade Report) described a progressive framework for ECE development focusing on achieving high quality ECE (May, 2004). It strived to make all policies across the ECE sector equally important as primary, secondary and tertiary education. However, The Bailey Report requested that the government