Page 7 - ISSUES AND DIRECTIONS.pmd

Issues and Directions in ECCE

and materials in classroom are functional, easily accessible and safe. The
classroom setting must promote interaction and encourage children to share,

Notes cooperate and help each other.

b. Method of teaching and instruction
All the teaching learning process should be child -centred. The preschools must
avoid formal system of teaching learning and thus should discourage rote
memorisation. The learning experiences must be built around play, activities,
experimentation and exploration. Children should be actively engaged in the
process of learning. Children should be given ample opportunities to satisfy
their curiosity and nurture their creativity, while teachers need to plan age and
developmentally appropriate activities and material to facilitate learning.

c. Language of instruction
Language of instruction in an ECCE centre must be the mother tongue. If there
are children who speak mother tongue or the local dialect, the teacher must
allow the use of as many languages as possible. This would help children
express themselves, participate and learn from each other.

While promoting the mother tongue, teachers should provide exposure to school
language to prepare children for later schooling. Hence, children should be
encouraged to be proficient in their home language or mother tongue first, and
then the school language may be introduced.

d. Homework
Any kind of homework, especially written work, must be discouraged at the
preschool level and at the early primary stage (classes I and II). However,
children may be given some of the activities to do at home in consonance with
the activities already done in the preschool to reinforce learning. Parents who
demand homework must be made aware of the adverse effects of homework
on children.

e. Assessment

Children’s progress should be assessed in a non-threatening manner on a regular
and comprehensive basis through daily observation, play activities, interactions
and anecdotes. These must be recorded or documented regularly. The assessment
should be formative with a view to reinforce and enable the child to develop
optimally. No child should be subjected to any formal tests or examinations,
either written or oral. Assessment shall also be used for early identification and
diagnosis of disabilities or developmental challenges in children.

70 EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION