WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY-PHILIPPINES

A Methodist Autonomous University

Topic: Issues and Trends in Pre School
Professor: MRS. SALLY V. MATEO
Discussant: JENNYLYN B. GAMBOA
Course: Master of Arts in Education-Early Childhood Education

Preschool Curriculum

The Preschool Curriculum caters to children in the Nursery , Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2 levels.
It is a cognitive, constructivist curriculum with emphasis on active child-centred learning experiences.
Curriculum is planned around children's interests, curiosity and their natural quest for knowledge; leading to
inquiry, investigations, discovery and active hands-on explorations. Expectations for holistic goals,
development of life skills, dispositions and attitudes towards learning, as well as academic competence are
promoted through innovative integrated curriculum and project work.

The Preschool Curriculum goals are expressed through a set of broad, general overviews of what children are
expected to gain from the program which effectively address the expectations for holistic development, life
skills competencies and school readiness skills. These goals are translated into seven key learning experiences:

1. Communication, Language and Literacy- language and communication skills include the ability to
understand others (i.e., receptive language) and express oneself (i.e., expressive language) using
words, gestures, or facial expressions. Children who develop strong language and communication skills
are more likely to arrive at school ready to learn.
2. Early Numeracy-Fostering understanding of early numeracy development among early childhood
educators is an important step in helping children in the early years to develop their mathematical
thinking. Early childhood educators could be trained in the explicit use of ‘maths talk’ in their everyday
interactions with children to enhance opportunities for children to develop their early numeracy skills.
3. Creative Expressions-Creative expression. Children learn, develop critical skills, and have fun when
provided the opportunity for creative, artistic expression. Painting, coloring, writing, making music,
and making crafts are all creative activities. Creative expression helps children articulate their feelings
and thoughts.
4. Environmental and Community Awareness-Your child will begin to make sense of the environment
and understand how they fit into and shape their world. They will see similarities and differences
between things and discover how one action can cause another. Using their senses, they will identify
shapes, symbols and sounds; recognize animals; and see seasonal changes. Building structures with
various materials, and using technology, they will impact the environment and see the results
5. Technology-During the preschool years, young children are developing a sense of initiative and
creativity. They are curious about the world around them and about learning. They are exploring their
ability to create and communicate using a variety of media (crayons, felt-tip markers, paints and other
art materials, blocks, dramatic play materials, miniature life figures) and through creative movement,
singing, dancing, and using their bodies to represent ideas and experiences. Digital technologies
provide one more outlet for them to demonstrate their creativity and learning

Technology Tools and Interactive Media

 Allow children to freely explore touch screens loaded with a wide variety of developmentally
appropriate interactive media experiences that are well designed and enhance feelings of success.
 Provide opportunities for children to begin to explore and feel comfortable using “traditional” mouse
and keyboard computers to use Websites or look up answers with a search engine.
 Capture photos of block buildings or artwork that children have created; videotape dramatic play to
replay for children.
 Celebrate children’s accomplishments with digital media displayed on a digital projector or on a
classroom Website.

6. Personal and Social Development-This type of play helps them develop important social skills, such as
taking turns, paying attention, communicating (through actions and expressions as well as words), and
responding to one another’s actions. And there’s still another benefit: Because pretend play allows
children to slip into any role they wish—including Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, or the Fairy
Godmother—it also helps them explore more complex social ideas.
 By watching the role-playing that goes on during your child’s make-believe games, you’ll also see that
she’s beginning to identify with her own sex and while playing house

7.Physical Skills and Well-being-Physical well-being and Motor Development are skills that are
essential to healthy growth and development and success in school. Physical well-being encompasses all
aspects of good health, including nutrition, sleep and regular check-ups. Motor development focuses on
small (turning pages, holding a crayon, building with Legos, cutting with scissors) and large (crawling,
running, bouncing a ball) movement skills. As you will see, there are unlimited ways to help your child
build these skills.

Some of the issues in early childhood development and education include:

 Educator training: How do federal and state governments require and support early childhood
professionals’ specialized training and development to ensure high quality of child care in meeting the
various needs of children?
 Parent engagement: How can early childhood educators establish ongoing and effective communication
and partnerships with parents to offer children the best possible learning experiences and opportunities,
in school, at home, and in community settings?
 Program standards: How can federal and state governments and professional organizations work
together to regulate and monitor child care quality to empower children and account for their diverse
needs and learning curves?
 Early intervention for high-risk children and families: How can public investment be used to support
young children and their families from various disadvantaged backgrounds? What kind of support
systems are available (e.g., child welfare, child care subsidy, home visiting programs, teen pregnancy
program) and how effective are these programs?

What's the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct?

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a national body that
supports early childhood education providers in maintaining high standards of educational ethics and works
hard to protect the rights of all children. It does this by producing a code of ethics in early education that
providers must abide by.

The NAEYC code of ethical conduct lays out the responsibilities that early childhood educators have
toward children and their families. These educational ethics are based on the premise that trust is the most
important aspect to develop in educational settings.

Ethical Responsibilities toward Children

An early childhood educator has responsibilities first and foremost to the children under their care. The
code of ethics for early education specialists helps them to stay abreast of the latest educational research, create
safe environments for children to learn and grow, advocate for children with special or unique needs and
provide children with the necessities to learn to the best of their abilities. The overarching theme in the NAEYC
code of ethics for teachers is that early childhood educators will never harm children, that they'll protect them
from abuse and will have a duty to report any suspicions of a child being hurt immediately.

Ethical Responsibilities toward Families

The code of ethics in early education also includes teachers' responsibilities toward parents. Parents and
teachers need to work together to help children achieve their full potential. The NAEYC code of ethics for
teachers helps educators work with families and aid open communication between home and school. This
includes providing a welcoming classroom environment for families to come and experience the day-to-day
learning that happens at school or daycare. The guidelines also state that all possible provisions must have been
taken to ensure that parents can understand literature sent home in their home language.

Ethical Responsibilities toward the Community

Following ethical guidelines helps to protect children and ensure the highest level of professionalism
among early childhood educators is upheld. This degree of professionalism extends to colleagues and
employers. The NAEYC code of ethics for teachers lays out standards that include maintaining confidentiality
when discussing children and families, protecting the reputation of the center and the profession in general and
helping colleagues to achieve their own personal career improvement goals.

The NAEYC code of ethical conduct protects the professional integrity of early years educators and
keeps children safe and protected