Child-Centered Learning Approaches and Classroom Structure

ECD L4 MALUTI TVET BETHLEHEM MODULE 1 Mrs C Schnetler

Approaches to Early Childhood Development. CHILD-CENTERED EDUCATION - CHILD INITIATES OWN LEARNING - FOCUS IS ON WHOLE CHILD - EMPHASIS ON BOTH COGNITIVE AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT - FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL LEARNING - TEACHER FACILITATES INDIVIDUAL GROWTH ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL S NEEDS - GOAL BASED - PREDETERMINED OUTCOMES DIRECT LEARNING - LEARNING METHODS MUST SUIT EACH STUDENT - CONSTRUCTIVISM: PRIOR KNOWLEDGE IS BASIS FOR NEW LEARNING

Characteristics of child-centeredlearning * CHILDREN CAN DISCOVER AND EXPLORE IN ORDER TO DISCOVER AND LEARN * TEACHERS DON T TRANSFER FACTS, ACTS AS FACILITATOR IN DISCOVERY OF FACTS * CHILDREN PLAY AN ACTIVE PART IN OWN LEARNING, NOT PASSIVE * DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES CHILDREN MOVE BETWEEN THESE ACTIVITIES * CHILDREN WORK IN GROUPS * TEACHER MOVES BETWEEN DIFFERENT ACTIONS NOT AT FRONT OF CLASS * LIMITED WHOLE-CLASS TEACHING * CHILDREN LEARN FROM PEERS

Structure of Child-centred Classroom # VARIOUS DIFFERENT WORK STATIONS OR AREAS # CHILDREN MOVE FREELY BETWEEN VARIOUS WORK AREAS # TEACHER ACTS AS FACILITATOR # CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO ALL RESOURCES THEY NEED # CAREFUL PLANNING AND SELECTION OF LEARNING MATERIALS # FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT IS CHILD-SIZED # ALL ACTIVITIES ARE WITHIN REACH OF THE CHILD # SOCIAL INTERACTION , PEER GROUP LEARNING AND TEACHING # CHILDREN INTERACT AND LEARN AND DISCOVER FOR THEMSELVES AND FROM EACH OTHER

Disadvantages of Child-centred Learning ^ NOT ENOUGH DIRECT INSTRUCTION: ^ BUILDING SOLID FOUNDATION IN STEP BY STEP PROGRESSION IS BEST WAY TO ENSURE THAT CHILDREN HAVE GOOD FOUNDATIONS, ESPECIALLY READING, WRITING AND MATHEMATICAL LITERACY ^ MORE ADVANCED LEARNING IS BUILT ON BASIC LEARNING TO MASTER MORE COMPLEX SKILLS, BASIC SKILLS MUST BE MASTERED ^ LARGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO LACK BASIC ACADEMIC FOUNDATION ^ THESE CHILDREN WILL NEED REMEDIAL INTERVENTION ^ SOME MEMORISATION AND DRILL IS NEEDED TO MASTER CERTAIN SKILLS

Curriculum-centred Learning * ALSO CALLED TEACHER-CENTRED LEARNING * FOCUS ON TEACHING OF CONTENT * TEACHER DECIDES WHAT, HOW AND IN WHAT TIME FRAME TEACHING WILL TAKE PLACE * STRICT DISCIPLINE * RESULTS IMPORTANT AND COMPARED * ALL STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT SAME CONTENT AT SAME TIME * SAME BODY OF KNOWLEDGE ARE TAUGHT TO ALL * AIM: NO ACADEMIC GAPS * CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES MUST BE ACHIEVED * ACTIVITIES ARE DESIGNED TO ACHIEVE ACADEMIC SUCCESS * EXPECTATIONS ARE SET BY TEACHER * EXTRINSIC MOTIVATORS ARE GIVEN * CHILD S WORK IS EVALUATED BY TEACHER * CHILDREN NEED TO REACH CERTAIN EXPECTATIONS BEFORE MOVING TO NEW CONCEPT

Educational theorists # LEV VYGOTSKY: ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT # JEAN PIAGET: CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY # HOWARD GARDNER: MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES # JOHN DEWEY: ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

Theories related to Child-Centred Education - CONSTRUCTIVISM: PRIOR KNOWLEDGE FORMS THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING - ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHILD S ACTUAL DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AND THEIR POTENTIAL - MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES: EIGHT DIFFERENT INTELLIGENCES: LINGUISTIC, LOGICAL-MATHEMATICAL, SPACIAL, BODY-MOVEMENT, MUSICAL, INTERPERSONAL, INTRAPERSONAL, NATURE INTELLIGENCE - INTRINSIC MOTIVATION: MOTIVATION FROM INSIDE ONESELF - EXTRINSIC MOTIVATION: MOTIVATION FROM OUTSIDE, FROM SOMEONE ELSE

What Child-Centred Education advocates: - BEST WAY TO TEACH - CHILDREN LEARN DIFFERENTLY: VARIETY OF METHODS - DIRECT INSTRUCTION AS PART OF TEACHING - CHILDREN LEARN AT OWN PACE - HIGH ORDER SKILLS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BASIC SKILLS DECISION MAKING, COMPUTER LITERACY, RESEARCH SKILLS - CHILD S CREATIVITY SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED: LIMIT NOTE LEARNING AND DRILL TEACHING - NO STRESSFUL DIRECT INSTRUCTION - SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT: CHILD THEN MORE RECEPTIVE TO ACADEMIC LEARNING

What Curriculum-Centred Education advocates: * DIRECT INSTRUCTION BEST WAY TO TEACH BASIC SKILLS OFTEN LACKING IN CHILD- CENTRED LEARNING * DIRECT INSTRUCTION STARTING POINT FOR TEACHING BASIC SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE * DIRECT INSTRUCTION: PRESENTATION OF NEW MATERIAL IN STEP-BY-STEP MANNER, CHECKING UNDERSTANDING, GUIDED PRACTICE, IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK, INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, TESTING AND REVIEW * IN DIRECT INSTRUCTION, TEACHERS SET PACE AND INTERVENE WHERE NECESSARY * MORE ADVANCED LEARNING IS BUILT ON BASIC LEARNING; TO MASTER MORE COMPLEX SKILLS, BASIC SKILLS MUST BE MASTERED FIRST * CHILDREN RESPOND WELL TO DRILL AND PRACTICE, SEEING SKILLS IMPROVE * TEACHERS MUST DEAL WITH SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS

Links between Child-centred Education and Principles of Child Development - CHILDREN INITIATE THEIR LEARNING CHILDREN CHOOSE ACTIVITIES THAT INTEREST THEM WORK MORE INDEPENDENTLY DISCOVER THEIR POTENTIAL USE VARIOUS LEARNING STYLES - CHILDREN LEARN THROUGH PLAY PLAY IS IMPORTANT SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SELF-CONFIDENCE AND EMOTIONAL EXPRESSION ENCOURAGED TEACHER ASSISTS STUDENTS WITHOUT DIRECT INSTRUCTION, PROVIDES STRUCTURE WHERE CHILDREN CAN DISCOVER AND EXPLORE TO DEVELOP OWN POTENTIAL - LEARNING IN HOLISTIC MANNER ACTIVITIES TO DEVELOP ALL AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Possible Questions: * TABULATE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CHILD-CENTRED EDUCATION. * TABULATE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CHILD-CENTRED AND CURRICULUM-CENTRED EDUCATION. * GIVE A DEFINITION OF CHILD-CENTRED EDUCATION. * DEFINE: CONSTRUCTIVISM ZONE OF PROXIMAL DEVELOPMENT MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE * DISCUSS THE LINKS BETWEEN CHILD-CENTRED EDUCATION AND THE PRINCIPLES OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT.