Developing Curriculum for Children in Primary Classes
Incorporating the Child Friendly
Concepts.
Dr. Suranimala Lekamge, Director
Department of Early Childhood Development and Primary Education
National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka
National Institute of Education
Sri Lanka
Dr. Suranimala Lekamge
Director, Department of Early
Childhood and Primary Education
Developing Curriculum for Children in Primary Classes
Incorporating the Child Friendly Concepts.
Dr. Suranimala Lekamge, Director
Department of Early Childhood Development and Primary Education
National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka
This presentation consists two parts
1. The considerations in developing curriculum for young children. Teachers should understand those considerations clearly to implement the curriculum effectively.
2. Content, programmes and important activities in curriculum for providing quality primary Education.
UNICEF
Framework for Child Friendly Education System
Right based, inclusive, healthy, and protective approach
Ensures every child an environment that is safe, emotionally secure and psychologically enabling Place for Children
Children are natural learners.
Their capacity to learn should be strengthened. A child-friendly school recognizes, encourages and support child’s growing capacities as a
learner by providing school culture, teacher behavior and curriculum content that are focused on learning and learner.
Child friendly school aims to develop a
learning environment in which children are motivated and able to learn. Staff members are friendly and welcoming to children and
attend all their health and safety needs.
Children are Natural Learners,
They have inherent needs of learning .
All the activities of their world are directed to fulfill those Needs.
Children should be provided all the requirement for this
learning.
So School should develop a learning environment
in Which they are motivated and able to learn
The broad aim of primary education in Sri Lanka is
to provide quality primary education which would
support children to gain the maximum development in
this period.
The children in primary classrooms are passing
through a very important period of their development.
Specially, this is a critical period for cognitive
development
1. Experiencing success and pleasure
through learning activities
Experiencing success and
pleasure make an immense
contribution to the total
development of children.
Experiencing failure and
discontentment regularly
show many developmental
problems in the later stage
of life.
In primary classrooms it is essential to let students to experience the success
in their work. The Content of the subject is made suitable to the abilities of
the children in a specific stage of development.
Example
Children in grade one and two (pre-operational stage) need activities with
objects to understand the concepts. Children in grade three and four (concrete
operational) need activities to facilitate their imaginary thinking.
2. Children are natural learners. They
have an inherent need for learning
water and sand play, creative activities,
observing animals behavior who live in the
surrounding, , experiments to identify floating
and sinking objects,
Thus learning is a need which should be fulfilled to facilitate
their development. Their learning will take place through
interaction with the environment.
Children need various opportunities to interact with their
environment.
These opportunities should be provided in the curriculum
through different activities
Interaction with
Social environment
Interaction with
Physical environment
Group work, peer play, friendly discussions
with community etc
Students are active learners. They learn by doing
3. Fulfillment of the social-
Psychological needs of childrenPsychological needs of
children
Love, Affiliation,
Appreciation,
Acceptance, Feeling
safety, Getting
Attention, Showing
own ability,
are important for healthy
mental development of
Children.
In primary classroom, teachers role is important. Sometimes teacher
has to play a substitute mother’s role in the classroom. Through
teaching and learning in classrooms children should feel that they are
safe, accepted and reinforced.
4. Facilitating students to develop
strong self concepts.
Development of a strong self concept is
the basis for a good, and well balanced personality.
Curriculum and teaching learning activities should provide the
opportunities for the Development of a strong self concept. Strong
teacher-student relationships, fulfillment of psychological needs,
completion of activates which will fit their cognitive levels,
opportunities to take leadership etc will support in developing a
strong self concept
5. Play is a very strong tool for child
development.
It facilitates the development of physical skills as well as Language
skills, social skills and cognitive abilities of children.Play with sand, water, and the objects around them will develop students skills such as
Identifying similarities and
differences, classifying, symbolizing etc.
mathematical concepts like
capacity, weight, time, height, length etc.
Social play help children to develop skills such as
taking turns and sharing, listening to others and leading a group. So Organized play can be used effectively in classrooms as a teaching and learning activity.
In the present curriculum a prominence is given to play
activities to support children’s development
7. Considering the individual difference
Children are different in various ways
In primary stage children need to engage in the activities
according to their
interests, level of learning intellectual ability
Teachers should present their lessons in a variety
of ways to cater to the differences among children;
therefore, the
Primary Curriculum has a strong emphasis on Individualized learning.
Howard Gardner’s theory of Multiple Intelligence (eight
different intelligences) had provided the basis for
organizing activities for primary classrooms.
8. Close warm and friendly relationship
with teachers
There are a variety of opportunities available in the primary curriculum to fulfill those requirements.
One teacher for one key stage and
interactive activities with grade six students are two of such activities included in the curriculum.
Children need close, warm and friendly relationship with
the teacher to gain their maximum development
9. Singing, drawing and dancing
Aesthetic Considerations
Singing, drawing and dancing are extremely useful for child
development. They contribute immensely to their emotional
development and cognitive development.
For instance, drawing helps children to
develop symbolic presentations, creative
expressions and imaginary thinking.
Children are doing aesthetic
activities in open space in the
schools
10. Close and continuous monitoring
towards the expected learning outcome
Children need immediate guidance and feedback when they face
difficulties and problems in learning.
So in classrooms children should be assessed, guided and
monitored continuously.
Many countries use formal national level assessment tests
to evaluate the performance of primary level students.
Sri Lanka follows a different system in which the
emphasis is given on informal assessment methods based
on teachers’ judgment.
In line with the above considerations,
a number of changes were introduced
to the curriculum.
as follows:
1. Mother tongue is the medium of
instruction of primary classrooms.
No doubt teaching in mother tongue is extremely important for children's development.
Children develop concept formation skills,
thinking and imaginative abilities and a strong self concept if they are taught in their mother tongue.
Therefore, in Sri Lanka,
Sinhala and Tamil students learn in their own language in schools.
This provides a foundation for their natural development.
2. Subjects and the contentThree core subjects First Language, Mathematics, and Environment-
related activities.
The content and the teaching-learning methodologies are organized to support the total
development of children and suitable for their developmental stage
Learning “First Language” not only for learning language
language development and cognitive development of children
are inter-related. It helps learning language and also their
cognitive development.
Learning mathematics in primary stage is not restricted to learning
numbers, concept and handling them. Learning mathematics
should support students to develop higher cognitive skills
occurring in that particular stages.
“Environment Related activities” is one of the most important
subjects. It is an integration of subjects :Natural Science and
Social Sciences. Teaching Mathematics and language skills are
also done through environment related activities.
3.Teaching and learning methodologies
Key Stage two
Desk work
Play
Activities
Key Stage one
Desk work
Activities
Play
Key Stage three
Desk work
Activities
Play
According to the development level of students, the
emphasis given for desk work, activities and organized
play are varied. The emphasis is indicated in the following figure
4. Identification of children at the
beginning of formal education.Two main objectives
1. To provide happy, interesting and joyful start for new students at
the first two weeks in the school and to provide a smooth transfer
from home to school.
2. Teachers are also benefited by getting an understanding of each
child’s interests and capacity of learning. It will support them to
prepare teaching and learning activities according to individual
differences.
This programme was introduced in 2005 for the first time and it is now
well accepted by teachers and the community.
Some of the examples of the activities are indicated below:
Activities in play houses
Independent work with the material found in the environment
Group play according to simple rules
Singing, dancing and playing with musical instruments
Activities related to fine –motor abilities such as painting and cutting
Creative activities using things in their immediate environment
4. Identification of children at the
beginning of formal education.
Some of the examples of the activities
are indicated below:
• Activities in play houses
• Independent work with the
material found in the environment.
• Group play according to simple
rules
• Singing, dancing and playing with
musical instruments
• Activities related to fine –motor
abilities such as painting and cutting
• Creative activities using things in
their immediate environment
It provide opportunities for
students.
Individualized activities
Opportunities for working
with own interests.
Opportunities to make
good relationship with
teacher and other
students.
Familiarize with new
environment.
Work according to their
abilities.
Aesthetic Considerations of
learning
5. Friendly welcome for K.S.2 and 3
After spending two
years of time with a
teacher in grade 1,
young children develop
a strong relationship
with that teacher.
So it is essential to
provide a smooth
transfer to them for
next key stage.
Interesting start for key
stage two” provides
interesting activities for
children at the starting
point of the Grade
three
It includes activities such as introducing himself,
listening to stories, singing and dancing, playing,
drawing and painting in and outside the
classroom.
Children are doing some activities with the new
teacher in grade three (key stage 2)
6. One teacher for one key stage.
In the primary Education, one teacher is responsible for
one key stage. (Two years)
This can be considered as an important step to provide
opportunities for children to maintain an interesting and
long relationship with one person close to them.
This close, warm and long relationship helps for
their development
7. Ensuring achievement of Essential Learning
Competencies in all children in each key stage.
• Essential learning competencies for all children were introduced
in 2001 for primary classrooms.
• Objective was to assure the achievement of essential learning
competencies for all children
• Under this programme a set of essential learning competencies
were identified for each key stage
• Teachers are made responsible for bringing students up to
essential levels of learning
Very important step to provide essential education for all children.
Teachers and administrators are accountable for taking
necessary action not to keep children behind the
essential competencies.
It is an important step for providing education for all
children in the country
8. Child friendly Assessment procedure
mainly used for guidance and monitoring purposes.
Assessment criteria have been developed in national level
and included in the teacher’s instructional manuals.
Teachers in classrooms assess student performance
continuously using the assessment criteria and provide
necessary feedback immediately
Informal assessment techniques such as questioning,
observing students while engaging in classroom
activities, discussing with them are highly encouraged.
Teachers understand student progress in line with those
techniques and don’t rely on formal national tests. They
are encouraged to use “Teacher made tests” .
9. Activities with grade six students and
co-curricula activities
Working closely with the grown ups in grade six will
provide opportunities to learn many social skills in this
stage. Within the primary curriculum there are
arrangements for Grade one students to engage in
activities with older students with the purpose of
improving social skills as well as cognitive skills.
Co-curricular activities for students to improve student
talents and working opportunities according to their
interests.
10. Basis for Developing Curriculum for Primary School Children
Total
Development
of Children
Fulfillment of
psychological
needs
Experiencing
success and
happiness
Aesthetic
Approach
Active learningPositive self
Concept
Effective
Interaction
with the
immediate
Environment
Play
Activities
Close and
friendly
Relationship
with teachers
Activities
with grade
six
students
Activities in relation to
the immediate social and
physical environment
Accountable for achieving
Essential Learning
competencies for each child in
every key stage
Friendly, interesting
start
and identifying children
at the entry
Criterion referenced,
Continuous, Authentic,
Informal assessment for
assessing students progress
Organized play, Activities
and desk work as the
teaching learning methods
Mother tong as the
Medium of instruction
Inclusive
all
children
in learning
Co-
Curricular
activities
One
Teacher
for one
key
stage
Thank you very much