Curricula in early childhood care and education (ECCE) or early childhood curriculum address the role and importance of curricula in the education of young children, and is the driving force behind any ECCE programme. It is ‘an integral part of the engine that, together with the energy and motivation of staff, provides the momentum that makes programmes live’. It follows therefore that the quality of a programme is greatly influenced by the quality of its curriculum. In early childhood, these may be programmes for children or parents, including health and nutrition interventions and prenatal programmes, as well as centre-based programmes for children.
Curriculum approaches
There is no single curriculum that is ‘best’ for all situations. However, a comparison of different curricula shows certain approaches to be generally more effective than others. For example, High/Scope conducted longitudinal research of children in programmes using three different curriculum models: The Direct Instruction model, in which teachers initiated activities using academic goals. The traditional Nursery School model, in which teachers responded to activities that children initiated, with a minimum of structure. The Reggio Emilia or HighScope model, in which teachers and children both initiated activities. Teachers arranged the room and the daily routine so that children could plan, do and review their activities, while teachers provided support as needed. By following the pathways over many years of children who began all three programmes, Schweinhart and Weikart determined that the High/Scope model was most effective, and that children in the Direct Instruction model were most likely to have behaviour and social problems later in life. These are significant findings for curriculum designers in both developed and developing nations as the High/Scope model has been adapted for use in countries around the world. Schweinhart and Weikart concluded that the goals of early education should not be limited to academic preparation for school, but should also include helping children learn to make decisions, solve problems and get along with others.
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has also identified the following indicators of effective curricula: Children are active and engaged Goals are clear and shared by all Evidence-based Valued content is learned through investigation, play and focused, intentional teaching Builds on prior learning and experiences Comprehensive Professional standards validate the curriculum’s subject matter The curriculum is likely to benefit children
Curriculum development and implementation
A cross-sector approach
Comprehensive programmes addressing health, nutrition and development have proven to be the most effective in early childhood, especially in programmes directed at very young and vulnerable children. This requires a genuine commitment from agencies and individuals to work together, to plan projects collaboratively, and to involve parents and communities. At the same time, coordination of a project generally rests with one sector. For curricula, this is typically education, although for very young children the health sector may be better positioned. Yanez comments that a major finding of the Bernard van Leer Foundation is that learning during the first three years should not be the exclusive domain of the education sector. ‘While all sectors must work together, the primary responsibility should be on the health sector, which is better positioned to reach and adapt to the vulnerability of target populations’.
A cross-sector approach is not without challenges. Divergent expectations of key stakeholders, competing demands on their time, lack of trust, inexperience with ECCE and lack of prior experience in working across sectors can demand immense efforts to build a workable platform for collaboration.
Adapting versus developing
Considerable expertise is required to develop an effective curriculum, one that is not just a collection of activities, but also addresses philosophical and pedagogical concerns.