Early Childhood Services 120

1. Early Childhood Services 120 Chapter Two: Programs Models

2. Beliefs about Kids = Beliefs about Programs • How we approach the education & care of young children depends on what we believe children are like. • Programs for preschoolers are often designed based on what we believe children are like. • For example, if you believe that children learn by exploring their environment (the room, the things in the room, etc), then you would probably design a program that kept this in mind. • If you believe that children are “unruly” (wild, needing to be controlled), then you might design a program that was strictly organized and that focused on keeping the children under control and directed by the grownups.

3. Six Program Models • These are the main models used in North America: • Montessori • Open Education • Project Head Start • Cognitively Oriented Curriculum (COC) • The Bereiter-Engelmann Model (DISTAR) • The Reggio Emilia Model

4. What is a Program Model? • A program model describes typical • Goals • Materials • Roles • Schedules (sometimes) • Theories (sometimes) such as behavourist, maturationist (development & learning comes in time), etc.. • Role of teachers • Role of children • Role of parents

5. Curriculum • Curriculum means what is studied, or focused on, or learned (the program, the set of courses, syllabus)

6. History of Models • In the 1960s and 1970s, a lot of models were developed • They looked at different ways to help children • Models really affect children and how they develop, so they are very important • At one point (1990s), 14 early childhood education models were identified • Most of them fit in one of the three categories: • Montessori Models • Behaviorist Models • Interactional Models

7. A Review of the “Big Three” • Montessori– a program model designed by Maria Montessori. Children are like sponges. These programs make sure that their environments are fun to explore. Curiosity is the key. Maria Montessori stressed using the senses to learn (sight, sound, touch, taste). It’s all about preparing the child to learn skills by teaching the movements and actions necessary to perform them. For example, to teach her students how to write, she cut up large sandpaper letters and had children trace them with their fingers, and later with pencil or chalk. Working independently and being persistent (not giving up, finding a way to work through a problem) are key. The Montessori classroom was the first of its kind, with its emphases on cultivating a warm and comfortable environment and on independent and active learning.

8. Behaviorist A program model based around Watson’s ideas that behavior is separate from the way our mind works, so we learn through observation (watching others) and reinforcement (rewards & punishments). Behaviorists use drills (repeating something over and over again), modeling (showing a child how to do something) and segmented learning (breaking skills into pieces – ex: reading read begin with identifying the sound of individual letters, then letter blends, until they are able to read entire words).

9. Interactional • Based on Piaget and his Six Stages of Development. He believed that children developed best in a classroom with interaction. • He believed in two basic ideas about moral (decent, right, honest) education: children develop moral ideas in stages and create their ideas of the world, based on what they see (not based on what they are told). • He also focused on social relationships and how this affects children: he thought cooperation was key, not adults controlling children and how they act and learn. • Children and adults have the freedom to share his or her own thoughts, consider the ideas of others, and defend his or her own point of view. Children’s thinking can’t be limited by a dominant influence (usually grown-ups).

10. Eclectic • Eclectic means assorted, diverse, free, a “mix” • Very often, programs are very eclectic – they might “loosely” fit in one of the three categories, but “play” with the rules and come up with an original blend. • If you asked teachers in most early childhood programs to describe their program’s philosophy (attitude, viewpoint), you would likely find that most are only “sort of” based on one of the three main categories (Montessori, Behaviorist, Interactional).

11. 1. Montessori Programs • Believed children are good and must be respected if they are to learn. • Early experience is the key to success • Sensory education (using the senses to learn) • Absorbent mind (like a sponge) • Between age 3 and age 6, kids are in the sensitive period and most able to learn. • Kids learn best in a prepared environment. • The teacher’s main role is to prepare the environment by choosing & arranging materials that will interest kids. • Self-education (child will educate himself)

12. The Environment • Order • Noise level is quite low • No teacher’s desk at the front, no rows of desks • Child-sized equipment and furniture (Montessori started this, though it’s “normal” now). • Different areas with different materials that help children master a skill . • Plants, flowers, attractive decorations and materials. • Beauty is important

13. The Children • Different ages • Mostly from affluent (wealthy) homes • Each doing their own thing (lots of different activities) • Usually children are from 2 ½ and 5 years old (all in the same room, mixed) • Children initiate (decide or start) activities • Children free to do what they please • Sometimes working in pairs or small groups • Younger children often learn to participate by watching older children

14. The Teachers • Little adult control • Quiet and not “bossy” • Teacher is the director (watching and demonstrating, if asked) • Does not reinforce or praise work because children should find their work self-rewarding • Teachers take post-secondary (after their first degree at university) education to learn about the Montessori program.

15. The Parents • Rarely involved • Can visit, but asked to be quiet and not obvious

16. The Schedule • Periods for indoor and outdoor play • Snack time • Group lessons do not happen every day • May have group activities one or two times a week

17. The Materials • Didactic (designed to teach a specific lesson) • Self-correcting (child gets immediate feedback) • Go from simple to complicated • Challenging • Attractive • Usually made of natural materials (like wood)

18. The Curriculum • Daily Living (practical activities such as buttoning, hair brushing, watering plants, washing windows, sweeping). • Sensorial (sight, sound, touch, smell, taste). Examples, the pink tower (ten cubes stacked from smallest to largest), color tablets (kids arrange hues (shades) of one color from darkest to lightest), sound boxes (boxes filled with materials like salt, rice, and they match sounds). • Academic (writing, reading, math). Use fingers to trace sandpaper letters, or to trace letters in cornmeal, movable alphabet (to form words), golden beads (to learn the decimal system) Not much “fantasy play”, and they don’t often combine materials in their play until they have mastered the materials for their original purposes

19. 2. Open Education • Developed in the BRITISH INFANT SCHOOL (1800s and 1900s) . North Americans got interested in the 1960s. • Relied on Dewey, Freud and Piaget. • Susan and Nathan Isaacs taught at Cambridge and the University of London, came up with this model. • For kids 3-5 (nursery schools) and 5-8 years old. • Child-centered • Kids learn through discovery (ex: might visit a firehall and then do dramatic play, draw firetrucks, write stories or poems about firefighting)

20. The Environment • Gradual admission (some enroll in Sept, some in Jan, some in April) • Only enroll after visiting with parents many times • Arrive at school at different times; leave at different times • Multi-age groups • Integrated day (no lessons at set times) • Many activity centers • Working on many projects in many areas (gardens, senior citizen home, library, etc) • Outside often (not just at “recess”) • Lots of materials (many home-made)

21. The Children • Lots of different backgrounds • Not in rows, no teacher at front • More noise than Montessori • Free to use what they want and move around as they like • Children Initiate Programs • Teacher is resource person • Kids of different ages working together

22. The Teachers • Keep careful records • Want to know what each child understands • Don’t receive report cards, more interested in how the child interacted in order to lead to success

23. The Parents • Frequent visitors and volunteers • Teachers and parents have great relationships • Importance of the home is stressed

24. The Schedule • No set schedule • Entire group would not have a shared lesson • Teachers work with small groups

25. The Curriculum • Because it’s British, there is no government curriculum • There is a Canadian guidebook

26. 3. Project Head Start • In 1964, the US government started its biggest, most important early childhood education project • A reaction to the civil rights movement (rights for everyone, women and all racial groups) and the Sputnik crisis (race to space, which US lost to the Russians) • Break the poverty cycle • Canadians took it on because a) said early years are important b) evaluation was important (figuring out what works, etc) • Funding by government to help disadvantaged kids get help and education

27. The Environment • No one Head Start program, many different types • Environment set up to help kids learn in all areas • Some are full day, some are part-day • At least one hot meal a day • Regular medical and dental exams • Immunizations • Identify developmental delays & learning problems

28. The Children • Family income is the main reason for joining • 90% come from families that are at the poverty level • 10% have disabilities

29. The Parents • Parenting education and parent involvement are key parts • Parents are seen as the main influence in a young child’s life • If the child’s life is to improve, the parent’s life must improve • Helps parents find jobs

30. The Teachers • In the USA, the requirements change from state to state • Some need training, others don’t • In the 1970s, started to introduce teacher requirements

31. The Schedule • No standard • Changes from program to program

32. 4. Cognitively Oriented Curriculum (COC) • Based on Piaget • Designed in the 1960s • For children from poor backgrounds • Now used by many others and many preschools and primary (kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, grade 3) use the program • Children are active learners who come up with their own knowledge from their experiences

33. The Environment • Stimulating (exciting) but orderly • Can choose materials • Use them in any way you want • Divided into clearly defined work areas, each with specific materials • Housekeeping, block, art, quiet, music, large-group areas • Focus on real materials like dishes, tools, not toy versions • Uncluttered storage areas with pictures to show kids what’s stored there • Encourage clean up and order

34. The Children • Mot kids were originally poor and black and from single-parent backgrounds (at first) • Lots of encouragement of social skills (how to act and communicate with other people)

35. The Teachers • More structured role than in OPEN and MONTESSORI programs • Large-group circle time, small-group lessons every day • Teachers work in teams • Teacher-Child ratio could be from1:5 to 1:10 (depending on the age) • Plan for each kid • Social and Intellectual development both important

36. The Parents • Come in every two weeks to see what the child is doing and to learn how to do it themselves, in some cases • Want to learn about the child’s family (and culture) so they can help children

37. The Schedule • Daily schedule is important • Consistency is important (doing the same things, in the same way, at the same time). Helps kids understand time and structure. • Day starts with “planning time” when kids decide what activities they want to do that day • Work time • Recall time • Plan-do-Review Cycle (the main thing about this program model)

38. The Materials • No list • Block area, house area, art area, quiet area, construction area, sand and water area, music and movement area, large-group area • Ex: block area would have lots of building materials, things to take apart and put together, materials for filling and emptying. Tinkertoys, interlocking materials, trucks, trains, people and animals in the play area • Role play is common

39. The Curriculum • Focus on cognitively-oriented curriculum (how you think) • Active learning • Using language • Represent experiences & ideas(describing, playing with language) • Classification (preoperational stage): difference between things (sort and match, etc) • Seriation (arrange things according to size, etc) • Number concepts • Spatial relationships (take things apart, put together, reshaping objects, describing things in different ways) • Time (stop, start, speed, time, seasons, future events, planning, past events)

40. The Bereiter-Englemann Model (DISTAR) • Based on behavioral theory • 1960s • Help children from poor backgrounds • Becoming more popular, now • Help disadvantaged kids catch up, and pass, their peers • Emphasize some areas, and ignore others • Very specific, teacher-determined goals (not meeting the needs of the whole child)

41. The Environment • Small and large classrooms • Direct teaching activities in small rooms, large room for less structured activities • Arithmetic Room, Reading Room and Language Room. • Each facing the front, and the chalkboard • Quiet rooms • Plain, to minimize distraction • Large room has more stimulation and are “more normal”

42. The Children • Most came from deprived (poor, underprivileged) homes • Now being used in some elementary schools in Canada and USA & for all kids

43. The Teachers • Elementary teachers are more suited to use this model because early childhood teachers have been taught not to “force” the children, but elementary school teachers are “ok” with it

44. The Parents • Not involved • Some are asked to do extra work at home

45. The Schedule • Three fast-paced, no-nonsense, intense 20 minute lessons in language, math and reading • Five children with one teacher (ratio) • Mixed in are times for eating, bathroom and 15-20 minutes of music • Music is used to reinforce language

46. The Materials • Toys are limited • Paper, crayons, chalk (no paint) • Materials are meant to help with the lessons • No housekeeping areas, no block areas, no creative arts areas, no practical life areas • No peer play or games

47. The Curriculum • Daily lessons with direct instruction (teacher teaches) • Planned lessons, drills, exercises • Language, Math and Reading • Color recognition, naming, counting to 20, letters, ability to rhyme, sight-reading vocabulary • Constant reinforcement, with praise and food used to motivate (behaviorist theory)

48. 6. The Reggio Emilia Model • A city in Italy where publicly funded early childhood education started 35 yrs ago • Loris Malaguzzi had this vision • North Americans are now interested • Used Dewey’s ideas about child-centered education and mixed with Piaget’s approach. • The child is an active participant in developing knowledge • All relationships are connected, between child and parent and teacher

49. The Environment • Inviting • Pretty • Comfortable • Close relationship between children and teacher • Space encourages communication between people • Work alone, with small group, with large group, with teacher • Piazza is a central greeting and meeting place (to encourage communication and visiting)

50. The Curriculum • Projects are the focus, can be short term or long term (lasting over a month) • Work at your own pace • No set schedule, no rush • Often use artwork • The themes come from the children or everyday experiences • Example: go to a field and see some poppies, then draw and paint, and discuss and ask questions and examine each others’ work. They then go back and draw and work again, because they know more now.