Identify THREE quality indicators relevant to early childhood education and discuss why they are important for children, parents, and/or society.
The education of early childhood is widely valued in a great variety of human development theories, and in some degree the quality of the early childhood education determines the quality of the child’s future life. In this essay, I will give my views on three quality indicators and relate them to children and Te whariki.
A planned curriculum is important for children, and it is one of the sigh of quality early childhood education. The starting point of the curriculum of early childhood education-Te Whariki-is to achieve child’s individual requirements and help him/her to become a competent and confident learner and communicator. (MoE, 1996) A planned program means before the curriculum comes out, educator need to observe the children and discover the particular needs of each child then design a special learning project to mesh with individual child.
Partnership with parents and families also a important mark of early childhood education, it provides more comprehensive perspectives about a child, which helps educator to make an Individual Development Plan to enable children with special needs to be actively engaged in learning (MoE, 1996). “Children’s learning and development are fostered if there is a strong connection and consistency among all the aspects of the child’s world.” (MoE, p42, 1996), families and teacher communicate proactively and to work toward the same goal helps to empower the child to develop holistically within mind, body and spirit (MoE, 1996); Working in partnership with parents and families also helps educators to provide additional learning experiences to complement those provide in the home.
Trained staff have the knowledge about children’s development and early childhood curriculum, they also could administer the curriculum (MoE, 1996), is an indispensible part