Quality Standards for learning in a Preschool setting : How useful are these?

1. Quality Standards for learning in a Preschool setting : How useful are these? Suman SachdevaCare India Presentation based on field experience in Chattisgarh, ICDS centres

2. Expectations for Quality Learning in preschool setting • Bring developmentally appropriate positive changes in the domains of development • Sustained & cumulative changes • Equip the child with skills to help her learn to read, write and compute, later in primary school

3. Tools • Mother tongue language interaction • Curriculum that guides teachers' development • Materials • Methodology/opportunities • Unbiased play and Print Materials • Multiple opportunities to observe, explore, construct, create and manipulate • Opportunities to make mistake in non-threatening environment

4. DOMAINS OF DEVELOPMENT Language and Literacy • Socio-Emotional Development • Physical Health & Motor Development • Logic & Reasoning • Approach towards Learning Understand relationships bet objects, people, events/math skills Communicate verbally, emerging literacy skills Experience in home, school, community Large to fine motor skills Disposition towards learning • Predispositions • Gender • Temperament Rate of growth Physical knowledge Social relations with peers Listening Physical fitness Math knowledge Speaking Social competence with adults Body physiology Social knowledge Social use of lang Cognitive comptetencies Vocabulary • Learning Styles • Openness &Curiosity • Initiative, Task Persistence, Attentiveness • Reflection &Interpretation • Imagination &Invention Questioning Physical abilities Self concept Gross motor skills Emerging literacy Primary emotions Fine motor skills Lit awareness Sensory emotions Sensorimotor skills Print awareness Self appraisal emotions Oral motor skills Writing process

5. Some globally agreed standards Language and Literacy • Standard 1: Children will develop skills in listening and understanding language • Standard 2: Children will demonstrate an awareness of print by showing an understanding of the relationship between written and spoken word Psycho social • Standard 1: Child learns basic concepts, improves small muscle coordination, & begins to master skills necessary for reading, writing & arithmetic • Standard 2: Child improves her coordination, balance, through large muscle activities Source: Sharon Lynn Kagan, PiaBrittoRebello, Pollitt, E. 1998. “Forecasting the Developmental Impact of Early Childhood Programs.” Washington: World Bank. National Association for the Education of Young Children

6. Some globally agreed standards (contd.) Psycho social • Standard 3: Child learns to express herself creatively through arts & crafts, music, dance & or imaginative play • Standard 4: Child learns to express her thoughts & feelings verbally in a clear & appropriate manner • Standard 5: Child learns to share and cooperate with other children, to respect them & to understand their feelings. Child learns to listen to, cooperate with and respect adults • Standard 6: Child learns to assess her own abilities & behaviour, begins to take pride in her accomplishments, and develops a sense of self confidence • ……

7. KEY STANDARDS DEVELOPED FOR A FIELD BASED PROGRAM (eg from Chattisgarh) • Curriculum: Child will learn best through child centred pedagogy, focusing on five domains of development • Curriculum entails standards in pedagogy, language, cognition, socio-emotional, physical growth & health, creative expression • Assessment: Child will learn best if regular, non-threatening, appropriate assessments guide teacher’s approach to support her learning • Use multiple methods , shared with family • Learning environment: child learns best in safe & secure environment, interacting with safe & appropriate material, in stimulating classroom processes, through an interactive and supportive teacher, having community support and participation QUALITY LEARNING WILL HAPPEN ONLY IF ALL THE ABOVE ARE INTERLINKED Curriculum – Learning Standards – Learning Environment = QUALITY LEARNING

8. Curriculum:entails standards in pedagogy, language, cognition, socio-emotional, physical growth & health, creative expression Learning Standards for language Development (example from field) L1 Listen and Communicate her thoughts Assessment Indicators (3-4 years old) • Follows simple instructions • Repeat local stories and rhymes that she has heard • Recite small stories and rhymes Assessment Indicators (4-5 years old) • Listens attentively to stories and rhymes • Can describe her thoughts in great details L2 Communicate effectively according to situation Assessment Indicators (3-4 years old children) • Can make own story on a given picture • Can express clearly Assessment Indicators (4-5 years old children) • Can talk on relevant topics like bird/animal and people L 3 Questions and reason in full sentence in mother tongue language Assessment Indicators (4-5 years) • Asks variety of questions about surroundings without hesitation L 4 Have competence in emergent reading skills and abilities. Assessment Indicator (3-4 years) • Able to recognize her written name Assessment Indicator (4-5 years) • Can identify written letters and do words making. • Identify words and letters of heard story and make new words • Know directionality of book

9. SOME KEY INDICATORS TO ASSESS STANDARDS on Language…snapshot from Meri Patrika • Age specific outcome indicators under each standard (3-4/4-5 yrs) • Periodic assessment (quarterly) • Diagnostic to identify development delay • Multiple techniques for assessing • Illustrative assessment for parents

10. REFLECTIONS: Has this been useful? • Results • Helped ascertain child progress • Supported teachers to drive their strategy • Informed parents about child’s progress • Teachers/parents work together to provide adequate support

11. REFLECTIONS: Has this been useful? • Results • Helped ascertain child progress Questionining, talking, detailing thoughts, listening Own stories, identification of written letters, make new words Listening, imitating sounds, differentiating objects, associating Grouping, identifying missing parts

12. REFLECTIONS: Has this been useful? Physical- health and motor development- % of children • Results • Helped ascertain child progress Running, rhythmic, threading, throwing … Cutting paper Socio-emotional dev: % of children Helping, cooperating, waiting for turn, playing comfort…. Personal cleanliness

13. REFLECTIONS: Has this been useful? Creative Expression: % of children • Results • Helped ascertain child progress Making artistic objects, using variety colours.. Free drawing on story, completing picture

14. REFLECTIONS: Has this been useful? • Results • Supported teachers to drive their strategy (N= ) 99% teachers use it to assess children’s level 80% teachers use it to support individual child in relevant area 80% teachers used it to share status with parents 15% teachers share it with primary school teacher for transition • Results • Informed parents about child’s progress (N=40) 99% parents informed about child’s progress 86 % parents know Level of children development 63 % parents know that it will overall development of the child 16 % parents said that they would support child at home 27% parents recognise that it will give direction to preschool education

15. Reviewing the Approach: Developing & assessing Standards for quality education • Useful in interpreting and understanding child’s progress • Builds synergy between teacher and parents • Makes the strategy child centric • Contributes to smooth transition of child to primary

16. Reviewing the Approach: Developing & assessing Standards for quality education • Standard for quality: an aggregate of curriculum, assessment, learning environment • Challenge in determining the appropriate standards, benchmarks, activities & indicators for each domain • Accounting for individual variation in determining standards • Accounting for social & cultural contexts in which children live • Accounting for cumulative progress • Simple & tough indicators • USE simple Language if to be used at scale • Assessment indicators to be from simple to difficult indicators as per domain and age • Format usability, training, analysis