Building Blocks for Growth

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Exploring the link between values/attitudes

and the curriculum content (From birth to 9

years) and the role of adults in supporting

and developing young children. Presentation at the PSS Forum 2015

Victoria Falls-Zimbabwe

1-3 September 2015

T Reddy

Presentation outline

• The presentation will focus on the role of the parents, caregivers/practitioners/ educators in supporting the children in strengthening their physical, mental and spiritual health.

• The South African National Curriculum Framework (Birth to four) as well as the NCS (CAPS) curriculum for Grades R to 3 focuses on these crucial aspects. It is imperative that these curriculum policies are mediated to the key role players parents, caregivers/practitioners/ educators.

• The salient aspects in the curriculum will be highlighted to demonstrate that the building blocks or foundational values and skills are embedded in the curriculum for both the age groups (Birth to 4 and Grades R to 3.

Birth to 4 Curriculum

Birth to 4 Curriculum:NCFEarly Learning Development Area (ELDA) 1: Well Being•The state of children’s well-being depends on whether they are valued, respected and supported by the adults and their families to deal with the daily stresses in their lives.•Well-being includes the emotional, social as well as the physical aspects of children’s development. •Well-being is very important because when children are healthy, physically active and well-nourished then they are motivated to learn.

Early Learning Development Area ELDA 2: Identity and belongingIdentity is about children developing a positive sense of who they are,.The feeling of being valued, loved and respected as part of a family and community Transferring to children messages of respect, love, approval, and encouragement that enable them to develop a positive sense of who they areBelonging is a sense of feeling that they have an important contribution to make.Belonging has to do with their families, backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and languages. These 2 concepts (Identity and belonging) are related as they affect children’s attitude about themselves and the world around them

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NCS - CAPS Curriculum: Grade R to 3Study Area: Personal and Social Well-being:

•Personal and Social Well-being is an important study area for young learners because they are still learning how to look after themselves and keep themselves healthy.

•This Study Area includes social health, emotional health, and relationships with other people and our environment, including values and attitudes.

• Personal and Social Well-being will help learners to make informed, morally responsible and accountable decisions about their health and the environment. It addresses issues relating to nutrition, diseases (including HIV/AIDS), safety, violence, abuse and environmental health. Learners will develop the skills to relate positively and make a contribution to family, community and society, while practising the values embedded in the Constitution.

•Learners will learn to exercise their constitutional rights and responsibilities, to respect the rights of others and to show tolerance for cultural and religious diversity in order to contribute to a democratic society.

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Translating theory (of curriculum content) into (daily) practice

Conceptual progression from Grade R to 3

Grade R : Me, my Family and Community

Grade 1: Manners, responsibilities, Sharing ,showing kindness, respect, honesty,

Grade 2: Sharing, Helping, showing respect, compassion, bullying, self esteem, dealing with conflict

Grade 3: Feelings- Happy sad, expressing feelings, compassion, forgiveness •Research confirms that the traits of strong character such as caring, respect, self-control, sharing, empathy, tolerance, perseverance, giving, comforting, fairness, and conscience are all learned. •And that means we can teach them to our children and in doing so nurture the qualities that enhance their moral growth•Children don't hear as much as they should about the compassionate, humane gestures people do for others. Instead, too often they are exposed to images of hate, cruelty, violence, and plain vulgarity.•They are being literally bombarded with an unremitting assault of immoral messages from sources such as media, television, movies, the Internet and peers•Engage children through Play to experience and practise the basic values of respect, love, compassion, acceptance and tolerance

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Role of adults in supporting, mentoring and nurturing children

• Most childhood education experts agree that building a child's character must begin at the formative years of childhood development. During this period, children can be easily shaped and guided to learn about what is right and what is wrong, and to learn to live a value-filled life. They can easily absorb and emulate what they see and hear from the adults in their environment.

• It is therefore imperative that parents, caregivers/practitioners/ educators understand that behaviour and character formation is a direct product of the manner in which children are socialised at an early age.

• To counterbalance against something harmful and destructive from the environment the child may experience, instilling good human virtues and moral values is of paramount importance

• A conducive, non threatening environment must be created for children to learn the basic and foundational skills that will have a positive impact on their holistic development.

• It is mainly by learning trough Play, Dramatization and Role modelling that children can be moulded into caring, tolerant,accepting,responsible and confident individuals.

Role of Parents, Care Givers and Teachers

• Home is surely an ideal place for parents to raise children with character. To successfully help build kids' character, parents don't have to be either a child psychologist or a child consultant.

• What they must do is to be optimistic and have faith in their parental skills, no matter what their educational backgrounds are.

• Parents certainly have their own typical ways of teaching their kids value systems at home, but they need to understand that simply telling kids the regular dos and don'ts won't yield any optimal results.

• Children don't learn the values that make up good character simply by being told about them.

• They learn instead through observing and then emulating what other people are doing and acting out around them.

Role of Parents, Care Givers and Teachers

• Among the many ways parents can use as examples to teach how to live a value-filled life, parental modeling is the best way. That is, parents set an example through their own behavior and actions.

• Constantly reward children for good behavior and effort• Monitor television viewing and Internet use • Model good values • How parents do and accomplish daily routines can show children

every value in this life. They can set examples of courteous acts to children like respecting people with different cultures, religions and races, valuing honesty and showing compassion and care when others are grieving.

• When watching television or a video, choose a favorite or interesting character and “step into the story” to see how you would act in his or her place.

Role of Parents, Care Givers and Teachers

• At the Early Learning Centres, crèches and schools, the practitioners and educators play a vital role in mediating the curriculum content in a very incidental, nurturing and conducive environment.

• This can be realised only if the adults acknowledge the importance of the moral & spiritual values as well as the mental & physical health in young developing children.

• The adults should use everyday/topical experiences as a springboard for engagement and interaction.

• Every day offers countless opportunities for children to emulate what their parents and adults say and do ( in upholding the values they are teaching their children).

• Through play children easily learn and emulate positive values

THIS CHILD’S ONLY HOPE IS US