Reporter

YOLANDA TEVES SOBREPEÑA

THE CHILD-CENTERED

CURRICULUM

A new respect for the child, a new freedom of action, was incorporated into curriculum building in the child centered

school.

The philosophy underlying this curriculum design is that the child is the center of the

educational process.

The curriculum should be build upon his interest, abilities, purposes and needs. This

type of curriculum emerged from the extensive research carried on in the 20th century carried

by John Dewey and his followers.

Common characteristics of programs founded on the new philosophy were the

“activity program”, the “unit of work” and the recognition of the needs for

using and exploring many media for self-

discovery and self direction.

The strengths of this approach are described as follows: Children rather than miniature adults,

become the focus of educational efforts Experience rather than rote learning,

become the medium of learning Research assumed significance in the

planning for the developmental needs of children

Children’s motivation in learning was recognized The creative energies of teachers and children

were released Educational expectations and standards were

custom made in terms of each child’s abilities and potentials

Rigid-grade organization was abandoned along with traditional promotion policies

Reporting on children’s progress became descriptive and

For the first time, teacher education on a board scale became professional education

The weaknesses of the child-centered curriculum are chiefly in the possibilities for “misinterpretation” and in the neglect of adequate consideration of the matrix in which the education of children must occur:1.The misinterpretation of the philosophy of

the child-centered curriculum was a natural consequence of radical change. Teachers sometimes ill prepared to adapt to changing concepts of child development, Frequently created a school environment, which fostered license rather than freedom.

2.The child-centered philosophy is often conceded to be an inherent weakness. In this effort to free the child, many critics charged that the basic purposes in the establishment of schools were ignored. From the beginnings of formal education as a function of the society, conceived as a means of perpetuating the life of a people. Society supports school in order that its youth will be educated in its values, beliefs, traditions, customs, and mores. Society looked upon the child-centered curriculum and found it lacking. While the schools often became the scapegoat for ills were the correctly attributed to other social agencies, nevertheless they were frequently vulnerable to the charges leveled against them.

 

Child-Centered.   Teacher-Centered.

Environment

Low student: teacher ratio (1:10 or less)  Higher student: teacher ratio (1:20-25)

    

Multi-age groupings with a focus on the peer modeling and reinforcement

 

One age grouping

    

Students have the same teacher for three years allowing for long-term, trusting

relationships 

Teacher changes yearly

   

Child is free to move about room, interacting with anyone

 Child is encouraged to stay seated, silence is encouraged

   

Everything is introduced experientially with manipulatives

 Manipulatives usually used only in math

   

Environment is maintained by children with a focus on personal responsibility

and pro-social skills 

Environment is maintained by teacher and custodian

   

CurriculumPractical life activities used to develop sense of

order, cooperation, concentration and independence

 No practical life

 

    

Sensorial activities are systematically used to refine coordination, discrimination and

vocabulary 

If used, sensory activities are used sporadically and not as an integral part of the curriculum

    

Writing precedes reading  Reading precedes writing

    

Phonetic, sight vocabulary and whole language are all used to meet individual needs and

learning styles of children 

Language texts used (although some schools are now using whole language approaches)

    

Grammar introduced in kindergarten and taught in context

 Grammar taught out of context (from text) at older ages

    

Interdisciplinary approach is used for art, music, history, physics, ecology, zoology, botany,

geography, anatomy, chemistry, foreign language, physical education

 

Separate texts are used for social studies, science, health and music

    

Math concepts and processes are introduced early

 Rote learning is used to teach math facts

    

Daily lesson plans are determined by each child's needs

 Daily lesson plans are determined by teacher's manual

    

Lessons are given 1:1 or in small groups  

Lessons given to all students in a class at one time

    

Use of texts are for reference; lessons and activities are teacher-made

 Texts are used for all subjects with little individualization

Character Development

Child-centered activity and curriculum  

Teacher-centered and curriculum-centered activities

    

Internally motivated; children work because they want to

 Externally motivated; children work because they have to

    

Child chooses work and works as long as he/she wants, allowing for self-monitoring

and concentration 

Teacher chooses work

    

Work continues until a child masters a concept

 Pace of activities is determined by teacher's manual

    

Non-competitive processes; no reference to other students' "grades" or "scores"

 Competition for grades among peers; emphasis is on tests and grades

    

Hands are considered a pathway to the brain and a mechanism to understand

abstraction 

Paper/pencil and oral explanation are used to "teach" abstraction

    

Children are introduced to concepts first; details are learned after a concept is

mastered 

Children learn detailed information first, then the concept

Thank you for listening