WSQ Professional Diploma in Early Childhood Care & Education [PDECCE] (Childcare)

This module provides an overview of the development of and perspectives on early childhood care and education. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of historical and current philosophical perspectives of early childhood care and education. Their study will include identifying various appropriate practices for local and global early childhood care and education and the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC).

The module on Human Growth and Development (HGD) is devoted to the study of children from infancy to the onset of formal schooling. Students will study infants and toddlers, and proceed to examine preschool children both at home and at school.

The emphasis of the module is on the development of young children in all major areas of functioning, including their physical, cognitive, social and emotional development. Also, various theories in child development will be introduced to help students understand how these theories have influenced thinking about children’s development. In addition, formal observation and recording techniques are used to interpret and analyze their behaviours.

This module examines the theoretical empirical research and practical experience relating to the first three years of life in different perspectives. The chronological sequence of development in terms of physical, social/ emotional, cognitive, and language development will be discussed. In addition, the developmental, programming and family needs/advocacy issues such as parent/child interactions, attachments, teacher/child interactions, parenting concerns, culturally and developmentally appropriate programmes, care-giving curriculum and play development will be addressed.

This module examines the trend of the increased number of children with special needs enrolling into regular preschools and mainstream school classes, necessitating closer collaboration between teachers trained in special education and those teaching mainstream classes. The content coverage provides regular classroom teachers with the knowledge and skills which were traditionally seen as belonging to special educators and/or paraprofessionals. Students will acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to adapt and modify programmes to cater for the inclusion of all children.

This module examines the importance of play in the early childhood curriculum and the theories and perspectives underlying the development of play in terms of physical, social/emotional, and cognitive development. It will address the role of teacher in observation, facilitation and assessment of play strategies and activities for young children. The preparation of play environments, selection of toys and equipment will also be discussed.

This module focuses on developing a process of designing a developmentally appropriate learning environment for young children. Participants will redesign the space in their own center as a result of addressing issues related to how, what and where children learn. Participants will be expected to select, organize, create and evaluate educational materials and environments for children.

This module is designed to help candidates provide Creative Arts experiences for young children from 2 to 8 years old. Students will encounter a variety of music and art experiences. Through these experiences, students will be empowered to create an interesting and effective environment to foster the growth of creative potential in every child. In addition, the students will also gain the necessary knowledge and skills to plan and implement age appropriate activities for young children.

This subject provides a detailed understanding of the components of language arts and how they are incorporated in the development of language and literacy acquisition in young children. Language development will be explored with reference to psychological theories such as learning theory, Students will understand the literary elements of choosing appropriate children’s literature. They will also understand the concept of biliteracy, that is, the use of more than one language and the role of media literacy in language development.

The role of the family in literacy development – Home –School partnership for literacy development the subject will also include the current developments of performance assessment and the importance of including various assessment strategies of performance assessment to evaluate children’s language and literacy development.

The module explores the mathematical content and methodology for teaching mathematics. The emphasis is 2-tiered: working out a sequential mathematical curriculum content appropriate for our local preschoolers aged 3 to 6 years; and adopting teaching methodologies that nurture children’s mathematical thinking, helping them to become problem solvers and abstract thinkers.

The module examines the environment that surrounds us, and introduces students to the scientific, sociological, historical and geographical world which is an important and integral part of education for young children to help them make sense of the world that they live in. Discussion will focus on the how the philosophy and goals of the Constructivists’ approach and its teaching strategies guide the way children construct knowledge. The module also identifies processes of learning, and helps students plan developmentally appropriate environment/science goals and activities for pre-schoolers aged 3+ - 6 years. Through the experiential environment awareness activities conducted in class, students will analyse the philosophy, environment and the pedagogy required to help children develop self-directed inquiry skills as well as foster creative communication techniques. 

This module focuses on the importance of regular physical play and sports for the holistic development of  preschoolers.  The module equips students with the knowledge, child-centered methodologies and instructional strategies to promote the development of both fine and gross motor skills through movement and simple sports-related activities. It also examines how to set up and provide a safe and structured sports environment for preschoolers.

This module is designed to help students understand the importance of helping children develop a positive regard for themselves as they respond to different changes and situations in their world. Students will also acquire theoretical knowledge and examine the perspectives underlying the development of social competence and coping skills that will help children manage stress. It will also address the role that the teacher plays in helping children develop prosocial behaviour as they begin to understand and manage their emotions. Students will examine, determine and develop appropriate strategies and activities to promote social competence in young children and help them to build coping mechanisms to manage changes and stress that they may encounter. 

Students will learn to select developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse learning and teaching materials for use in the early childhood classroom. They will be guided on the range of options available for them to use non-print materials and resources (photography, online learning, video recordings, internet, CD-Roms, etc.) for teaching, learning, documenting and reporting of children’s progress and development. Opportunities will be provided for students to prepare creative prints, media and other materials for classroom display and use ICT as a learning and teaching tool.

In this module, participants will plan, implement, and evaluate developmentally appropriate preschool programmes for children ages 3-5. Topics include standards and practices of an early childhood developmentally appropriate curriculum; designing and developing an early childhood curriculum to meet the range of children’s needs and interest in a kindergarten/childcare classroom setting; different models of early childhood curriculum and programmes; the role of play in young children’s learning and its implications in designing early learning experiences; and the role of the teacher in promoting young children’s learning.

This module is designed for teachers to gain awareness in self-development and professional development. In this module, participants will explore issues and challenges in personal and professional lives and be prepared to manage the challenges. Participants will also learn to acquire skills in effective communication, reflective practices and developing professional portfolio.

This module is designed to help students understand the information on the basic needs on nutrition and health for young children, to understand the principles and applications of first aid, symptoms and signs of common childhood illness, how to provide for their nutritional needs and how to respond to situations of illnesses and accidents. It also addresses the issues of child abuse and how to detect child abuse.

This module explores the dynamics of families and their role in an evolving society. Students will have an understanding of the interdependence between home and school. Both schools and families share the responsibility of increasing every child’s motivation and success in school. It emphasizes using different approaches and strategies for building bridges between the home and school. Students will explore different models and strategies to help them develop their home-school partnership programmes. 

i)     Pre-practicum Preparation ( 12 hours)

ii)    Learning Journey (16 hours)

The supervised teaching practicum is designed to help students gain their practical teaching skills in preschool classrooms with a focus on curriculum development. Students will design, implement and evaluate a curriculum project that explores the integration of several subject areas. Students will also apply theories and principles in their respective work setting and experience guided supervision practice by mentors, lecturers and field supervisors.

Late Payment Charges

As and when required by lecturers

REFUND POLICY % of the aggregate amount of the Course Fees and Additional Fees paid