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Principles and Practices in Early Childhood Care and Education
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This module is designed to provide the students with an overview of the development of and perspectives on Early Childhood Care and education, both globally and locally. Students will gain an overall understanding of the historical and current perspectives of Early Childhood Care and Education. The module will also raise their awareness of the rights of the Child (UN-CRC) and introduce them to the Code of Ethics for Early Childhood educators locally. It will also include identifying appropriate practices for local Early Childhood Care and Education.
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Human Growth and Development, 0-8 Years
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This module focuses on the development of the young children, ages 0 – 8 years, in the major areas of functioning. Including physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development. Students will be introduced to the key theories in child development to facilitate their understanding of how children learn and develop.
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Observation and Assessment
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This module introduces the student to the practice of objective observation of child behaviour and development. The students will gain an understanding of the various observation and recording methods. They will begin to develop skills in conducting observations and recording as well as learn to interpret the observations in relation to the developmental theories.
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Play and its Role in Children’s Development
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The module aims to provide students with an understanding of play and its importance in the children’s development, in particular the physical, social-emotional and cognitive dimensions. Students will be introduced to the theoretical perspectives underlying the development of play in the preschool years. They will gain an insight of their role, as a teacher, in supporting and facilitating play. This will include creating conducive play environments, interacting with children and selecting materials for play.
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Guiding and Managing Behaviours
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This module provides students with the knowledge and understanding of children’s behaviour. It helps them identify the common behavioural issues and their possible underlying causes. This include understanding and working with new children. It also seeks to equip them with appropriate strategies for individual guidance to help the child develop mature and socially acceptable behaviour.
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Children with Special Needs
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This module introduces students to special needs and learning difficulties in young children. It is designed to increase the student’s understanding of the range of difficulties and needs of these children in the physical, intellectual, emotional and social domains of development. Students will gain an understanding of their role as a pre-school teacher in the process of early identification and intervention. They will learn how to manage and make adaptations so as to accommodate the needs of the children. They will also be given an overview of the support services, available locally, for children with special needs.
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Creativity and the Young Child
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This module introduces the students to creativity and how it is displayed in young children. Students will learn to identify children’s creative behaviours and the conditions that nurture creative thinking and expression.
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Introduction to Quality Environments and Resources
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The module is designed to raise the student’s awareness of the importance of the learning environment on children’s behaviour and learning. Students will acquire basic skills and knowledge to create, organize, select and equip the indoor and outdoor environment with appropriate resources and materials to facilitate structured and unstructured play and learning. They will be introduced to a variety of media and IT supported resources that are relevant to Early Childhood Education.
Students will have the opportunity to put their new skills and knowledge to practice as they plan and set up engaging learning centres. Ways to organize the classroom environment to facilitate classroom management will also be discussed.
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Language and Literacy
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This module introduces the students to the components of language arts and provides an overview of how they are incorporated to facilitate the development of language & literacy in young children. Students will gain an understanding of the goals and phases of language development. They will also acquire skills to carry out different activities to facilitate speaking and listening skills in young children. This will include story-telling techniques using props.
The module will also provide an introduction to how children develop literacy skills. Students will be introduced to the various types of books suitable for young children and learn how to make suitable selections for children 0 – 8 years old. They will also learn how to support young children in their development of literacy skills including the foundational skills. This will include the use of approaches such as the Shared Book Approach and the Language Experience Approach as well as the setting up of a print-rich environment in the classroom.
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Numeracy Skills
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This module introduces the students to the mathematical content and methodology for teaching Numeracy to Preschoolers. They will learn about how young children develop mathematical understandings and skills as well as the processes involved. They will also learn how to plan and implement appropriate experiences and activities to facilitate the development of the mathematical understandings and skills across the curriculum.
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Environmental Awareness
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This module introduces the students to the way preschoolers develop their knowledge and understanding of the world they live in. It includes the processes, concepts and contents involved in the scientific, sociological, historical and geographical dimensions. Students will learn to plan and implement appropriate experiences to facilitate Environmental Awareness in preschoolers. This includes setting up a discovery centre in the classroom and integrating the processes and contents of Environmental Awareness across the curriculum areas.
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Visual Arts for Young Children
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This module aims to equip students with the knowledge of art elements and apply strategies to develop interesting and developmentally appropriate visual arts experiences for young children. They also learn to create an environment to foster aesthetic appreciation in the early childhood setting.
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Performing Arts for Young Children
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This module is designed to equip candidates with the necessary skills and knowledge to enable them to provide enjoyable performing arts activities (music, movement and drama) for young children. Students will acquire basic performing arts vocabulary and skills. Students will also begin to understand the role that the performing arts play in the creative development of young children.
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Physical Education for Young Children
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This module introduces students to the value of physical play and sports in the early years. Students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to plan enjoyable movement and simple sports–related activities to promote the development of both gross and fine motor as well as perceptual skills in young children.
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Development of Self and Social Awareness in Young Children
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This module is designed to help students become aware of the development of self and social skills in the early years. Students will acquire basic skills and knowledge to help children develop self-awareness, social competence and skills for relationship building. Students will also acquire skills to develop appropriate strategies and activities to promote social skills and foster the development of coping mechanisms in young children.
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Programme Planning and Transition to Primary 1
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This module aims to increase the students’ understanding of the guidelines for developmentally appropriate practice. Students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to develop plan integrated learning experiences that are culturally and developmentally appropriate. This includes developing curriculum webs and integrated lesson plans. The module will also examine the importance of and ways to facilitate a smooth transition of the Kindergarten children into the Primary school.
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Classroom Management/ Discipline
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This module provides students with strategies for managing children’s behaviour within a classroom setting. It includes the use of specific communication strategies, planning of the space, time and resources in the environment and the setting of rules and limits to as ways to manage and facilitate effective learning in a group of children.
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Personal and Professional Growth of an Early Childhood Educator
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This module is designed to increase teachers’ awareness of their self development and professional development. Students will explore issues related to the personal and professional lives and acquire communication and interpersonal skills that will serve them as they work in partnership with fellow professionals and the community.
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Speech and Language Studies
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This module is designed to help students become more aware of themselves as speakers. Students will be assisted to speak more effectively and confidently through a series of skill-building activities that will enhance voice production, pronunciation and articulation. Students will also learn the technique of breathing for speech. The fostering of these skills will help students develop a positive sense of identity and self-confidence in teaching.
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Safety, Health, Hygiene and Nutrition
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This module provides students with the knowledge and skills to care for children in the areas relating to safety, health, hygiene and nutrition. It includes the basic skills and knowledge in first aid and emergency management. It will provide the students with an understanding of child abuse and neglect, learn how to detect and deal with it.
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Working with the Parents, Families and the Community
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This module provides students with an understanding of the interdependence between home and school. The emphasis is on the building of a positive and effective home-school partnership that will benefit both parties. Ways to involve parents, to build and maintain effective communication channels will be explored. Students will be introduced to the resources and support network available in the community that supports the need of the children and their families.
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Supervised Teaching Practice
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The supervised teaching practicum is designed to help students gain their practical teaching skills in preschool classrooms with a focus on supporting the very young children (18 months to 4 years old). Students will design and implement activities that are appropriate for this particular age group. In addition, they also acquire skills in supporting children’s growth and learning. Students will also apply the theories and principles in their respective pre-school classrooms and experience guided supervision by mentors, lecturers and field supervisors.
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