ECE100: TMA (Tutor-Marked Assignment) -Children, Care and Education: Issues and Contexts, SUSS, Singapore

Question 1

Go to SUSS Library – search for ‘Kanopy’ under the Database tab – locate “Preschool in Three Cultures: Revisited”.

Watch this section of the video – starting from 55’56 “A day at Sinanlu kindergarten (Shanghai, China)” and answer the following questions. Pay attention also to the narration and explanation of the teachers’ practices.

a) In what ways do the preschool practices in the video clip support UNCRC Article 12? Locate specific examples from within the clip (with time specifications when necessary).

b) To what extent does the video clip demonstrate the six pillars of children’s learning as described in Chapter 5 (pp.92-99) of the NAEYC (2022) book?

c) The underlying intent of UNCRC Article 12 is not about giving in to whatever children want. Discuss THREE (3) ways in which ECCE teachers and programmes can support children’s ideas in ways that are not tokenistic yet enable children to make meaningful choices and decision within a typical preschool setting in Singapore. Do so with an imaginary description of the classroom situation/context and illustration of the actions and/or words that you would use to interact with children for each of the three ways in your discussion.

Question 2

This question pertains to UNCRC’s General Comment No.7, which applies to early childhood. Retrieve from https://www.refworld.org/docid/460bc5a62.html or Canvas.

a) How do you think Singapore preschools can better adhere to the UNCRC? Answer this question by responding to TWO (2) of the underpinning UNCRC articles (i.e., choose from articles 2, 3, 6 and 12) and elaborate on what you think should improve at preschool/centrelevel (i.e., centre policy) and classroom practice.

b) Discuss how your views in 2a) for each of the two articles compare with the
recommendations found in the Outdoor Learning Committee (2019). Outdoor Learning: A National Guide for Early Childhood Educators. Singapore. https://www.ecda.gov.sg/earlychildhood-educators-(ece)/curriculum-frameworks/outdoor-learning/a-national-guide-forearly-childhood-educators
In your response, make specific reference to at least 3 recommendations and/or examples listed in the Guide.