IMPACT OF A LEVEL-ORIENTED EARLY CHILDHOOD CURRICULUM ON THE LEARNING OUTCOMES OF TODDLERS AND PRESCHOOLERS IN DAYCARE SETTING: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Early childhood is one of the most significant stages of human development where the foundations of cognitive ability, language acquisition, social interaction, and emotional intelligence are established. It is formative experience and opportunities of exposure during this period makes a defining influence on the future academic paths of the children as well as the patterns of their future lifelong learning. However, most daycare settings still use generalized pedagogical strategies that do not consider the developmental difference between toddlers and preschoolers despite the wide acceptance of the role of early childhood education. As a result, there is a visible lack of empirical research studies on the effectiveness of level-oriented curriculums that are succeeded by the individual developmental levels of the young learners. The present research examines the effect of the level-based, early childhood curriculum on the learning outcomes of toddlers and preschoolers in a daycare setting. The study employed mixed method design. The intervention was 6-8 months in an Early Learning Centre. The participants included 30 children, 6 teachers and 30 parents. The results reveal significant improvements in the different areas of language development such as, cognitive skills, socialization, and emotional responsiveness. All this evidence provides strong empirical evidence to the effectiveness of level-oriented and activity-based early childhood curricula. The study is expected to assist the policy makers, curriculum and pedagogical practitioners of early childhood education in the daycare and early learning centres.