Pre-Nursery and Nursery Education (Onibokun Samson O.; April, 2020)

PRE-NURSERY AND NURSERY EDUCATION

Objectives:

By the end of this training, trainee should be able to;

1.      Explain Pre-nursery and nursery education system

2.      Highlight the curriculum for Pre-nursery and nursery classes

Introduction:

A preschool, also known as nursery school, pre-primary school, playschool or kindergarten, is an educational establishment or learning space offering early childhood education to children before they begin compulsory education at primary school. It may be publicly or privately operated, and may be subsidized from public funds. However in Nigeria, Pre-Nursery and Nursery Education is majorly practiced in Private Schools.

The following terms may be used for educational establishments for this age group:

·         Pre-Primary: From 6 weeks old to 6 years old- is an educational childcare service a parent can enroll their child(ren) in before primary school. This can also be used to define services for children younger than kindergarten age, especially in countries where kindergarten is compulsory. The pre-primary program takes place in a nursery school.

·         Nursery school (UK and US) from 0 months to 5 years old- is a pre-primary educational child care institution which includes Preschool.

·         Daycare (US) from 0 months to 2years old – held in a Nursery School, but can also be called "a child care service" or a "crèche".

·         Preschool (US and UK) from 2 to 5 years old- held in a Nursery School; readiness has to do with whether the child is developmentally appropriate, potty training is a big factor, so a child can start as early as 2 years old. Preschool education is important and beneficial for any child attending nursery school because it gives the child a head start through social interactions. Through cognitive, psychosocial and physical development-based learning a child in preschool will learn about their environment and how to verbally communicate with others. Children who attend Preschool learn how the world around them works through play and communication.

·         LDC (language Development Class): From 2-3 years old; held before the nursery class. It is a new trend in pre-nursery education replacing KG1 and 2. Speaking, reading and identification of shapes, lines, and colours are emphasized here.

·         Pre-K (or Pre-Kindergarten) from 4 to 5 years old- held in Nursery School and is an initiative to improve access to pre-primary schools for children in the USA. There is much more than teaching a child colors, numbers, shapes and so on.

·         Kindergarten (US) from 5 to 6 years old- held in a Nursery School and/or some primary elementary schools; in many parts of world (less so in English speaking countries) it refers to the first stages of formal education.

The most important years of learning begin at birth. During these early years, humans are capable of absorbing more information than later on. The brain grows most rapidly in the early years. High quality teachers and preschools can have a long-term effect on improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.

The areas of development that preschool education covers vary. However, the following main themes are typically offered:

·         Personal, social, economic and emotional development

·         Communication (including sign language), talking and listening

·         World knowledge and World Understanding

·         Creative and aesthetic development

·         Mathematical awareness

·         Physical development

·         Physical health

·         Play

·         Teamwork

·         Self-help skills

·         Social skills

·         Scientific thinking

·         Literacy

Preschool systems observe standards for structure (administration, class size, student–teacher ratio, and services), process (quality of classroom environments, teacher-child interactions, etc.) and alignment (standards, curriculum, assessments) components. Curriculum is designed for differing ages. For example, counting to 10 is generally after the age of four.

Some studies dispute the benefits of preschool education, finding that preschool can be detrimental to cognitive and social development.

PRE-NURSERY AND NURSERY CURRICULUM:

PRE-NURSERY

LDC1:

·         Letters

·         Numbers

·         Writing

·         Rhymes

·         Moral Instructions

LDC 2:

·         Letters

·         Numbers

·         Writing

·         Rhymes

·         Moral Instructions

·         Drawing And Painting

·         Story Telling

·         Elementary Science

·         Bible Knowledge

·         Physical Education

NURSERY:

·         Literacy

·         Numeracy

·         Reading

·         Drawing And Painting

·         Rhymes

·         Social Studies

·         Physical Education

·         Computer

·         Elementary Science

·         Bible Knowledge

·         Writing Skills

·         Story Telling

·         Moral Instruction

Conclusion:

 There is emerging evidence that high-quality preschools are "play based," rather than attempting to provide early formal instruction in academic subjects. "Playing with other children, away from adults, is how children learn to make their own decisions, control their emotions and impulses, see from others' perspectives, negotiate differences with others, and make friends," according to Dr. Peter Gray, Boston College professor and an expert on the evolution of play and its vital role in child development. "In short, play is how children learn to take control of their lives.

Preschools have adopted various methods of teaching, such as Montessori, Waldorf, Head Start, HighScope, Reggio Emilia approach, among others.

Onibokun Samson O.

HR Head

EduBulb Consulting, (2020).