CERTIFICATE IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION

2 PROGRAMME TITLE: CERTIFICATE IN PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION (SANDWICH) Type of accreditation required: Re-accreditation Brief history background of each programme of study Pre-School education in Ghana has for decades involved private efforts largely. Most preschools are established in private homes staffed with untrained teachers and are profit-making concerns usually owned by an individual or a group of individuals. Churches also sponsor private programmes. The ever-increasing population in Ghana has made such private efforts more professionally inadequate at a time when the growing population of the poor and underprivileged children to require and deserve early intervention. It has therefore become imperative for the government to intervene to help promote the welfare of these children. A Pre-School unit at UEW will serve as a government agency to provide training for pre-school teachers to help them cater for children in a professional way. Some children who begin school too early may feel bombarded and pressured by the constant attention given to their progress, and may respond in negative ways if they are given insufficient time to play on their own and to do things according to their own internal schedule. The pre-school training, which teachers will undergo, will help create a bridge to ensure essential smooth transition from pre-school to formal or primary schools. Subject to the availability of funds, the Pre-School Unit of UEW should be established within the 2002 academic year to begin work. Soon after it has taken off ground the Unit will begin action towards the appointment of its staff and its first intake of students. Unit of the institution to offer/offering each programme of study Name of Faculty: Faculty of Educational Studies Name of Department: Department of Early Childhood Care and Development Date of establishment 2002/2003 academic year Rationale, goals and objectives of the programme of study (a) Rationale The introduction of the Free Compulsory and Universal Basic Education (FCUBE) in Ghana has necessitated the provision of meaningful and purposeful education for all. In order to accelerate formal learning in the primary school, the need for early socialization and exposure of children to conditions of formal school has never been more imperative, As Ghana provides free and compulsory education, Pre-School Education and qualified preschool teachers are definitely required. The training of such care-givers has not been given adequate attention and have therefore not kept up with demand. Young children are being taught by unqualified people. This negative trend must be reversed by training adequate pre-school teachers for a life-long-career. Early exposure of children for example, at age two to the printed word introduces them to the idea of reading. They thus become more easily accustomed to it as natural part of their reading and learning. There is therefore a need for more and better child care and early childhood training to meet the demands of families in which both parents work is a common trend in today s world. Such working parents will need to send their children outside home, and at these stage children having some educational experience built into the pre-school situation is preferable to simple

3 dysfunction baby-sitting. (b) Goals and objectives The course objectives include: To enable the pre-school teacher trainees to know about the meaning, nature, principles and foundation of pre-school education. To enable teachers to understand the roles and functions of nursery school teachers in the context of the emerging trends in child development. To acquaint trainee teachers with the techniques of handling specific pre-school subject. To expose trainee teachers to socio-economic developments around us so as to enable them understand and contribute to the sustenance of the ecological balance of our society. Employment prospects of Graduands Levels of Function The programmes train teachers and care givers to acquire appropriate knowledge and skills to enable them interact with children at the following levels Crèche/Day Care (0-2years) Nursery (2-4years) Kindergarten (4-5years) Others (indigenous/traditional childcare) Apart from these functions, the Department engages in outreach and advocacy activities in the communities to sensitise parents to child rights issues. Job Prospects Job opportunities are available in: Early Childhood Education establishments Establishing and /or Managing Early Childhood Care Institutions Social Welfare Operations NGOs with particular interest in Early Childhood Care and Development Entry requirements for admission of students i. At least a Senior High School Certificate ii. People with higher qualifications can apply Short description of courses in the programme PSC 111 Child Growth and Development This course gives the student a broad, comprehensive overview of the theory and principles of human development from conception to adolescence. Students will learn the basic research concepts and the current research findings on factors contributing to child development. Emphasis is placed on development through the stages of a child s life in the areas of physical, emotional, social, intellectual, and moral development as explained by the theories of Piaget, Vykotsky, Skinner etc. The course will also highlight the factors that affect the child s growth such as environmental, genetic, social and cultural. PSC 112 Introduction to Special Education This course is specially designed for students pursuing the 4-year B.Ed degree programme in Early Childhood Development Education. It seeks to create awareness of the existence of handicapping conditions in the ordinary preschool classroom. It will prepare the student teacher to accept such children and to use the knowledge about such handicapped children to

4 improve teaching and learning. It covers all types of exceptionalities. PSC 113 Language Development Activities The course id designed to equip teachers with skills to help learners develop their language abilities. It will cover studies in language learning theories and how they influence the second language, the Language Experience Approach (LEA) to language learning, activities for developing listening and speaking skills, activities for developing reading skills, using literature for language development, rhymes, singing skills etc. PSC 114: Methods of Teaching the Pre-School Child The course is to introduce students to the philosophy and principles of such early educators as Froebel and Montessori and the use of play and other activity methods in helping children to learn and to fulfill themselves. The underlying principles of this course is to help pre-school teachers to understand the theory and concept of self activity and play as essential factors in child development This course will help student teachers to acquire knowledge of methods used in caring for children at ECD centres. It will expose student to the general teaching methods and various methods unique and appropriate for the early childhood training and development, such as story telling, play and dramatization. The course will also equip student teachers with instruction skills at Early Childhood level, that is strategies in laying solid and firm foundation for academic success in areas such as number word, vocabulary, games, puzzles. The course involves a lot of hands- on work in schools in and around Winneba. PSC 115: Child Health, Nutrition and Safety The course introduces students to developing basic skills in Nutrition, Menu Planning Childhood Disease and Illness and Sanitation and Safety in group settings. The course will also discuss the food we eat, the nutrients, malnutrition, meal planning, hygiene and how this affects good nutrition in relation to health care throughout life. It also exposes students to the role of diet in maintaining health and disease prevention as well as treatment. Communication with health professional and parents on health, safety, and nutrition issues will be included. PSC 116: Communication Skills Interpersonal and effective communication skills are indispensable when working with children, their families, and communities. This course is, therefore, designed to assist students to develop interpersonal communication skills needed to function effectively as contributing, collaborative, helping staff members in the workplace and to present a professional image to colleagues, parents, and the public. Basic communication theory as well as receptive and responsive communication skills will be explored. PSC 121: Teaching of Number Work The pre-school child s ideas of space, from and size are abstractions which develop through experiences with real objects. The essence of this course is to introduce students to the need to use real objects and practical experience to help pre-school pupils to acquire number concepts to serve as background for mathematics in later years. PSC 122: Pre-Reading Activities Pre-schools require efforts to associate printer symbols with spoken work that have already gathered meaning. The pre-reading activities should therefore involve helping their children to see and recognize shapes of letters and their relationships in words and also in learning and pronouncing the word correctly. This is to be achieved by the use of scrap books (picture

5 books containing different pictorial illustrations of some words and the printed letters) and other picture cards. PSC 123: Developing Writing Skills The course introduces pre-school teachers to basic writing skills for the pre-school child. In this regard, pre-school children will be exposed to the fundamental writing skills to be developed through systematic and progressive handling that will enable the pre-school child write letters and numbers correctly and to produce shapes of different forms. PSC 124: Supervision of Children s Recreation The course introduces pre-school teachers to the techniques of supervising children s activities before the school day begins, at launch-break and at the close of school. The course is to enable teachers structure the school environment to provide children with worthwhile recreational activities that would give opportunities for children s participation and effective supervision. PSC 125: Preparation and Use of Audio-Visual Aids (Project) Trainee pre-school teachers will be expected to write a long essay each on the preparation and use of audio-visual aids, consisting of about 3000 words on a chosen topic in the field. Introduction and use of ICT software which have computer games. PSC 126 Supervised Practicum Trainee teachers will be distributed among-pre-school institutions in Winneba district to undertake three weeks practical teaching activities under supervision. It will take the form of the present off-campus Teaching Practice of the College. The supervised teaching practicum will come on before the off-campus teaching practice. Requirements for graduation (a) Subject Requirements Pass all compulsory courses: general, faculty, or departmental (b) Credits Requirements Obtain a minimum of 30 credits and a maximum of 36 credits (c) Other Equivalent Requirements Obtain a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average of 1.0 Settle all financial and other obligations to the University Regulations governing assessment of students. Assessment of student s performance shall be by a combination of Continuous Assessment and End of Semester Examination. The weightings for the two modes of assessment are as follows: 1. Continuous Assessment 40% Class assignments Quizzes and Test (at least two entries per semester are required. 2. End of Semester Examination. 60% 3. A student who does not earn a Continuous Assessment mark does not qualify to take part in the end of semester examination(refer to Students Handbook,2005, p51)