Competency Based Approaches of Teaching
Project-based Approach-Learning by doing is critical in early education. Projects, especially those involving collaboration with peers, enable children to develop a wide range of skills.
Story-based Approach- Stories, through involving children directly in their learning process, help them build their own vocabulary. Besides being a rich resource in language learning and teaching, stories also introduce the world beyond their immediate experience, thereby helping children learn much more than words.
Theme-based Approach- The thematic approach is a way of teaching and learning where many areas of the curriculum are connected together and integrated within a theme.
| In developing choosing a topic/theme or an individual unit of inquiry, organized around a central idea, the following are proposed as useful criteria. Each unit/ theme or topic may consider the following elements: • Engaging: Of interest to the children and involving them actively in their own learning. • Relevant: Linked to the children’s prior knowledge and experience, and current circumstances, and therefore placing learning in a context connected to the lives of the children. • Challenging: Extending the prior knowledge and experience of the children to increase their competencies and understanding. • Significant: Contributing to an understanding of the transdisciplinary nature of the theme or topic, and therefore to an understanding of commonality of human experiences. |
- Themes can be developed and implemented on the following principles:
• Building activities keeping in mind children’s interests
• Creating activities that will encourage exploration through the senses
• Giving children the opportunity to investigate and manipulate by providing hands-on experience with real objects
• Helping children develop new knowledge and skills, based on what they already know and can do
• Providing activities that deals with all aspects of development such as language,
- cognitive, social, emotional, creative and physical
• Providing children with multiple opportunities to experience movement and physical activity, social interactions, independence and positive self esteem
• Respecting individual differences in relation to cultural backgrounds and home experiences children bring with them to the classroom
• Planning for different ways and opportunities to involve family members of children