Reporter

YOLANDA TEVES SOBREPEA

A new respect for the child, a new freedom of action, was incorporated into curriculum building in the child centered school.

The strengths of this approach are described as follows: Children rather than miniature adults, become the focus of educational efforts Experience rather than rote learning, become the medium of learning Research assumed significance in the planning for the developmental needs of children

 Childrens motivation in learning was recognized The creative energies of teachers and children were released Educational expectations and standards were custom made in terms of each childs abilities and potentials Rigid-grade organization was abandoned along with traditional promotion policies Reporting on childrens progress became descriptive and For the first time, teacher education on a board scale became professional education

The weaknesses of the child-centered curriculum are chiefly in the possibilities for misinterpretation and in the neglect of adequate consideration of the matrix in which the education of children must occur: 1.The misinterpretation of the philosophy of the child-centered curriculum was a natural consequence of radical change. Teachers sometimes ill prepared to adapt to changing concepts of child development, Frequently created a school environment, which fostered license rather than freedom.

2.The child-centered philosophy is often conceded to be an inherent weakness. In this effort to free the child, many critics charged that the basic purposes in the establishment of schools were ignored. From the beginnings of formal education as a function of the society, conceived as a means of perpetuating the life of a people. Society supports school in order that its youth will be educated in its values, beliefs, traditions, customs, and mores. Society looked upon the childcentered curriculum and found it lacking. While the schools often became the scapegoat for ills were the correctly attributed to other social agencies, nevertheless they were frequently vulnerable to the charges leveled against them.

Child-Centered. Environment
Low student: teacher ratio (1:10 or less)

Teacher-Centered.
Higher student: teacher ratio (1:20-25) One age grouping

Multi-age groupings with a focus on the peer modeling and reinforcement

Students have the same teacher for three years allowing for long-term, trusting relationships

Teacher changes yearly

Child is free to move about room, interacting with anyone

Child is encouraged to stay seated, silence is encouraged

Everything is introduced experientially with manipulatives

Manipulatives usually used only in math

Environment is maintained by children with a focus on personal responsibility and pro-social skills

Environment is maintained by teacher and custodian

Curriculum
Practical life activities used to develop sense of order, cooperation, concentration and independence Sensorial activities are systematically used to refine coordination, discrimination and vocabulary Writing precedes reading Phonetic, sight vocabulary and whole language are all used to meet individual needs and learning styles of children Grammar introduced in kindergarten and taught in context Interdisciplinary approach is used for art, music, history, physics, ecology, zoology, botany, geography, anatomy, chemistry, foreign language, physical education Math concepts and processes are introduced early Daily lesson plans are determined by each child's needs Lessons are given 1:1 or in small groups

No practical life

If used, sensory activities are used sporadically and not as an integral part of the curriculum Reading precedes writing Language texts used (although some schools are now using whole language approaches)

Grammar taught out of context (from text) at older ages

Separate texts are used for social studies, science, health and music

Rote learning is used to teach math facts Daily lesson plans are determined by teacher's manual Lessons given to all students in a class at one time

Use of texts are for reference; lessons and activities are teacher-made

Texts are used for all subjects with little individualization

Character Development
Child-centered activity and curriculum Teacher-centered and curriculum-centered activities

Internally motivated; children work because they want to Child chooses work and works as long as he/she wants, allowing for self-monitoring and concentration

Externally motivated; children work because they have to Teacher chooses work

Work continues until a child masters a concept

Pace of activities is determined by teacher's manual Competition for grades among peers; emphasis is on tests and grades

Non-competitive processes; no reference to other students' "grades" or "scores"

Hands are considered a pathway to the brain and a mechanism to understand abstraction

Paper/pencil and oral explanation are used to "teach" abstraction

Children are introduced to concepts first; details are learned after a concept is mastered

Children learn detailed information first, then the concept

Thank you for listening