Assessment 1: Critical analysis of one relevant curriculum approach or model Curriculum approaches reflect ideas about how stakeholders (partners) in early childhood education partner with each other....

Running Head: Critical Analysis of One Cu
iculum Approach
Critical Analysis of one cu
iculum Approach
Assessment 1: Critical analysis of one cu
iculum Approach
Segregated Approach Thematic Approach Integrated Approach
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Segregated Approach Thematic Approach Integrated Approach
Introduction
Integrated approach to cu
iculum involves a holistic pattern of teaching learning which identified the association between body, mind and the soul. The teachers can emphasize on the development of children from different perspectives like physical, social, personal, spiritual and emotional. The process of learning can be taken as inte
elated.
Sometimes the integrated approach is considered as Thematic Approach which is not right. In thematic approach the teachers decide their topics based on themes, to facilitate learning. For instance a theme of flowering plants may be chosen for planning the activities like play, maths, writing skills, science, craft, arts, music, cooking, coloring, all based on theme of flowering plants. It does not engage the students in deep exploration of their learning. The learning experiences may be organized around major themes, ideas and issues, to facilitate learning about a particular discipline and allow connections across different disciplines. In contrast, in Segregated approach the cu
iculum is divided into different components with specific boundaries to enable segregated learning.
The primary aim of integrated approach is to enable detailed understanding about disciplines eliminating the misconceptions (Arthur, Beecher, Death, Dockett & Farmer, 2017). For example, the integrated cu
iculum models with integration of three distinct dimensions have been highly effective among the gifted populations. The three dimensions were Issue/Themes, Advanced Content and Process/Product dimensions (Vantassel-Baska, 2015). The combination of three dimensions is core to develop the integrated cu
iculum for addressing diverse needs of gifted or talented children. It also provides them rich challenges for optimal learning.
There are 11 different approaches to cu
iculum available to early childhood teachers. Few of them are: Child led approach, Guided learning Approach, Adult centered approach, community of learners approach, Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) Approach, Emergent Approach and Constructivist Approach (Arthur et al., 2017).
Outline of this approach
In this cu
iculum, different areas of study can be connected by cutting down the subject boundaries and focusing over unifying learning. It makes connections for the students which facilitate their engagement in relevant and meaningful activities associated with real life. Effective implementation of theme based integrated cu
iculum can make the classroom learning more fruitful. For example, children can learn more interesting concepts if they are taught a theme based lesson combining English, maths and reading, all the three things in one class. It is identified that, this way the students show high level of retention at a greater rate in comparison to any other approach. It is because they can very closely relate the two given objects, in a real world with meaningful engagement. It provides the teachers with an opportunity to create fun, challenging and meaningful activities which connect the students with the information being taught. For example, the students can be provided the activity to develop solar system. It not only combines spoken language development but also improves coordination, group learning, mathematics, comprehension skills and practice. It is much better that simply reading a chapter on solar system. It increases the level of mastery over the standards of content.
The students can observe the key skills multiple times and can implement them practically. It allows the students to explore, gather, refine, process and present the findings about the subject areas in which they are interested without constraints imposed by traditional ba
iers of different subjects. This approach helps the students understand the inte
elationship between different areas of cu
iculum. Learning is based on skill development around a central theme which is important to the students of one particular class.
Integrated approach has evolved as an upgraded and improved version of Segregated and theme based learning. Different ways of integration are: (a) Cross disciplinary Approach and (b) Multidisciplinary Approach. In cross disciplinary approach, one issue which is relevant to one discipline, is examined through the lens of other disciplines. In multidisciplinary Approach, the issue is examined from multiple perspectives without integrating the different disciplines.
Benefits of this Approach
The integrated Approach provides benefits in following ways:
1. It offers an opportunity of wider and
oader knowledge of concepts.
2. It encourages child centered education and learning.
3. Skills may be integrated with the subject content.
4. The teachers may act as mediators between the child and the knowledge.
5. It uses advanced ways of teaching learning. For example, Enquiry based Teaching.
6. It offers flexibility of learning without any rigid disciplines.
7. It’s purpose is to develop the future citizens of society.
8. It is open to new procedures and ideas.
9. The approach requires multi-learning...