A Study On Nurturing Early Learners:a Curriculum Framework Of Kindergartens In Singapore

Improving the quality of preschool education is one of the pursuits in all countries’ preschool education development. Singapore government attaches great importance to the development of preschool education. Preschool education curriculum is the foundation for Singapore to improve the quality of preschool education. Therefore, the Ministry of Education promulgated "Nurturing Early Learners: A Curriculum Framework of Kindergartens in Singapore (NEL)"in 2013, aiming at guarantee and improve the quality of preschool education. This thesis, starting from the development background of Singapore’s preschool education curriculum, will describe contents of the curriculum, analyze its implementation, and then make an evaluation. In the end, this thesis will put forward some suggestions which are specific to the current situation of kindergarten curriculum in our nation.This thesis consists of five parts:Part Ⅰ:Background of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum NEL. This part will explore background of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum from two levels, namely, international and domestic. Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum is developed in accordance with the trend of improving preschool education quality in developed countries. At the same time, curriculum is necessary to improve preschool education quality, and the unevenness of curriculum quality is the practical reason for Singapore to reform its preschool education curriculum. NEL is the policy guidance of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum reform, and lays a solid foundation for the improvement of preschool education quality.Part Ⅱ:Contents of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum NEL, This part will present NEL’s basic contents, namely, objectives, principles and learning areas. The objectives of NEL are to foster children, making them confident individuals, independent learners, active contributors, and responsive citizens. ITEACH are the principles of NEL, aiming at promoting the quality of preschool education. Among these principles, I means integrated approach to learning, T means teachers as facilitators of learning, E means engaging children in learning through purposeful play, A means authentic learning through quality interactions, C means children as constructors of knowledge, and H means holistic development. NEL divides learning areas into six modules, namely, aesthetic and creative expression, exploration of the world, language and literacy, development of motor skills, mathematics, as well as socialization and emotion.Part Ⅲ:Implementation of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum NEL. This part will analyze NEL’s implementation from implementing principles, implementing measures and real cases. In the process of implementation, teacher should apply principles as follows:comply to integrated learning, as the promoter of learning, encourage children to purposefully learn from playing, real and quality interactive learning, children as constructors of knowledge, and holistic development. Implementation of NEL mainly has three measures:kindergarten toolkit developed by Ministry of Education as the implementing guideline, strengthening of teachers’ teaching ability and government funds. Then, this part will analyze the implementation of NEL in the kindergarten directly under Singapore’s Ministry of Education, Nan Yang Kindergarten and Paper Scissors Stone Mmontessori Kindergarten.Part Ⅳ:Evaluation of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum NEL. This section will explain characteristics of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum from value orientation, and contents. In terms of value orientation, NEL reflects the equality of preschool education, stresses the combination of theory and practice. In terms of contents, the sustainability of course objectives can promote children’s holistic development, the comprehensiveness of course contents can promote children’s learning of future-needed knowledge and skills. Course content meets children’s need of development, focuses on the children’s gain of basic knowledge.Part Ⅴ:References of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum NEL. Based on the analysis of background, contents, implementation and characteristics of Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum, and taking the current situation of our nation’s kindergarten curriculum into consideration, this thesis will put forward references Singapore’s kindergarten curriculum have on our nation.