EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT

Lesson 18: Factors influencing Curriculum Planning in ECE

Child related

• Number of children /strength of a group: Curriculum planning is mainly influenced by the number of children in an ECE center. The group should not be large. Space arrangements, the age structure of children, the staff will be the other factors which determine the curriculum planning in that group. There should be only 20 children in a group. Young children profit from group experiences only if they can receive individual care and attention when they need it.
• Age range of children: Based on the ages of children, activities have to be planned keeping their developmental needs in mind. For older age group children, more of formal and organized group activities can be planned as their interests can be sustained for a long time
• Individual Needs of the child. The curriculum should represent the needs of each child. It should be constructed in terms of the nature of the learner, based on their strengths and limitations. Children influence the programme. The school is there for them. Teachers have to plan the programme to help the children to reach their potential.