INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGIES FOR PRE PRIMARY AN

INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGIES FOR PREPRIMARY AND EARLY GRADE PRIMARY EDUCATION PROGRAMMES       Photo credit: Deborah Young, PhD Thuksel Early Learning Center, Paro, Bhutan   Deborah  Young,  PhD               As the wise F.M Dostoyevsky once said, "the essence of pedagogy should be embodied in the task of loving children for their angelic purity, because they are here to make us happy For the sake of their and our happiness, let’s provide them with the right to be loved." ACKNOWLEDGEMENT We  express  our  sincere  appreciation  to  UNESCO  Bangkok  for  its  initiative  and  technical  support  for  making   possible  this  Desk  Review  on  Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes  This   initiative  is  important  because  this  is  a  first  step  in  giving  attention  to  the  way  in  which  teachers  teach  Most  of   the  literature  around  pre-­‐primary  and  early  grade  primary  programmes  focus  on  the  content,  services,  and   outcomes  It  is  rare  to  see  attention  and  understanding  on  the  importance  of  pedagogy,  the  relationships  within   the  programme,  as  vital  to  optimal  learning,  development,  and  preparedness  to  create  a  more  socially  just  and   ecologically  sustainable  world   I  acknowledge  my  debt  to  authors,  educators,  researchers,  policy  makers,  and  program  personnel  who  have   made  their  contribution  in  the  field  of  innovative  pedagogy  for  pre-­‐primary  and  early  primary  grade  programmes   in  different  ways  I  have  borrowed  freely  from  them  in  putting  the  content  together  A  special  thanks  goes  to  and   Irina  Karic,  research  associate  and  Mami  Umayahara  who  provided  support  and  guidance  since  the  inception  of   the  review  I  extend  my  gratitude  to  all  those  who  deeply  care  about  our  young  children  and  continue  to   contribute  to  their  well-­‐being  in  hopes  of  a  brighter  future   Deborah  Young     Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     CONTENTS Acknowledgement    1   Accronyms and Abreviations    4   Objective of Literature Review    5   Organization of Document    5   CHAPTER Introduction    6   CHAPTER Methodology    7   CHAPTER Scope of Work    8   Definitions    8   Rationale of the Importance of ECECD Pedagogy    12   CHAPTER Pedagogies    13   Collaborative Learning Pedagogy    13   Community-based Pedagogy    14   Contemplative Pedagogy    15   Critical Enquiry Based Pedagogy    18   Gross National Happiness (GNH)    20   Indigenous Pedagogy    21   Montessori Approach    21   Nature Based Pedagogy    23   Play-Based Pedagogy    24   Reggio Emilia: The Italian Approach    26   Social Emotional Learning as a Pedagogy (SEL)    27   Steiner Waldorf    29   Storytelling    30   CHAPTER Approaches and Pedagogical Tools    31   Alaya Preschool    32   Chengdu Waldorf School, China    32   Ci Xin Waldorf School, Taiwan    33   Community, Participation, Empowerment, Transformation (CPET): Jalapa, Nicaragua    33   Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)    35   Disaster Risk Reduction Education    36   Forest Schools    38   Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     Gamot Cogon Steiner Waldorf School Philippines    39   Green Schools in Bhutan    39   High Scope    40   Multiliteracies    40   Mobile Education    42   Mother Tongue-Based MultiLingual Education    44   Multi-Grade Teaching    46   Orchard Garden Nepal    47   Partnerships in Parenting Education (PIPE) and Emotional Beginnings (EB)    47   Poo-Kal, India    48   Roots of Empathy    48   Te Whariki, New Zealand    49   Tampere Information Technology in Early Education (TIVA)    50   Tibetan Children’s Villages (TCV), Dharamsala, India    50   Viet Nam Escuela Nueva (VNEN)    51   CHAPTER Transitions from Pre-primary to Early Grade Primary    51   CHAPTER Conclusion    53   Discussion and Recommendations    53   References    57   Appendices    76   Appendix List of documents analysed on pedagogy of pre-primary and early grades primary education:    76   Appendix Table of Elements, Pedagogies and Programme Examples in Pre-primary and Early Grade Primary Programme    77   Appendix A list of innovative pedagogical elements    78   Appendix Summary of the Pedagogies    82         Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     ACCRONYMS AND ABREVIATIONS Pertinent terminology, related jargon and abbreviations will be cited in this part for better understanding and clarification to the reader of this report Moreover, the names and abbreviation of agencies, organization and institute will be quoted here in the script with necessary explanations ARNEC APPEAL BRAC CBO CBP CHAT CRC DAP ECCD ECCDE ECCE ECD ECDL ECECD EF EFA ICT MDG MTB MLE NGO NAEYC NSCDC OECD UNDP UNESCO UNICEF VNEN Asia and Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood Asia Pacific Programme of Education for All Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee Community-Based Organization Community-Based Program Cultural-Historical-Activity Theory Convention on the Rights of the Child Developmentally Appropriate Practice Early Childhood Care and Development Early Childhood Care Development and Education Early Childhood Care and Education Early Childhood Development Early Childhood Development and Learning Early Childhood Care Development and Education Executive Functioning Education for All Information and Communications Technology Millennium Development Goals Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education Non-Government Organization National Association for the Education of Young Children (US) National Scientific Council on the Developing Child Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development United Nations Development Program United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund Viet Nam Escuela Nueva Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     OBJECTIVE OF LITERATURE REVIEW UNESCO Bangkok is about to launch the “Innovations for improving the equity and quality of early childhood care and education in Asia and the Pacific” project in partnership with the Asia and Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) with financial support of the Government of Japan This project aims to contribute to the improved equity and quality of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in Asia and the Pacific by increasing Asia and Pacific countries’ commitment and by promoting the integration of effective and innovative pedagogies in pre-primary and early grades in primary education teaching and learning practice The literature review is essential for the documentation of effective practices and the development of a guidebook on integrating such pedagogies ORGANIZATION OF DOCUMENT Chapter (Introduction) Arguments advocating for an expansion of innovative pedagogies are presented in policies, reports and programmes in the field of early learning and development, which describe the potential benefits for children’s later learning experiences and their holistic development (UNESCO, 2006, ARNEC, 2012a, ARNEC, 2012b, ARNEC, 2011) A preponderance of research suggests that children benefit from participating in programmes that are child-centred and holistic This notwithstanding access is still very unequal (Arnold et al., 2007, UNESCO et al., 2012) Chapter summarizes the methodology used for this review This chapter describes: (i) the preliminary questions used to guide the research enquiry; (ii) the list of steps in the process; and (iii) the criteria for literature selection An analysis of 20 documents on the subject was conducted to contribute to a thorough understanding of the existing pedagogical landscape in pre-primary and early grade primary education in the Asia and Pacific region and the international arena and to examine best practices and challenges for implementation of innovations in education (see Appendix 1) The scope of the selected literature includes peerreviewed papers, research studies, reports, projects, programmes, conferences, personal communication, including field research conducted by Dr Young during a three-week study of early childhood in Nepal in December 2014, and school websites Chapter is the scope of work which includes working definitions of terms used and a brief discussion of the rationale and importance of pre-primary and early grade primary education pedagogy There exists little literature directly focused on innovative pedagogy in pre-primary and early grade primary education pedagogy, therefore a working definition of innovative pedagogy has been developed from the review and analysis of the literature Chapter provides a description of the pedagogies identified for this review While the pedagogies identified and discussed may not be an all-inclusive list, there were sufficient common elements of among the identified pedagogies that were recognized to be the elements that were key to their effectiveness These key common elements provide primary and early grade primary education teachers the pedagogical starting point from which they may adapt to their context and develop quality care and education for young children 3-8 years of age Chapter examines approaches and pedagogical tools that include: programmes, projects, curriculum and tools that are often used to enhance and implement innovative pedagogies At the end of the programme description, the pedagogies that are linked with the programme are listed Appendix is a table that lists the programme, pedagogy, and elements of innovative pedagogy the teachers use to support the children’s development and learning As in any educational programme, contextual adaptation is important and programmes using the same pedagogy may implement differently Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     Chapter briefly gives attention to the transitions between home and pre-primary and preprimary and early grade primary programs The briefness is in no way to diminish the importance of transitions, however, the focus of the paper is on innovative pedagogy of teachers in the pre-primary and early grade primary programme Chapter discusses the conclusions and recommendations of the review Appendices included: Appendix 1: List of documents analysed on pedagogy of pre-primary and early grades primary education Appendix 2: Pedagogy & Elements Table Appendix 3: A List of Innovative Elements Appendix 4: Summary of Pedagogies CHAPTER INTRODUCTION Early childhood education, care, and development are widely recognized as the most essential contributions to human life in terms of learning, development of human capabilities, and fulfilment of human potential At this stage of a child’s development, change happens rapidly in social, emotional, physical, cognitive, brain and other areas of development and lays the foundation for later development It is well recognized that early childhood is a time of remarkable transformation and extreme vulnerability (Fabian & Dunlop, 2007) Scientific evidence has strengthened the position that children in the early years, from birth to age 5, undergo tremendous intellectual, emotional, and physical development resulting in long-term effects for both the individual and society (Barnett, 2002; Brazelton & Greenspan, 2001; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000) Throughout the last 20 years, researchers have collected a significant amount of evidence on the impact early childhood education, care, and development programmes have on child development, school achievement, community culture, and a community’s ability to make decisions that positively impact children’s lives (Barnett, 2002; Burchinal, Campbell, Bryant, Wasik, & Ramey, 1997; Ewen & Matthews, 2007; Meyers, 1995; Pungello, Campbell, & Barnett, 2006; Shonkoff & Phillips, 2000; Weiss, Caspe, & Lopez, 2006) It has been shown that economic and social benefits of these programmes to the individual, family, and society far exceed the costs of initial investment (Heckman, 2007; Ramey, 2003; Meyers, 1995; World Bank, 2008; Young & Mundial, 1996) Therefore, teachers’ understanding of how children thrive and how the choice of pedagogy to support their learning is an important investment around the world Ten countries from the Asia and Pacific region participated in a study to discover ways to transition education methods from conventional to more innovative method of learning to meet the ever changing st issues of the globalized world in the 21 century There is “a growing concern that education systems are focusing too much on the accumulation of academic “cognitive” skills at the expense of the more elusive and hard-to-measure “non-academic” skills and competencies (p 1) Various terms have been used to refer to these competencies, for this review they are referred to as transversal competencies as this term was adopted at the ERI-Net 2013 annual meeting (p 2) The countries who participated in the study report on embarking “upon substantial reforms aimed at integrating transversal competencies into education.” The ERI-Net 2013 report (UNESCO, 2013) suggests additional competencies that are st important for the globalized 21 century (p 16) The importance to give attention to pre-primary and early grade primary programmes continues to be supported from the growing body of research that show children who participate in pre-primary programmes “do better in school, are healthier, an better as adults in terms of being economically productive, emotionally balanced, an socially responsible” (Akhter, et al., 2012, p 12) Children who develop positive share emotional relationships and experiences with their teachers are more motivated for learning, school, more self-confident, and perform better in the classroom (National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2009) Pedagogy is Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     at the heart of developing positive shared emotional relationships and experiences between teachers and students CHAPTER METHODOLOGY The collection of literature has been guided by the following research questions What are the common current pedagogies used in pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms in the Asia-Pacific region as well as among the international community? What makes a pedagogy innovative rather than conventional? What does the literature say about past, current, and future pedagogies for pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms? What are the elements of pedagogies used in pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms over the last 30 years and how are they shifting to meet the transversal competencies (UNESCO, 2013)? How to define innovative pedagogy upholding and respecting the abundance of diversity? What are the new innovations, ideas, and elements that are being brought into preprimary and early grade primary classrooms? What does the literature say about what is needed to increase the quality of pedagogy in pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms and to address the development of 21st century transversal knowledge, skills, and competencies? What are the contributions and constraints teachers face in pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms that impact their choice and development of pedagogy? The following list illuminates the process of literature review ● Gather the relevant literature, including academic and grey literature, where available ● Analyse the collected literature on existing innovative pedagogies in early grade and pre-primary education ● Synthesise the collected literature in conceptual frameworks, policies and relevant practices, programmes, models, in the Asia and Pacific region ● Finally, identify the gaps, needs and recommendations for further research in a concise summary of the findings Literature search sources Universities’ electronic library catalogues through educational and social care databases (ELDIS, ERIC, JSTOR, ProQuest Education Journals, PsycINFO) using a range of key words (e.g pedagogy, innovation, pre-primary, early grades in primary education, ECCE, early childhood, Asia, Pacific, etc.); from specialised websites such as: Pacific Early Childhood Education Research Association (PECERA), National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) etc.; searching educational journals (e.g contemporary issues on early childhood, comparative education, early education and development, and others pertinent to the Asia and Pacific region) to review academic and grey literature, as it relates to the research topic ARNEC website, ARNEC publications and links to relevant websites Selected websites: UNESCO, UNICEF, OECD, ACEI, World Bank, NGOs that focus on children and are active in the region, such as Plan International and BRAC, and websites of regional schools and kindergartens with exemplary pedagogies While most publications date from year 2000 onwards, there are some noteworthy sources included from previous years (e.g OECD reports and EFA Global Monitoring Reports, publications, and seminal work by authors such as Maria Montessori, John Dewey, etc.) Conference papers, policy documents, presentation slides The Internet: Google Scholar, Google Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     Field research: Information was gathered via class observations, key-informant interviews with teachers, university faculty, UNICEF staff, and Nepal politicians The study culminated in the Early Childhood Summit held in Kathmandu, Nepal on January 3, 2015 Personal communication with research practitioners and other professionals in the field CHAPTER SCOPE OF WORK DEFINITIONS TERMS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE, EDUCATION, AND DEVELOPMENT The field of early childhood uses several terms and definitions to describe early childhood services and programmes which include pre-primary and early grade primary education programmes Early childhood refers to the period between 0-8 years of age (UNESCO et al., 2012) The most common terms used include Early Childhood Development (ECD), Early Childhood Education (ECE), Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC), Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), and Early Childhood Education, Care, and Development (ECECD) Some consensus on the scope and the holistic nature of early childhood could help strengthen the position of early childhood services and programmes at the global, national, and local levels bringing together services and programmes that are closely linked to share limited resources Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as defined by Education for All (UNESCO EFA, 2000) ECCE programmes, whether they be family or community-based, or linked to schools or learning centres, must focus on caring for and educating the whole child, from birth to school entry These programmes must promote the child’s optimum physical, psycho-social, emotional, cognitive and linguistic development in ways that are culturally and socially relevant Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) as defined by the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development (2010) ECCD is a field of endeavour that focuses on supporting young children’s development Early childhood encompasses the period of human development from prenatal through the transition from home or ECCD centre into the early primary grades (prenatal-8 years of age) Based on research, ECCD links the young child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical processes with the care (by families, communities, and the nation) required to support their development Framed by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the ECCD field is interdisciplinary in its focus It includes health, nutrition, education, social science, economics, child protection, and social welfare The ECCD field strives to ensure young children’s overall wellbeing during the early years, thereby providing the foundation for the development of adults who are healthy, socially and environmentally responsible, intellectually competent, and economically productive.” Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as recognized by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) ECEC “brings a wide range of benefits, including social and economic benefits; better child wellbeing and learning outcomes; more equitable outcomes and reduction of poverty; increased intergenerational social mobility; higher female labour market participation and gender equality; increased fertility rates; and better social and economic development for society at large.” Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) definition provided by UNESCO (UNESCO, 2007) in Education for All (UNESCO EFA, 2000) Early years, Early Childhood Development (ECD), Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) are the terms usually adopted for a Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     variety of interventions provided to children under eight years and their families, or before the age of regular schooling, and which ultimately aim to promote children’s holistic development More recently, ECD/ECCE policies tend to cover the period 0-8 years, so as to pursue a continuum between the pre-school experiences and the first years of primary school and holistic ECCE is defined as encompassing the health and wellbeing of young children in Goal Early Childhood Care and Education (UNESCO et al 2012) A holistic approach in ECCE supports children’s growth, development and learning Holistic development and learning goals for pre-primary and early grade primary children include physical health, and motor development, social and emotional development, language and communication, cognitive development, and moral/spiritual domain (Profeta, 2012) For this literature review early childhood education, care, and development (ECECD) is used as an overarching term for pre-primary and early grade primary education programmes that promote holistic development and learning goals in formal and non-formal settings for children ranging 3-8 years of age The table below offers a quick glance at the range of definitions of early childhood care and education Table Definitions of early childhood care and education Acronyms and Abbreviations Definitions EC (Early Childhood) EC refers to a period between birth and eight years of age ECC (Early Childhood Care) ECC typically refers to the care of children under primary school age ECCD (Early Childhood Care and Development) ECCD refers to children below three and school readiness programmes for children under six who have had no preschool experience ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) The ECCE term refers to a range of processes in the holistic development of children, from birth to age years ECD (Early Childhood Development) ECD covers the period 0-8 years, so as to pursue a continuum between infancy, the pre-school experiences, and the first years of primary school It sometimes refers to the process of development during the early years ECE (Early Childhood Education) Similarly to ECCE, ECE refers to the education that children receive during early years of their childhood, from birth to six years In some countries, ECE solely refers to children from to years ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) ECEC includes both care services as well as educational programmes ECECD (Early Childhood Education, Care and Development) ECECD refers to holistic programmes that include care services and educational services that promote healthy development of young children Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes     World Bank (2008) Understanding poverty Available in: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK: 20153855~menuPK:435040~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367,00.html World Declaration on Education for All (1990) Available education/efa/ed_for_all/background/jomtien_declaration.shtml in: http://www.unesco.org/ Yanacopulos, H (2008) NGOs (Nongovernmental Organizations) In H Kris (Ed.), International encyclopedia of public health (pp 536-542) Oxford, UK: Academic Press Young, D., Karic, I., & Royal University of Bhutan Research Team (2012) Participatory action research GNH RUB gap analysis report, Baseline round 2012 Research Report, Paro, Bhutan: Royal University of Bhutan Young, M E., & Mundial, B (1996) Early child development: Investing in the future Washington, DC: World Bank Zazkis, R., & Liljedahl, P (2008) Teaching mathematics as storytelling AMC, 10, 12 Rotterdam, The Netherlands: Sense Publishers Zhao, Y., & Cziko, G A (2001) Teacher adoption of technology: A perceptual control theory perspective Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 5–30 Zinn, H (2010) You can't be neutral on a moving train: A personal history of our times Boston, MA: Beacon Press Zins, J E., Payton, J W., Weissberg, R P., & O'Brien, M U (2007) Social and emotional learning for successful school performance Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   75   APPENDICES APPENDIX LIST OF DOCUMENTS ANALYSED ON PEDAGOGY OF PRE-PRIMARY AND EARLY GRADES PRIMARY EDUCATION: Akhter, M., Sarkar,Rr K., Kibria, G., & Das, H K (2012) From home to ecce program, from ecce program/home to primary school ARNEC ARNEC 2011 Quality early childhood matters: making a critical investment for a country’s future ARNEC 2012a Special edition: noteworthy early childhood care and development (ECCD) practices 2010 ARNEC connections Working together for early childhood ARNEC 2012b Promoting holistic learning and development in early years: an analysis of quality in early childhood care and education (ECCE) from the Asia-Pacific Region Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S (2009) Developmentally appropriate practice Washington, DC: National Association For The Education Of Young Children EFA global monitoring report 2007 Strong foundations: early childhood care and education UNESCO EFA Global Monitoring Report 2013/14 Teaching and learning: achieving quality for all UNESCO Fabian, H., & Dunlop, A W (2007) Outcomes of good practice in transition processes for children entering primary school Working papers in early childhood development, No 42 Bernard Van Leer Foundation The Hague: The Netherlands OECD (2014) A teacher’s guide to Talis, 2013: teaching and learning international survey, Talis Paris OECD Publishing 10 Save The Children 2009 State of the world’s mothers 2009 Investing in the early years 11 Siraj-Blatchford, I., Muttock, S., Sylva, K., Gilden, R., & Bell, D (2002) Researching effective pedagogy in the early years Available: http://www.ioe.ac.uk/repey_research_report.pdf 12 Taguma, M., Litjens, I., Makowiecki, K., & Early, Q M (2013) Quality matters in early childhood education and care Sweden: OECD 13 UNESCO (2000) The Dakar Framework For Action Education For All: meeting our collective commitments Paris: UNESCO 14 UNESCO (2008a) The contribution of early childhood education to a sustainable society Available in: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0015/001593/159355e.pdf 15 UNESCO (2008b) Mother tongue matters: local language as a key to effective learning Paris: UNESCO 16 UNESCO (2011) Enhancing learning of children from diverse language backgrounds: mother tongue-based bilingual or multilingual education in the early years 17 UNESCO & UNICEF (2012) Asia-Pacific End Of Decade Notes On Education For All: Early Childhood Care And Education Available in: http://www.unicef.org/rosa/217145e.pdf 18 UNESCO (2014b) Information and communication technology (ICT) in education in Asia: a comparative analysis of ICT integration and e-readiness in schools across Asia Montreal Available in: http://www.uis.unesco.org/communication/documents/ict-asia-en.pdf UNEUUNESCO (2014c) The Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau’s Education Support Strategy 2014–2021: Learning for Peace and 19 Sustainable Development UNESCO Bangkok 20 UNICEF (2015) The state of the world’s children 2015: Reimagine the future Washington, DC: Island Press Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   76   APPENDIX TABLE OF ELEMENTS, PEDAGOGIES AND PROGRAMME EXAMPLES IN PRE-PRIMARY AND EARLY GRADE PRIMARY PROGRAMME Programme  Examples   Pedagogy/ies  employed   Elements  of  Innovative  Pedagogy   Alaya  Preschool   Collaborative  learning,  Contemplative,  Play-­‐ based,  SEL   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,  nurturing   relationships,  play,  problem/project-­‐based,  reflection,  relevant,  responsiveness,  SEL   Chengdu  Waldorf  School  in   China   Contemplative,  Nature-­‐based,  Play-­‐based,   Steiner  Waldorf,  Storytelling,  uses  DAP   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  cultural  context,  curiosity  and  creativity,  hands-­‐on   experience,  metacognition,  nature,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  reflective,  relevant,   responsiveness,  SEL,  sustainability   Ci  Xin  Waldorf  in  Taiwan   Collaborative,  Contemplative,  Nature-­‐based,   Steiner  Waldorf   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  cultural  context,  curiosity  and  creativity,  hands-­‐on   experience,  metacognition,    nature,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  problem/project-­‐ based,  reflection,  relevant,  responsiveness,  SEL,  sustainability   Community,  Participation,   Empowerment  and   Transformation  (CPET)  in   Jalapa,  Nicaragua   Forest  Schools   Community-­‐based,  Critical  Enquiry,  Play-­‐ based,  SEL   Child’s  interest  ,  collaborative  learning,  community  and  family,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,  nurturing  relationships,  play,   project/problem  based,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,  sustainability   Collaborative,  Critical  Enquiry,  Nature-­‐ based,  Play-­‐based,  Reggio  Emilia,  SEL   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  curiosity  and   creativity,  cultural,  metacognition,  nature,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  problem/   project-­‐based,  reflective,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,  sustainability     Gamot  Cogon  Steiner  Waldorf   Schools  in  Philippines   Collaborative,  Nature-­‐based,  Play-­‐based,   SEL,  Steiner  Waldorf,   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  cultural  context,  curiosity  and  creativity,  hands-­‐on   experience,  metacognition,  nature,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  problem/project-­‐ based,  reflective,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,  sustainability   Green  Schools  in  Bhutan   Community-­‐based,  Contemplative,  GNH,   Nature-­‐based,  SEL   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,  nature,  nurturing  relationships,  play,   reflection,  relevant,  responsiveness,  SEL,  sustainability,   Mobile  Education  Floating   School  in  Bangladesh   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based  (service   delivery  methods,  NOT  a  pedagogy)   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  play,  problem/project-­‐based,  nurturing  relationship,   relevant,  sustainability   Orchard  Garden  school  in   Nepal   Community-­‐based,  Collaborative  learning,   Play-­‐based,  SEL     Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  problem/project-­‐based,   relevant,  SEL,  sustainability   Partnerships  in  Parenting   Education  (PIPE)  and  Emotional   Beginnings  (EB)   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based,  Critical   Enquiry,  Play-­‐based,  SEL   Poo_Kal  school  in  India   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based,   Contemplative,  uses  DAP   Roots  of  Empathy   Community-­‐based,  Contemplative,  SEL   Collaborative,  community  and  family,  cultural  context  metacognition,  nurturing   relationships,  play,  reflective,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,    sustainability   Te  Whariki,  New  Zealand   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based,  Critical   Enquiry,  Indigenous,  Nature-­‐based,  Play-­‐ based,  Reggio  Emilia,  SEL,  Storytelling   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,    nature,  nurturing  relationships,    play,   problem/project-­‐based,  reflective,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,  sustainability     Tibetan  Children’s  Villages  in   India   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based,   Contemplative,  Montessori,  SEL     Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family,  cultural  context   metacognition,  nurturing  relationships,  play,  problem/project-­‐based,  reflective,   relevant,  responsive,  SEL,    sustainability   Viet  Nam  Escuela  Nueva   (VNEN)   Collaborative,  Community-­‐based   Child’s  interest  ,  collaborative  learning,  community  and  family,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,  nurturing  relationships,  play,   project/problem  based,  relevant,  responsive,  SEL,  sustainability   Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  metacognition,  nurturing  relationships,  play,   problem/project-­‐based,  reflection,  relevant,  responsiveness,  SEL,  sustainability,     Child’s  interest,  collaborative,  community  and  family  involvement,  cultural  context,   curiosity  and  creativity,  play,  problem/project-­‐based,  nurturing  relationships,   relevancy,  sustainability   Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   77     APPENDIX A LIST OF INNOVATIVE PEDAGOGICAL ELEMENTS Based upon the analysis of the literature reviewed, an innovative pedagogy includes some or all of the following elements: Child’s interest Creating educational programs that are based on child’s interests validate students, making it easier to keep them interested in the learning material and further nurture their curiosity By doing so, teachers also deepen their own understanding of the students and their learning interests, needs and styles When the teacher has knowledge of each child, they can plan appropriately challenging curriculum and tailor instruction that responds to each child’s strengths and needs Teachers can use the children’s interests as an entrance point rather than an end point COLLABORATIVE LEARNING The notion of collaboration may not be new, however, in an ever-shrinking world, its need is more paramount now than ever Twenty-first century ideas of interconnectedness that bring us together can also lead to more insular behaviour that aligns with the spirit of competition and individualism Competition rarely invites collaboration In the classroom, partnerships, bonds and social skills are born out of collaboration between teachers and teachers, students and students, and teachers and students In the last instance, it is important to remember that the teacher is also a learner, co-constructing learning helps to close the hierarchical gap between the teacher and the student, thusly empowering the student and building student confidence in their own learning process COMMUNITY AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT For a teacher to choose a pedagogy they must learn about children's family and cultural identities and integrate those identities into the daily life and relationships of the classroom, at the same time as they acknowledge the ways in which their own cultural identities shape their teaching Teachers must recognize the need to work in partnership with and learn from their families, about children's particular ways of being in the world, about their family rituals and rhythms, and about their cultural identities As they learn from families about their strengths and challenges, they can then offer themselves as allies to families, in ways specific to individual families and in the arena of broader community and help with the attendance, retention, and transitions for young children in school Community partnerships are also integral for sustainability and success Assuring that local communities serve as active integrators is essential since they are best placed to distribute resources (UNICEF, 2015) CULTURAL CONTEXT: DIVERSITY The cultural context refers to the variations in needs, play, and learning styles of children Children from different cultures vary in the ways they communicate and interact with adults and peers, in how they play and learn, and how they perceive teachers and school Parental socialization practices and beliefs also vary across cultures Teachers need to come to understand, appreciate and show responsiveness to these differences as they interact with the children and families from their program Teachers who devise way to provide their students with knowledge of people from other cultures with positive and significant cross-cultural experiences can help better prepare children for the globalized world of today Culture is a dynamic process whereby people are impacted by culture and impact culture simultaneously There are cultures that are not desirable to keep, such as a culture of war Using the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child as a guide can be helpful to teachers discern what aspects of culture support the healthy growth and wellbeing of the child Developing good relationships with parents and families so that teachers can begin to engage in meaningful dialogue with families is the most successful way for teachers to begin the process of cultural responsiveness Papua New Guinea has developed reform which gradually introduced local indigenous languages in the early years of education Klaus (2003) observes that The Reform has been pedagogically successful because kindergarten instruction is performed in local languages and the communities are actively Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   78   involved in the Reform Inclusion of local content makes the educational experience more relevant to learners and the greater participation of parents and community members as school resources has also enabled teachers to use more active and more effective teaching methods There is a preponderance of anecdotal evidence in PNG that indicates growth in children’s literacy rates: ‘The word-attack and decoding strategies children acquire when learning to read and write their mother tongues are applied to learning English; students come into Grade classes with word recognition, reading, and writing skills, which they then apply to English (Klaus,p.2) In areas where Pidgin is spoken but where children learn to read in an indigenous language, the children are said to have learned to read Pidgin as well, although it was not part of the curriculum’ (p.2) CURIOSITY AND CREATIVITY John Holt (2009) said, "Children not need to be made to learn" since they are already born with what Einstein called "the holy curiosity of inquiry." As children learn to observe their surroundings, they begin to identify and discern sounds, sights, tastes, smells, balance, and sensations Children develop their innate sense of curiosity when a space for exploration about themselves and the world around them is provided Curiosity fosters a positive attitude of learning which sparks interests and helps maintain engagement and motivation to continue to learn Fear, disapproval and absence of caring adult can negatively impact a child’s innate sense of curiosity HAND-ON EXPERIENCE Teachers who integrate hands-on experiences into the classroom allows children to kinesthetically learn Students who have a predominantly kinesthetic learning style are discovery learners, they understand their world through doing rather than by reading or listening When children learn by engaging in real-life activities, they learn to use the resources available to them to problem solve and their ability to accommodate their to other problems increases Hands-on experiential learning also provides opportunities for collaborative work that is meaningful increasing the retention of children in school Teachers offering hands-on experiences in pre-primary and early grade primary classrooms support smoother transitions HOLISTIC Holistic pre-primary and early primary grade education programme attends to the child in a comprehensive way The programme includes the child’s health, growth, nutrition, and hygiene; the cognitive, social and emotional development; includes parenting education; and supports the cultural context of the child, e.g learning is provided in the child’s mother tongue METACOGNITION The theory of mind, or metacognition is when one thinks about thought When children become conscious of their own cognitive capacities, ways in which they process information, and that which may impede their performance they have entered in the metacognitive realm Children start this process around three years of age Understanding and recognizing the rationale or thought behind planning, organizing, making decisions are all part of the metacognitive process Metacognition is also the ability to detect their own and other’s perception, feelings, desires, and beliefs When children become conscious of the many factors that influence their mental activity they can become more understanding Pedagogies that include the development of the mind, metacognition, are involving higher order brain functions of problem solving, creativity, empathy and compassion Children are more likely to be motivated, have friends, and engage in learning These are dispositions and skills needed to participate in the complexities of the world today NATURE Teachers who cultivate a sense of place within their environment cultivate a sense of belonging and a connection to the earth and its inhabitants By taking the children outdoors every day and incorporating the natural world into the classroom, invites the children to engage their senses and their minds as they come to know and care about and care for the school, community, and planet NURTURING RELATIONSHIPS Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   79   Social relationships and creative thinking are two important psychological phenomena that make early childhood education effective and enjoyable (Fumoto, 2012) The promotion of creative, successful and sustainable learning can only be learnt through positive relationships Siraj-Blatchford (2007, 2010) demonstrates this by illustrating young children’s creativity in relation to ‘sustained-shared thinking’ between teachers and children, which has been considered as an effective strategy in early childhood pedagogy The importance of collaboration, offering children opportunities to understand multiple perspectives should be emphasized By creating opportunities for children to think critically and engage intellectually with emotional with ideas and with each other everyone in the classroom can learn how to meet the world and participate in it PLAY There are many developmental benefits of active motor play Schooling trends continue to restrict the amount of time children can play and/or be outside Such trends can have negative effects on young children's health, brain growth, ability to pay attention, and motor development The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) calls for the child’s right to “engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child.” Article 31 safeguards the right for children to play Teachers can become an advocate and restore time for play, reach out to parent with workshops and newsletters to help educate them about the importance of play Using play as a pedagogy builds a trusting, joyful relationship between children and teachers, increases academic performance, and creates an intentional school culture of friendship and joy PROJECT / PROBLEM-BASED Project/problem – based work allows learners to gain skills and knowledge by working for an extended period of time to identify, investigate, critically analyse and respond to complex questions, problems and/or challenges To help learners build competencies that are crucial for today’s world, they need to be encouraged to problem solve, critically think, collaborate, communicate, and create Teachers provide a myriad of developmentally appropriate real-life scenarios and open-ended questions, engaging students to further explore the topic of study Based upon their individual interests and strengths, learners help choose their own projects Since projects allow learners to utilize multiple intelligences, learners are better equipped to complete a project of which they can be proud and to succeed within the classroom and beyond REFLECTION The transversal competencies refer to self-reflection and self-awareness The first step in teaching children to be reflective is to provide them with opportunities, guidance, and relevant topics to study so children can make meaning to their lives Classrooms need to be conducive to thoughtfulness, filled with warmth and calm The teacher’s pedagogy is what creates the classroom climate and opportunities for children to be present so they can bring their attention to their own processes for reflection Reflection involves higher thinking, the questions teachers ask encourage introspection To help nurture the process of reflection, teachers must provide the time to ponder and wonder Once comfortable sharing their reflections, students’ confidence increases Teachers also need to be willing to reflect on their own thoughts and actions RELEVANT: ACTIVE PARTICIPATION AND INTEGRATED LEARNING The more relevant the content, the more engaged and intrinsically motivated the children become in their discoveries and learning When the knowledge and skills learnt during school time can be integrated into the daily lives of the children, the learning process expands from a cognitive learning to an applied learning, a higher complexity of learning Relevancy to the child’s life as an element of pedagogy is essential in to help prepare the child to participate fully in their community RESPONSIVENESS Teachers using pedagogical approaches that are responsive to children's developmental and intellectual pursuits by way of observation are able to understand and incorporate developmental themes and can capture children’s compelling questions, understandings, and misunderstandings as they express themselves through their relationships in the classroom and in their play Responsiveness is adult Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   80   sensitivity and reaction to a child’s expression, body postures, gestures and words It refers to how well the adult understands what the child is trying to communicate and how the adult responds to the child The culture and individual characteristics influence the features of the relationship Responsiveness is key for effective pedagogies, establishing trust and balancing the limbic areas of the brain The innovation comes from countering the conventional ‘chorus’ class response where the children respond together, work on the same activity at the same time, and follow the teacher’s authority SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING (SEL) The role of the pre-primary and early grade primary teacher extends beyond the head (involving reflection on) and hands (meeting physical and social needs) to include the heart (building relationships) (Broström, 2007) Teachers who emphasize children's social-emotional and dispositional learning help children learn to discern and pay attention to their own and others' emotions and needs This builds empathy and compassion, two elements necessary for a more socially just and ecologically sustainble world SUSTAINABILITY Education is an essential component to sustainability There are number of interrelated factors and issues which contribute to the discussion of sustainability in the classroom These include becoming aware of the distribution of power, sharing common assets in the programme and classroom, exploring content about the local area, learning about the specifics of the community, and moving from expert knowledge to shared learning The rebalancing is what sustainability is all about Challenging the presuppositions of conventional pedagogy and education ideology and broadening the range of possible pedagogies and teaching/learning approaches can be explored by the teachers, students, families and community members The environmental realities of the local area are investigated and acted upon with possible interventions developed by the children and teacher together For a sustainable classroom, an analysis of the contribution to sustainability through the daily economic, political, environmental, and social issues the children experience is inculcated within the pedagogy and content     Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   81     APPENDIX SUMMARY OF THE PEDAGOGIES Collaborative learning Learning is a social activity Children can accomplish more in groups than they can individually and have more fun in the process Cooperative learning is a powerful pedagogy teachers can use to provide the engagement in academic and social learning In the cooperative-learning classroom, students benefit from the encouragement, and feedback of their peers Using a cooperative learning pedagogy, much of the responsibility for learning rests on students and their peers, teachers are able to spend more time working with individuals and small groups When children work together they have opportunities to discuss new concepts, brain storm new ideas, asks questions and those who are shy to speak up in a whole group class typically participate more actively in smaller collective groups Children spend time explaining to each other and elaborating on their own understanding and extending their thinking (Slavin, 2011) The collaborative learning pedagogy is founded on constructivist principles that see students as active participants pursuing their learning Learning is something students “do” rather than something they “get” as passive receivers of a communication process transferring knowledge The teacher is a facilitator of the students’ activities and relationship building so student can constructing and making meaning of the topics they are supposed to know To use collaborative pedagogy, groups must be positively interdependent having sufficient face to face time to the task at hand The process of collaboration is the “how” of the learning process Teachers observe and facilitate student interaction with their peers and environment, guiding students through personal and social change that takes place in a collaborative process Typically, this pedagogy shares power between student and teacher with teachers assisting more as an advisor, asking questions and guiding the discovery of answers by the students The teacher fosters interpersonal relationships the development of student communication skills, trust among the students, leadership and motivation capabilities, decision-making skills, and conflict resolution skills Each member of the group should share in the responsibility and accountability of the task Teachers allow students to construct or discover the knowledge rather than a transference of knowledge Close attention must be given to the program environment by the teacher to encourage interdependence The collaborative pedagogy is not without challenges The pedagogy is still evolving and there exists an element of unpredictability in the outcome of group work Occasionally, a students may rebel or refuse to work with another student and some students may prefer to work alone Competition may emerge with some students looking for individual rewards and others may feel they are doing all the work At times the learning and work may appear to take longer than if students worked individually in a more orderly and teacher-directed manner It may seem easier for the teacher to stand in front of the class and present the information to the students Sometimes students may reinforce stereotypes such as those relating to gender, religion, skin colour, try and perpetuate inequalities Teachers must prepare themselves to intervene in these circumstances Academic work becomes valued by peers when children work toward a common goal They are motivated to help one another, developing dispositions such as compassion, team work, and intrinsic motivation for sustained engagement Children also learn to see situations from various viewpoints, cultivating the ability to analyze and think critically To integrate transversal competencies into the teaching/learning process teachers can use a collaborative learning pedagogy to foster learning environments that encourage critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, global awareness, and social responsibility Contemplative Learning Recent years have seen an increase in research incorporating contemplative pedagogy in the preprimary and early grade primary classrooms Contemplative pedagogy uses mindfulness practices Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   82   throughout the day Mindfulness practices in education improve children’s well-being through offering opportunities to develop concentrated attention, attend to sensory experience, and engage in practical work Mindfulness practices also culture positive socio-emotional relationships and produce executive function benefits Teachers can integrate contemplative pedagogy with specific exercises like ‘making silence.’ Having the children stop now and then during the day to ‘make silence’ and listen to the sounds around them provides an integration of mind and body through concentration Attention to the sounds of birds, crickets, other classrooms can provide opportunity to develop the capacity to focus Commonly observed in early grade primary classrooms are mini lessons where the teachers stands at the board, perhaps going over the previous night’s homework or instructing the children in a new knowledge and skill, then going on to another mini lesson The lessons are in short time periods, changing topics and focus every 30-40 minutes (Stigler et al 2000) In pre-primary classrooms, teachers can be observed to change activities every 15 minutes or so Training children to pay attention can be done in school, however, longer work periods focused on interesting and relevant work is necessary (Diamond et al 2007) Mindfulness training involves particular attention to sensory experience One mindfulness exercise for young children is to fully experience eating food paying attention to its texture, shape and color, how it feels in the mouth, how it tastes on the tongue, and so on (Kabat-Zinn, 1994) Three-year-old children can learn to make fine distinctions between different smells, sounds, tastes, colors, textures, through pairing items whose sensory qualities match Teachers using contemplative pedagogy also give attention to motor movement, focusing on how one walks to body flexibility in stretching or perhaps yoga, and to one’s movements in daily life activities such as pouring or drinking water or moving a chair (Kabat-Zinn, 1994) Research has shown that children who engage in mindfulness practices throughout the year improve their abilities relating to psychological health, while children in control groups who did not use mindfulness practices clearly declined (Broderick et al., 2010) Teachers using contemplative pedagogy are very careful observers of children, tuned in and aware of what is going on with and between children There is an emphasis on deep concentration as a source of personal development This can lead to a more harmonious and joyful and to building healthy relationships with other people and the environment Critical enquiry-based pedagogy Critical enquiry-based pedagogy is characterised by reflective pre-primary and early grade primary teachers in settings that are more democratically run The classrooms offer exploration and enquiry within a caring environment where students have choices about the curriculum, problem solving, and decisionmaking (Kohn, 2008) Through reflection, discussion, demonstration, experiential activities, and immersion in school and community topics, students question, discern, and apply what they have learnt The child-centred teaching pedagogy moves the children toward an understanding and practice of social and ecological justice The young child develops and learns through responsiveness to circumstances that offer them active and social change Teachers and students reflect and examine belief systems guided by questions such as “who am I?” “who I want to be?” and “how can I be the person I want to be?” Teachers also continue to reflect on what they are teaching, why they are teaching the particular content or activity, how is this content or activity impacting the students, who is included and who is not, and what assumptions have been made that could be considered discriminatory Anti-bias and culturally sensitive teaching and learning are a priority in the classroom The teacher helps children understand and appreciate the ways in which people are different and the ways in which people are the same, honouring individual and group identity Children's family and cultural identities are integrated into the classroom, at discuss the ways in which their own cultural identities have shaped their community Teachers using critical enquiry-based pedagogy bring the home languages of the children into the classroom and incorporate the children’s voices and cultural knowledge into diverse topics with regards to culture, ethnicity, gender, and ecological conditions The teachers work with the young children to solve practical problems that the students face in their daily lives Teachers also reflect on their own identities and how they have shaped their teaching Critical enquiry results in transformation of the teacher and the student, working together in the world, first with each other in the classroom and then working their way out into the community Bodrova and Leong (2007) developed the Tools of the mind programme to address the development of self-regulation Tools of the mind is based upon a Vygotskian approach to early childhood education and believes that children learn to self-regulate through socio-dramatic play While playing children are Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   83   regulated by others and they learn to regulate themselves using the parameters set from the various roles set by the socio-dramatic play Tools of the mind is currently implemented in 15,000 pre-kindergarten classrooms and 3000 kindergarten classrooms in the USA There are several easy-to-learn techniques that are in alignment with early childhood developmental characteristics These techniques include activities such as lighting a candle and watching the flames for 30-60 seconds before eating, nap time, and other routines; putting an object on the child’s belly and watching the object move up and down with the child’s breathing; walking on a line heel-to-toe holding a glass full of water; and practicing vocalization exercises as a group, listening and repeating different sounds, rhythms, pitches In addition, practices such as yoga, walking on a labyrinth, storytelling, music and art, making silence, and rituals and ceremonies are part of contemplative pedagogical practices The implementation time of developmentally appropriate contemplative practices can be integrated throughout the day in the pre-primary and earl grade primary programs Gross National Happiness The overarching development goal for Bhutan is the achievement of Gross National Happiness (GNH) This involves a radical innovation within the society including the re-orientation of the education system to promote GNH The GNH framework consists of four pillars; environmental conservation, cultural preservation, sustainability, and good governance; and nine domains; living standards, education, health, environment, community Vitality, time-use, psychological well-being, good governance, cultural resilience and promotion Central to a GNH education are ethics and human values, this is from a conventional academic focus (Ura, 2009) Bhutan’s has produced a template for adapting the values and principles of GNH to school situations that has incorporated innovative pedagogy This pedagogy includes mindfulness practices woven into the day, times spent on learning manners and formal greetings What makes GNH pedagogy innovative is how the holistic framework and principles of GNH align with transversal competencies and how the teachers integrate these qualities into every day school practice The ethical quality of GNH includes preserving culture and diversity, upholding equality and fairness, equanimity and nondiscrimination, sustainability and non-violence These principles provide a structure to improve schools and societal well-being The pedagogy incorporates learning that is relevant to the life experiences of the children and engages in active learning processes so competencies are developed as well as knowledge learnt Generative ideas from the children are included and help guide the teacher in the direction of the learning Diversity is valued in the schools and society, cultivating an appreciation for cultural roots and understanding of differences as seen by the myriad of songs, dances, stories, and ceremonies that are part of every day Teachers recognize this importance of using the child’s life experiences and cultural differences the children bring with them as an essential part of the teaching/learning process The teacher’s pedagogy strives to be a mirror for each child and at the same time a window into the lives of the children and their families The pedagogy is experiential, dialogical, democratic and inquiry-based, elements essential for the implementation of GNH A GNH pedagogy results in teachers and students feeling they are valued and have ownership and decision making power in the process of teaching and learning Indigenous pedagogy The Indigenous pedagogy has been around for hundreds of years, however due to the theories of child development in based in Western concepts and literature the diversity of understandings of children is limited and narrow (Pence, 2013) The Indigenous paradigm has been an overlooked voice in the conversation of child developmental theories and practices Each culture contributes history, philosophies, social, economic, and political contexts containing valuable perspectives on ECECD This diversity is important to inform child-rearing, respect cultural values, include diversity, and expand the st knowledge and skills for that are necessary for children in the 21 century With languages lost every year we lose a way of understanding the work and contributions of childhood (UNESCO, 2009) In addition children from the cultures that are losing their languages are assimilating in the dominant culture Formalized programs for children in pre-primary and early grade primary has shifted childhood (Pence, 2013) In addition, many of the programs are imposing learning and behaviours that have come from Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   84   more dominant cultures replacing the home cultures foundation Indigenous pedagogy is imbued with a historical connection between the natural world and people Indigenous pedagogy addresses the power and privilege by including diversity, supporting local voice in classroom practices and policies and promoting the well-being of children from a global human development perspective Transversal competencies acknowledge and support multiple knowledge’s, a connection to the natural world, family and community connections, and cultural diversity as important characteristics for an ECECD education pedagogy Montessori Developed by Maria Montessori, the eponymous methodology is characterized by a unique set of didactic materials that entice children to explore various colours, shapes, textures and geometric dynamics, collaborative environments, multi-age classrooms, absence of standard tests and grades, individual and small group instruction, and longer time blocks in which students have more time to devote to their study of interest Children are grouped in 3-year age spans and are introduced to activities individually by the teacher based on their developmental phases and ‘sensitive periods.’ th Although it has been around since the beginning of the 20 century, the Montessori method of teaching is innovative because it promotes critical thinking, entrepreneurism, and creative innovation This approach continues to go against the grain of conventional educational methods, in which there is little room to fail and try again, because it nurtures improvisation and joy of discovery Montessori teachers are encouraging of the learners’ curiosity and self-directed/paced development, which to an untrained eye may seem like a chaotic workshop environment However, there is a lot of structure in a Montessori classroom, as learners deeply concentrate on their work, exuding quiet confidence and interest in their chosen activities Carefully prepared environment motivates innovation competence and capabilities, rather than directing articulating/dictating to learners what lessons will be learnt Nature-Based Pedagogy Research confirms that when young children participate in nature-based experiences, they develop a lifelong interest in and respect for the environment A nature based pedagogy helps children learn, communicate, and act on their understanding and care for the natural world A key aspect of early childhood nature based pedagogy involves environmental education and providing the opportunity for children to use that knowledge in action For example, through enjoyable experiences with water children acquire the desire to learn about the water cycle and the practice of conserving water The knowledge and appreciation the children cultivate by learning from and being in nature facilitates children’s love and awareness of their interdependence with nature This leads the child to take responsibility in the care of the natural environment and resources in their own community, and eventually in the world at large A nature based pedagogy is founded in the belief that children must understand the impact of human activity on the environment and how to make informed choices in regards to their actions Together, the teacher and children cultivate a relationship with nature throughout the day When teachers participate with children in nature based experiences important transversal skills such as initiative, creativity, selfconfidence, academic success, language skills, and social interactions are developed What makes a nature based pedagogy innovative is that the teaching/learning process in the pre-primary and early grade primary programme happens in and from nature in outdoor spaces Knowledge is discovered through observation and interaction with nature Thoughtful questions and guidance presented encourage children to proactively care and sustain healthy and balanced natural environments in their programme and in their community Guiding the children in building relationships with the natural world is central to learn content knowledge and the competencies of care, respect, and sustainability of the natural world An essential quality of nature based pedagogy is that both teachers and the children fall in love with nature so that when attending to local contextual ethical dilemmas on how to live in harmony with the earth, a collaborative learning culture with reflective practices infuses the choices the children make The competencies learnt through a nature based pedagogy are critical to cultivate good stewards of the environment to address issues such as resource depletion, pollution, the degradation of land, and the rise in species extinctions Moreover, cognitive and physical benefits have been suggested through research studies; time spent outdoors improves concentration in children, especially those with attention-deficit hyperactivity; promotes physical benefits through exercise, and increases exposure to vitamin D which helps build strong bones (McCurdy, et al., 2010) Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   85   Play-based pedagogy Play-based pedagogy can be used in pre-primary and early grade primary contexts as a way to promote learning and possibility thinking with young children The core elements of a pedagogy which embodies play as a pedagogy and opening up the development of critical thinking in children are when adults placing a high value on enabling children’s agency, offering children both space and time to develop their ideas, and observing children with the ability to choose wisely when to step in to provoke, clarify, support, extend, and challenge children’s learning (Craft, McConnon, & Matthews, 2012) An important aspect in play-based pedagogy is for the teacher to maintain critical and reflective focus on the child as player and learner in a wide range of play-learning contexts Teachers can inspire play and be inspired by children’s play they observe (Wood & Attfield, 2005) To use play-based pedagogy, teachers must make conscious pedagogical decisions about play, providing opportunity where children are co-constructing their role with other children, placing their own meanings and interpretations onto the scenario These meanings and interpretations are not always realized by teachers There are universal and local aspects of children’s play Universal elements are more biological in nature such as capacities, aptitudes, and inclinations aligning with maturation such as pretend play, and symbolic play in similar ages in different cultures (Bornstein, 2007) Culture impacts the mechanisms through which play arises and in which teachers interact with the children Empirical understanding of different forms of play, contexts, and understanding has been conducted by multiple perspectives and has generated strong evidence of links between play activities and learning (Rogoff, 2003; Siraj-Blatchford, 2009) Further study on how teacher knowledge can identify progression in and through play is needed as well as on the nature of teachers’ epistemologies and how these relate to their pedagogical orientation (Cheng, & Johnson, 2010; Siraj-Blatchford et al., 2002) Reggio Emilia The Reggio Emilia approach dates back to the 1940s, when it was first created and implemented in the city of Reggio Emilia in Italy After World War II, strong local initiatives emerged to create parent-run schools that would promote the harmonious development of the whole child The approach has a tradition of a community-based participation that is founded upon Italy’s cultural view of children as the collective obligation of the state Parents, who are considered advocates for their children’s development, are very active in their children’s education, integrating their own parenting practices into classrooms The parents are expected and encouraged to engage in discourse about school policy, curriculum and child development Children are believed to be responsible for their own learning experiences, so creating an environment that is conducive to learning is particularly important Classrooms are arranged to encourage hands-on learning experiences For instance, one can find recycled materials amidst natural resources, as to incite the learners’ curiosity about natural resources and sustainability When a child expresses a particular interest, the teacher will further enquire about the child’s ideas and theories, after which relevant resources will be provided, as to motivate the child to deepen their interest Project-based activities provide narrative and organisation to the learners and their experiences While the Reggio Emilia approach has been around for decades, its guiding principle, a belief that children are capable of initiating their own learning experiences remains innovative in the field of education Another innovation lies in the way in which this approach has been interpreted into a pedagogical process The Reggio Emilia approach is community based, and as such it is innovative because community-based learning necessitates good interpersonal and communication skills, organizational and planning skills, critical thinking skills, leadership skills, and a capacity for reflection It is also child centred, as it supports the learners’ inherent ability to learn, explore, develop their own theories and search for their own solution to problems To respect the learners’ own processes of discovery, teachers give no deadlines for their individual or group projects Since the the process is the goal of learning rather than the final product, the teachers not to correct the learner because of their belief that it is possible to squash the child’s attitude of a natural explorer and researcher by imposing their own answers and their certainty This approach uses the pedagogical strategies of observing and listening By careful listening and observation, teachers are able to interpret and visually document the learners’ experiences, giving them value and taking part in their learning For instance, if a number of children are working on the same art project, teachers will act as facilitators, encouraging them to use different tools and incorporate varied materials, without giving each child the same set of instructions Teachers’ guidance is informed on what each child is attempting to The children themselves gradually arrive at ideas on how to work with and manipulate Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   86   the medium to produce meaningful representations Learners’ entire journey of discovery is visually documented to tell stories of the their projects and experiences, thus making the learning visible and further impressing the importance of exploration and support created through collective endeavours and effort It is important to note, aspects from the Reggio Emilia approach can be incorporated elsewhere, but teachers cannot ‘do’ Reggio Emilia because different countries have different social/cultural and educational systems Blue House International in Singapore is a Reggio Emilia-inspired school, whose approach to early childhood education is child-centred and teacher-framed It uses symbolic language as articulated in art, dramatic play, and writing to illustrate and document children’s learning processes The school offers a number of programmes such as music, Mandarin, yoga, art and science, and drama and dance, all of which invite parent-child collaboration, allowing parents to gain new levels of understanding and become observers and active facilitators of learning in their children’s lives The school is situated in a space that offers learners opportunities to explore and work with many reused and recycled materials and visit local sites as field sites for continued and expanded learning Steiner Waldorf - discussion Steiner Waldorf education was developed by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner who believed that education should seek to educate the whole child In a Steiner Waldorf class, learners stay together with the same teacher from first through eighth grades, which creates a close bond between learners, and between learners and teachers, who are viewed as mentors Steiner Waldorf schools are characterized by carefully designed warm, colorful and natural elements, such as wood, wool, cotton, and the absence of plastic, artificial materials Chronological age, according to Steiner, is not a reliable measure of school readiness He believed that emphasis should be placed on the varied maturational development of the child, which resulted in outlining seven-year developmental phases of the learner Steiner’s perspective may not seem to be innovative, especially considering that Steiner Waldorf curriculum has been around th since the beginning of the 20 century However, as we search for new and effective pedagogies fit for st progressive 21 century learners, we find that holistic perspective that is based on the needs of the whole child and her/his spiritual, mental, physical, and psychological development will lead to meeting the needs of society as a whole Since Steiner Waldorf education acknowledges the relationship between body and mind, the physical and intellectual development, thereby explicating the variegated phases of cognitive development, this approach remains both relevant and innovative In the first years of a child’s life, learning is viewed as predominantly sensory-based, experiential and imitative, replete with free play and physical activity, so learning through action is deemed most effective To provide opportunities that imitate real life activities, teachers focus on engaging learners in domestic chores such as cooking, gardening, cleaning and caring for the materials in their classroom ‘home.’ Teachers also tell stories inciting learners to play out their own creations, thusly developing their imaginations and interactive experiences The following phase, between and 14, is perceived to be naturally imaginative, so teachers focus on developing learners’ artistic expressions Techers use pictorial non-intellectual images (i.e illustrations, books, etc.), music (music of rhythmic quality, singing, etc.) and storytelling that draws inspiration from mythologies, art and legends of the great civilizations (oral storytelling, drama, singing, etc.) to appeal to the child’s emotional life, attempting to draw the intellectual out of the artistic In this manner, learning occurs naturally, in a non-formal way Finally, the third phase, from age 15 to 21, is marked by rigorous intellectual -abstract learning and active participation in a community through social service While teachers, in this phase of their learners’ development, demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of Steiner methodology, all lessons are taught in blocks by specialist subject teachers, with no notes or books to read from Learners at this stage are still encouraged to experience their materials first, interpret them artistically in their own way, and then intellectually discuss them For instance, when reciting the learned material, the learners clap, which combines their faculties of speaking with rhythm and movement, hand-eye coordination and collaboration Since Steiner learners and teachers embark on the journey of knowledge and development together, opportunities are created for teachers to fully comprehend their students’ learning styles, temperaments, and their strength and weaknesses, which then allows them to be better able to follow and support their students’ progress and modify the instruction accordingly Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   87   An example of innovation in Steiner Waldorf pedagogy: Chengdu Waldorf School in Chengdu, China Created as one of alternatives to the traditional state-run education system, The Chengdu centre aims to incorporate the concepts of Waldorf education with the traditional Chinese culture A particular attention is paid to students’ multiple intelligences, so students’ exposure to varied learning methods allows them to express their individual learning pathways Students engage in activities that promote frequent hand movements (i.e learning crafts, gardening, playing instruments, etc.) and storytelling The school promotes biodynamic agriculture to produce vegetables for the school, which in itself, is closely related to the goals of Steiner Waldorf education Students sit in the circle in classrooms decorated with seasonal plants and the “Seasons Desks” children to feel and experience nature and natural rhythms Storytelling The power of storytelling has been recognized for centuries as an effective way to organize and transmit information Sharing stories helps to create meaning in many contexts by bringing abstract ideas to life In a classroom, when the teacher intermittently inserts storytelling in an attempt to spark the learners’ attention and guide their interest in the subject matter storytelling is used as a tool, rather than a pedagogy When teachers use storytelling in their classrooms as a way to approach relationships, using the stories for teaching content, and content, they are applying storytelling as a pedagogy Storytelling can colour any classroom experience; for instance, a math teacher can situate the mathematics in a context that both captivates and teaches mathematical skills that learners need to acquire Traditionally, mathematics class is not viewed as an environment in which stories are told It is a class in where the memorization of facts and formulae is the focus In a pre-primary and early grade primary classroom, using storytelling to understand and read the world through a mathematical lens brings the affect as well as intellectual learning forward The pedagogical innovation of storytelling lies in teacher’s intent to use storytelling to build relationship between the children and the math that exists in our world Stories help bring different worlds close to learners, making the subject accessible, relevant, and captivating, leading to more profound and memorable learning In addition, when teachers apply parallel storytelling pedagogy in class, they also learn about themselves and their teaching, creating opportunities for selfreflection and construction of new knowledge Learners listening to stories are prompted to react and participate in the action of the narrative Children enhance their own understanding as a result of their interaction and sharing with others When a teacher engages learners in an interactive story, their interest is sparked and they become more alert, wanting to hear and find out how the story ends The pedagogy of storytelling, therefore, requires the use of sounds of words and cadence, facial expressions, eye contact, and body language which become catalysts to building rapport between the teacher and learners or among learners themselves Isbell et al (2004) notes that, when compared to story reading, storytelling invites children to engage in a variety of behaviours, as demonstrated by facial expressions and anticipation of children listening to the story Through eye contact, repetition, sounds, gestures, and exchanges between the storyteller and listeners, all participants gain abilities and acquire knowledge While storytelling, teachers aim to sustain learners’ interest and their engagement in the subject Once the story is over, it is important to not let the interest dissipate as the story ends Perhaps creating stories without an end and allowing students to engage in a ‘conflict resolution’ scenario, can further their exploration into both story and the subject while deepening their critical thinking skills, creativity and problem solving At a very young age, children are able to sift through daily activities and events using a lens of binary opposites (i.e good vs bad, heroes vs villains) With age, they develop more abstract ways of thinking (i.e ability to observe a wide spectrum of what is considered ‘good’ and ‘bad’), however, they never lose the ability to discern ideas using binary classification (Zazkis & Liljedahl, 2008) It is possible to use this literary pattern in addition to humour and guided imagery to demonstrate mathematical skills For instance, teacher may start posing a problem with: ‘one princess and one Goddess are greater than one Stepmother.’ In this case, teacher uses symbols, which have been previously narrated in the story about the princess to represent a numerical sequence (Pound & Lee, 2010) Stories make new knowledge more memorable, creating meaning out of abstract, unrelated ideas When using story telling as a pedagogy, the story naturally engages the learner holistically; the student will later come to act on what they had heard in the story For example, a story told that teaches honesty is reinforced with the image of a tree The tree represents a sense of integrity The Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   88   trees are then a reminder for the children that they should walk with integrity and honour in their life The learning for the children is about making good or bad decisions When children walk through life and come upon a tree, the tree will continue to represent how curved or how straight they walk in their life It is a teaching of self-awareness and responsibility   Innovative  Pedagogy  for  Pre-­‐Primary  and  Early  Grade  Primary  Programmes   89