2 of 33

TOPICS:�* Aims of NCF FS�* Current State & Challenges of Foundational Stage�* Explain the linkages between � - Aim, � -Curricular Goals, � -Competencies� -Learning Outcomes��* Curricular Goals & Competencies for � Foundational Stage��* Pedagogies for Foundational Stage�

3 of 33

Aims of NCF FS

5 of 33

RATIONALE BEHIND OBJECTIVES OF NCF FS� �• According to research in neuroscience, over 85% of an individual’s brain development occurs by the age of 6, indicating the critical importance of appropriate care and stimulation in a child’s early years. ��• Therefore, NCF FS ’s aim is the holistic development of children of this age group.

7 of 33

Current State :

In India, ECCE is available in institutional settings for ages 3-8, it is typically carried out as follows:

3-6 years: Early childhood education programmes in Anganwadis, Balvatikas, or preschools
6-8 years: Early primary education programmes in school (Grades 1 and 2)

Significant Milestones.

1975- Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS)
1986 -National Education Policy,
2013- National Early Childhood Care and Education Policy
2014-National Early Childhood Care and Education Curriculum Framework
2019 -the NCERT developed a Preschool Curriculum for three years of preschool education along with Guidelines for Preschool Education.

NEP 2020 very clear goal - every child in the age range of 3 - 8 years must have access to free, safe, high quality, developmentally appropriate early childhood care and education by the year 2025

8 of 33

CHALLENGES: � PEDAGOGICAL, CURRICULAR, SYSTEMIC, AND MORE — are the key roots of india’s Educational challenges ��1. Many children directly enroll or enter grade 1 with limited experience��2. Deficiencies in supplies, infrastructure, and trained teachers in ECCE, ��3. Anganwadis generally focus less on the educational aspects of ECCE.��4. Access and Enrolment : Low enrolment and attendance��5. Unregulated private pre-schools: some preschools have better infrastructure and learning resources but often � - prioritise formal teaching and rote memorisation, � - high pupil teacher ratios and� - limited play-based and activity-based learning.

9 of 33

6. Human Resources: In Anganwadi's, 5% posts are vacant,� The number of teacher education institutions offering programmes preparing teachers for preschool is extremely low, with the north-eastern states having none. Private sector have just 1%.�� 7. Nutrition :While india has made progress in key nutritional indicators for children, significant challenges persist, including high rates of �chronic under-nutrition, acute under-nutrition, and underweight children under the age of five, which impacts their holistic development in the short and long term. ��8 . Learning Outcomes are inadequate in ECCE institutions,� (NAS 2021 Report shows decline)� � Most children lack readiness competencies when they join school.

11 of 33

EDUCATION POLICY	AIM	CURRICULAR GOAL	COMPETENCY	LEARNING OUTCOME

12 of 33

Aims of Education:

Aims are educational vision statements that give broad direction to all deliberate efforts of educational systems – curriculum development, institutional arrangements, funding and financing, people’s capacities and so on.
Aims of Education are usually articulated in Education policy documents. For example, NEP 2020 states that
to develop good human beings capable of rational thought and action,
aims at producing engaged, productive, and contributing citizens as envisaged by our Constitution.

Curricular Goals:

Curricular Goals are statements that give directions to curriculum development and implementation. They are derived from Aims and are specific to a Stage in education (e.g., the Foundational Stage).
Curricular Goals are stated in NCFs which guide the development of all curricula.

13 of 33

Competencies:

Competencies are learning achievements that are observable and can be assessed systematically.
These Competencies are derived from the Curricular Goals and are expected to be attained by the end of a Stage.
Competencies are articulated in Curriculum Frameworks.
Competencies are attained over a period of time.
The following are examples of some of the Competencies derived for the above Curricular Goal in this NCF - “Converses fluently and can hold a meaningful conversation” and “Understands oral instructions for a complex task and gives clear oral instructions for the same to others.”

Learning Outcomes:

Learning outcomes are interim markers of learning achievements .Teachers can observe and track learning and respond to the needs of learners continually through it.
Learning Outcomes are granular milestones of learning and usually progress in a sequence leading to attainment of a Competency.
Curriculum developers and Teachers should have the autonomy to define Learning Outcomes as appropriate to their classroom contexts, while maintaining the connection to the Competencies.

14 of 33

Curricular Goals & Competencies for Foundational Stage

6 Domains
13 Curricular Goals been numbered as CG 1, CG 2 and so on;
69 Competencies have been numbered as C-1.1, C-1.2 and so on.

21 of 33

�PEDAGOGY� (LEARNING THROUGH DIFFERENT WAYS)�• CONVERSATIONS�• STORY-TELLING�• TOY-BASED LEARNING�• SONGS & RHYMES�• MUSIC & MOVEMENT�• ART & CRAFT�• INDOOR & OUTDOOR GAMES�• SPENDING TIME WITH NATURE� • FIELD TRIPS�

24 of 33

CONVERSATION :

Enhance ability to connect with people and things around them.
help build relationships of trust.

Teachers can engage with children through free conversations where children can sit with the teachers and discuss any interesting things

free conversations : where children can sit with the teachers and discuss any interesting things that have occurred throughout the day,

Structured conversations :the teacher can plan and organise a session in the morning hour where they talk and think through a topic together.

25 of 33

STORY TELLING :

good medium for learning about social relationships, ethical choices, understanding and experiencing emotions, and becoming aware of life skills.

children learn new words, thus expanding their vocabulary, and learn sentence structure and problem-solving skills.

Children with very short attention spans concentrate for a longer time when engrossed in a story.

Teachers can use picture books, story books with or without pictures, or story books in multiple languages. Flash cards that have story scenes drawn or printed on them can also be used to tell stories.

children must also have the opportunity to tell stories. Stories told by children can be the same ones they have heard or something they have created.

The Teacher can begin to tell a story and ask the children to complete it.

Log book of stories narrated with learning outcomes to be maintained classwise.

26 of 33

TOY BASED LEARNING:

Young children learn from first-hand experiences and working with actual objects.

Aids in practicing motor skills and strengthening hand-eye coordination

NCERT’s handbook on Toy-Based Pedagogy is an excellent guide for this

Board games teach children to follow simple rules and enhance their understanding of Language and Mathematics.

PUZZLE helps a child to explore patterns.

27 of 33

SONGS & RHYMES :

Songs are also a wonderful means of learning language.
Children understand different concepts through songs .
Physical movements with the songs enhance gross and fine motor movements
Songs promote interaction among children and lead to cooperation.
Good way to increase vocabulary, imagination, and expression in different kinds of songs.
Songs of different languages provide children an ability to infer, make connections between common and different words in a language.
songs and rhymes promote children’s ability to remain multilingual.

28 of 33

MUSIC & MOVEMENT:

Music is Joy
strong stimulation for brain development and formation of synaptic connections
playing simple musical instruments, and singing should be encouraged.
Body movements can accompany claps or rhythm played on a tin box or a khanjari (tambourine) or manjira (cymbals)

There are different ways to use songs.

The Teacher can sing a song and have the children repeat it. This can be accompanied by actions, gestures, and body movements.
The children can also sing songs by themselves in groups, pairs or individually.
The Teacher can sing the tune of a popular song and have children play a small game to identify it.
Children can hum tunes of different songs without the words.
Children can be encouraged to make simple songs

29 of 33

ART & CRAFT:

Drawing ,Painting ,Pasting, Clay moulding

Medium for children to express their ideas, emotions, and feelings.

All these should be open-ended activities. Minimal direction from the Teacher is best.

For young children, the process involved in art and craft is more important than the product

Notions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’, ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in terms of artistic expression must be avoided. Instead, different viewpoints, experiences, expression, and imagination are encouraged and celebrated.

30 of 33

INDOOR & OUTDOOR GAMES:

Jigsaw puzzles, playing with blocks, and solving mazes help to develop a child’s spatial reasoning;

Games of strategy (e.g., tic-tac-toe, and leading up to deeper games like chess) develop strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

Playing games (e.g., Chaupad, Snakes and Ladders, Ludo) is fun - it also teaches counting, strategy, collaboration, healthy competition, bonding with peers.

Walking, running, jumping, chasing, kicking, and throwing balls, playing in water or sand or mud, jumping into puddles, crawling through tunnels, climbing over fallen trees or climbing small trees help children develop gross motor skills.

31 of 33

SPENDING TIME WITH NATURE :

Spending time with plants and trees and birds and animals or just being quiet around nature can develop the basis for Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE).

Ancient Indian texts have said that whether it is the individual human body or the larger cosmic body, essentially, they are made of five elements or the Panchabhutas – earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Bala Chikitsa, one of the eight sections of Ashtanga Ayurveda, says the Panchabhutas manifest in different parts of our bodies. At this Stage, it is, therefore, important to introduce direct experience with water, air and earth so that children can experience this deep connection with the elements.

32 of 33

FIELD TRIPS :

Small, local field trips as part of the learning process reinforce the

knowledge the children have gained in the classroom

Push them to ask more questions
Build further connections with things that they already know
Children also learn to manage themselves
Learn to be with others through these experiences

The local vegetable market ,The doctor’s clinic, bus depot, post office and police station etc - learning experience for the kids.

1 of 33

2 of 33

3 of 33

4 of 33

5 of 33

6 of 33

7 of 33

8 of 33

9 of 33

10 of 33

11 of 33

12 of 33

13 of 33

14 of 33

15 of 33

16 of 33

17 of 33

18 of 33

19 of 33

20 of 33