West Visayas State University

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GRADUATE SCHOOL
La Paz, Iloilo City
Jayvee Marie N. Plameras
Discussant

The Early Childhood Education Curriculum

W
hat is Curriculum
 Young children can seem like sponges. They learn quickly and are often filled with
curiosity about the world around them. Schools and day care centers that work with the
young children that have such a unique opportunity to guide students and families
toward a lifetime filled with a love for learning. Curriculum is an important part for this
process.
 It can mean a philosophy, a program, an approach, or a set of specific materials and
activities that are purchased as a boxed curriculum.
 It consist of the knowledge and skills to be acquired in the educational programs as well
as the plans for experiences through which children’s learning will take place (NAEYC,
2009).
 The knowledge and skills teachers are expected to teach and children are expected to
learn, and the plans for experiences through which learning will take place (The
Intentional Teacher, 2007).

7 Domains/Learning Areas of Early Childhood Development

1. GROSS MOTOR DOMAIN

 Children learn to use the big muscles groups of their body. Crawling, walking,
jumping, climbing are all examples of this. We are all excited by those first
steps, but they lead greater things like biking, kicking, dancing and swinging.

2. FINE MOTOR DOMAIN

 Learning hand-eye coordination is the focus here. Kids learn how to control
precise muscle movement in their hands to build fine-motor skills.coloring,
cutting with scissors, tearing papers are all activities which reinforce this
development. Legos, origami, knitting, drawing, whittling and sewing help
keep the mind and the hands engaged as partners as the children get older.
3-4. RECEPTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE LANGUAGE DOMAIN
 This domain centers on the child’s ability to speak, read, and write involving
alphabetic and phonetic learning. Reading and talking regularly with your kids
when they are very young is important, and the conversations you continue
to have around the table or in the car enhance their ability to communicate
their opinions, wants, and needs with others.
 Watching and hearing Mom and Dad speak is the first exposure children have
to language, and navigating family interactions gives them skills to carry into
the wider world.
 Learning the ABC’s, the “magic” words like “please” and “I’m Sorry”, and the
wonder of a simple thank you note are all prime examples.

5. SELF-HELP/ADAPTIVE DOMAIN
 In this domain children begin to show a little independence and learn how to
take care of themselves.
 Learning to dress and eat on their own, how to tie their own shoes and brush
their own teeth are all examples of becoming less dependent on Mom and
Dad. Potty training is a big milestone here.

6. COGNITIVE DOMAIN
 Children learn cause and effect and reasoning here, as well as early math
skills, counting and patterning during pre-school years.
 We all know the game our little ones love to play when they drop the spoon
from his or her high-chair so Mom and Dad can pick it up. When we do that,
we’re teaching cause and effect.

7. SOCIO-EMOTIONAL DOMAIN
 We are all social beings and our kids are no different. Learning to play with
other is a skill that is taught. Making sure a child feels safe and nurtured is
part of this development as is using manners and modelling kind behavior.
 Kids learn what they see and we are their first examples. The things they
learn to do reflexively become self-reinforcing habits as they grow older and
see the effects of their manners and behaviors.

“Learning is a fluid process that never stops. The domains are equally
important, interrelate and overlap as learning occurs. As they grow, and
children interact with the world around them they not only exercise their
muscles, they learn about the world physically, cognitively, and socially.
We can help them along by loving them, keepinf them safe, and
encouraging exploration”