Republic of the Philippines

Province of Pampanga
MABALACAT CITY
CITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND
DEVELOPMENT (ECCD) OFFICE

CENTER-BASED ECCD
PROGRAM conducted in an
Alternative Venue (CBPAV)
Alternative Mode of Learning Delivery

CHARLO G. COSTALES, RSW

City ECCD Officer
Why is it important to ensure that younger children
(preschoolers) continue their early learning at home
despite center closures?
• Brain development is particularly rapid between the ages of 0-
5 as this is the time that the brain develops most rapidly.
Delays in development during this period can lead to lifelong
consequences in terms of learning abilities.

• Certain skills are key to be imparted at that age, such as the

fine hand motor skills needed to perform precise tasks like
writing or building structures. So, for young children, it is very
good to have some rough paper at home which can be used
by children who can practice holding pens/pencils and start
scribbling.
Why is it important to ensure that younger children
(preschoolers) continue their early learning at home
despite center closures?

• For pre-primary school children: It maintains a daily routine

around learning and discovery and being curious about the
world. It also builds confidence in the child as the child can
progress with support from parents and caregivers. With
individual attention, repetition and encouragement, individual
learning gains can actually be quicker at home than in class.
Why is it important to ensure that younger children
(preschoolers) continue their early learning at home
despite center closures?

• Being confined restricts opportunities for early stimulation

such as exposure to outside environments and others,
especially other children. So, it is important to compensate by
playing with children inside and when confinement rules are
relaxed, to interact with them outside as well and encourage
them to ask questions around what they see, hear, feel, smell
outside, and encourage social interaction and play with other
children.
Why is it important to ensure that younger children
(preschoolers) continue their early learning at home
despite center closures?

• Being confined restricts opportunities for early stimulation

such as exposure to outside environments and others,
especially other children. So, it is important to compensate by
playing with children inside and when confinement rules are
relaxed, to interact with them outside as well and encourage
them to ask questions around what they see, hear, feel, smell
outside, and encourage social interaction and play with other
children.
So how will we provide ECCD programs during this time
of pandemic?

To ensure continued access of both parents and children

aged 0 to 4 years old to Early Childhood Care and
Development (ECCD) interventions relevant to their holistic
growth and development, particularly in this time of
pandemic, Mabalacat City, through its ECCD Office released
Office Memorandum No. 1 series of 2020 that details what
are to be observed in implementing the Alternative Mode of
Learning Delivery (AMLD) of the National ECCD Council (as
stipulated in their Advisory Nos. 1 and 2 series of 2020
In summary, what will happen during the implementation
of the Center-Based Program using an Alternative Venue
(CBPAV) ?

1. Enhancement of competencies of Parent-Mentors who will facilitate

learning for their children
2. Ensure that proper assessment is undertaken through the use of
Community Profiles and ECCD Checklist
3. Develop an Early Childhood Care and Development Curriculum
based on the National Early Learning Curriculum (NELC) designed
by ECCD Service Providers and Parent Mentors that are
Developmentally-Appropriate (10-Month Curriculum Guide with
Weekly Activities supplemented by ECCD Commons)
4. Establish and maintain Monitoring and Evaluation of Learning of
Children
 TIME FRAME ACTIVITIES
Monday and Tuesday (Depending on the • Develop and distribute Weekly
Number of Children) Learning Plan while teaching Parent-
Mentors on how to deliver the
activities
• Discussion on the progress of the child
and the activities undertaken from the
previous week. (Presentation of
Accomplishment Report)

Wednesday to Friday • Conduct monitoring of Parent-

Mentors. It can be done on a house to
house basis or using an Alternative
Venue for the Groups of Parents not
more than 3 per session
• Monitoring of the Child at Home
(Home Visits)
Friday • For Parent Mentors: Preparation of
Progress Report
• For CDWs: Preparation of the Activities
for the following week.
What advice would you give ECCD facilitators on how to support
remote learning, despite challenges such as illiterate parents or
parents without smart phones?

• For all parents: It is good to understand what their children are

supposed to learn and the type of tasks that their children should be
able to perform by a certain age so that they feel they are a part of
their child’s development; also so that they are aware if their child
may have a learning impairment where expert support may be
needed. So, communicating on specific learning goals would be very
useful.
What advice would you give ECCD facilitators on how to support
remote learning, despite challenges such as illiterate parents or
parents without smart phones?

• For all parents: It is good to recommend daily routines for

learning. It would therefore be useful for ECCD facilitators to
recommend a weekly plan of activities to be completed.

• It’s also important for both parents to engage with the children
wherever possible. Fathers can play a key role in educating
their children as well as mothers. Equally it is important that
the parents give equal attention to their girls and boys.
What advice would you give ECCD facilitators on how to support
remote learning, despite challenges such as illiterate parents or
parents without smart phones?

• For very young learners, language acquisition can focus on

things around the child, such as family members and names,
the home environment, animals, colours, etc. More abstract
concepts should come later.

• Watching educational videos can help learning and these can

be shared through mobile phones, as well as national TV.
What advice would you give ECCD facilitators on how to support
remote learning, despite challenges such as illiterate parents or
parents without smart phones?

• For illiterate parents with no access to TV or smart phones,

home-learning packages can be explained face to face by
ECCD facilitators, with physical distancing. They can go
through the printed materials with parents and explain the
tasks and how they should approach them.
What fun and simple activities can parents do to make
learning fun for children?
• This, of course, depends on the age of children. For very
young toddlers, all routine interactions should be considered
as opportunities to develop physically and to learn and show
care for others.  Eating, bathing, changing, getting dressed,
learning how to hold objects, and give or take from others:
many of these routine activities can be turned into fun and
games and they are all an opportunity for language
acquisition. Children learn much before they can speak;
recognizing sounds and attaching them to meaning is an
important stage. This is why parents repeating certain
sounds can be helpful for the child. 
What fun and simple activities can parents do to make
learning fun for children?
• Routine activities can be transformed into games, like
washing hands: for example. This is very important at the
time of COVID-19 and there are several examples.

• Games and activities focusing on building things is important

for motor skills and other skills, using simple household and
outdoor objects. These objects can help children create
stories. Parents can take part in storytelling and encourage
their children to represent characters, actions etc., using
whatever props are available in their immediate
environments.
What fun and simple activities can parents do to make
learning fun for children?
• Finding and hiding things is stimulating for children even from an early
age. When they get older the game can be made more interesting if
children are encouraged to ask questions or respond to clues so that
they can solve a problem.

• Reading to children, or inventing stories for them is highly recommended

as it helps develop listening and comprehension skills and vocabulary. I
used to make up many stories when my children were young –
sometimes using ideas that they gave me or including characters that
wanted to appear in the story.  Children should also be encouraged to
ask questions, tell a story themselves, or add to the story. This is a good
way to establish as a routine, such as at bedtime. Story telling can also
be fun as a family group activity.
Some parents say that it is difficult to teach young children at
home. Some prioritize the learning of older children over
preschoolers. What are some of the simple parenting strategies
to cope with the learning needs of different aged children in the
family?

• Each child should be given enough individual attention, and

care should be given not to give preferential treatment to any
child over another, including in terms of time given. But
younger children may often need more support than those
who have already developed foundational skills and can work
more autonomously.
Some parents say that it is difficult to teach young children at
home. Some prioritize the learning of older children over
preschoolers. What are some of the simple parenting strategies
to cope with the learning needs of different aged children in the
family?
• Older children are normally able to study for longer periods than
younger learners. Younger children largely learn through play, but play
can be structured. Also, parents can encourage autonomy from an early
age, by asking young children for example to ‘draw me a dog’ or copy
these words and then come to see me. However,  even a lot of those
older ECCD children will still need a lot of guidance and supervision,
and therefore parents/carers need to establish routine schedules that
are individual for each of their children to ensure that each child has
enough time, with support, to go through a daily schedule of learning
activities.  
Some parents say that it is difficult to teach young children at
home. Some prioritize the learning of older children over
preschoolers. What are some of the simple parenting strategies
to cope with the learning needs of different aged children in the
family?
• Younger children on the other hand, may need more support for some
activities,  but the structured learning sessions should be short ideally
and within a daily routine.

• If there are several children within the household, older brothers and
sisters can help their younger siblings with their learning, especially if
they involve educational games that they can participate in. Older
siblings will also learn through teaching their younger siblings. If you
want to test if you understand a concept, try teaching it to others.
Some parents say that it is difficult to teach young children at
home. Some prioritize the learning of older children over
preschoolers. What are some of the simple parenting strategies
to cope with the learning needs of different aged children in the
family?

• Playing very simple games as a whole family with young children can be
a fun way to learn. For the youngest children, those game times are
learning opportunities through listening, understanding what the
objective of the game is, practicing balance or motor skills and language
skills depending on the nature of the game.  Having fun and playing
games as a family is a perfect way to relieve any existing anxiety and
stress.
How many hours a day or week should I ensure that my
child is engaged in a meaningful learning activity?

• It’s hard to give a number, much depends on age, and much

can be learned through non-structured activities, such as
talking naturally as a family.  ECCD facilitators should be able
to recommend the number of minutes or hours spent per
school day on various types of learning activities, so that
parents know approximately what their child should be
experiencing if schools were open. As when children are at
school it is also important not to exceed the time they spend
working on specific learning activities.
How many hours a day or week should I ensure that my
child is engaged in a meaningful learning activity?

• While much is learned naturally through daily interaction with

parents, if the household gives time for this there should also
be structured learning time to establish habits and routines,
without being   distracted. Such structured learning time
should ideally be scheduled at fixed times daily.
How many hours a day or week should I ensure that my
child is engaged in a meaningful learning activity?

• Learning should also include physical activities so that

children develop well physically. It is not good if children sit
around at home.  They can become overweight, especially if
they are not eating nutritious food. There are many games
that can be played. If a ball is included children can learn
skills like catching and kicking the ball.
How many hours a day or week should I ensure that my
child is engaged in a meaningful learning activity?

• It is also good to encourage young children to engage in a

variety of different tasks rather than asking them to do too
many repetitive tasks. Some repetition may be useful, e.g. in
early writing skills. Children’s learning preferences will also
vary and it’s important to encourage children to learn in a way
that they enjoy. Indeed, I cannot overstress how important it
is for the child to feel that learning should be fun from the
beginning because if a young child enjoys learning from an
early age, he or she will enjoy learning for life.
Republic of the Philippines
Province of Pampanga
MABALACAT CITY
CITY EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND
DEVELOPMENT (ECCD) OFFICE

Thank you very much!