Skills To Empower Programme (STEP)

 
 

 

 
 
Early Childhood Care & Development Centers
 
     
   

Need Analysis

A number of pre schools were visited in all three districts during the first few weeks following arrival in Sri Lanka in early November 2006. Strengths and weaknesses were identified and a discussion was held with the Chairman of SFFL and Regional Director of Terre des Hommes, Netherlands personnel to establish agreement on the necessary steps to be taken to improve the quality of education provided at the centres.
Strength were Analyzed as Follows

v      The gentle caring attitude and patience of the teachers and assistants 

v      A variety of creative art is done as a 'whole class' activity by the schools, which includes collage using various locally available materials and clay work using the sieved clay found in termite mounds. 

v      Sri Lankan culture is rich in children's action songs and all teachers use this to good effect.

Weakness were Analyzed as Follows

v      Activities for the children are limited to creative art and singing 

v  A noticeable absence of problem solving games or toys which focus on early cognitive development eg. jigsaw puzzles, matching and sorting games 

v  The absence of story books or story telling as a fundamental foundation for literacy 

v      Complete absence of planning or preparation for a varied school day 

v    Absence of any home made early learning resources which develop pre-reading and pre-writing skills 

v     A lack of balance and variety in the activities offered to the children eg. sand and water play, home comer play, construction play etc. 

v   Children are rarely given the freedom to choose from a variety of games and activities in the room 

v   Teachers are unaware of the importance of providing a balanced range of play activities which stimulate the emotional, cognitive and physical development of the child

Action Plan

It was decided that the best way to approach the problem of improving schools in a short period of time was;

  1. to conduct training sessions for the teachers in each district and
  2. to set up model Early Learning Centres which would provide role models in the use of early learning resources made from locally available materials, and also for good practice as demonstrated by the teachers in those centres.
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   

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Teachers are busy making their own resources at workshop

 

 

 

 

Hambantota teachers had to leave in a hurry when the centre flooded.

 

 

 

 

Final Day of training at Pambala Centre Wasantha and Jill in the middle

 

 

 

 

Some of the early learning resources we can make

 

 

 

 

Teachers during training

 

 

 

 

Teachers learnt to make attractive containers for more effective storage

Small Fishers Federation Lanka

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