History and comparative studies of past/present pre-school education in Singapore
By Michelle Heng, 18 Feb 2011
Summary
Over the years, pre-school education programmes in Singapore have undergone reforms in a bid to better prepare pupils for the challenging curriculum in formal schooling. Changes to pre-school programmes are carried out with the intent of taking a step forward in the field of early childhood education, but reforms have also raised important issues about various effects they have on children.
References
1. Book |
| Title: | Growing up in Singapore : the pre-school years / edited by Ko Peng Sim and Ho Wah Kam with contributions from Frances Lee Moi Fah ... [et al.]. |
| Publisher: | Singapore : Longman Singapore, 1992. |
| Call No.: | RSING English 370.152 GRO |
| Description: | “The papers in this volume cover some aspects of the first phase (1983-1986) of a research study conducted by the former Institute of Education, Singapore, on the cognitive and social development of pre-school children in Singapore ... The complete study is funded by the Bernard van Leer Foundation of the Netherlands”. Includes bibliographical references. |
| Availability: | Lee Kong Chian Reference Library-Reference Singapore |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |
2. Book |
| Title: | Remembering red-checked days / People’s Association. |
| Publisher: | Singapore : The Association, 2000. |
| Call No.: | RSING English 372.218095957 REM |
| Description: | Cover title. Published by the PA to commemorate its 35 years of kindergarten service (1964-1999). Some text in Malay, Chinese and Tamil. Book contains replica of a progress report card, samples of the uniform fabric and original children’s drawings and scribbles. This book is designed to capture the memories evoked from the pages of a People’s Association kindergarten child’s scrapbook. |
| Availability: | Lee Kong Chian Reference Library-Reference Singapore |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |
3. Article (eDatabase) |
| Database Name: | EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier |
| Source: | Infant & Child Development |
| Title: | Assessments of learning-related skills and interpersonal skills constructs within early childhood environments in Singapore. |
| Link: | http://searcheresources.nlb.gov.sg:80/X?OP=sfx-get-doc&doc-number=081666023 |
| Author: | Lima, Sok Mui;Rodger, Sylvia;Brown, Ted;Lima, Sok Mui;Rodger, Sylvia;Brown, Ted |
| Issue Information: | 4/19 |
| Page No.: | 366-384 |
| Description: | Abstract from author: Social skills are necessary for developing successful relationships and promoting learning. Interpersonal skills (IPS) are needed for maintaining friendships while learning-related skills (LRS) are required for positive classroom behaviours. In this study, we investigated the construct validity of LRS and IPS within two existing assessments: the Child Behavior Rating Scales (CBRS) and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales--2nd edition (PKBS-2). Teachers completed the CBRS and PKBS-2 for 117 Singaporean children aged 3-6 years. Rasch analysis was used to identify items that fit the unidimensional constructs of LRS and IPS within each instrument. Specific items from within the CBRS were found to measure LRS and IPS. Within the PKBS-2, items were found to measure IPS and a new construct labelled Compliance. Instead of creating new assessment tools to measure new constructs, this study innovatively demonstrated how Rasch analysis can be used to document the existence of new constructs within already existing tools. The identification of new constucts and the use of these tools in an Asian context are presented. Copyright (c) 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |
4. Article (eDatabase) |
| Database Name: | EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier |
| Source: | Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood |
| Title: | Steering Debate and Initiating Dialogue: a review of the Singapore preschool curriculum. |
| Link: | http://searcheresources.nlb.gov.sg:80/X?OP=sfx-get-doc&doc-number=085848940 |
| Author: | LYNN ANG LING-YIN;LYNN ANG LING-YIN |
| Issue Information: | 3/7 |
| Page No.: | 203-212 |
| Description: | Abstract from author: This article presents a discussion of the new kindergarten framework in Singapore. The recent launch of the framework indicates a step forward in the field of early years, with a clear recognition of the importance of the early childhood experience. However, it also raises pertinent issues about the social, cultural, and political maxims that surround the curriculum. Looking closely at the preschool context in Singapore, this article considers the conflicting paradigms that underpin the curriculum: the idealised aspirations of policy makers and early years professionals in creating a child-centred, interactional curriculum; the ideology of a Chinese, Confucian culture which extols scholastic achievements and the pursuit of academic, moral and cultural attainments; parental expectations; and the demands of a meritocratic, economically driven society which perceives education as a commodity to be obtained for financial success and social mobility. In seeking to initiate dialogue and steer debate, this article therefore forces readers to consider some of the tensions and conflicts that underpin the new kindergarten curriculum, and questions the ways in which the curriculum can be conceptualised by practitioners amidst these competing maxims. |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |
5. Article (eDatabase) |
| Database Name: | JSTOR : The Scholarly Journal Archive |
| Source: | The Future of Children, Vol. 5, No. 3, Long-Term Outcomes of Early Childhood Programs |
| Title: | Early Childhood Programs in Other Nations: Goals and Outcomes |
| Link: | http://searcheresources.nlb.gov.sg:80/X?OP=sfx-get-doc&doc-number=081666042 |
| Author: | Sarane Spence Boocock |
| Issue Information: | 3/5 |
| Page No.: | pp. 94-114 |
| Description: | United States interest in the potential early childhood programs have for improving outcomes for children is shared by policymakers and researchers in many other nations. Throughout the world, enrollments in preschool and child care programs are rising. This article reviews international research documenting how participation in early childhood programs influenced children’s later development and success in school. Studies conducted in 13 nations (Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom) are included, along with key features of each nation’s provision of early childhood programs. The article summarizes conclusions that are supported by research in various countries, indicating that participation in preschool promotes cognitive development and school success, although the specific type of program attended matters little. Preschool experience helps low-income children narrow, but not close, the achievement gap separating them from more advantaged children. International evidence also suggests that maternal employment and reliance on child care do not harm children and may yield benefits if the child care is of good quality. The author draws insights from the experience of other nations concerning such issues as defining quality, the effectiveness of early childhood programs in redressing social and economic inequities, and understanding how research can influence policy. |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |
6. Article (eDatabase) |
| Database Name: | EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier |
| Source: | Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood |
| Title: | Editorial. |
| Link: | http://searcheresources.nlb.gov.sg:80/X?OP=sfx-get-doc&doc-number=085848941 |
| Author: | Nicola J. Yelland;Yasmine Fauzee;Audrey Lim;Nicola J. Yelland;Yasmine Fauzee;Audrey Lim |
| Issue Information: | 3/5 |
| Page No.: | 266-268 |
| Description: | Abstract from journal: Articles in this journal pertain to the issues and challenges facing early childhood educators in the Asia-Pacific region. Readers will realize that education in the region is diverse and a variety of issues have come to the forefront in each country due to various political, social, economic, educational, and personal influences, and this indeed challenges the essence of what constitutes the Asia-Pacific region apart from geographic location. Certainly there are a myriad of cultures and identities within each of the countries in the region and an overview of the scope and range of ideas that have been written about is rich in details about specific practices and innovations that have arisen out of local community needs. In this issue we have articles from South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vanuatu, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Pakistan, and China. ....... Sirene Lim explores the use of Deweyan principles to advocate for socially just curricula in Singaporean preschools that embrace play as a vehicle for children’’s learning. .......... |
| Last Accessed Date: | 18 Feb 2011 |