Diversity in Early Childhood
Introduction
Inclusive practices in the context of education in general underpinning the basic principle of fairness and equal rights to education regardless of race, language, family and socioeconomic background, culture and ability. Touching on the issue of inclusion in the early childhood context, it is important to consider who are the children or the group of children that are being included. Also, taking into consideration how inclusive practices are being enabled and what knowledge of the early childhood educators, practices of the centres and resources that are evident and made available in the centres. In relation to inclusive practices, the sociocultural theory states that learning and development occur through a process of changing participation in dynamic cultural communities, in which there are active contributions from individuals, their social partners, practices and tradition (current and historical), cultural tools, technologies, and materials, and values and belief systems (Ragoff, 1995, 2003). Sociocultural theorists therefore recognise that cognition is not an individual construction. It is a collaborative process between the individual and his social partners to participate in relevant activities. As such, cognition involves collaborative process as people engage in thinking together with others (Rogoff & Toma, 1997). Hence, the aim of the case study is to find out to what degree of inclusiveness, in particular working with children with disabilities or special needs (both strength and weaknesses), has been practiced in the local (Singapore) early childhood setting.
The case study on the inclusive programs for children with disabilities or special needs was done in a childcare centre situated in the northern residential part of Singapore. It has a total of seventy-three childcare students and seven infants under the infant care program. Out of the seventy-three childcare students, five attend the half a day program. There are a total of
Inclusive practices in the context of education in general underpinning the basic principle of fairness and equal rights to education regardless of race, language, family and socioeconomic background, culture and ability. Touching on the issue of inclusion in the early childhood context, it is important to consider who are the children or the group of children that are being included. Also, taking into consideration how inclusive practices are being enabled and what knowledge of the early childhood educators, practices of the centres and resources that are evident and made available in the centres. In relation to inclusive practices, the sociocultural theory states that learning and development occur through a process of changing participation in dynamic cultural communities, in which there are active contributions from individuals, their social partners, practices and tradition (current and historical), cultural tools, technologies, and materials, and values and belief systems (Ragoff, 1995, 2003). Sociocultural theorists therefore recognise that cognition is not an individual construction. It is a collaborative process between the individual and his social partners to participate in relevant activities. As such, cognition involves collaborative process as people engage in thinking together with others (Rogoff & Toma, 1997). Hence, the aim of the case study is to find out to what degree of inclusiveness, in particular working with children with disabilities or special needs (both strength and weaknesses), has been practiced in the local (Singapore) early childhood setting.
The case study on the inclusive programs for children with disabilities or special needs was done in a childcare centre situated in the northern residential part of Singapore. It has a total of seventy-three childcare students and seven infants under the infant care program. Out of the seventy-three childcare students, five attend the half a day program. There are a total of
References: National Professional Development Center on Inclusion (2007). Research synthesis points on early childhood inclusion. Chapel Hill, North Carolina: National Professional Development Center on Inclusion, FPG Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina. Palmer, A. (1998) Young Children with Additional Needs, AECA Research in Practice Series V5, 2. Rogoff, B. & Toma, C. (1997) Shared Thinking: community and institutional variations, Discourse Processes, 23, pp. 471 – 497. Rogoff, B. (2003) The Cultural Nature of Human Development. Oxford: Oxford University Press.