Early Childhood Development and Education in Singapore (Empowering Teaching and Learning through Policies and Practice: Singapore and International Perspectives, 2)

This book presents a holistic view of child development that emphasises on being mindful of the child as well as his/her environment. It presents a history of the development of the early childhood education sector in Singapore. This book consolidates the more recent research work that has been done in early childhood education, specifically by researchers from the National Institute of Education, Singapore. It discusses topics focusing on child development and education, teacher training and wellbeing, and the development of culturally appropriate assessment. The content of this book center around the child, with a consideration of influences in the environment that can impact child development. Contents Chapter 1: Introduction to Early Childhood Development and Research in Singapore 1.1 Why Is Early Childhood Development and Research Important? 1.2 Singapore: Early Childhood Development and Research 1.3 Layout of the Book References Chapter 2: The Honeycomb of Early Childhood Development (ECD): A Big Picture Approach for Supporting Development and Education for Early Years 2.1 Understanding the Economics of Early Childhood Development (ECD) 2.1.1 Parents and Caregivers 2.1.2 Environment 2.1.3 Early Childhood Centers 2.2 Appreciating the Equity Issues of Early Childhood Development (ECD) 2.3 Embracing the Essence of ECD 2.4 Building the Science and Art of Early Childhood Education 2.4.1 Early Childhood Curriculum 2.4.1.1 Social Emotional Care 2.4.1.2 Tools for Motor Skills 2.4.1.3 Exploration 2.4.1.4 Word 2.4.1.5 Arithmos 2.4.1.6 Reading and Rest Time 2.4.1.7 Drawing and Drama 2.4.2 Early Childhood Pedagogy 2.4.3 The Value of Play 2.5 Empowering the Educators of the Young 2.6 Knowing the Ecology of Early Childhood Development (ECD) 2.7 Conclusion References Chapter 3: Pre-school Teacher Education in Singapore: Developments and Challenges 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Waves of Change 3.2.1 Policies, Regulations and Curriculum 3.2.2 Teacher Education 3.2.3 Research and Development 3.3 Challenges in the Pre-school Sector 3.4 Summary and Conclusion Annexes Annex 1 Annex 2 Annex 3 References Chapter 4: Early Learners Curriculum: Case of Singapore Early Childhood Education Working Towards Quality 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Background 4.2.1 Current Discourses About Early Childhood Education in Singapore 4.3 The Curriculum and Implementation in Theory 4.3.1 Discourse Analysis 4.3.2 Insights to Nurturing Early Learners Curriculum 4.4 Preschool Teachers’ Reflections on the Curriculum and Professional Practice 4.4.1 Interviews 4.5 Discussion and Conclusion 4.5.1 Contextualizing Child and Teachers’ Professionalism in Singapore References Chapter 5: Researching Well-Being for Children with Low-Income Family Background in Singapore – For Whom and from Whose Perspective? 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Quality of Life: Experiencing Low Income in Singapore 5.3 Defining Well-being and Quality of Life 5.4 Examining Child Well-being and Quality of Life Further 5.5 The Child Support Model (CSM) 5.6 Indicators for Well-being and Involvement for Learning and Development 5.7 Researching with Children – Voices from the Children and Families 5.8 (Re)shaping the Idea of Inclusion for Children and Families with Diverse Backgrounds 5.9 Concluding Remarks: Education and Interventions for Children with At-Risk Background References Chapter 6: Early Childhood Intervention for Young Children with Special Needs in Singapore: Where We Have Been and Future Directions 6.1 Overview of ECI in Singapore 6.1.1 The Formative Years of ECI Development: 1950 to 2000 6.1.2 A Deepening and Broadening of ECI Services: 2001 to 2020 6.2 Key Findings from Early Childhood Intervention Research in Singapore 6.2.1 Identification and Assessment 6.2.2 Child Profile and Needs 6.2.3 Inclusive Education Models/Programs 6.2.4 Support Practices and Support Needs 6.2.5 Family-Centered Service Provision 6.3 Implications for Early Childhood Intervention in Singapore 6.3.1 Implication #1: Enhancing Systematic Universal Developmental Screening and Monitoring Using Culturally Appropriate Instruments 6.3.2 Implication #2: Moving Toward Inclusive Early Childhood Education 6.3.3 Implication #3: Professional Development and Training for ECI Professionals 6.4 Conclusion References Chapter 7: Cross-Cultural Considerations for Adapting Valid Psychoeducational Assessments 7.1 Singapore Context 7.2 Cultural Adaptation of Self- and Other-Report Inventories 7.2.1 Macro-level Measurement: Are the Constructs Measured the Same? 7.2.2 Micro-level Cultural Influences on Self- and Other-Report Inventories 7.2.3 Summary and Implications 7.3 Standardised Tests 7.3.1 IED-III Adaptation and Norming 7.3.2 Summary and Implications 7.4 Computerised Adaptive Testing (CAT) 7.4.1 Theoretical and Statistical Logic of CAT 7.4.2 Adaptive Behaviour Skills 7.4.3 Developing CAT Version of the Activities and Participation Rating Scale (APRS) 7.4.4 Summary and Implications 7.5 Concluding Remarks References Chapter 8: The Importance of Positive Environments on Infant and Early Childhood Neurodevelopment: A Review and Preview of Upcoming, “BE POSITIVE,” Research 8.1 Is There a “Benefit” to Prolonged Brain Development? 8.2 Mechanisms 8.2.1 Sensitive Parenting 8.3 Tradeoffs Among Skill Types: Street-Smart Versus Book-Smart 8.4 Trade-Offs Among When Skills Prioritized: “Old Before Their Time” 8.5 Mismatch, Culture, and the Local Context 8.6 How, When, and Should We Intervene? 8.7 Summary References Chapter 9: Mindfulness in Early Childhood: Developing 21st Century Competencies 9.1 Mindfulness and Direct Mindfulness-Based Training for Young Children 9.1.1 Mindfulness 9.1.2 Mindfulness Programs for Young Children 9.1.3 Studied Effects of Mindfulness Training in Young Children 9.1.4 From the Inside Out: Mindfulness and 21st Century Child Outcomes 9.2 Mindfulness in the Child’s Environment: Parents and Teachers 9.2.1 Mindfulness in Teachers 9.2.1.1 Teacher Mindfulness Training Models 9.2.1.2 Interpersonal Mindfulness: Mindful Teaching 9.2.2 Mindfulness in Parents 9.2.2.1 Interpersonal Mindfulness: Mindful Parenting 9.3 Implications and Recommendations for Policy and Practice 9.3.1 Mindfulness in Singapore: Schools and Parents 9.3.2 Going Forward 9.4 Conclusions References Chapter 10: Using Guided Play to Facilitate Young Children’s Exploratory Learning 10.1 Young Children Learn Through Exploratory Play 10.2 Adult Involvement Can Either Facilitate or Hinder Children’s Exploratory Learning: Examples from Laboratory Experiments 10.3 Balancing Between Child-Led Play and Adult-Led Instruction: The Guided Play Framework 10.4 Empirical Evidences Comparing the Effects of Guided Play, Direct Instruction, and Free Play 10.4.1 Numeracy and Spatial Skills 10.4.2 Language and Literacy 10.4.3 Self-Directed Learning 10.5 What Makes Guided Play Effective? 10.6 Applying Guided Play to the Singapore Context 10.6.1 The Role of Culture and Socioeconomic Status 10.6.2 Implications for Educators, Caregivers, and Policy Makers in Singapore References Chapter 11: Master Your Feelings: Emotional Competence in Early Childhood Parent-Related Antecedents and Child Outcomes 11.1 Defining Emotional Competence 11.2 Emotional Competence: Development from Infancy to Preschool Years 11.2.1 Emotion Understanding 11.2.1.1 Emotion Recognition 11.2.1.2 Emotion Situation Knowledge 11.2.2 Emotion Regulation 11.2.3 Empathy 11.3 Relations Between Emotional Competence and Child Outcomes 11.3.1 Externalizing Problems 11.3.2 Internalizing Problems 11.3.3 Education-Related Outcomes 11.4 The Impact of Parental Factors on Emotional Competence 11.4.1 Caregiver Sensitivity and Attachment 11.4.2 Parent-Child Conversation About Emotions 11.4.3 Parental Reactions to Children’s Emotions 11.4.4 Parenting Practices 11.4.5 Marital Conflict or Aggression 11.4.6 Parental Mental Health 11.5 The Importance of Studies on Children’s Emotional Competence in Singapore 11.6 Ways That Parents and Educators May Promote Emotional Competence in Early Childhood 11.6.1 Emotion Understanding 11.6.2 Emotion Regulation 11.6.3 Empathy References Chapter 12: The Development of Early Arithmetic Skills: What, When, and How? 12.1 Arithmetic Skills in Singaporean Children: What, When, and How? 12.2 Early Numerical Foundations 12.2.1 Arithmetic Abilities in Infancy 12.2.2 Arithmetic Abilities in Preschoolers 12.2.2.1 Solving Exact Arithmetic Problems Presented Non-symbolically and Symbolically 12.2.2.2 The Role of Counting in Solving Exact Arithmetic Problems Presented Symbolically 12.2.2.3 Digit Literacy 12.3 Domain-General Abilities 12.3.1 Working Memory and Anxiety 12.4 Children’s Performance on Early Arithmetic Skills 12.4.1 Descriptive Analysis for Selected Items at Wave 1 12.4.2 Discussion of Findings 12.5 Recommendations and Implications for Early Math Education 12.6 Conclusions References Chapter 13: Harmonious Bilingual Development: The Concept, the Significance, and the Implications 13.1 Harmonious Bilingual Development: The Concept, the Significance, and the Implications 13.2 Section 1: Harmonious Bilingual Development and Language and Literacy Input and Use 13.2.1 Language Input 13.2.2 Language Output 13.2.3 Literacy Input 13.2.4 Language and Literacy Input and Use on Children’s Social-Emotional Well-Being 13.3 Section 2: Harmonious Bilingual Development and Its Relevance to the Singaporean Context 13.3.1 Imbalanced Bilingual Language Proficiency in Singapore 13.3.2 MTL Input and Use, Children’s MTL Proficiency, and Social-Emotional Well-Being 13.4 Section 3: Principles and Approaches of Having Language-Literacy Input and Use 13.4.1 Principles of Having Language-Literacy Input and Use 13.4.2 Approaches of Having Language-Literacy Input and Use 13.5 Conclusion References Chapter 14: Does Early Language Development Contribute to Socio-emotional Functioning in Pre-school and Beyond? 14.1 Why Consider Language? 14.2 Early Language Development: An Introduction 14.3 Early Language Development: Part Internal and Part Environment? 14.4 Why Consider Socio-emotional Functioning? 14.5 Language and Socio-emotional Functioning: Are They Linked? 14.6 Language and Socio-emotional Functioning: Can Different Findings Be Explained? 14.7 Language and Socio-emotional Functioning: Connecting the Past with the Future 14.8 Language and Socio-emotional Functioning: What About Singapore? 14.9 Summary References Chapter 15: Preschool Teachers’ Experiences of Work-Related Stress: A Pilot Study of Singapore Teachers 15.1 Teaching Is Stressful 15.2 Effects of Work-Related Stress on Teachers and Children 15.3 Prior Research on Teacher Stress in Singapore 15.4 The Job Demands-Resources Model 15.4.1 Job Demands and Resources of Teachers 15.4.2 Job Demands and Resources of Preschool Teachers in Singapore: A Pilot Study 15.4.2.1 Teacher L (Low Job Demands; High Job Resources) 15.4.2.2 Teacher A (High Job Demands; High Job Resources) 15.4.2.3 Teacher F (High Job Demands; Low Job Resources) 15.5 Future Directions for Research and Policy 15.5.1 Teacher Well-Being as an Important Component of the Quality of Early Childhood Education 15.5.2 Systematic Research on Preschool Teachers’ Job Demands and Resources 15.6 Conclusions References Epilogue: Moving Forward in Research and Practice in the Early Childhood Sector