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2001/04| National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens |
| Notification No.174 of the Ministry of Education,Science, Sports and Culture In accordance with the Article 76 of the Enforcement Regulations of the School Education Law （Ministry of Education, Science and Culture Ordinance No.11 of 1947）, the National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens （Notification No.23 of the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of 1989） shall be modified accordingly and enforced from 1 April 2000. 14 December 1998
National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens
1. Basic Ideal of Kindergarten Education Health Chapter 3 Points for Consideration in the Formulation of Instruction Plans
1. Basic Ideal of Kindergarten Education The basic ideal of kindergarten education is to educate young children through their environment, taking into consideration the special characteristics of early childhood, in order to achieve the objectives stipulated in Article 77 of the School Education Law. For this purpose, teachers must endeavor to construct a relationship of trust with young children, and to create a better educational environment with the children. In this regard, the following points should be emphasized in practice of education. (1) To encourage children to undertake voluntary activities and to allow a life appropriate to early childhood, based on the consideration that young children utilize experiences essential to their development through fully demonstrating their abilities in an emotionally stable manner. (2) To comprehensively achieve the aims outlined in Chapter 2, through the instruction centered around play, based on the consideration that play, as voluntary activities of children, is an important aspect of learning which cultivate foundation of a balanced mind and body development. (3) To aim instruction at achieving developmental task while responding to the individual characteristics of each child, based on the consideration that early childhood development is achieved through a diverse process, through intercorrelations among various aspects of the mind and body, and that the life experiences of each child are diverse. In that case, the environment should be created with the intention of ensuring voluntary activities among children, based on an understanding and anticipation of the individual actions of each child. Teachers should therefore create a physical and psychological environment in view of the importance of the relationship between a child and other people, and things. Teachers should also play various roles in responses to the situations of individual child’s activities and should strive for making activities more enriching.
2. Goals of Kindergarten Education Education during early childhood is extremely important in cultivating the foundation of lifelong character building, while working in cooperation with the home. Kindergartens should endeavor to develop the foundation of a zest for living through achieving the goals of kindergarten education stipulated in Article 78 of the School Education Law, and through providing a kindergarten life consistent with that provided in the Basic Ideal of Kindergarten Education. (1) To cultivate the foundation of mind and body well-being through providing the basic life style habits and attitudes required a healthy, safe, and happy life. (2) To cultivate simultaneously independent and cooperative attitude and a growing sense of morality through developing affection and trust towards others. (3) To cultivate an enriched emotion and the growing ability to think through developing interest and curiosity in things surrounding them, such as nature. (4) To cultivate language awareness and enjoyment in speaking and listening through developing interest and curiosity in language used in everyday life. (5) To enhance rich creativity through developing feelings enriched by diverse experiences.
3. Formulation of Curriculum Each kindergarten should maintain its originality, and formulate a curriculum appropriate to young child’s development of mind and body and to the context of the kindergarten and its local community, in accordance with the Law and the National Curriculum Standards for Kindergartens provided. (1) Kindergartens should develop specific aims and contents taking into consideration to the period of education, the experiences of children and the process of child development, in order for the aims outlined in Chapter 2 to be comprehensively achieved throughout a kindergarten life. Kindergartens should take measures based on long-term perspectives, from entry into and departure from kindergartens, so that children may experience a fruitful life, in particular, taking into consideration the special characteristics of early childhood development in which children acquire the growing sense of individual identity, the existence of others and self-control. (2) The minimum number of weeks per year of kindergarten education should be 39, except under special circumstances. (3) Kindergartens should provide education a standard four hours per day. They should, however, give appropriate consideration to various circumstances, such as the levels of children’s development of mind and body and the season of the year.
This Chapter describes the Aims of kindergarten education, which center on nurturing the emotion, will, and attitude as foundation of a zest for living expected to be developed by the time children leave kindergartens. The Contents indicate as follows developed by integration of aspects of each child’s development: an area of “Health,” concerning health of mind and body, an area of “Human Relationships,” concerning the relationship between a child and other people, an area of “Environment,” concerning children’s surroundings, and relationship with them, an area of “Language,” concerning the development of acquiring language, and an area of “Expression,” concerning feelings and expression. Consideration should be given so that the aims indicated in each area are steadily realized in an interrelated manner as children carry out various experiences through their kindergarten lives, and that this content is instructed in a comprehensive manner through the specific activities which are developed in relation to the environment provided to children. When there is a particular necessity to do so, appropriate, and specific contents can be creatively developed based on the aims indicated in each area, and there is no problem in making additions as long as careful attention is given to ensuring that this does not deviate from the ideas indicated in Basic Ideal of Kindergarten Education. Health 1. Aims (1) To act lively and freely and to experience a sense of fulfillment. (2) To fully move the body and to exercise willingly. (3) To acquire the habits and attitudes necessary for a healthy and safe life.
2. Contents (1) Communicating with teachers and friends, and acting with a sense of stability. (2) Moving the body fully through engaging in various kinds of play. (3) Playing outdoors willingly. (4) Becoming familiar with various activities and engaging with joy. (5) Acquiring a healthy pattern of life. (6) Maintaining cleanliness and becoming self-efficient in activities essential to life, such as changing clothes, eating, and using the bathroom. (7) Understanding the ways of life in the kindergarten, and organizing the life space of kindergarten without adult assistance. (8) Acquiring curiosity in one’s health and carrying out activities willingly necessary for preventing illness. (9) Understanding where danger is, what dangerous play is, and how to act in case of catastrophe, and to take actions with regard to safety.
3. Dealing with the Contents It is necessary to note the following points in terms of dealing with the “Health” contents. (1) Given that there is a close mutual relationship between mind and body health, teachers should promote flexible development of mind and body of children based upon the children’s experience of self-existence and fulfillment acquired through warm relationships with teachers, and other children. (2) Teachers should develop in children their joy towards moving their bodies, their knowledge of safety, and their desire to maintain their health by promoting, through various play, movements using the whole body in accordance with children’s interests, curiosity and abilities. (3) Children should be encouraged to expand their interests and curiosity to outdoors, through consideration to the fact that the development of bodily functions are fostered by free physical activity while playing in a natural environment. In doing this, teachers should creatively design playgrounds and placement of playground equipment taking into consideration children’s patterns of movement. (4) In terms of development of basic and necessary life habits, teachers should guide children to acquire the habits necessary to life through fostering self-reliance and developing voluntary activities while at the same time maintaining the importance of relationships with other children.
Human Relationships 1. Aims (1) To enjoy kindergarten life and to experience a sense of fulfillment in acting by oneself. (2) To associate willingly with close others and to develop affection and trust. (3) To acquire habits and attitudes considered desirable in social life.
2. Contents (1) Experiencing the enjoyment of spending time together with teachers and friends. (2) Thinking independently and acting independently. (3) Doing what is possible independently. (4) Experiencing enjoyment and sadness together through establishing active relationships with friends. (5) Telling friends one’s thoughts and understanding what friends are thinking. (6) Understanding the strength of friends and experiencing the enjoyment of doing things together. (7) Having the willingness to accomplish things together with friends. (8) Understanding what good and bad are, and thinking those, when acting. (9) Deepening relationships with and being compassionate toward friends. (10) Understanding the importance of and observing rules in leading an enjoyable life with friends. (11) Taking care of common play equipment and apparatuses, and sharing their use among everyone. (12) Becoming familiar with various people who are deeply involved in children’s lives, such as the elderly and others in the community.
3. Dealing with the Contents (1) Considering the fact the securing an individual life supported by relationships of trust with the teachers serves as foundation for human relationships, appropriate support should be provided to children by watching over their actions in order to encourage them to experience a wide range of emotions through their individual approaches to their environment and to experience a sense of fulfillment doing things of themselves through trial and error. (2) Given that the voluntary activities of children are enhanced and enriched through relationships with others and that children recognize the necessity of each other through such relationships, teachers should foster in children the ability to relate with others while forming a group in which each member of the group is valued. (3) In order to encourage children to cultivate a growing sense of morality, they should be encouraged to form basic life style habits, to understand the existence of others in their relationships with other children and to respect their friends. Also, teachers should encourage children to develop enriched emotions through close contact with the nature, animal, and plant life which surrounds them, and special considerations should be given to the fact that children develop gradually trust and compassion toward others by experiencing, then learning how to overcome, altercations and setbacks. (4) Teachers should encourage children to develop a closeness with the elderly and others in the community, and to experience the enjoy of relating with people and the pleasure of making contributions through facilitating experiences of associating with those who involve in children’s lives, of enjoying expressing feelings and wishes, and of empathizing. Teachers should also develop in children, through daily experiences, the acknowledgement of parents’ love and the will to appreciate and respect them.
Environment 1. Aims (1) To develop interest and curiosity towards various kinds of things and experiences around them through having a sense of familiarity with their surrounding environment and contact with nature. (2) To involve in their surrounding environment, and to enjoy making and thinking about discoveries, incorporating them into their lives. (3) To enrich children’s understanding of the nature of things, concept of quantity and numbers, and written words, etc. through observing, thinking about and dealing with surrounding things and experiences.
2. Contents (1) Leading a life in close contact with nature, being aware of its grandeur, beauty and wonder. (2) Having contact with various things in their lives and developing an interest and curiosity in the nature and organization of those things. (3) Realizing the changes in nature and in people’s lives in accordance with season. (4) Developing and incorporating an interest in things surrounding them, such as nature. (5) Acknowledging the importance of life, appreciating and respecting it through experiences of becoming familiar with surrounding animals and plants. (6) Treating surrounding things with care. (7) Developing an interest in surrounding things and play equipment, and through thinking about them, coming up with creative ways to make the best use of them. (8) Developing curiosity about the concept of quantity and numbers and diagrams in everyday life. (9) Developing curiosity about simple signs and written words in everyday life (10)Developing curiosity about information and facilities with play an important role in their lives (11)Being familiar with the National Flag and all its functions inside and outside the kindergarten.
3. Dealing with the Contents It is necessary to note the following points in terms of dealing with the “Environment” contents. (1) Teachers should place importance on a process through which children can learn to think for themselves, by maintaining a relationship with their surrounding environment in play, then developing curiosity in their surroundings, facilitating concern in significance and process and recognizing the rules and codes of things around them. (2) Teachers should devise processes whereby children can deepen their relationship with nature, given that the foundation of enriched emotion, curiosity, ability to think and expressiveness is cultivated through the experience of coming into direct contact with the grandeur, beauty and wonder of nature, which is very important to them during early childhood. (3) Children should be encouraged to develop a willingness toward involving themselves voluntarily with nature through conveying to others and sharing with each other their emotions about things and experiences, animals and plants surrounding them. This should be done in such a way that through these various relationships, children can foster a feeling of attachment and sense of awe toward these things, a respect for life, a spirit of social responsibility and inquisitive mind. (4) Children should be encouraged to place importance on their experiences based on the necessities of their own lives, so that interest, curiosity and feelings of understanding the concept of quantity and numbers, and written words can be fostered.
Language 1. Aims (1) To experience the enjoyment of expressing their feelings in one’s own words. (2) To listen to other people’s language and conversation, to verbalize what one experienced and thought, and to experience the pleasure of communicating with each other. (3) To understand language necessary to everyday life, to be familiar with picture books and stories, and to communicate their feelings with teachers and friends.
2. Contents (1) Developing an interest and curiosity in the language and conversation of teachers and friends, and listening and speaking in a friendly manner themselves. (2) Expressing in one’s own words what one sees, hears, feels, etc. (3) Expressing verbally what one wants or wants someone to do, and asking when one does not understand. (4) Paying attention to what people are saying, ensuring that the person with whom one is talking to can understand them. (5) Understanding and using words essential to everyday life. (6) Greeting people daily in a friendly manner. (7) Recognizing the enjoyment and beauty of language in daily life. (8) Enriching images and language through various experiences. (9) Being familiar with picture books and stories, listening with interests, experiencing the enjoyment of imagination. (10) Experiencing the enjoyment of conveying thoughts and feelings using written words, etc., in everyday life.
3. Dealing with the Contents It is necessary to note the following points in terms of dealing with the “Language” contents. (1) Considering the fact that people are able to acquire languages gradually by interacting with each other allowing them to convey their emotions and intent and listen to the responses of others, children should be encouraged to feel and experience the enjoyment of speaking language through relationship with teachers and other children. (2) Teachers should encourage children to create enriched images and foster understanding of language through fully experiencing the enjoyment of relating the contents of picture books, stories, etc., with their own experiences and using their imagination. (3) Teachers should encourage children to experience the pleasure and enjoyment for conveying thoughts and feelings through written words, etc., and to develop interest and curiosity in written words in everyday life.
Expression 1. Aims (1) To develop enriched feelings toward the beauty and other qualities in various things. (2) To enjoy expressing what one feels and thinks in one’s own ways. (3) To enjoy expressing in various ways as enriching images in life.
2. Contents (1) Recognizing and enjoying the various kinds of sounds, colors, forms, texture and movements in life. (2) Coming into contact with beauty and things which move people emotionally in life, and creating enriched images. (3) Expressing joy of communicating what one was impressed about among various events. (4) Expressing feelings and thoughts by the media such as making sounds and movement, and drawing, painting, and making things freely. (5) Being familiar with various materials and making use of them creatively in play. (6) Being familiar with music, and expressing the enjoyment of singing and using simple rhythmical instruments. (7) Enjoy drawing, paintings and creating things, and using them in play and decorations. (8) Experiencing the enjoyment of expressing their own images in words and movements, performing, and playing.
3. Dealing with the Contents It is necessary to note the following points in terms of dealing with the “Expression” contents. (1) Enriched feelings of children should be fostered by encountering beautiful and excellent things, and things which move the children emotionally while having rich interaction with their surrounding environment, such as nature, and by sharing their impressions gained by the experience with other children and teachers, and further by expressing in various ways. (2) As children’s self-expression is carried out in a simple manner, teachers should encourage children to enjoy expressing themselves in various childlike ways in their lives, by being receptive to these expressions and by acknowledging the willingness of the children to express themselves. (3) In accordance with life experiences and development of individual, teachers should provide play equipment and apparatus for children to enjoy expressing themselves in various kinds of ways and to enable the children to exercise fully their intention to express themselves.
Chapter 3 Points for Consideration in the Formulation of Instruction Plans Kindergarten education aims to achieve its goals through promoting concrete activities which are generated by young children who engage in their environment enthusiastically. In view of this, kindergartens should formulate balanced systematic and constructive instruction plans, and conduct instruction which is flexible and child-centered, in accordance with the following points, in order to ensure that kindergartens develop life and conduct instruction appropriate for young children. 1. General Points of Consideration (1) Instruction plans should be formulated in concrete ways in order for each child to practice appropriate to early childhood, and to gain experiences necessarily in accordance with development of child. (2) In terms of formulating instruction plans, activities should be allowed for choice and practice through setting concrete aims and contents based upon the outlines below, and through creating an appropriate environment. a）Concrete aims and contents should be established in response to interest and curiosity of children and their process of development, grasping the process of continuity of development of children in kindergarten life, and with consideration of the continuity of children’s lifestyles, changes in season, etc. b）An appropriate environment should be formulate to achieve concrete aims, and to enable children to gain experiences they need as developing various activities through their individual active involvement in the environment. Importance should be placed on the aspects of life and imagination of children, and this environment should be appropriately maintained at all times. c）Concrete activities undertaken by children should be provided necessary support for children to develop their own activities toward favorable direction with taking consideration that these activities could have changed in various ways through the course of their lives. Kindergartens should conduct appropriate review and evaluation of the instructing process with reference to children’s conditions and changes in surrounding situations, and make continuous improvements of instruction plans. (3) Life of early childhood should be practiced ensuring appropriate for every period during the time taking into consideration the various processes that from the period which children become familiar with and secure about kindergarten life through playing alone and interacting with teachers to the period when they develop and deepen their kindergarten life having aims with their friends. In particular, special consideration regarding children entering kindergarten at the age of three should be given regarding close cooperation with homes, and pattern of life and safety. (4) Appropriate instructions should be carried out based upon by formulating the instruction plans that have both yearly, periodical, and monthly plans overseeing long-term activities, and weekly and daily plans response to the life of children having with relationship with the long-term ones. In particular, consideration should be given to children's pattern of life in the formation of daily and weekly instruction plans so that activities geared to the continuation of children’s awareness and interest can be mutually related and addressed within the natural flow of kindergarten life. (5) Activities practiced by children are developed in diverse ways including individual, group, and whole class activities. Yet, while creating a cooperative system among kindergarten teachers as a whole, appropriate assistance should be provided to ensure that the interests and desires of the each child are fully satisfied. (6) In view of the fact that it is important for teaches to have diverse ways of involvement to encourage children’s voluntary activities, teachers should play various roles, such as those of a person who understands children and a co-worker, and conduct instruction appropriate to each activity so that the enriched experiences necessary for the development of children can be attained. (7) It should be noted that children’s lives are broadened through the local community, with the home as the foundation, and should be developed while kindergarten life is maintaining continuity with the home and community through such areas as full cooperation with the home. Nature, human resources, events, public facilities, etc. in the region should be actively utilized, and creative measures should be taken so that children can experience an enriched lifestyle. (8) Consideration should be given to the fact that kindergarten education is connected to developing a foundation for lifestyle and learning in and after elementary school, and a foundation including creative thinking and an attitude for vountary activities should be cultivated through a life suited to early childhood.
2. Points for Special Attention (1) With regard to safety-related teaching, kindergartens should encourage children to maintain their emotional stability, to acquire through play the ability to move their bodies in an agile manner, to learn about dangerous places and things, to enhance their understanding about safety. Kindergartens should also develop children the convention of traffic safety, while conducting drills which promote appropriate action during catastrophe. (2) With regard to instructing children with disabilities, teachers should cooperate with parents and professionals of relevant organizations while encouraging the full development of the children’s lives within their group. Teachers should also take into consideration various kinds and degrees of disability. (3) In order to foster children’s social awareness and enrich their humanity, consideration should be given to establish positively opportunities for joint activities with children with disabilities from institutions such as schools for the visually-impaired, schools for the hearing-impaired and schools for those with other disabilities in accordance with the conditions of community and kindergartens. (4) With regard to the instruction of events, variety and enrichment for life within the natural flow of kindergarten life should be fostered, so that children can voluntarily and enjoyably conduct activities. However, the educational value of individual event should be carefully reviewed and appropriate methods carefully selected to ensure for children not to feel overwhelmed. (5) With regard to kindergarten administration, facilities and functions should be opened up to the community to support child-rearing practice, playing the role of children’s education centers in the local community through various activities, such as consultation related to early childhood education. (6) Addressing the needs of parents and community, educational activities provided during extra curricular hours to those who with such services should be developed, through organizing appropriate systems of teaching in accordance with the Basic Ideal and Goals of Kindergarten Education outlined in Chapter 1 as well as with regard to the continuity with curricular activities, exhaustion of children’s mind and body, and close cooperation with homes. |