Specific statements setting measurable expectations for what learners should know and be able to do, described either in terms of learning outcomes (what the learners are expected to learn), products or performance (what learners will produce as a result of a learning activity) or processes (describing the focus of learning activities). They can be seen as refinements of curriculum aims/goals that, for example, specify: performance standards or those skills and knowledge the learners are expected to be able to demonstrate; inferred or precise degree of mastery; and the conditions under which the performance will take place. In terms of effectiveness, curriculum objectives should: be concise and understandable to teachers, learners and parents; be feasible for the teachers and learners to accomplish; encompass previous learning and require the learner to integrate and then apply certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes in order to demonstrate achievement; and be measurable on a cumulative basis and at different stages of the learner’s educational career.
Based on the principles of fostering children’s comprehensive and balanced development, the Kindergarten Education Curriculum aims to help children achieve five developmental objectives, namely “Moral Development", “Cognitive and Language Development”, “Physical Development”, “Affective and Social Development”, and “Aesthetic Development”, with a view to nurturing children to attain all-round development in the domains of ethics, intellect, physique, social skills and aesthetics.
The abovementioned developmental objectives are achieved through six Learning Areas, which are “Physical Fitness and Health”, “Language”, “Early Childhood Mathematics”, “Nature and Living”, “Self and Society” and “Arts and Creativity”. Real-life learning themes are closely related to children’s learning experience, cognition and interests. They connect with the content of the six learning areas and provide integrated and comprehensive learning experience which is conducive to children’s learning.
Same as the primary and secondary school curricula, the Kindergarten Education Curriculum covers three interconnected components, namely “Values and Attitudes”, “Skills” and “Knowledge”, which form a coherent curriculum system. The Kindergarten Education Curriculum emphasizes on fostering children’s learning interest, building positive values and attitudes and enhancing self-confidence as well as self-care abilities.
