Curriculum Framework for ECCE: Insights and

Implementation
Objectives

● Understanding curriculum mapping across grades

● Exploring key components of vertical mapping
● Examining progression by ages and stages
● Balancing depth and breadth for engaging learning
● Incorporating learner viewpoints and sociocultural contexts
● Identifying purposeful repetition and mastery of concepts
● Reviewing and Closing Gaps in the curriculum
● Choosing Themes as an Access Point to the Curriculum
● Comparative Analysis: IB vs. ECCE Framework
Curriculum Mapping Across Grades
Key Insights:

● Continuity and Progression: Sequential skill development ensures smooth transitions.

● Developmental Alignment: Align learning with age-specific milestones.
● Integration Across Domains: Holistic learning via interconnected subject areas.

Examples of Integration Across Domains:

● Math: Use of story-based problems to introduce basic operations.

● Social-Emotional Learning (SEL): Exploring emotions and empathy through storytelling.
● Creative Development: Illustrating scenes from a favorite story.
Example of Continuity and Progression in Reading Readiness across grades

Nursery - Matches pictures with spoken words.

- Discriminates and identifies sounds in spoken language and environment.
- Enjoys rhymes and repetitive sounds.

KG & UKG - Recognizes a few letters and identifies some written words (e.g., own name, words in familiar
storybooks).
- Identifies beginning sounds of words.
- Plays with sounds and creates new words.

Grade 1 - Sight words: basic words like "bad," "sad," and simple vowel combinations (e.g., "draw," "straw").
- Repeated exposure to sight words in meaningful contexts.
- Focuses on communication and expression over accuracy.
Components of Vertical Mapping

Content/Concepts - What children learn?

● Physical Development: Motor skills (fine and gross), health, and self-care.
● Cognitive Development: Pre-math concepts (sorting, patterns, counting), problem-solving, and exploration of
the environment.
● Language and Literacy: Listening, speaking, pre-reading, and pre-writing skills.
● Socio-Emotional Development: Empathy, relationships, self-regulation, and collaboration.
● Creative Expression: Art, music, movement, and role play.
● Environmental Awareness: Understanding the world, nature, seasons, and community roles.
Components of Vertical Mapping

Processes and Skills- How children learn?:

● Exploration and Inquiry: Encouraging curiosity and asking questions.

● Play and Discovery: Structured and free play to build critical thinking and creativity.
● Problem-Solving: Engaging in age-appropriate challenges and finding solutions.
● Language Development: Listening to stories, rhymes, and discussions to build vocabulary and comprehension.
● Motor Skill Development: Activities that refine coordination, balance, and dexterity.
● Social Interaction: Role-playing and group tasks to foster collaboration and empathy.
Components of Vertical Mapping

Assessment (How learning is observed and supported): Assessment in early years focuses on continuous,
observation-based practices that are age-appropriate.

● Observation Checklists: Monitoring physical, cognitive, language, and socio-emotional milestones.

● Anecdotal Records: Documenting unique interactions and moments of learning.
● Portfolios: Collecting children's work to showcase progress (e.g., drawings, crafts, and written work).
● Play-Based Assessments: Using structured and free play scenarios to observe understanding and skill
development.
● Developmental Rubrics: Mapping progress against key indicators like motor coordination or phonemic
awareness.
● Reflective Conversations: Engaging children in discussions about their activities and ideas.
 Ages and Stages in Curriculum Organization
Concepts are designed to match children’s developmental readiness

Developmental Focus by Grade:

● Nursery (3-4 years): Sensory exploration, phonemic awareness, Early math skills ( sorting, matching, and
counting objects)
● KG (4-5 years): Basic literacy and numeracy, foundational motor skills.
● UKG (5-6 years): Phonics and 3-letter word reading; retelling simple stories,
● Grade 1 (6-7 years): Reading sentences and forming short stories; basic punctuation, number sense to 50
● Grade 2 (7-8 years): Reading fluency and comprehension; creative writing, place value, basic multiplication,
and real-life application

Progression: Progression:
Each stage builds on prior skills, transitioning from sensory exploration in Nursery to critical thinking and application
in Grade 2, ensuring age-appropriate learning and seamless progression.
Depth of Concepts

● Incremental skill complexity: From sorting objects to organizing by category. For

instance:
a. Nursery: Sorting objects by color or shape (basic categorization).
b. Grade 2: Applying sorting skills in real-life scenarios like organizing recyclable
and non-recyclable materials.
● Focus on mastery: Foundational skills like phonemic awareness in Nursery progress
to reading comprehension and creative writing by Grade 2, allowing for deeper
engagement with language.
Breadth of Concepts

a. Cross-Domain Integration: Concepts span multiple domains, such as literacy,

numeracy, social skills, and environmental awareness.
i. Example: A theme like "Seasons" may include storytelling (language),
calendar reading (math), and observing weather changes (science).
b. Varied Activities: Hands-on activities, role-play, and outdoor exploration ensure
children are exposed to diverse learning experiences.
Challenging Yet Enjoyable:
○ Play-Based Learning: Activities in early years (e.g., sensory play, rhymes, and games) are engaging while
introducing foundational concepts.
○ Age-Appropriate Challenges: Tasks are designed to stretch children’s thinking without overwhelming them. For
example:
■ Nursery: Playing with building blocks to understand balance.
■ Grade 2: Designing a simple toy using knowledge of balance and materials.
○ Celebration of Success: Opportunities for reflection, feedback, and showcasing work (e.g., gallery walks or
peer presentations) keep children motivated.
Incorporating the Learner’s Viewpoint
1. Age-Appropriate Content:
○ Activities and concepts are aligned with children’s developmental stages, ensuring they can relate to
and engage with the material. Example: Nursery children explore sensory play with tactile materials,
while Grade 2 students apply critical thinking in solving real-world problems, like designing a recycling
system.

2. Incorporating Interests: Topics and activities are drawn from children’s natural curiosities, and experiences
ensuring that learning is meaningful.

3. Inquiry-Based Learning: Children’s questions and ideas are used to shape lessons, fostering ownership of their
learning.

4. Choice and Agency: Opportunities for choice allow children to feel heard and valued.

5. Feedback and Reflection: : Encourage children to articulate what they’ve learned and how they feel about it.
Sociological, Philosophical, and Cultural Milieu
Sociological

1. Reflecting Local Culture and Diversity:

○ NCF Guidance: Emphasizes the need to include local knowledge systems, traditional practices, and
diverse cultural elements in the curriculum.
○ Example: Using local languages in storytelling sessions, creating art inspired by local crafts like
Madhubani or Warli paintings, and including regional games in physical activities.
2. Emphasis on Empathy and Cooperation:
○ NCF Guidance: Highlights the importance of developing values like empathy, respect, and cooperation.
○ Example: Incorporating group activities where children collaborate on creating a class garden,
promoting responsibility and teamwork.
Sociological, Philosophical, and Cultural Milieu

Philosophical Context

1. Holistic Development:
○ NCF Guidance: Advocates for fostering cognitive, emotional, physical, and spiritual growth.
○ Example: Yoga sessions for physical and mental well-being, integrated into the daily schedule.
2. Inquiry and Exploration-Centered Learning:
○ NCF Guidance: Focus on child-led inquiry and experiential learning.
○ Example: Encouraging children to explore questions like “Why do seasons change?” through
observation and discussion, guided by the teacher.
Sociological, Philosophical, and Cultural Milieu

Cultural Context
1. Regional Festivals and Traditions:
○ NCF Guidance: Recommends celebrating festivals and exploring traditions to enhance cultural
understanding and respect for diversity.
○ Example: Organizing a "Festivals Around Us" week where children learn about Diwali, Eid,
Christmas, and Pongal through songs, role-play, and craft activities.
2. Diverse Art Forms and Practices:
○ NCF Guidance: Inclusion of diverse art forms to foster creativity and cultural awareness.
○ Example: Introducing children to folk music, classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam, and
pottery-making workshops.
Repetition for Mastery

In the ECCE curriculum, concepts and skills are repeated purposefully to support gradual mastery. Rather than
redundancy, repetition ensures deeper understanding as children progress through stages of increasing complexity.

● Phonemic Awareness to Reading Fluency:

○ Nursery introduces sounds, Grade 1 focuses on word formation, and Grade 2 moves to fluency and
comprehension, reinforcing earlier skills in more complex contexts.
● Number Recognition to Arithmetic Operations:
○ Nursery focuses on number recognition, Grade 1 extends to simple operations, and Grade 2 applies
these in word problems, increasing the complexity.
● Language Development:
○ Nursery emphasizes oral skills, Grade 1 develops writing, and Grade 2 enables creative writing and
storytelling.
● Social Skills:
○ Nursery starts with parallel play, Grade 1 encourages cooperation, and Grade 2 involves teamwork and
group projects.
Alignment with Competencies / Learning Indicators/Learning
Outcomes?

1. Competencies

The curriculum is designed to develop core competencies across cognitive, emotional, social, and physical domains:

● Cognitive Competencies: Skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, and concept understanding are fostered
through inquiry-based learning and hands-on activities. For instance, in Grade 2, children apply basic
arithmetic in word problems, demonstrating problem-solving competency.
● Social and Emotional Competencies: Through collaborative play, group projects, and discussions, children
learn values like empathy, cooperation, and respect, which align with emotional intelligence competencies.
Alignment with Competencies / Learning Indicators/Learning
Outcomes?

2. Learning Indicators

Learning indicators serve as markers for assessing whether children are meeting developmental milestones. These indicators
guide teachers in monitoring progress:

● In Nursery, learning indicators focus on sensory play and basic motor skills, such as recognizing shapes or building with
blocks.
● By Grade 2, the focus shifts to academic and social skills, like forming complete sentences or participating in group
discussions.

These indicators track children’s progress from basic skills to more advanced capabilities, ensuring that foundational learning is
built upon effectively.
Alignment with Competencies / Learning Indicators/Learning
Outcomes?
3. Learning Outcomes

The curriculum is focused on achieving specific learning outcomes, which are measurable and developmentally
appropriate:

● In Grade 1, a learning outcome might be for children to use phonics to decode simple words, building on phonemic
awareness developed in Nursery.
● By Grade 2, children are expected to apply basic math operations and express themselves creatively through writing
and art, demonstrating advanced literacy and numeracy outcomes.
 Reviewing and closing gaps
1. Reviewing Progress
● Ongoing Assessments: Teachers regularly observe and assess students through portfolios, discussions, and
tasks to track progress.
● Feedback: Collect feedback from teachers, students, and parents to understand how well the curriculum is
working and if students are progressing.

2. Identifying Gaps

● Content Gaps: Check if foundational concepts are being taught well. For example, if Grade 1 children struggle
with phonics, this shows a gap in earlier learning.
● Skill Gaps: See if students can apply their skills as expected. For example, if Grade 2 students find
problem-solving hard, it may indicate that earlier lessons didn't fully build these skills.
● Cultural Relevance: Make sure content connects with students' real-life experiences. If students are not
engaged, we may need more inclusive content, like local stories or festivals.
 Addressing and Closing Gaps
Strengthen Skills: Use small group work or extra lessons to help students who need more practice in areas like
phonics or math.
Revisit Concepts: If students struggle with a basic concept, such as numbers or social skills, revisit it through fun,
hands-on activities.
Differentiated Instruction: Tailor lessons to fit different learning needs, like using visual aids or providing extra help
for struggling students.
Inclusive Teaching: Make sure content reflects the diversity of students' backgrounds. For example, use local stories
or multilingual resources to make lessons more relatable.
Curriculum Adaptations: Based on feedback, adapt the curriculum. If Grade 2 students can do basic math but
struggle with word problems, offer more challenging tasks.
Addressing and Closing Gaps
4. Continuous Feedback

● Monitor Progress: Continuously check how well students are doing and adjust the curriculum as needed.
Regular feedback from teachers, parents, and students helps keep the curriculum evolving.

5. Regular Meetings Across Grades

● Hold regular meetings across grades to ensure everyone is aligned on the curriculum. This helps teachers
share strategies, track progress, and ensure continuity in learning across grades.
Choosing Themes as Access Point
IB PYP Transdisciplinary Theme Corresponding Themes in CBSE as per NCF

Who We Are My Body, My Family, My School

Where We Are in Place and Time Our Environment, Our Country, Our World

How We Express Ourselves Art and Culture, Language and Literature

How the World Works Science and Technology, Natural Resources

How We Organize Ourselves Social Structures, Economic Activities

Sharing the Planet Sustainable Development, Environmental Studies

Eg. Who We Are: This theme explores the nature of the self, beliefs, values, and human relationships. In the NCF, this aligns with
topics like "My Body, My Family, My School," which focus on personal and social development.
 Rationale
Aspect Themes Specific Topic

Scope Broad, interconnected concepts that span multiple More specific to the topic with little
domains. scope for open endedness

Integration Allows cross-domain learning (e.g., cognitive, social, Limited integration across subjects or
emotional, physical). domains.

Curiosity and Promotes exploration and questions across diverse Constrains curiosity to a single idea
Inquiry contexts. or fact.

Engagement Sustains interest through varied, related activities. Engagement may wane quickly due
to limited exploration.

Example Instead of one lesson on “Butterflies,” a theme like

“Life Cycles” can include frogs, plants, and
butterflies, maintaining interest through diversity.
IB and ECCE
Aspect IB PYP ECCE
Inquiry-based, transdisciplinary, child-centered, focused on global Developmentally appropriate, flexible, child-centered, focused on
Approach perspectives. foundational learning.

Curriculum Structured, thematic units Focuses on developmental milestones, socialization, and early literacy.

Age Range Typically ages 3–12 (Preschool to Grade 5). Primarily focuses on children aged 0–8 years.

Global themes, international-mindedness, conceptual understanding, skills

Learning Focus development. Social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development,

Play-based with a focus on foundational skills (e.g., language, motor

Learning Approach Play-based inquiry with real-world connections, hands-on learning. skills).

Formative assessments, self-reflection, peer feedback, observations of Informal, observational assessments, developmental tracking,
Assessment inquiry process. milestone-based.

More localized and focused on immediate, community-based

Global Perspective Emphasizes global issues, sustainability, human rights, cultural awareness. experiences.

Unit on "How the World Works" with inquiry into scientific concepts, global Observing the environment (weather, seasons), simple language and
Examples of Learning issues. social skills activities.

Facilitator, guiding inquiry and providing opportunities for exploration and Caregiver, focusing on nurturing the child's growth and providing a safe
Teacher's Role reflection. learning environment.
ECCE