The Early Childhood Curriculum from a Sociocultural Perspective

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical base for building an early childhood curriculum. An “educare” approach says that it is impossible to separate the nurturing and educational aspects of early childhood environments. Educare means promoting children's social and intellectual development in responsive social contexts. The educare concept fits better within a sociocultural theoretical framework, based on Vygotsky and more recent work such as that of Rogoff and Fleer, than within the “developmentally appropriate practice” model. Five principles are explained which incorporate a sociocultural perspective. First that all development begins with social interaction and that it consists of the internalisation of social processes. Second that learning drives development rather than development drives learning. Third that close interpersonal relationships and mutual understanding are crucial for optimal development. Fourth that the goals of development are determined by cultural rather than individual development. Finally that children have a unique goal in constructing their own understanding within their cultural context. The paper concludes that teachers can have a powerful role in development, that they need a conscious pedagogy and that a carefully considered early childhood curriculum, relevant to the cultural context, is essential.