Development and Characteristics of Pre-school Children at Early Childhood Development Centre, College of Teacher Education, Benguet State University

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the development and characteristics of pre-school children at ECDC, CTE, BSU. Specifically, the study aimed to identify the development of pre-school children with regard to personal-social, fine motor adaptive, language, gross motor aspect; the characteristics of pre-school children at ECDC, CTE, BSU according to the cognitive, psychosocial, psychosexual and moral development; and the relationship of age and gender to the development and characteristics of pre-school children at ECDC, CTE, BSU. A structured questionnaire was utilized for the interview and observation of 30 respondents at EDDC, CTE, BSU on December 2011 to January 2012. Gathered data were then subjected to statistical methods such as weighted mean, Cochran’s Q Test, Chi- Test, Chi- square Test and Pearson’s correlation. Results of the study revealed the following: (1) the development of pre-school children with regard to their personal- social, fine motor adaptive, language, gross motor aspect is normal; (2) the characteristics of pre-school children according to cognitive, psychosocial, psychosexual and moral development are sometime shown; and (3) there is no significant relationship of age gender to the development and characteristics of pre-school children at ECDC, CTE, BSU except for psycho sexual development and gender which have a significant relationship.

Based on the results, the following conclusions were derived: (1) the pre-school children at ECDC, CTE, BSU have met the appropriate developmental milestones regarding personal- social, fine motor adaptive, language and gross motor aspects; (2) as for the characteristics according to cognitive, psychological, psychosexual, and moral development, pre-school children of ECDC, CTE, BSU are still in the process of developing expected characteristics; and (3) in general, the child’s rearing activities of parents regarding the child’s development and characteristics are appropriate with their age and gender, however, in psychosexual aspect, boys develop earlier than girls. Based on the conclusions, the following recommendations were suggested: (1) parents and teachers should continue to motivate the children from them to enhance their skills and knowledge; (2) the MMDST developmental chart and child’s characteristics list should be applied in other school to facilitate the rapid screening of development and characteristics status of pre-school children as an initial step to suspect a possible problem in the child; (3) teacher should utilize activities that can be applied to both gender and different ages (4-6) for them to discover new things that will help nourish their skill and knowledge; (4) further studies are recommended such as: role of parents on the development and characteristics of pre-school children; effects of play, mass media, and peers on the development and characteristics of pre-school children; strategies of teachers to enhance the development and characteristics of preschool children; include a broader age range (2-6) for early detection of any signs of delayed development; and comparative study between ECDC and special schools like SPED or other private and public schools ; gathering of data must begin on the first moth of classes to determine the extent development.