Level: Intermediate
Duration: 3 days
Venue: Singapore University of Social Sciences and via ZOOM
The Abecedarian Approach is a set of robust teaching and learning strategies. It is not a curriculum, and it can be used within many existing curricula or even without a curriculum. The approach consists of these four elements :
- Language Priority: a commitment to make every experience an opportunity for talking, listening, and learning a language
Enriched Caregiving: intentionally adding educational content to the daily, repeated routines of care
Conversational Reading: Individual and pair reading that emphasizes back and forth communication
LearningGames®: 200 experiences or games played between an adult and one or two children
The Abecedarian Approach can be used in child development centres, classrooms, family daycare, playgroups, and home visits and can provide a link between these service components.
The course emphasizes the importance of rich language interactions that are individualized, frequent and intentional throughout the day, that take place through all the common events of living and caregiving. The central focus is on developing oral language competencies that form a foundation for later literacy and reading from birth to age three. The AA programme includes playful interactions, enriched care, and stable and responsive relationships among children and adults.
*Please note that CET233 has been converted to a workshop (without credit units) from Mar 2021 onwards.
Preschool teachers, infant educarers, social workers and related social service providers who work directly with young children and families
Abecedarian Approach (AA) - Overview and Research
The four core elements of the Abecedarian Approach and the effect on child development and learning
Using Language Priority: the 3N strategy
Enriched Caregiving: Incorporating “connection” and “content” into daily caregiving routines
Conversational Reading: the 3S Strategy
Selecting Appropriate books for Conversational Reading
Introduction to LearningGames: the 3R Strategy
Selecting appropriate LearningGames activities to support and enhance child development and learning
Integrating AA into Early Childhood Programmes & Family Engagement
Planning and Record Keeping
A. Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Understand the body of research that shows the effects of the Abecedarian Approach
Describe Language Priority techniques.
Describe how children’s active involvement in the reading process facilitates language development.
Choose appropriate books for Conversational Reading
Be familiar with specific LearningGames activities
Understand why something as simple as LearningGames contributes to later school readiness and success
Describe several methods for engaging families with the Abecedarian Approach.
Appreciate that it is important for adults to monitor their implementation of the Abecedarian Approach carefully
Believe that it is important and useful that professionals and families work together to support children’s development
B. Key Skills
By the end of this course, you should be able to:
Demonstrate and use various Language Priority techniques in your daily interactions with children, parents, and caregivers.
Apply the 3N Strategy when interacting with children and teach this strategy to parents and caregivers.
Demonstrate connection and educational content in caregiving routines
Demonstrate Conversational Reading techniques
Promote emergent literacy skills through the use of Conversational Reading intentionally
Master and demonstrate LearningGames activities using the 3R Strategy.
Choose and use games that are appropriate for each child
Describe several methods for engaging families with the Abecedarian Approach.
Create a weekly planning sheet
| Time | Agenda |
|---|
| Day 1 |
| 09:00 – 10.15 | Course Overview
Session 1 – Research & Overview |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Session 2 – Language Priority |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | Session 3 – Enriched Caregiving (Part 1) |
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Break
|
| 15:45 – 17:00 | Session 3 – Enriched Caregiving (Part 2) |
| 17:00 | End of Day 1 |
| Day 2 |
| 09:00 – 10:15 | Session 4 – Conversational Reading (Part 1) |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Session 5 – Conversational Reading (Part 2)
|
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | Session 6 – LearningGames (Part 1) |
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Break |
| 15:45 – 17:00 | Session 6 – LearningGames (Part 1) |
| 17:00 | End of Day 2 |
| Day 3 |
| 09:00 – 10:15 | Session 7 – LearningGames (Part 2) |
| 10:15 – 10:30 | Break |
| 10:30 – 12:00 | Session 8 – LearningGames (Part 3) |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:30 | Session 8 – LearningGames (Part 3) |
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Break |
| 15:45 – 17:00 | Session 9 – Family Engagement & Implementation |
| 17:00 | End of Day 3 |
CHAN LIN HO ED.D, PCC
Dr Chan is a former Associate Professor with the SR Nathan School of Human Development and Social Services at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). She holds a Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from Durham University (UK) and a Master of Science (MSc) in Early Childhood Education and Child Development from Wheelock College (USA) and has developed and taught courses on Comparative Approaches and Practices in ECE and Mentoring and Coaching in Educational Settings.
With over 35 years of experience in the early childhood education sector, Dr Chan is an experienced Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in management and leadership positions in the government and education sector.
She is a Certified Trainer in the Abecedarian Approach. She has worked closely with Professor Joseph Sparling, who is the Board Chair of the Abecedarian Education Foundation (international) and Kimberly Sparling Meunier to promote the adoption of the Abecedarian Approach in preschools and community playgroups through training and mentoring.
From 2016-2017, she held the appointment as Senior Consultant with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) where she helped to design a community outreach programme : the KidSTART Group, a Pilot programme comprising weekly community-based playgroup sessions, for parents and caregivers of children ages 1-3 years. These sessions are based on the evidence-based Abecedarian Approach and seeks to build parenting skills in child development and parent-child bonding through a structured curricula comprising enriched language interactions, caregiving and LearningGames.
Please submit the following documents to cet@suss.edu.sg:
- Coloured copy (back and front) of NRIC for Singaporeans and PRs, or "Employment"/"S" Pass for foreign applicant
- Application form
Course Fee
1 Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy: Singaporeans aged 40 and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course fees.
2 Enhanced Training Support for SMEs: SME-sponsored employees (Singaporean Citizens and PRs) aged 21 and above may enjoy subsidies up to 90% of the course fees.
- Participants are required to achieve at least 75% attendance and pass any prescribed examinations/assessments or submit any course/project work (if any) under the course requirement.
- Participants are required to complete all surveys and feedbacks related to the course
- The course fees are reviewed annually and may be revised. The University reserves the right to adjust the course fees without prior notice.
- Singapore University of Social Sciences reserves the right to amend and/or revise the above schedule without prior notice
For clarification, please contact the SUSS Academy via the following:
Telephone: +65 6248 0263
Email:
CET@suss.edu.sg