APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM THROUGH ‘ACCURRICULATION’ FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN NIGERIA FOR PROMOTING CHILDREN DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE PRACTICES

Abstract

Early childhood education is gaining grounds in every country. Several policies are in place to support the programme but it is not supported by adequate trained human resources, curriculum and others to achieve children developmentally appropriate practices. The inadequacy of the aforementioned belittles the tremendous efforts of government policies of the programme. The aim of this paper was to portray the way to move the programme to the level expected for establishing the programme to ensure children developmentally appropriate practices through accurriculation in Early Childhood education programme. The paper adopted the qualitative research design using the views of different scholars from various literatures reviewed and the area of the research is Nigeria representing the under developed and developing nations. The Arousal theory of curiosity and exploration was the theoretical review for the paper. Considering the nature and characteristics of the child, an “accurriculation” that promotes developmentally appropriate practices is a sine qua non. This curriculum can be designed through the contact of different curricula, different learning environment, context, learners‟ characteristics and community needs using the incorporation method and avoiding the militaristic approach for children. The paper presents the current status of the programme as demeaning and inappropriate to develop the child in all the domains in the ways and manner desired. Hence the paper recommended assemblage of childhood educators and curriculum experts to come out with an “accurriculation” that promotes children developmentally appropriate practices; with training and retraining of early Childhood educators programme on the usage of the new curriculum enhancing children developmentally practices.