Ministry of Education

The Resource Book has been compiled to assist you, the practitioners and other relevant stakeholders, with your curricular activity plans. It is a supplemental guide that accompanies the Jamaica Early Childhood Curriculum For Children Birth to Five Years Old. One of the considerations that guided the development and design of the curriculum was the need to “emphasize holistic development and integrated curriculum approaches that allow children to express themselves creatively by using all their senses to acquire new knowledge, skills and competencies as well as to engage in independent learning”, (Davies, 2008, Conceptual Framework, p.2). Furthermore, “play is central to curriculum practice, as it allows children to be active learners, interacting with a wide variety of materials and engaging with projects and learning centres in the process. Varied approaches to play and different methods of learning are encouraged…” (p.6). The Resource Book has been developed with these principles in mind. The activities outlined within it are interactive and child-centred and promote the active participation of children.