Character Building in ECCD

Abstract

Education plays a very important role in each person’s life. Family & teachers are places of learning that\'s choked with true love and feeling. Good characters embodied within the family are terribly basic human characteristics. Children’s capability to operate as accountable voters should be nurtured timely. Family is that the smallest unit that has a very important role within the development of children\'s character, that lies in character education model given by the oldsters to their youngsters. Teachers develop the character of child through organizing completely different activities. Character education within a family has not been conceptualized in a very method that results in a spread of instructional practices in in keeping with the understanding of every parent. The aim of the study is to explain what values are often internalized to a family since time of life. The analysis technique used is literature study that may be an analysis conducted by the researchers by reviewing variety of books, magazines, leaflets bearing on issues and analysis objectives. The findings show that children\'s character education ought to begin from inside the family, as a result of family is that the smallest unit of society and it\'ll rely on oldsters to show youngsters from early age. Children’s character building inside the family isn\'t a simple observe as a result of it needs general handling. There are interrelationships of different elements, like school and community environments, that is critical in its implementation. Character education in time of life ought to begin from the family through the eight family functions together with (1) Education Function, (2) Protection Function, (3) Affection function, (4) Socialization function, (5) Reproduction Function, (6) Religious Functions, (7) Economic Functions, and (8) Recreation Functions.

Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION

Education is all life situations influencing an individual’s growth as learning experience occurs in various environment and throughout life. Furthermore, education is the most appropriate medium in developing children’s potential and build their character both in terms of skills and knowledge. Therefore, education is constantly built and developed so that its implementation will engender the expected generation (Hasanah, 2016, p. 73). Abdul Munir Mulkhan (1993, p. 64) thought that education is a humanitarian effort conducted consciously and rationally, and to achieve the never-ending humanitarian goals cannot be realized only in one generation.

In the Law of National Education System No. 20 of 2003 (2003, pp. 5-6), it is mentioned that education is a conscious and planned effort to realize learning atmosphere and learning process so that students actively develop their potential to acquire religious spiritual strength, self-control, personality, intelligence, noble character, and the skills needed by themselves, society, nation, and country. Moreover, education in a family and its surrounding environment is included in informal education.

A. Meaning of Character Building

According to Abdul Majid and Dian Andayani in their book entitled Pendidikan Karakter Perspektif Islam (2012, p. 11), etymologically, the word character comes from Latin word kharakter or kharassein in Greek, which means to mark, or in French carakter, which means to sharpen or to deepen. Furthermore, character in English according to John M. Echols and Hasan Shadily in Kamus Inggris-Indonesia (2003, pp. 109-110) means watak (trait), karakter (character), sifat (personality), peran (role), and huruf (letter).

Terminologically, experts define character differently. Doni Koesoema (2010, p. 80) states that in understanding character is similar to personality, which could also mean characteristic, or style, or one’s distinctive character, which comes from developments they receive from their environment, for example family during childhood.

B. Objective of ECCD

1. To develop healthy habits in the child and necessary skills for personal adjustment like putting on clothes, eating on his own, observing cleanliness, etc.
2. To develop good social attitudes among children so that, they can participate in games and sports and other activities and be sensitive to the rights and privileges of others.
3. To help children in expressing, understanding, accepting and controlling their views, feelings and emotions.
4. To sharpen children’s aesthetic sense.
5. To arouse children’s curiosity and help them to understand their immediate environment.
6. To give children opportunities for self-expression. This will encourage them to be independent and creative.
7. To develop in children the competence to express their views and feelings spontaneously, clearly and accurately.

C. Curriculum of ECCD

There’s no precise formula for a curriculum that incorporates character education. This also differs according to culture and the age of the students. There are, however, certain general principles that character education advocates agree upon.

1. Educators promote core ethical and performance values to instill good character in students.
2. A comprehensive definition of character, which includes thoughts, emotions, and actions.
3. Educators use an intentional, proactive, and comprehensive approach to character development.
4. To support this process, schools create caring and supportive communities.
5. Educators encourage students to develop morally and provide opportunities to grow morally.
6. Schools create a challenging academic environment to helps students develop character.
7. Educators foster self-motivation in students.
8. Educators and all school staff are part of an ethical learning community and adhere to the same values that they teach.
9. Schools foster leadership values.
10. Schools engage parents and other members of the community as partners in character-building efforts.
11. Schools regularly assess their culture, their staff, and their overall success at fostering character development.

Character education involves a comprehensive approach that includes a robust academic curriculum, a dedicated staff, and a partnership with parents and the wider community. This is a more challenging approach to education than one that focuses primarily on academics. Building character is a more complicated and wider-reaching goal. It’s an approach to education, however, with the potential to yield outstanding results. Rather than simply teaching students information, it seeks to help them develop into ethical, responsible citizens.

II. VALUES OF CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

A. Religious

Attitudes and behaviors that are obedient in carrying out the teachings of their religion, are tolerant of the implementation of the worship of other religions, and live in harmony with the adherents of other religions.

B. Honesty

Behavior-based on trying to make himself a person always trustworthy in word, action, and work.

C. Tolerance

Attitudes and actions that respect differences in religion, ethnicity, opinions, attitudes, and actions of others who are different from themselves.

D. Discipline

Actions that show orderly behavior and comply with various provisions and regulations.

E. Hard work

Actions that show orderly behavior and obey various rules and regulations. So with this orderly behavior, it can build student character in real life.

F. Creative

Thinking and doing something to generate new ways or results from something that already has.

G. Independent

Attitudes and behaviors that are not easily dependent on others in completing tasks.

H. Democratic

A way of thinking, behaving and acting that values ??the same rights and obligations himself and others.

I. Curiosity

Attitudes and actions that always seek to know more deeply and broadly from something they have learned, seen, and heard.

J. National Spirit

A way of thinking, acting, and having an insight that puts the interests of the nation and the state above self and group interests.

K. Love the Motherland

A way of thinking, acting, and having an insight that places the interests of the nation and the state above the interests of themselves and their groups.

L. Respect Achievements

Attitudes and actions that encourage him to produce something useful to society, and recognize and respect the success of others.

M. Friendly/Communicative

Attitudes and actions that encourage him to produce something useful for society, and recognize and respect the success of others.

N. Love Peace

Attitudes and actions that encourage him to produce something useful to society, and recognize and respect the success of others.

O. Loves to Read

The habit of taking time to read various readings that are good for themselves.

P. Caring about the Environment

Attitudes and actions that always try to prevent damage to the environment natural surroundings, and development efforts to improve. This is very important given that students often interact with the surrounding community.

Q. Social Care

Attitudes and actions that always want to help others and society in need.

R. Responsibility

Attitudes and behavior of a person to carry out his duties and obligations, which he should do, towards themselves, society, the environment (natural, social and cultural), the country and God Almighty.

Many parents recognize the need to raise their children in a community that fosters important values. Traditional influences, such as neighbors, religious institutions, and local community organizations are harder to find today. People spend long hours working, move frequently, change jobs, and are increasingly fragmented in their own social circles. Schools provide one of the few stable influences on children’s’ lives.

Character education is a model that provides students with core values along with academic instruction. This type of education is essential for raising the next generation.

III. PEDAGOGY TO DEVELOP CHARACTER IN ECCD

A. The Planning of Character Education Learning

The planning of character education was done in the early years and it is concurrent with the preparation of the annual program. Lesson plans require a referral or guidelines for the implementation of character education, as well as supporting books that are relevant. In the process, principal of the kindergarten with the teachers deliberate the values that be given as priority in the development of character values at the kindergarten. That values are adapted to the degree of urgency, social and cultural conditions, as well as the availability of facilities and infrastructure that supports the development of character values, in order to become more optimal and, of course, accordance with the stages of child development.

B. Management of the Classroom

The arrangement of the room and display of images by learners in the form of the work performance of the children, and teachers in the form of drawings or writings that have education for students is important to note because this will support the implementation of character education in schools better.

C. Character Education Strategy Practice.

Efforts are being made to the planning of character education in kindergarten Pembina Negeri in order to develop a strategy in the practice of character education through the development of school culture and development of activities habituation. Children will learn in fun, playful ways usually without realizing that they are actually learning on every level of development: cognitive, social, emotional, and physical.

1. Classroom Design  

Similar to a Montessori classroom, school should arrange each classroom in different areas that is call “centers”.  Each center is like a cozy section of the room that is focused on a specific type of learning and development.  For example, every “centers” that encourage visual-spacial development using Building Blocks, centers for Dramatic & Pretend Play, other centers for  Art, Science, Math, Writing, and a special area where children eat snacks and learn table manners.

2. Focus on Areas of Child Development

Each center contains a rich variety of games, books, learning toys and teaching tools that are designed to enhance the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth of young children at each stage of development. School approach to early childhood learning goes beyond the typical Montessori classroom by adding learning areas such as the snack center which helps children learn life skills and social skills.

IV. PRACTICES FOR THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT IN ECCD

A. How to Teach Reading and Phonics

Learning to read starts with phonics instruction. Phonics is all about the letters of the alphabet and the sound each letter makes. By learning the different sounds for each letter, children begin to learn how to sound the words they read out loud, and soon they are able to read whole sentences!

Early Learning centers daycare teachers talk frequently and directly with the children, while making eye contact. This approach helps children to become interested in the stories they are reading and become eager to talk and read themselves. Early Childhood Education reading program includes nursery rhymes, songs, poems and story books throughout the day.

B. How to Teach Writing

Based on early childhood education strategy for teaching writing skills on children’s desire to be creative. Throughout the day, school should provide crayons, paint, art supplies, paper and educational toys available and encouraged children to use them throughout the day in each class room.

C. How to Teach Math

To teach math by inviting children to participate in educational games and learning activities that include sorting and matching, estimating, counting, making choices, making and identifying patterns and naming shapes. Math activities are found throughout the classrooms. For example, children can set a table or sort “groceries”. During these types of activities, they learn to build foundational mathematics skills. Math-related activities also help children to develop skills that will help them to think logically and learn problem-solving.

D. How to teach Science

Children are natural scientists with a great desire to learn, investigate, ask questions and wonder how things work. Some children are focused on outdoor discovery. They love to observe butterflies and insects, while others love to spend time in the science and discovery area inside the classroom. There they might measure how far a toy car can go or compare the weight of objects on the balancing scale. The Learning Centers offer many tools a young explorer can use, such as magnifying glasses and measuring cups. To encourage children’s desire to explore and explain by asking them questions throughout the day: What do you observe? What would happen if…?  What did you find out?  Teachers support their natural curiosity so they will continue asking questions and wonder, which is the ultimate motivation of any scientist!

E. Creativity through Visual Art

Visual arts can be paintings, drawings, sculptures made with play dough, clay, boxes or blocks, puppets, stamp art and collages made from magazine pages. Children may use crayons, pencils, water colors, markers, scissors, glue sticks, construction paper, newspapers and magazines. Age appropriate art materials are available throughout the day for all our students in low open shelves and in well organized and constantly maintained bins, easy to find and easy to put away after use. The artist in each child can’t help but be inspired and engaged in original art work.

F. Creativity through Dance

Dance allows children to express feelings, ideas and reflect on content learned. While their fine motor skills may not be developed well enough to produce letters accurately on paper, they may be able to happily dance their way through the alphabet or bend themselves into the shape of a number. Children respond and experience music through dance, an activity that provides lots of fun for the children.

G. Creativity through Music

Music starts for our youngest students with listening to the voices of teachers and care givers. Teachers should provide opportunities for children to hear many types of music, recordings of animal sounds and songs in familiar or foreign languages. Children can also play simple instruments such as drums, cymbals and castanets for their enjoyment.

H. Creativity through Drama

Drama is found in children’s pretend and dress up play. Through action, conversation and movement children communicate with their friends and teachers. They may use props from the house keeping area or dramatic play area, the block area or engage in role play on the playground.

I. Role of the Family in ECCD

In a child’s development, stimulation has a special significance. By stimulation is meant motivation. The child acts and reacts on getting appropriate opportunities. She/he learns from these actions and reactions, and this in turn speed up her/his development. The initial interaction of a child is with her/his parents. She/he spends most of the time with the family. We all know, that, it is the duty of the parents to bring up the child, but this should not be limited to merely providing nutritious food or clean clothes to the child. Parents often forget that they have a major role to play in the development of the child’s personality.

J. Role of the Teacher in ECCD

The child is the centre of ECE and the teacher is the guide. The child on coming to the ECE centre leaves behind the secure atmosphere of her/his home. It is very important that she/he should get a similar secure and caring environment at the centre only then she/he will be able to adjust in the centre and be happy too. This will help in her/his proper development. Therefore, the teacher should

1. Be tolerant and patient.
2. Love children like a mother so that they feel safe and secure even in the absence of their mother.
3. Talk in the mother tongue to the child and child’s parents as language is one of the basic means for nurturing and continuing culture from one generation to the other.
4. Talking in the mother tongue is very effective in developing confidence in children and the parents.
5. Use various locally available resources to provide a suitable learning environment.
6. Should trust the child’s ability and competence and help her/him grow and develop her/his own emotions.
7. Provide opportunities to the child to find her/ his own solutions and let the child grow at her/ his own pace.
8. Address the child by her/his own name to impose confidence in her/him.

References

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Copyright

Copyright © 2023 Dr. Nandkishor Tulshiram Pimpalkar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.