In embracing the vision of thinking schools and learning nation for Singapore, there is a need to inculcate an eagerness to learn even from the early years through the systematic development of children‟s cognitive and metacognitive skills. Previous studies on the Bright Start cognitive curriculum have suggested that the programme have succeeded in “leveling the playing field” by equipping high risks children and children from low SES, with the cognitive and metacognitive skills to learn in schools (Haywood, Brooks and Burns, 1986; Paour, Cebe, Lagarrigue and Luiu, 1993;Tzuriel, Kaniel, Kanner and Haywood, 1999; Paour, Cebe and Haywood, 2000). In Singapore, there are children who are at risks of failure in school with many of them coming from disadvantaged and non-English speaking homes. They may benefit from Bright Start cognitive curriculum and its emphasis on the
54 systematic development of cognitive and metacognitive skills to help them to learn in school. Hence, the Bright Start cognitive curriculum for young children, based on the theories of cognitive development, appear to offer an important contribution in these aspects.
Ashman & Conway (1997) highlighted six types of thinking typically related to thinking skills programme:
Metacognition
Critical thinking
Creative thinking
Cognitive processes such as problem solving and decision making
Core thinking skills (such as representation and summarising)
Understanding the role of content knowledge
The above thinking skills vary according to the age group and the context in which they are being taught. The Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum involves the development of the basic cognitive skills and metacognition processes in young children. Through the process of „bridging‟, the children are helped to apply these skills in a variety of contexts, including the context where new content knowledge is learnt.
The Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum for young children, based on a comprehensive theoretical approach synthesized by its authors from several developmental theories, such as Feuerstein, Piaget, Vygotsky and Haywood‟s transactional view of nature and development of human ability (Haywood, Tzuriel & Vaught, 1992), fulfill Walsh‟s and Gardner‟s (2005) high quality thinking environment particularly in the adult‟s role and the children‟s actions.
The Bright Start cognitive curriculum is organised according to several cognitive units with each unit designed to address a fundamental aspect of cognitive functioning of preschool children. Classification, sequence and pattern skills are
55 among these units. Not only does the Bright Start cognitive curriculum develop children‟s cognitive processes, it also develops children‟s metacognition through the use of a mediational teaching style. Children are taught to be aware of their thinking processes because this is a prerequisite to the application of reasoning processes. Once children know about their own learning and thinking, teachers can talk to them about these processes. They share a common vocabulary and referents concerning these activities. According to Brooks (1989), by labeling the various cognitive functions, children are better equipped to manipulate them when necessary to solve a problem. Children can then be reminded to look systematically, make a plan or make a picture in their heads. Finally, in mediated learning experience, the adult scaffolds the children‟s learning, models thinking strategies, uses an array of open- ended questions and makes reference to previous learning.
One assessment tool, the Quality Learning Instrument (QLI) developed by Walsh & Gardner (2005), that evaluates early years learning environment identifies factors crucial in promoting the development of high quality thinking environments and they are the adult‟s role, the children‟s actions and the physical environment. One dimension of QLI specifies the indicators of high quality thinking experience in terms of the children‟s ability to categorize and sequence successfully, explain why they have done things in a certain way, make an attempt in solving problems themselves, reflect on previous work, engage in planning and complete the task competently. Indicators of high quality thinking experience in terms of adult‟s role include scaffolding the children‟s learning, modeling thinking strategies, using an array of open-ended questions and making reference to previous learning. The Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum appears to be characterised by several of these indicators of high quality thinking both in terms of child‟s actions and adult‟s role.
Another reason for my choice to conduct a study on the Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum is that this programme focuses on the systematic development of basic cognitive functions that are prerequisite for learning not just in the primary grades but also for lifelong learning. The Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum encourages
56 children to reflect on their own thought processes, evaluate them, and consider whether alternative strategies can be equally effective.
The Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum takes the Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) approach to facilitate adequate cognitive functioning and task intrinsic motivation to learn in young children (Feuerstein, Rand, Hoffman & Millier, 1980). It recognises the important role of the „mediator‟-the teacher- to help children understand the generalised meaning of their experiences, of new learning and of relationships. The presence of the mediator between the child and the environment is essential for the child‟s adequate cognitive development. Inadequate cognitive development and hence ineffective learning and problem solving is a result of a lack in mediated learning experience rather than the deficiency in the child. The single most important distinguishing characteristic of the teacher‟s behaviour in the Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum for young children is the use of MLE teaching style. The goal of mediated learning experience teaching approach is to extract from every encounter the children have with content materials the maximum learning of generalizable principles and strategies of perceiving the world, of thinking systematically, of learning, and of problem solving (Brooks & Haywood, 2003).
The Bright Start programme, when systematically implemented with young children, will probably lead to increase in learning effectiveness, more effective basic cognitive processes and thinking skills, and to prepare children for school learning. The investigator will review previous studies on the Bright Start cognitive curriculum that has provided evidence in support of the above claims in section 2.5.1. The question is : Will the Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum be able to lead to increased learning effectiveness and the development of more effective basic cognitive processes for the children in Singapore that previous research studies have claimed ?
Finally, the goals of the Bright Start cognitive curriculum may be particularly relevant to the Ministry of Education‟s vision of nurturing young Singaporeans
57 with minds that keep inquiring, instill in them the passion for learning, develop the habit of life-long learning and foster the spirit of innovation.
2.4 Theoretical Background of the Bright Start Cognitive Curriculum for