Over the last two decades, Taiwan's early childhood education has gone through many changes, including regulatory reform, kindergartens and nurseries integration, kindergartens evaluation as well as curriculum reform and lesson demonstrations. As a result, the standard and quality of early childhood education in Taiwan has almost caught up with Japan.

      Significantly, ordinary people from all walks of life are making impacts in the scene of early childhood education during the past decade.

      Stepping into the preschools in Taiwan, I observed that these changes have brought freedom and openness to childhood education.

      I did not see any lavish renovation or advanced facilities in the classroom. However, different materials and objects were easily accessible in the classroom for children to think, touch, and play freely.

      I did not see children all sitting together and listening to the teacher's instructions. Instead, children were found at different learning corners engaging in their own activities. The teacher sat beside a child facilitating his/her learning while other children in the class focused on their learning activities.

      I did not see any common timetable in the classroom. Instead, every child has a personalized learning journal, the content of which was decided by the child and the teacher together. It guides the child to finish learning activities step by step.

      I did not see any doctrinal decoration in the classroom. The teacher designed and decorated the learning corners according to children's learning needs. There are also different functional sectors within the corners.

      The teachers dismantled the cookie-cutter playground equipment in the outdoor area and replaced them with bulky and assembly wooden blocks. The blocks encourage open-ended play and creativity with the children spending more time outdoors.

      In Taiwan, every preschool is unique with its own distinct curriculum, space area and materials related to the local context. One thing in common is that every preschool has its own library.

      Over the years, through the efforts of scholars and rigorous teacher training, Taiwan's early childhood education has been filled with an atmosphere of its own. I am amazed at the rich life experience and learning offered by Taiwan kindergartens.

 

Different materials and objects for children to experience

A child's journal book

Learning corners decorated according to teaching needs

 Bulky and assembly wooden blocks

Every preschool in Taiwan has its own library